The Stars Aligning for a Memorable Night in Commonwealth

  With the cool Saturday forecast, Spurrier's chances of wearing a shirt have been upgraded to "probable."   Being the Kentucky football nerd that I admittedly am, I am excited every time Commonwealth Stadium opens its hallowed gates.  In years in which the team has been abysmal, and more prudent fans have extended their tailgates into the second quarter or skipped out entirely, I have happily handed my ticket to my favorite Blue Coat (Earl), and headed in confident that this would be the Saturday the Cats finally turn it around.  But even I know that every so often a Saturday rolls around that offers something special.  Saturday night's contest against the legendary Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina Gamecocks is just such an occasion, and is the most anticipated Kentucky home game since Rich Brooks' magical 2007 season. Saturday will be special because it is an October night game.  For a program relatively devoid of meaningful football tradition, night football that coincides with Keeneland's Fall Meet is a glorious one.  What better way to tailgate than at the track? And with shuttles transporting fans from Keeneland to Commonwealth, patrons can feel free to properly "motivate" themselves for the game without the risk of inadvertently driving to Fredonia.  For those about to partake in the Kentucky double, we salute you.  Just remember to pace yourselves.  Look to Drew Franklin for inspiration. Saturday will be special because of the atmosphere in and around Commonwealth Stadium. Per a recent tweet from KSR Enlightened Despot Matt Jones, only about 300 unsold tickets stand in the way of a complete sellout.  Saturday's packed stadium will be more tangible proof of the impact of Mark Stoops on the Wildcat program.  When the Cats hosted the Gamecocks just two seasons ago, during the last gasp of the Joker Phillips' era, only 35,000 fans passed through the gates.   Saturday night, in a stadium with a significantly reduced capacity due to ongoing construction, that figure will jump by over 40%.  The atmosphere of that even bigger Big Blue Nation will be charged all the more with the cavalcade of high star recruits visiting Lexington.  As detailed in a previous piece by Drew, Kentucky will host an impressive list of commits and targets, all of whom deserve to see and hear the best that Commonwealth has to offer. Most importantly, Saturday will be special because the Cats have a legitimate opportunity for a program-building win.  Though South Carolina has disappointed somewhat in the early portion of the season, they nonetheless remain a program firmly established as a formidable, if not dominant, SEC institution.  For many years a team mired in mediocrity much like the Cats, South Carolina has now vaulted far ahead of Kentucky in the college football pecking order.  The Gamecocks are also still led by future hall of famer, and long-time Wildcat tormentor, Steve Spurrier.  For the Cats to best the Ol' Ball Coach and his Gamecocks on Saturday would be a strong statement that Stoops is ahead of schedule in his Kentucky program construction project.  And winning this game is not a fan boy pipe dream.  South Carolina is vulnerable, particularly on the defensive side of the football.  The Gamecocks are presently dead last in the SEC in total defense, giving up more than 440 yards per game.  (Over 100 yards per game more than Kentucky's "Bad Boys" allow.) Based on these defensive question marks, as well as Kentucky's strong play to this point, Las Vegas currently favors the Gamecocks by just over a field goal.  In other words, the experts anticipate that this game will come down to the wire. On October 4, 2007, Kentucky's best team of the last three decades traveled to Columbia, South Carolina on a Thursday night carrying a 5-0 record and a consensus top 10 ranking.  That team, led by Kentucky football legends like Andre' Woodson, Stevie Johnson, Jacob Tamme, Keenan Burton and Wesley Woodyard, arrived to find an ambush awaiting them.  That Williams-Brice Crowd produced the loudest and most hostile environment I have ever seen for a Kentucky football game. And for a tough Kentucky bunch not prone to shrink in the big moment, the crowd had an obvious impact. The Gamecocks scored two defensive touchdowns and beat Kentucky 38-23.  The Cats, and their fans, now have a chance to return the favor.  There is no reason why Wildcat fans should not greet the visitors from Columbia with the same level of fervor on Saturday night. As Cat fans, we do not just have all day Saturday to build to a fever pitch. We have had years.  Years to build up to this perfect night of meaningful SEC football.  The stars have aligned.  It's time to let it rip, BBN.  See you Saturday night.