Week 7: South Carolina at Kentucky

Kentucky and South Carolina have an uphill battle to climb if they want to play for a SEC title, but this is a key game for positioning within the SEC East. The Wildcats are coming off a tough 17-14 loss to Alabama, while South Carolina notched an impressive 31-24 win over Ole Miss last Saturday.

With an inexperienced quarterback, Kentucky has leaned on their defense this season. The Wildcats rank first in the NCAA in scoring defense, third in pass defense and 12th in total defense. The South Carolina offense has shown some signs of life recently, and quarterback Chris Smelley is coming off a career-high 327 passing yards against Ole Miss. Helping Smelley’s confidence in the passing game is the return of senior receiver Kenny McKinley, who missed three games with a hamstring injury. With a suspect South Carolina offensive line, the Wildcats will look to pressure Smelley and force him into mistakes. In a close game, turnovers could be the difference.

Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline hasn’t been the most prolific passer, but he’s been steady through five games. The sophomore has thrown for 874 yards and five touchdowns on the season, but the Gamecocks rank second in pass defense. The Wildcats have three solid running backs - Derrick Locke, Tony Dixon and Alfonso Smith – but struggled to establish their ground game against Alabama. The Gamecocks rank 41st in the NCAA against the run, and the Kentucky coaching staff would like to see a little more production out of this group in Saturday’s game. 

Notes:

South Carolina owns a 12-6-1 series edge over Kentucky. The Gamecocks have won eight consecutive games in this series.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is 15-0 in his coaching career against Kentucky.

Kentucky quarterback/receiver Randall Cobb is dealing with a high ankle sprain, but may play in Saturday’s game against South Carolina. The Wildcats could also get a boost with the return of defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, who is also battling a high ankle sprain. However, linebacker Micah Johnson and receiver DeMoreo Ford are doubtful to play.

South Carolina tight end Jared Cook tweaked an ankle against Ole Miss, but is expected to play in Saturday’s game against the Wildcats.

Key Player (Gamecocks) – Chris Smelley, QB

The Gamecocks have struggled to establish any consistency from their quarterbacks in recent seasons, but Smelley’s performance against Ole Miss is a sign things could be headed in the right direction. With the return of Kenny McKinley and running back Mike Davis playing well, the Gamecocks have no shortage of weapons for Smelley.

Key Player (Wildcats) – Derrick Locke, RB

The Wildcats have a running back by committee approach, but Locke is the most talented rusher out of this group. The sophomore is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and with the offense looking to run more in this game, Locke’s success will be critical to Kentucky moving to 5-1 or 4-2.

Gamecocks by 3