South Carolina gets another shot at a reset Saturday, and this one comes with Kentucky walking into Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks and Wildcats are set for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network, with South Carolina trying to stop a slide that has left Shane Beamer’s team at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. Kentucky arrives at 3-1 and 1-1 in the league, looking to make it three straight wins under first-year head coach Will Stein.
South Carolina is back home after last week’s 49-18 loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and the margin for error is already shrinking. The Gamecocks have dropped their last two conference games, while Kentucky is trying to keep its momentum rolling.
South Carolina has also had Kentucky’s number lately, winning the last four meetings. The Wildcats’ last series victory came in 2020, with their 2021 win later vacated.
For anyone tuning in, the game will air on SEC Network. Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Michella Chester will be on the broadcast. Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs and Chet Tucker will handle the local radio call, and the game will also be available on SiriusXM Channel 173 or 228, with 952 on the app.
The betting market still leans toward South Carolina, though the number has tightened. The Gamecocks opened as a 7-point favorite, per the VegasInsider consensus, but the line has moved toward Kentucky over the past week.
DraftKings has South Carolina favored by 3, while FanDuel lists the Gamecocks at 2.5. USC is 1-3 against the spread this season, and ESPN Analytics gives South Carolina a 57.9% chance to win.
The first official SEC injury report, released Wednesday night, listed seven South Carolina players. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy is questionable after missing last week.
Jalewis Soloman, Jayden Sellers, A.J. Holloway, Josiah Thompson and Kobby Sakyi-Prah are out, and Dylan Stewart is also out after Shane Beamer said he was suspended indefinitely because of his actions in the Alabama game on Sunday.
The SEC report will be updated Thursday, Friday and again 90 minutes before kickoff Saturday.
Weather could be part of the story, too. AccuWeather calls for temperatures around 88 degrees with a real feel of 95, along with humid conditions and a strong chance of afternoon thunderstorms near kickoff. If the rain shows up, it may briefly take the edge off a day that’s expected to stay warm.
Beamer’s biggest question now is how his team responds after another lopsided loss. He said after the Mississippi State defeat that South Carolina would be defined by its response, then repeated the same message after Alabama.
In Tuscaloosa, he doubled down and said he has no doubt the Gamecocks will respond the right way against Kentucky. Saturday will show whether that message finally turns into a result.
South Carolina has moved the ball in SEC play, averaging 425 yards over its last two games, but the offense has too often stalled when it matters most. Against Alabama, the Gamecocks reached deep into Crimson Tide territory on their first two possessions and came away empty, missing a field goal and failing on fourth down.
That’s been the pattern that has kept South Carolina from turning solid yardage into points. The Gamecocks are No. 11 in the SEC in red zone conversions and No. 72 nationally.
The defense has its own problems to clean up. South Carolina has given up more than 40 points and an average of 441 total yards in each of its last two games.
The secondary, in particular, has been exposed. Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor and Alabama’s Keelon Russell combined for 623 passing yards and nine touchdowns against the Gamecocks.
If South Carolina wants a different outcome this week, the communication has to sharpen and the pass rush has to do more.
A few individual matchups stand out. Matt Fuller has been one of the few bright spots for South Carolina, running for 112 yards and a touchdown against Alabama.
He now has 384 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season, and he’s already passed his totals from the last two years in just four games, doing it in 23 fewer carries. Quay’sheed Scott also gets a notable reunion, facing the program he played for during his first two college seasons.
The Columbia native appeared in 23 games for Kentucky before transferring and has become a key nickel piece for South Carolina, playing 121 defensive snaps, which ranks No. 8 on the team and No. 5 among defensive backs. He has five tackles and has allowed only three receptions, per PFF.
Kentucky brings its own players to watch. Quarterback Kenny Minchey, now the Wildcats’ starter, has thrown for 876 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.
He spent the first three years of his career at Notre Dame and now leads a Kentucky offense that has won three of its last four games. On defense, Jordan Castell has been one of the SEC’s most active tacklers, ranking No. 2 in the league with 36 total tackles.
The Florida transfer is also tied for the conference lead with two interceptions, and his tackling grade from PFF is among the best in the SEC.
South Carolina has the home field, the recent series edge and the better betting line. What it doesn’t have yet is a conference win. Saturday gives the Gamecocks another chance to change that.
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Growing QB Concern At The Worst Time
The quarterback picture across the conference has become harder to ignore, and it only gets sharper for South Carolina when LaNorris Sellers is part of the conversation. The Gamecocks have leaned on his talent and development all season, and as other teams sort through their own quarterback issues, Sellers remains one of the more important young passers to track heading into the stretch run.
Jayden Maiava, Marcel Reed and Ashton Daniels are all dealing with their own pressure points as their teams look for steadier play, but South Carolinas interest in the group goes beyond casual scoreboard watching. The Gamecocks are trying to keep their own momentum going while the leagues quarterback ranks shift around them, and the next round of games will tell a lot about which of these passers can clean things up before the stakes get even higher. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Emerging Back Could Change One Big Offensive Problem
Jabree Coleman has quietly worked his way into a meaningful role for South Carolina, giving the Gamecocks a second option at running back as the offense looks for more balance. Over four games, Coleman has piled up 147 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per rush, and the early returns match the internal buzz around him. Coaches and teammates have pointed to his natural feel for the position, his intelligence and the kind of work ethic that tends to earn more opportunities.
For a South Carolina offense that has been searching for more consistency on the ground, Colemans emergence is more than a nice depth chart development. His role is expected to keep growing, particularly when the conditions line up for a run-heavy approach, and that gives the Gamecocks a potential answer to one of their bigger offensive issues. The question now is how far his workload can go as the season moves on and the staff looks for the right way to keep him involved. [Read more 🡒]
LaNorris Sellers Ranking Adds Pressure To South Carolinas QB Situation
ESPNs updated ranking of 68 Power 4 quarterbacks put LaNorris Sellers at No. 49, a reminder that the South Carolina passer is still trying to separate himself in a crowded, scrutinized spot. Sellers has flashed enough to keep the job conversation alive, but his recent run has been uneven, with a 59.1 QBR and plenty of pressure that comes with playing quarterback in Columbia.
Shane Beamer said the competition at the position is still ongoing in practice, which keeps the door open for a deeper look at how the Gamecocks want to handle the role moving forward. The context around the position only gets louder with Clemson freshman starter Tait Reynolds also in the same ranking, landing at No. 66 after starting the past two games and posting a 29.8 QBR, but South Carolinas bigger question remains whether Sellers can steady things before the debate around him gets even more uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]