BY THE NUMBERS: Previewing Kentucky vs. South Carolina

In our weekly pregame feature, Cats Illustrated breaks down some of the intriguing numbers behind Saturday’s matchup between Kentucky and South Carolina…

1 – Player from the Bluegrass State on the South Carolina roster, former Wildcat tight end Jordan Dingle from Bowling Green.

3 – Special teams touchdowns by South Carolina in its first four games. The Gamecocks’ Vicari Swain has returned three punts for scores this season. They have also scored a fourth non-offensive TD on a fumble return by the defense.

6 – Touchdowns scored by Kentucky running back Seth McGowan in his first three games with the Wildcats.

8.5 – Sacks for South Carolina sophomore edge Dylan Stewart in his first 17 collegiate games.

13/38 – Receptions by the Cats this season have been made by tight ends Josh Kattus (8) and Willie Rodriguez (5).

17 – Blocked kicks/punts for the Gamecocks since Shane Beamer was hired as head coach in 2021.

21-14-1 – South Carolina leads the all-time series with Kentucky, but the Cats have won eight of the last 11. The Gamecocks have won the last two meetings.

44 – Yards passing by UK in last year’s 31-6 loss to South Carolina.

46.9 – Yards per punt this season by the Gamecocks’ Mason Love, a freshman who ranks 11th nationally in punting average.

48 – Rushing attempts by Missouri last week in a 29-20 win over South Carolina. The Tigers rushed for 285 yards in the victory.

68-26 – Kentucky’s record under Mark Stoops when scoring more than 20 points. The Cats are 50-7 when allowing less than 20 points.

99th – South Carolina’s national rank in scoring offense at just 22.3 points per game.

130th – The Gamecocks’ national rank in rushing offense at 80.3 yards per game and only 2.6 yards per carry.

302 – Yards passing last week for South Carolina sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers against Missouri. It marked the third 300-yard passing performance of his career.

1937 – The first time UK and South Carolina played on the gridiron, a 27-7 win by the Cats. The two teams would not meet again until 1978. They have played annually since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992.