Kentucky 23, 
South Carolina 38
Kentucky-South Carolina represents SEC power struggle
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| Top 25 Overview |
COLUMBIA, SC - 7:30 PM ET Once an afterthought in the SEC schedule, Kentucky-South Carolina now is a big-time game featuring two top-15 teams. The Wildcats bring a high-powered offense led by Andre' Woodson, while the Gamecocks have the nation's 25th-ranked defense. |
| Complete Top 25 Overview |
| Scouts Preview |
| South Carolina has handled Kentucky in years past, but experience could be the difference this time around for the Wildcats, writes Scouts Inc. |
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| Matchup | |||||||
| W-L | PF | PA | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | |
| UK | 5-1 | 256 | 148 | 4-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 1-1 |
| SCAR | 5-1 | 174 | 101 | 4-0 | 1-1 | 2-0 | 3-1 |
| · Complete Standings | |||||||
| Record When Scoring... (Since 2001) | ||||
| 20 OR MORE | 30 OR MORE | 40 OR MORE | 50 OR MORE | |
| UK | 29-16-0 | 23-6-0 | 17-1-0 | 5-1-0 |
| SCAR | 34-10-0 | 26-2-0 | 9-1-0 | 1-0-0 |
| LESS THAN 20 | LESS THAN 30 | LESS THAN 40 | LESS THAN 50 | |
| UK | 2-28-0 | 8-38-0 | 14-43-0 | 26-43-0 |
| SCAR | 10-23-0 | 18-31-0 | 35-32-0 | 43-33-0 |
| TEAM AVERAGES & NCAA RANKS | ||
| OFFENSE | TM | PER GAME AVERAGE / NCAA RANK |
| Total Yards | UK | |
| SCAR | ||
| Passing Yards | UK | |
| SCAR | ||
| Rushing Yards | UK | |
| SCAR | ||
| Points Scored | UK | |
| SCAR | ||
| Full Team Stats: Kentucky | South Carolina | ||
Kentucky vs. South Carolina? Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier knows too well where this game used to rank in the Southeastern Conference.
"You guys have seen this game for how many years? What'd it mean? Somebody won, somebody lost and somebody's still in position to win six" games to qualify for a bowl game, Spurrier said Monday. "Now, it's more meaningful."
| Showdown At A Glance |
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• Since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992, these 2 teams have never met as ranked teams. • Steve Spurrier's 14-0 record against Kentucky (12-0 as Florida coach) equals his best mark against any school. He is also 14-0 against Vanderbilt. • Spurrier is just 1-4 vs. ranked teams at home and has lost 4 straight such games. • Gamecocks have seven straight wins against Kentucky; the Wildcats last win in Columbia was in 1999. • South Carolina defense is 5th in the country in 3rd-down defense allowing teams to convert just 25.7 percent of the time. This week they face a Kentucky offense converting 53.7 percent of the time on 3rd downs (4th best in the nation). • The Wildcats are averaging 268.6 passing yards per game (28th in nation); South Carolina is allowing just 106.4 pass yards per game (1st in nation). • No. 11 South Carolina has its best ranking since the Lou Holtz-led Gamecocks rose to No. 9 on Oct. 7, 2001. • Kentucky (5-0) has not been 6-0 since Bear Bryant was prowling the sidelines in 1950 (went 10-0 and won SEC title). -- Source: ESPN Research |
Florida, Georgia and Tennessee have nothing on the No. 8 Wildcats (5-0, 1-0 SEC) and No. 11 Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1), who meet at Williams-Brice Stadium in a surprising early power struggle in the SEC Eastern Division.
"It could be one of the best games we've had around here in a long time," Spurrier said.
A big reason is Kentucky's stunning start.
The Wildcats already own a pair of impressive victories over Louisville (40-34) and Arkansas (42-29). Another against South Carolina would make them 6-0 for first time since Bear Bryant's SEC champions in 1950 opened 10-0.
They're led by quarterback Andre Woodson, who Spurrier compared to former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, currently starring for the Cincinnati Bengals.
"He's a beautiful passer," Spurrier said of Woodson. "He stands good and tall, knees just slightly flexed. He throws a nice, overhand ball."
He's accurate, too.
Woodson had his NCAA record streak of 325 attempts without an interception stopped against Florida Atlantic last week. Still, he threw a career-best five TD passes in Kentucky's 45-17 victory.
Woodson figures to get his strongest test so far against the Gamecock secondary, which is ranked No. 1 in the country in pass defense.
That's a far cry from a year ago when Spurrier brought out defensive backs coach Ron Cooper during his postgame press conference to explain how the Gamecocks' comfortable 14-point, fourth-quarter lead nearly slipped away in the final minutes of their 24-17 win.
"We heard about that a lot," South Carolina safety Chris Hampton said, smiling. "After we had those mental lapses last year, it was constantly brought up about what we have to do."
Hampton and the rest of the defensive backs have already heard an earful this week about Woodson's talent and poise. The Wildcats success so far is apparent, they lead the SEC in scoring at more than 46 points a game.
"Kentucky, without a doubt, is the best pass team, maybe the best offense, we've played thus far," Spurrier said.
The Wildcats have won 10 of their past 11 games. The nationally televised game Thursday could bring that success to a wider audience. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is only focused on a victory, no matter how it's achieved.
"I'm not as interested in showing the people across the country what we're doing or what we're about," Brooks said Monday. "Even if it's ugly, I'd like to get to 2-0" in the SEC.
South Carolina's offense may be improving, too.
Freshman Chris Smelley started at quarterback in place of fifth-year senior Blake Mitchell when Spurrier wanted more zip out of his "Cock-n-Fire" attack.
Smelley answered with 279 yards and two TD passes to receiver Kenny McKinley in the Gamecocks' 38-21 win over Mississippi State last Saturday.
"We hit some balls downfield a little bit more than in the past," Smelley said. "So that looked pretty good."
The Gamecocks also have a couple of sizable streaks on their side. They haven't lost to Kentucky since 1999, winning the past seven games. Spurrier hasn't lost to the Wildcats period, a perfect 14-0 in his career at Florida and South Carolina.
Gone are the days, Spurrier says, when his players would roll up the score on Kentucky: Remember Florida's 73-7 win in 1994?
"Yeah, we used to have a lot better teams than Kentucky. Now we're very close," he said. "It's two evenly matched teams."
They're also two teams who hope to upset what's been the Eastern Division's longtime power structure. No team other than Florida, Georgia or Tennessee has represented the division in the SEC title game.
"Kentucky, shoot, they're a lot like us," Spurrier says. "They're used to being in the bottom half of the SEC East. Now all of a sudden, we've got one of the big games in the conference."
College Football Scores
Other Scores:
Thursday, October 4th
| Kentucky | 23 | Final |
| South Carolina | 38 |
Saturday, October 6th
| Vanderbilt | 7 | Final |
| Auburn | 35 |
| Louisiana Tech | 0 | Final |
| Mississippi | 24 |
| UAB | 13 | Final |
| Mississippi State | 30 |
| Houston | 24 | Final |
| Alabama | 30 |
| Georgia | 14 | Final |
| Tennessee | 35 |
| Chattanooga | 15 | Final |
| Arkansas | 34 |
| Florida | 24 | Final |
| LSU | 28 |