After last week’s close call against Old Dominion, things aren’t getting any easier for South Carolina in week two. The Gamecocks will head up to the bluegrass state on Saturday to take on a familiar foe in the Kentucky Wildcats.
While nobody will mistake the Wildcats as contenders, they do represent a serious challenge for Carolina. Kentucky possesses a good combination of experience and talent on both sides of the ball. They also have the SEC’s longest tenured head coach Mark Stoops.
On paper, all the signs point to this being a very difficult matchup for Carolina. That being said, games aren’t played on paper. After all, the Gamecocks have bested Kentucky the previous two seasons, and you could argue they were the inferior team in both matchups.
Can the Gamecocks bounce back from last week’s lackluster performance and make it three wins in a row against the Cats? Let’s find out as we preview South Carolina’s week two matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Wildcat’s Defense is Legit
Kentucky is entering season 12 of the Stoops era, and under his guidance, they have become the model of consistency. Once an SEC bottom feeder, Stoops has elevated the Wildcats into a perianal bowl qualifier. Kentucky has made eight consecutive bowl games and has recorded a pair of 10-win seasons in that span.
One of the primary reasons for this evolution has been Kentucky’s knack for building solid defensive units. While the offense can vary in production from year to year, the Wildcats always seem to have a respectable defense. This season looks to be no different, as Kentucky returns 10 starters from last year. Beamer touched on the challenges this veteran unit could represent for Carolina come Saturday.
“They’ve got a veteran defense,” Beamer said. “10 returning starters and I think all of them are either juniors or seniors, so it’s guys that we’ve been playing against here for a while. It’s the same defense, they just traded out a linebacker that’s with the (Carolina) Panthers now for a linebacker that just happened to start at Georgia last season. So, they’re a really good defense, led by arguably the best defensive tackle in the conference.”
That defensive tackle he mentioned is none other than Deonte Walker. A 2023 first-team All-SEC selection, Walker is arguably the best player on the entire team. As a sophomore, he led the Wildcats in tackles for loss, sacks, and quarterback hurries. Given the Gamecocks’ well-documented struggles in pass protection, Walker represents a massive problem for Carolina.
The other player Beamer mentioned is senior linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who spent the last three seasons at Georgia. A 2022 first-team All-American and Butkus Award finalist, Dumas-Johnson elected to transfer this past offseason after losing his starting role to injury. This doesn’t mean that Dumas-Johnson is damaged goods, however, as the linebacker pedigree at Georgia is second to none. A major transfer portal victory for the Wildcats, Dumas-Johnson figures to be among the conference’s elite defenders.
Offense Set to Make a Jump?
While the defense is certainly Kentucky’s strong suit, their offense is nothing to scoff at either. Led by another Georgia transfer and former five-star recruit Brock Vandagriff, the Wildcats are looking to make a big jump on offense. Making his first colligate start last Saturday, Vandagriff showed why he was such a highly touted recruit.
The junior gunslinger completed 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times, picking up 35 yards which was second on the team. Poor weather limited what the Cats were willing to do through the air, but it didn’t matter as Kentucky cruised to a 31-point victory.
The Wildcats also boast an experienced offensive line, anchored by senior center Eli Cox, and a duo of talented pass catchers in Dane Key, and Barion Brown. With so many weapons, Kentucky has a real shot to take that next step offensively. If they can play up to their potential on Saturday, then Carolina’s defense may have their work cut out for them.
Latest on the Gamecocks
Following last week’s near disaster, it was clear that improvements needed to be made on offense. The Gamecocks totaled 288 total yards of offense, with just 118 of those coming through the air. When asked to assess his first start, quarterback LaNorris Sellers acknowledged he could have been better.
“It wasn’t the best,” Sellers said. “Timid, kind of nervous, scared to make a mistake, I just have to go out there and play, be myself. I usually criticize myself a lot. As I went through the film, I could tell I wasn’t myself. I was jumpy, I was fast, going through my reads fast but I just need to be more patient. I just wasn’t comfortable, I guess you could say.”
Confidence comes with experience, but in order for Sellers to be effective the Gamecocks’ pass protection has to step up. Carolina’s offensive line allowed Old Dominion to put pressure on Sellers all game. This constant harassment eventually got through, as he was sacked four times on the day.
While the group certainly has some work to do, their head coach isn’t losing faith just yet.
“Our offensive line played really, really hard,” Beamer said. “Yes, we had some protection issues that we certainly got to clean up. That comes back to us as coaches. But I’m excited about our offensive line as they continue to develop, and guys continue to gain experience.”
This sentiment may offer encouragement, but if Carolina hopes to win on Saturday, then improved pass protection is a must.
Final Rundown
As things currently stand, Carolina will enter Saturday as a nine-point underdog. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given last week’s performance. Simply put, Kentucky looked dominant against Sunbelt competition while Carolina struggled. This doesn’t mean that all hope is lost for the Gamecocks, just that they will be facing an uphill battle.
Defensively Carolina should be fine, but if they hope to extend their win streak over Kentucky then the offense will have to take a big step. It doesn’t help that Sellers will be making his first SEC road start in what’s sure to be an amped-up Kroger Field. The redshirt freshman will need to figure out how to drown out the noise and settle in quickly. His offensive line will also need to figure out how to neutralize a savvy Kentucky pass rush.
It may be easier said than done, but if the Gamecocks can lock in offensively then there’s a good shot they leave with a win.
