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Kentucky vs. South Carolina preview: 4 huge questions

Dustin Judge
Kentucky vs. South Carolina preview: Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Alex Afari Jr. celebrates a defensive stop at Kroger Field

No. 24 Kentucky puts its first Associated Press Top 25 ranking since October 2023 on the line Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Wildcats visit South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. Kentucky vs. South Carolina kicks off at 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network. The Gamecocks have lost seven straight SEC games and will play without suspended pass rusher Dylan Stewart. The biggest question: Can South Carolina’s defense slow a Kentucky ground game coming off its most productive day against an FBS opponent since 2021?

Kentucky vs. South Carolina game information

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
  • Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
  • TV: SEC Network
  • Records: No. 24 Kentucky (3-1, 1-1 SEC) at South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC)

Can Kentucky’s running game carry over its success?

Kentucky’s offense broke out in a 45-21 win over South Alabama last Saturday, piling up 390 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns and 567 total yards, according to CBS Sports. CJ Baxter ran for 149 yards and a score, Jason Patterson added 137 yards and three touchdowns, and Jovantae Barnes chipped in 100 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

It was the first time since 2020 that Kentucky had three 100-yard rushers in a game, The Associated Press reported. Patterson leads the Wildcats with 326 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries this season, per ESPN statistics. South Carolina’s defense gave up 49 points to Alabama last week.

How will South Carolina’s defense cope without Dylan Stewart?

South Carolina will be without star defensive end Dylan Stewart, who threw multiple punches at Alabama tight end Josh Ford during last Saturday’s 49-18 loss, according to FOX Sports. Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer suspended Stewart indefinitely, and the SEC announced Monday that he will also serve a one-game conference suspension, CBS Sports reported.

“We have an accountability level that is demanding regardless of who you are,” Beamer said Tuesday, according to CBS Sports. “It can’t be a pick-and-choose situation, and I conveyed that to Dylan. Saturday night was not acceptable, but he is a good kid and we are trying to help him.”

Over three seasons with South Carolina, Stewart has recorded 57 tackles, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, and FOX Sports projects him as a top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. His absence removes the Gamecocks’ most disruptive pass rusher just as they search for answers on defense.

Can Kenny Minchey keep protecting the football?

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey has been efficient through four games, completing 69 of 101 passes for 876 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception, according to ESPN. He went 14-of-18 for 252 yards and two scores in the 31-21 win at then-No. 9 Texas A&M, then followed with a 19-of-25, 177-yard, one-touchdown day against South Alabama.

Avoiding turnovers in Kentucky vs. South Carolina against a desperate Gamecocks team could decide field position all afternoon.

Is South Carolina’s offense explosive enough in Kentucky vs. South Carolina?

Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers has completed 72 of 116 passes for 833 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions this season, per ESPN. Running back Matt Fuller has 384 yards and four touchdowns on 57 carries, and receiver Nyck Harbor leads the team with 169 receiving yards on 11 catches.

South Carolina still produced 419 total yards in the loss at Alabama, a sign the offense can move the ball against SEC competition. The Gamecocks will need Sellers and Fuller at their best to offset a defense missing its top pass rusher.

What to watch

Kentucky coach Will Stein downplayed the new ranking in the lead-up to Kentucky vs. South Carolina. “What’s going to mean more to me is how we play this Saturday in Columbia and continuing to improve,” Stein said Tuesday, according to CBS Sports. “That’s the sign to me of a good football program, good football team. Do you get better each week?”

A Kentucky win would push the Wildcats to 4-1 ahead of a home game against No. 11 LSU, while a loss would cost the program a ranking it hadn’t held since 2023, according to Sports Illustrated. For South Carolina, the stakes are steeper.

The Gamecocks’ SEC skid dates to last season; their most recent conference win came against Kentucky on Sept. 27, 2025, per CBS Sports. South Carolina leads the all-time series 22-13-1 and has won four straight meetings, but Beamer’s program enters Kentucky vs. South Carolina under mounting pressure after an 0-2 start in league play.

For more SEC coverage, see our Alabama at Mississippi State preview, a look at how LaNorris Sellers has shaped South Carolina’s offense and the latest from our college football desk.

Reporting from CBS Sports, FOX Sports, The Associated Press and Sports Illustrated contributed to this story. Statistics: ESPN.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.