After barely sneaking by a non-power four school in Week 1, the South Carolina football team will travel to Lexington to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 2.
South Carolina vs. Kentucky Match History
This in-conference matchup has a lot of history and slightly favors South Carolina with an all-time head-to-head record of 20-14-1. The last two times these teams met, the Gamecocks came away with the win, with the most recent game being a 17-14 victory in Columbia last season. Kentucky started their season on a positive note, beating Southern Mississippi 31-0 last week.
South Carolina Keys to the Game
The first key for the Gamecocks to improve over last week would be much better play from the offensive unit. This group struggled to move the ball against Old Dominion, and Kentucky has a much better defense. It all goes back to quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Sellers only completed 10 of 23 passes last week. He’ll need to settle into the ballgame a lot earlier and find his tempo. Head coach Shane Beamer’s game plan will tell you a lot about his trust level in Sellers and his passing ability, especially given that this will be Sellers’ first time facing an SEC road environment. This is a young offense all around, and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains will have to make sure the team is well-prepared. Going into Kentucky will be no easy task.
The offensive line will also play a big role. Their play will have to be much improved from last week, too. They had trouble opening holes for the running game and protecting Sellers when he dropped back to pass. A good game from the offensive line and the running backs could be the difference between a win and a loss, and would certainly help Sellers feel more comfortable in his second career start.
Gamecocks’ Defense
Last week, the Gamecocks’ defense delivered several crucial plays that contributed to the victory. This week, South Carolina will need more strong play from their football team, starting with the defensive line.
Two important players were the new starting edge rushers — transfer Kyle Kennard and five-star freshman Dylan Stewart. The duo combined for four sacks, six tackles for losses, and four forced fumbles (two recoveries).
Stewart earned a 97.4 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, which is the best single-game grade by a Power Five edge rusher since 2020 — and he did it in his first collegiate game!
The Gamecocks’ secondary picked off Old Dominion quarterback Grant Wilson twice last week. Against Kentucky, a winning recipe will likely involve more strong play from the defense, especially pressuring the quarterback.
Who’s Key for Kentucky?
As expected, the key on offense for the Wildcats is quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff is a smart player with a great arm, and both were on display in Week 1. He has great ball placement, even when throwing on the run, so expect to see a lot of designed roll outs. If Vandagriff doesn’t see an open receiver, he’s not afraid to keep the ball and try to gain yards with his feet.
In Week 1, Vandagriff ran five times for 35 yards. Although that’s not a lot, it’s enough to keep defenses on their toes, knowing that he may take off if they leave too much of the field open for him.
On the defensive side, the key player for the Wildcats is Deone Walker. He is an interior lineman that causes headaches for opposing coaches and offenses. Standing at 6-feet 6-inches and 345 pounds, Walker has a rare combination of size and speed.
Walker is ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s Top 100 players, and some would call that underrated. Shane Beamer had this to say about Walker.
“There’s a reason people say he’s going to be a top ten pick in the NFL draft. He’s so big … He’s got the twitch and wiggle to defeat double teams, make himself small if that’s possible and split double teams. He is good at pass rush there’s no question about it, but where he really scares people and scares us is in the run game. He’s got our respect.”
What Will it Take for South Carolina to Move to 2-0?
Eliminate undisciplined mistakes
For example, last week the Gamecocks executed a perfect fake field goal. It resulted in a touchdown. However, it was called back for an ineligible man downfield on a lineman who just started wandering. If South Carolina wants to beat the SEC heavyweights coming up on their football schedule, they will need to eliminate these unforced errors.
Bounce back on offense
The defense has shown how good it can be, now the offense needs to elevate its game. Sellers needs to complete a few easy passes early to get in his groove and then start taking some chances with the deep ball. The running game will also be critical. It doesn’t need to do too much, but it does need to be able to pick up a few yards per play to get first downs or set up the passing game.
