South Carolina returns to SEC play after a two-game detour. The Gamecocks visit Kentucky on Saturday, looking for their first SEC win of the season. The Wildcats are the No. 13 team in the nation after losing to Ole Miss last week. WHAT CHANNEL IS THE
SOUTH CAROLINA GAME ON
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at Kentucky Wildcats (4-1, 1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kroger Field (61,000) in Lexington, Ky.
TV: SEC Network
Stream: via ESPN app
On-air announce crew: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (Analyst), Cole Cubelic (Sideline)
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analyst; Jamar Nesbit, sideline) … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite radio: Sirius/XM 98 or 204
Series history: South Carolina leads 18-14-1; UK has won five in a row.
STORYLINES FOR THE GAME
Culture vs. climate: Both teams were entangled in a short-lived internet controversy in August, when some believed a Mark Stoops remark was a shot at Shane Beamer’s viral SEC Media Days video. Both coaches have since downplayed the incident, but Saturday is the first time the teams will match up since that moment.
Wildcats’ dominance over USC: Kentucky has won seven of the last eight games against South Carolina, all under Stoops. The last time South Carolina won in Lexington was in 2012, under Steve Spurrier.
Will Levis’ health: Levis is considered by many as a top-five quarterback prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft. He threw for just 102 yards against South Carolina last season in Columbia. He’s considered questionable to play with an injury.
Correcting road woes: USC has struggled on the road in the last few seasons. It hasn’t won an SEC road game since beating Vanderbilt in 2020.
Three in a row?: The Gamecocks haven’t won three games in a row since 2017. If the team wins on Saturday, it would be the first three-game winning streak of Beamer’s coaching career.
UK looks to bounce back: The Wildcats lost a close game against Ole Miss last week, as Levis was stripped of the ball in Kentucky’s last possession. Saturday serves as Kentucky’s chance to rebound against a USC team looking for its first SEC win this season.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR LEXINGTON, KY
Lexington is forecast to be cool with temperatures in the mid-50s to start the game Saturday night and ending in the upper 40s. Skies will be clear with a low chance of precipitation.
ESPN FPI GAME PREDICTION ESPN’s
Football Power Index gives South Carolina a 24% chance to win against Kentucky on the road.
POINT SPREAD FOR USC GAMECOCKS VS. KENTUCKY
South Carolina is a 7-point underdog against No. 13 Kentucky, according to VegasInsider.com.