Welcome to the official A Sea of Blue open game thread for the Kentucky Wildcats @ South Carolina Gamecocks football game. The Wildcats invade Columbia, South Carolina today on a 3-game losing streak, and having lost every game they have played to BCS competition.
Game particulars as follows:
| Kentucky @ South Carolina | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky at Soth Carolina Sat., Oct. 8 - 12:21 p.m. ET Columbia, S.C. Gameday Information Williams-Brice Stadium UK Game Notes  | USC Game Notes | ||
| Coverage | ||
| TV: SEC Network Radio: UK IMG  Live Video via ESPN3 Live Audio Text Updates |
South Carolina has had issues of their own coming into this game. Stephen Garcia has been replaced at the quarterback spot by sophomore Connor Shaw, and I guess Spurrier figured this would be a relatively safe game to make that switch. Based on Kentucky's performance so far this season, I'd say he's probably right about that.
With that said, Kentucky has a tiny bit of an opportunity in this game. Teams with quarterback issues tend to struggle in the middle part of games, so perhaps the Gamecocks will oblige and give Kentucky some opportunities. Also, Raymond Sanders is back for this game, so that may spark the UK offense a bit.
For the Gamecock viewpoint, be sure to visit Garnet and Black Attack, SB Nation's outstanding South Carolina blog.
What needs to happen for Kentucky to win this game:
- Move the ball on offense. The fact that South Carolina has the #1 passing defense in the SEC makes that particularly difficult, but the Gamecocks are only 7th against the run.
- Don't turn the ball over. If Kentucky could manage a positive turnover margin for once, it would greatly enhance their chances.
- Continue the effort on defense. The Wildcats have been playing decent defense, and if that can continue, they may have a shot in a low-scoring affair. If USC puts 3 touchdowns or more on the board, I don't see how UK can win.
- Special teams play slightly favors Kentucky. South Carolina has not had great kick or punt coverage this year, so if we can leverage that, maybe it will give us a chance.
This is the last in a seemingly endless line of tough road games for the Wildcats, and the schedule does get easier after this, which can't hurt after having played 3 top 20 teams in a row, including the best team in the land. It would be a major stretch to feel good about upsetting the Gamecocks, but I think this is the best chance UK has had at a victory since the Louisville game.
Go, 'Cats!