Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at South Carolina
Info to Know
| Kentucky at South Carolina | When: Sat., Sept. 27, 7:45 ET | Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C. | TV: SEC Network | Radio: UK Sports Network |
Preview
For the first time this season, Kentucky hits the road as the Wildcats travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to face Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina on Saturday (7:45 p.m., SEC Network).
Kentucky is 2-1 this season, with wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan and a narrow loss to Ole Miss. The Cats were off last weekend.
South Carolina is 2-2 through four games. The Gamecocks have lost back-to-back games to Vanderbilt and Missouri.
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series against the Cats 21-13-1, including a 10-5-1 mark in Columbia.
Cat Scratches: Stoops, Cats Preparing for ‘Challenge’ at South Carolina
When Kentucky visits South Carolina on Saturday, redshirt freshman Cutter Boley will get the third start of his UK career.
Boley earned his first win as a starter against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 13. In that win, Boley connected on 12 of 21 through the air for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On Monday, UK head coach Mark Stoops talked about Boley’s play in the victory.
“Cutter’s done some really good things,” Stoops said. “You’ve heard me talk about him many different times. We’ve watched him play in other games and show some flashes and we’ve been very high on Cutter.”
Stoops likes how Boley is making the most of the situation with Zach Calzada recovering from an injury…Read More
KENTUCKY-SOUTH CAROLINA
The Series
• South Carolina leads the all-time series, 21-13-1.
• The Gamecocks also lead, 10-5-1, in Columbia
• UK’s last win in Columbia was in 2021, 16-10.
• South Carolina has won each of the last two meetings, including winning, 17-14, in Kentucky’s last trip to Columbia on Nov. 18, 2023.
• Prior to the current two-game winning streak by the Gamecocks, the Wildcats had won eight of the previous nine meetings from 2014-22.
• The two teams first met in 1937 but not again until 1978.
• They began playing annually in 1992 when South Carolina joined the Southeastern Conference.
In The Last Meeting
• South Carolina defeated Kentucky in Lexington, 31-6, on Sept. 7, 2024.
• It marked both teams’ first conference game of the season, while it marked UK’s first complete game of the season after only playing until the 10-minute mark in the third quarter of its season opener because of continuous storms.
• Neither team was able to get much going offensively.
• South Carolina had 252 yards of total offense, while Kentucky was held to 183 for the game, including just 44 yards passing.
• UK’s defense registered 12 tackles for loss, including three sacks.
The Connections
• Mikkel Skinner, UK freshman tight end, hails from Greer, South Carolina.
• Eric Wolford, UK offensive line coach, held the same position with the Gamecocks in 2009.
• Jordan Dingle, former UK tight end, is a transfer at South Carolina.
• He played 39 games at UK (21 starts) and caught 43 passes for 615 yards and four touchdowns. He hails from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
By the Numbers
4
Number of active Division I coaches who have been in their current job longer than UK’s Mark Stoops
6
Rushing touchdowns this season for Seth McGowan, which is tied for fifth in the nation
37
Career starts for UK center Jager Burton, the most of any player on the 2025 roster
180
Combined receiving yards for UK tight ends Josh Kattus and Willie Rodriguez through three games
316
Receiving yards needed for Ja’Mori Maclin to reach 2,000 receiving yards in his career
