Gamecocks upend No. 13 Kentucky for much-needed road SEC win
Oct. 08, 2022
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t to script. It was barely even football in spurts. But for the first time since 2012, South Carolina escaped Lexington with a win. The Gamecocks took down No. 13 Kentucky 24-14 on Saturday, earning just its second victory over the Wildcats in nine tries to give Shane Beamer his first win over an Associated Press Top 25 opponent. Saturday’s contest included the weird and wacky that has permeated Kentucky-South Carolina matchups for much of the last decade.
Kentucky receiver Barion Brown bobbled a double reverse handoff on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage only to see Gamecocks defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway scoop it up. MarShawn Lloyd capped off the Gamecocks' one-play, 2-yard drive with a touchdown plunge on the ensuing snap. The Wildcats (4-2, 1-2 SEC) and Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) would go on to combine for three turnovers, one punt block, and a field goal that bounced off the left upright all in the first 15 minutes alone.
Rattler completed six of his first nine passes but was largely out of sorts on his misfires. His underthrown interception at the end of the first half drew ire from head coach Shane Beamer in his mid-game interview as the Gamecocks headed to the locker room. Calls for a quarterback change raced across the internet. The ex-Oklahoma signal-caller responded resoundingly.
Rattler completed six of his first seven throws out of halftime, including his final five on South Carolina’s 70-yard, a seven-minute drive that was capped off by a Mitch Jeter 32-yard field goal to push the USC lead out to 10 midway through the third quarter. With Rattler finding a groove late, it was on the South Carolina defense to find an answer for Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez and a Wildcats offense hamstrung by playing a first-time starting quarterback in Kaiya Sheron. Rodriguez rumbled and stumbled his way to 126 yards in Saturday’s contest, but broke only three of his first 22 carries for more than 10 yards.
Despite Rodriguez’s best efforts, though, it was South Carolina’s suddenly efficient second-half offense that brought the dagger. Fresh off a 45-yard MarShawn Lloyd scamper, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield dialed up an end-around to receiver Jalen Brooks. Snagging a pitch from running back Juju McDowell, Brooks bobbed his way through the Kentucky defense and into the end zone. As Brooks was mobbed by his garnet and white-clad teammates, Kentucky fans headed for the exits. The previously raucous Kroger Field emptied in minutes.
It’s only been a month-and-a-half since video surfaced of Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops throwing loosely veiled shade at Beamer’s expense and the pit viper sunglasses he donned for a marketing video during SEC Media Days. Temperatures crept into the high-30s on Saturday in Lexington, but Beamer may well need his shades when he walks out of Kroger Field.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Kentucky’s poll stay is in jeopardy after a second consecutive loss.
THE TAKEAWAY
South Carolina: Gifted with a turnover on the first snap, the Gamecocks converted but couldn’t reach the end zone until the third quarter. Rattler fumbled on a sack and was intercepted, but found a groove with short passes that turned into big gains. The defense limited Sheron’s passing options after the TD to earn a much-needed win.
Kentucky: Offensive falloff was to be expected without Levis, but the Wildcats quickly dug a hole with a first-play fumble and special teams failures. Other than Sheron, the offense stalled. More puzzling were the defensive breakdowns that allowed Rattler to pick them apart, which is not good with red-hot Mississippi State up next.
UP NEXT
South Carolina has a bye before hosting Texas A&M on Oct. 22.
Kentucky hosts No. 23 Mississippi State, which routed Arkansas 40-17.
Oct. 08, 2022
South Carolina AT Kentucky (4 - 2 - 0, 1 - 2 - 0) (4 - 2 - 0, 1 - 2 - 0)
| 1ST QUARTER | 2ND QUARTER | 3RD QUARTER | 4TH QUARTER | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | KENTUCKY | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Offense | ||
| Yards | 356 | 299 |
| Plays | 61 | 63 |
| Avg. Per Play | 5.84 | 4.75 |
| TDs | 3 | 2 |
BOX SCORE / BOX SCORE (PDF) / 2022 SEASON STATS / GAME NOTES / COACH BEAMER POSTGAME
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1ZhAP90JMY
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t to script. It was barely even football in spurts. But for the first time since 2012, South Carolina escaped Lexington with a win. The Gamecocks took down No. 13 Kentucky 24-14 on Saturday, earning just its second victory over the Wildcats in nine tries to give Shane Beamer his first win over an Associated Press Top 25 opponent. Saturday’s contest included the weird and wacky that has permeated Kentucky-South Carolina matchups for much of the last decade.
Kentucky receiver Barion Brown bobbled a double reverse handoff on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage only to see Gamecocks defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway scoop it up. MarShawn Lloyd capped off the Gamecocks' one-play, 2-yard drive with a touchdown plunge on the ensuing snap. The Wildcats (4-2, 1-2 SEC) and Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) would go on to combine for three turnovers, one punt block, and a field goal that bounced off the left upright all in the first 15 minutes alone.
Rattler completed six of his first nine passes but was largely out of sorts on his misfires. His underthrown interception at the end of the first half drew ire from head coach Shane Beamer in his mid-game interview as the Gamecocks headed to the locker room. Calls for a quarterback change raced across the internet. The ex-Oklahoma signal-caller responded resoundingly.
Rattler completed six of his first seven throws out of halftime, including his final five on South Carolina’s 70-yard, a seven-minute drive that was capped off by a Mitch Jeter 32-yard field goal to push the USC lead out to 10 midway through the third quarter. With Rattler finding a groove late, it was on the South Carolina defense to find an answer for Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez and a Wildcats offense hamstrung by playing a first-time starting quarterback in Kaiya Sheron. Rodriguez rumbled and stumbled his way to 126 yards in Saturday’s contest, but broke only three of his first 22 carries for more than 10 yards.
Despite Rodriguez’s best efforts, though, it was South Carolina’s suddenly efficient second-half offense that brought the dagger. Fresh off a 45-yard MarShawn Lloyd scamper, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield dialed up an end-around to receiver Jalen Brooks. Snagging a pitch from running back Juju McDowell, Brooks bobbed his way through the Kentucky defense and into the end zone. As Brooks was mobbed by his garnet and white-clad teammates, Kentucky fans headed for the exits. The previously raucous Kroger Field emptied in minutes.
It’s only been a month-and-a-half since video surfaced of Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops throwing loosely veiled shade at Beamer’s expense and the pit viper sunglasses he donned for a marketing video during SEC Media Days. Temperatures crept into the high-30s on Saturday in Lexington, but Beamer may well need his shades when he walks out of Kroger Field.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Kentucky’s poll stay is in jeopardy after a second consecutive loss.
THE TAKEAWAY
South Carolina: Gifted with a turnover on the first snap, the Gamecocks converted but couldn’t reach the end zone until the third quarter. Rattler fumbled on a sack and was intercepted, but found a groove with short passes that turned into big gains. The defense limited Sheron’s passing options after the TD to earn a much-needed win.
Kentucky: Offensive falloff was to be expected without Levis, but the Wildcats quickly dug a hole with a first-play fumble and special teams failures. Other than Sheron, the offense stalled. More puzzling were the defensive breakdowns that allowed Rattler to pick them apart, which is not good with red-hot Mississippi State up next.
UP NEXT
South Carolina has a bye before hosting Texas A&M on Oct. 22.
Kentucky hosts No. 23 Mississippi State, which routed Arkansas 40-17.
