No. 24 Kentucky (3-1, 1-1 SEC) visits South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC) on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium, in a game on SEC Network that carries far more weight in Columbia than an early October date usually would. The Gamecocks have lost seven straight SEC games and 11 of their past 13 against Power 4 opponents, according to The Post and Courier, which wrote that it is not hyperbole to say coach Shane Beamer could be coaching for his job.
South Carolina will also be without its defensive star. Beamer suspended defensive end Dylan Stewart indefinitely after Stewart threw a punch during last week's 49-18 loss at Alabama, and the coach confirmed Stewart will not play against Kentucky. "He's not with the team right now," Beamer said, according to WIS-TV. "His role or involvement on this team will be decided going forward by me, but right now he's not with the football team this week." The defense Stewart leaves behind ranks 128th in FBS in red-zone defense, with opponents scoring on every trip inside the 20, according to ESPN's game preview.
Kentucky arrives with a different question to answer: whether its fast start travels. The Wildcats won at then-No. 9 Texas A&M in their first SEC road game, then beat South Alabama 45-21 last week behind 390 rushing yards. Three Kentucky running backs reached 100 yards in that game, led by C.J. Baxter with 149 and Jason Patterson with 137, which Kentucky Athletics called a first in school history. Quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown for 876 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has 833 passing yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, per ESPN.
Recent history sits with the home side. South Carolina has won four straight meetings, a run that includes a 35-13 win in Columbia last season, according to Kentucky Athletics and HERE Columbia. Beamer addressed the doubts around his program this week. "I think it's human nature when you're doubted, backed into a corner or whatever you want to call it … it's easy to respond to that," he said, according to The Post and Courier. His team will try to turn that response into its first SEC win of the season.
Prediction markets see a close game with a slight home lean. On Polymarket, Kentucky's chance of winning stood at about 44.5% on Saturday morning, leaving South Carolina near 55.5%, while sportsbooks list the Gamecocks as 2.5- to 3-point favorites. That is a narrow edge for a home team on a seven-game SEC losing streak against a ranked visitor, and a reminder that neither side has separated itself on paper. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. ET, and Beamer has said Stewart's role from here will be his decision.
