Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks into Commonwealth Stadium for an Eastern Division face off.
Particulars of this game are as follows, via UKAthletics.com:
| South Carolina @ Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Game Notes | UK Notes  | UK Depth Chart USC Notes | USC Depth Chart |
| Date & Time | Saturday, Oct. 16 6:00 p.m |
| Coverage | TV: ESPN2 Radio: BBSN  Online Audio  Online Video via ESPN3 |
| Location | Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, Ky. Gameday Information |
After the tough loss to the highly-ranked Auburn Tigers last weekend, Kentucky is in a position to undo much of the damage of that loss and stop the 3-game SEC losing skid they currently find themselves in. The Gamecocks will be a major challenge for the Wildcats but should not be an impossible one.
The biggest problem for Kentucky tonight will likely be getting the defense to play well enough for the offense to win the game. In three SEC tries, Kentucky has come close to achieving that goal twice, but fallen short. Tonight, they should have yet another chance.
South Carolina is an excellent team this year, and they are coming off an upset of the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Columbia. That will give them a lot of confidence, and if Kentucky is not just as confident in spite of tough losses, it could be a long night for the Big Blue Faithful.
Defensively, the big key for the Wildcats tonight is to find ways to force the Gamecocks into some third-and-long situations. That's going to require tougher defense in the trenches than we've seen so far this year, and with Marcus Lattimore at running back, that's going to require a level of commitment that we haven't seen this year, and much better play from the young UK linebackers not named Danny Trevathan.
Offensively, the Wildcats will have to take advantage of the relatively weak Gamecock pass defense. While UK will have all it's receivers available, the absence of Derrick Locke, a terrific receiver in his own right, is going to be a lot for the offense to overcome. But overcome it the Wildcats must if they are to avoid dropping their second straight home game and third straight SEC tilt.
Make no mistake, beating the Gamecocks is a tall order tonight, but it can be done if the linebackers step up and do their job, Kentucky avoids turnovers and drive-killing penalties, and Mike Hartline continues to put the ball in the right places. Will lightning finally strike for the Wildcats? Here's hoping.
For the South Carolina viewpoint, be sure to visit our friends at Garnet And Black Attack.
Go, 'Cats!!