The South Carolina football team (2-2) will return to Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday to match up against the Kentucky Wildcats (2-1) in the team’s third home game of the season.
The Gamecocks enter the game looking to bounce back after a 31-7 loss to the No. 18 Vanderbilt Commodores on Sept. 13 and a 29-20 loss to the No. 20 Missouri Tigers on Sept. 20. After beginning the season 2-0 and reaching No. 10 on the AP Poll, the Gamecocks have since hit a rough patch to start their season and have now fallen out of the rankings.
Against Missouri, the Gamecocks trailed 14-12 at halftime and continued to fall behind into the fourth quarter, when redshirt freshman running back Jamal Roberts scored a touchdown for the Tigers to seal a 29-20 win.
The Tigers piled up 285 rushing yards, while the Gamecocks were held to just negative nine yards on the ground. It was apparent how the Gamecock’s defense struggled to tackle and compete against the Tigers, especially by running the ball on its own. Additionally, with the Gamecocks also losing 98 yards due to 14 penalties, defense was a focus of the week.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain of the Gamecocks, highlighted the focus on tackling in practice this week.
"Our main thing is just don’t lose focus," Swain said. "We’re still one of the best defenses in college football, and we just (have) a few things to clean up. So just staying together is all we can do.”
The Gamecocks are looking to bounce back amid the recent skid. While there is skepticism after the many shortcomings, head coach Shane Beamer expressed optimism and confidence in his team.
“We got to go back to work with a great group of people ... this week has been no different ... we get to do what we love, and that's to go coach football, and play football,” Beamer said. “You get to come back into Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night and be a part of the greatest environment in all of college football, so that’s what our focus is on.”
Kentucky, now led by redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley, is also expected to face challenges in a hostile SEC environment. The Wildcats (2-1, 0-1 SEC) have wins over the University of Toledo and Eastern Michigan University, with the team's lone loss coming against No. 13 Ole Miss, 30-23.
Boley will be replacing graduate quarterback Zach Calzada, who was dismissed during the 4th quarter of the Wildcats game versus the Rebels after a shoulder injury. Head Coach Mark Stoops said the team can build off of this adjustment and change.
Boley started Kentucky's most recent game against Eastern Michigan, where he went 12/21, throwing for 240 yards and two passing touchdowns in a 48-23 blowout for the Wildcats.
"Cutter has done some really good things, and you've heard me talk about him many different times ... We've been very confident in Cutter... and he's getting more confident, and he's getting more comfortable with every rep," Stoops said.
With both teams making adjustments, Saturday’s clash is shaping up to be a crucial test of resilience and preparation.
"Going into a new week here for us, another SEC opportunity at home on Saturday night will be a big challenge, (I've) had and always have a lot of respect for Coach Stoops and what he's done," Beamer said. "Winning is hard ... and the level of success that he's had since he's taken over in Lexington is just so impressive and a model of consistency."
As South Carolina prepares to regroup, this weekend’s matchup against Kentucky offers a pivotal opportunity to reset South Carolina's season and reclaim momentum to set the tone for the remainder of the season.
What’s Next?
The South Carolina football team (2-2, 0-2 SEC) will host the Kentucky Wildcats (2-1, 0-1 SEC) on Sept. 27 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.