KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky at South Carolina
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.
Sept. 16, 2017
 
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 23, South Carolina 13
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 3-0, 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 2-1, 1-1 in the SEC.
  • Kentucky is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2010.
• South Carolina leads the series 17-11-1 but the Wildcats have won four in a row.  USC leads 8-5-1 in games played in Columbia.
• Kentucky will return to action Sat. Sept. 16 with the SEC home opener vs. Florida. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on the SEC Network.  It also will be carried live on the UK Sports Radio Network.

 
Team Notes

• The win moved Kentucky to a 10-4 record over the last 14 games, including the fourth road win in that stretch (also last season at Missouri and Louisville, this year at Southern Mississippi).
• Including last season, this is UK’s third-straight road win, first time that has happened since winning at Auburn, Vanderbilt and Georgia in 2009. 
• This is the first time UK has defeated an SEC opponent in four-straight seasons since defeating Vanderbilt four in a row in 2004-07.
• UK is 18-1 under Coach Mark Stoops when leading after three quarters.
• UK limited South Carolina to 13 points.  It has been nine years since the Wildcats held three straight opponents to 17 points or less, the first five games of the 2008 season.
• South Carolina had 54 rushing yards. UK has held all three opponents this season under 100 rushing yards. It has been nine years since the Wildcats held three straight opponents under 100 rushing yards, the first three games of the 2008 season.
• The Kentucky defense made two huge stops on fourth down in the second half.
  • On 4^th-and-1 from the UK 49, Derrick Baity and Courtney Love tackled USC for no gain. That set up a drive for a field goal.
  • On 4^th-and-1 from the UK 1, Baity and Jamar “Boogie” Watson tackled USC for no gain.
• Kentucky converted 9-of-16 on third-down conversions, including five in a row in the two touchdown drives in the first half. 
• With the help of the third-down conversions, UK dominated time of possession, 36:49 to 23:11. 

 
Player Notes

• UK’s game captains were OG Nick Haynes, QB Stephen Johnson, LB Courtney Love and S Mike Edwards.
• Stephen Johnson completed 16 of 25 passes for 169 yards.
  • UK is now 10-4 over the last 14 games with Johnson as the starter (8-4) or QB for the majority of the game in a relief role (2-0).
• Benny Snell, Jr. led the rushing attack with 32 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Benny Snell topped the 100-yard mark for the second-consecutive game and seventh of his career.
  • Snell is the first Wildcat to have two rushing TDs in the first half of an SEC road game since Anthony White at LSU in 1998.
  • Snell is the first Wildcat to have two rushing TDs in an SEC opener since Curtis Pulley vs. Florida in 2006.
  • Snell is the first Wildcat to have two rushing TDs in an SEC road opener since Al Baker at Ole Miss in 1990.
  • He has 1,363 career rushing yards, advancing four spots to 24^th place on the career rushing list.
• Garrett Johnson caught four passes for 41 yards. 
• Mike Edwards picked off a deflected pass in the first quarter, his second interception of the season and sixth of his career.  
• Derrick Baity nabbed an interception on South Carolina’s final offensive series.  He also was part of both tackles on the two fourth-down stops. He led the Wildcats with eight tackles.
• Austin MacGinnis made a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter and also made 44- and 21-yard field goals in the fourth quarter.  He also hit both of his extra-point tries.