KSR Staff Predictions: Kentucky at South Carolina

by: KSR09/26/25

Untitled design - 2025-09-25T134632.967 — Oct 8, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer and Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops shake hands after a game at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The old SEC East rivalry between Kentucky and South Carolina has a high-stakes matchup under the lights in Columbia on Saturday. The Wildcats head into Williams-Brice Stadium for a 7:45 p.m. kickoff on the SEC Network.

Both teams badly need a win after early-season setbacks, with the Gamecocks dropping back-to-back SEC games and Kentucky at 0-1 in the league. Mark Stoops turns to freshman quarterback Cutter Boley for his first career road start, while Lanorris Sellers aims to get South Carolina’s offense on track and into the end zone.

How will it play out Saturday night? The KSR staff has guesses.

Tyler Thompson

I think this game could be closer than the Kentucky +6.5 spread suggests; however, I’m not at the point where I can predict a victory. The Cats looked better vs. Eastern Michigan, especially on offense, but that was Eastern Michigan, one of the worst teams in FBS. Overall, I’m more confident in this team with Cutter at the helm; however, Williams-Brice will be rocking, Gamecocks fans eager to do what they can to help South Carolina get a win after two straight losses. If Cutter can keep his composure, Kentucky can take advantage of a Gamecock defense that looked weak against Vanderbilt and Missouri, especially against the run.

I’m a little more worried about what LaNorris Sellers could do to Kentucky’s secondary. Sellers had a breakout party against the Cats last year and looked good last week vs. Missouri despite the head injury he suffered vs. Vandy. It looks like Terhyon Nichols will be back, but DJ Waller is out. The rest of the secondary will need to step up to keep Sellers in check.

Kentucky will do enough to keep this one close; however, Beamer and the Gamecocks will once again come out on top. I hope I’m wrong.

Score: South Carolina 24, Kentucky 20

Drew Franklin

Like many before it, Kentucky’s trip to Williams-Brice has the feel of a grinder, or a “slugfest,” as Shane Beamer predicted. It’s a pivotal game for both teams, each winless in the SEC, with plenty of questions to answer on the last Saturday in September. For Kentucky, eyes are on Cutter Boley’s first career road start in the SEC, and for South Carolina, LaNorris Sellers needs help getting the Gamecocks in the end zone.

I expect touchdowns will be hard to come by. Kentucky will lean heavily on its running backs to move the chains and try to keep Boley comfortable. Boley’ll do just enough to manage the game, with one costly interception, and Kentucky will settle for several field goals when in scoring territory.

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s bend-don’t-break defense does a lot right, holding South Carolina to field goals and keeping things close into the fourth quarter. But Sellers delivers the daggers, two or three explosive plays that flip the field and set up South Carolina scores.

It’s another low-scoring game decided by a couple of plays, going the Gamecocks’ way in my prediction. The good news? I am usually wrong.

Score: South Carolina 20, Kentucky 16

Adam Luckett

The biggest swing game of the season has arrived for Kentucky and South Carolina in Week 5. Both teams need a win. We’ve got a game with some real stakes at Williams-Brice Stadium.

I suspect this will be a slugfest just like all of the other meetings between Mark Stoops and Shane Beamer. The Cats appear to have a real advantage with their running game but scoring against defensive coordinator Clayton White has been a massive issue throughout this series. Kentucky has not scored more than two offensive touchdowns against a power conference foe since 2023. South Carolina has not scored more than two offensive touchdowns in a game this season. This meeting is almost always a race to 17 points. Can either team get to 17 points?

This one will be a grinder that is decided in the fourth quarter. Kentucky’s biggest concern is if they do not take a two-possession lead when they have chances, and then see LaNorris Sellers do an NFL quarterback thing in the fourth quarter.

Kentucky wins the rushing battle but loses the turnover battle. The Cats lead for most of the night before Sellers finds a way to record a fourth-quarter comeback and leads the home team to a one-point victory.

Score: South Carolina 17, Kentucky 16

Zack Geoghegan

Cutter Boley’s moment is here. He can solidify himself as the no-doubt QB1 for the rest of the season (and maybe the years beyond) with a good performance in Columbia, regardless of the outcome. Putting up touchdowns has been a serious problem for this Kentucky offense. Seth McGowan will need a big game on the ground to give Boley an opportunity to sling it. I believe that will happen.

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South Carolina comes into this one banged up a bit. Two of the Gamecocks’ starting offensive linemen have been ruled out. Making life difficult on LaNorris Sellers, who threw for 300+ yards last week, will be the biggest challenge for Brad White’s defense, which could use a bounce-back performance after a so-so showing against Eastern Michigan. No DJ Waller Jr. in the secondary will certainly hurt the ‘Cats. Remember, South Carolina posted negative rushing yards in last week’s loss to Missouri.

This will end up being a season-defining game for Kentucky. A win gives the ‘Cats a shot to reach six wins. A loss has them staring down the barrel of five more SEC games in a row. The defense makes a big play late to give UK a massive victory.

Score: Kentucky 23, South Carolina 20

Jack Pilgrim

South Carolina is pretty banged up and Kentucky can find some advantages in the trenches and at running back, but I refuse to pick a Mark Stoops-coached team coming off a bye week until it can prove regressions aren’t the norm after extended time off. The numbers speak for themselves: 6-10 overall, 5-9 in the SEC returning from a bye. The Wildcats have been a disaster in this spot time and time again, and this time, it’s against Mr. Sunglasses in one of the toughest night environments in college football with a redshirt freshman making his first SEC start. No thank you!

These games are always slobberknockers, and this one will be no different. Kentucky brings it and shuts the crowd up early, only for a few self-inflicted errors to ruin the fun and allow South Carolina to build some late momentum — Williams-Brice Stadium pushing the Gamecocks over the finish line.

It’s a must-win for both programs, UK desperate to find winnable games on the schedule and USC winless in the SEC after entering the season as a potential CFP darkhorse, now just looking to ensure bowl eligibility. In a mostly even matchup, the home-field advantage wins out and the Wildcats go home with a tough loss.

Score: South Carolina 24, Kentucky 20

Nick Roush

Styles make fights. Kentucky is built to win in the mud, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen on Saturday.

We know Kentucky has an advantage in the run game. The one thing we haven’t talked about enough is the Wildcats’ push rush. They can be the difference-makers in this game. Last year’s contest turned when they stripped Sellers twice, but didn’t recover either. This year, they make those game-changing plays in the second half to do just enough for the win.

Score: Kentucky 19, South Carolina 16

Jacob Polacheck

This game will be won in the trenches. This will be one of Kentucky’s best chances all year to come away with an SEC win, and the running game is going to play a big role.

Kentucky running back Seth McGowan is well-positioned to have a big game, but South Carolina’s rushing attack could surprise some people. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers hasn’t been as effective on the ground as he was last year, but I’m expecting that change on Saturday. I’m also predicting that South Carolina’s special teams advantage has an impact on this game, and I’m predicting a close win for the Gamecocks.

Score: South Carolina 21, Kentucky 17

Country Boy’s Prediction

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