Kentucky entered Week looking to win back-to-back games against South Carolina for the first time since 1998-99 while also winning a road game for the first time since 2010.
It's never easy winning in Columbia, and it only made it harder that Last year's meeting saw South Carolina blow a 38-24 in the fourth as UK scored the final 21 points to win it. That only added to SC's desire for revenge in this one, and if nothing else SC certainly wasn't about to make the mistake of overlooking UK again.
It didn't look good for Kentucky early in this one after having the kind of start they could ill-afford to have to win an SEC road game. After the Gamecocks punted on their first possession and downed the ball at the 2-yard line, Shannon Dawson called a great play that saw Patrick Towles hit a wide-open Dorian Baker cutting across the middle for what appeared to be huge gain...
But Baker dropped it. He couldn't have been more open and simply dropped it. After a Boom Williams was stuffed on 2nd down, SC's ends pinned their ears back and rushed hard on 3rd down and forced an errant pass that Skai Moore picked off and returned down to the 2-yard line.Towles was hit as he made the pass, and even if hadn't, that turnover should show up on the box score under Baker's name.
One play later, Connor Mitch faked a handoff and ran it into the end zone untouched to give the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead.
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At this point, UK fans everywhere were thinking this was the same old song and dance for their Cats on the road.
Not so. UK marched right down the field behind the arm of Towles, including a 4th-and-4 strike to Garrett Johnson down to the SC-20. Mikel Horton finished off the drive with 20 yards on two runs, the last being an 8-yard score to tie the game at 7-all.
UK's defense would keep the momentum going with what appeared to be a Denzel Ware interception the ensuing drive, but was nullified after Josh Forrest was flagged for roughing passer. It would have given UK the ball in SC territory, and even though it was called back. UK still forced the punt three downs later to regain possession.
After falling behind 7-0 st south Carolina, the Kentucky Wildcats stormed back with two straight scores to take a 14-7 lead in Columbia.
The first score came as Mike Horton, fresh off his game-winner last week, got the edge and went untouched into the end zone for the 8-yard score to tie the game.
After UK's defense forced a punt on the ensuing possession, UK went right back down the field before Jojo Kemp ran it in for a 2-yard score to put the Wildcats up 14-7.
Speaking of, UK's defense would force another put before Towles led the offense right back down the field for another score to put UK up 24-7. The drive was highlighted by Towles dropping a dime into Jeff Badet before Towles kept it himself on a QB keeper into the end zone.
You could tell Towles wanted the taste of that kind of win badly the way he was playing at South Carolina. You could also tell why Towles is regarded as Kentucky's best NFL prospect right now.
He showed us why with this throw that put UK in the red zone while already holding a 17-7 lead. That was a nice display of his arm, but it took a show of desire for Towles to power into the end zone after it appeared South Carolina had him stopped short of the score.
That gave Kentucky an improbable 24-7 lead going into the half as the Cats thoroughly dominated the half outside of the early mistake that led to SC's only score. Connor Mitch was also knocked out of the game with s shoulder injury, leaving junior Perry Orth to lead SC the rest of the way as it appeared UK had complete control...
But this game was a tale of two halves, and it was the Gamecocks who dominated the second half. UK's offense went ice cold as they opened the half with three straight three-and-outs.
The run game that was dominant early suddenly couldn't get anything as Carolina defenders controlled the line of scrimmage. The pass game also suffered as they repeatedly were put in 3rd-and-longs to allow SC to pin their ears back and pressure Towles easier.
During that span, SC's offense came alive as UK's defense began to slowly break. Perry Orth guided the Gamecocks on scores on four straight possessions.But the first three ended in field goals as UK's defense got stops in each of SC's three red-zone trips in the third and early fourth quarter.
Then on the fourth try, SC finally broke through after Orth hit Jerrell Adams for a 33-yard score to cut the deficit to 24-22. But on the ensuing two-point attempt, Pharoh Cooper fumbled the ball near the goal line before Denzel Ware picked it up and ran it back the opposite way for two points.
That gave UK a 26-22 lead, but the offense would once again stall the ensuing drive. Towles did hit Baker for a first down, but that was all the offense could muster before punting it away.
Then came...the interception...and fumble.
At least, that's what it looked like.
True freshman corner Chris Westry picked off Orth, but was immediately tackled from behind by Deebo Samuel and stripped of the ball. The ref initially ruled Westry was down, and after reviewing it, ruled that the play on the field stood. UK dodged a major bullet as you could have made a good argument the ball was moving as Westry hit the ground and the ball popped out, but the Cats kept the ball.
Two plays later, it looked like another three-and-out was coming after the Cats faced a 3rd and 5 at the UK 31-yard line, but Towles called his own number and ran it 11 yards for a 1st down.
Boom would then ice the game with two more hard-fought 1st downs to give Kentucky the 26-22 win over South Carolina.
VICTORY, KENTUCKY!
It was the Cats' first SEC road win since November of 2009. UK’s previous SEC road win was at Georgia, 34-27, on Nov. 21, 2009.
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This was also the second year in a row that Mark Stoops and the Wildcats scored a signature win over Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Though the Cats looked shaky in the second half, this was about as good of a road performance you could have asked of this young group. First-year starters and contributors made many big plays in this game, whether it was Melvin Lewis and Reggie Meant getting big stops, to Westry's pick, to Ware making the big two-point conversion.
The win now puts UK at 2-0 heading into next week's matchup with Florida it what's sure to be a rocking Commonwealth Stadium.