South Carolina Football: Report card vs. Kentucky Wildcats

South Carolina football defensive back Nick Emmanwori had a huge day on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky
South Carolina football defensive back Nick Emmanwori had a huge day on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky
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Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football squad needed a win over Kentucky on Saturday night in order to have a chance at traditional bowl eligibility (6 wins; Gamecocks were 4-6 with two games remaining). With a bowl berth, Carolina would even have a chance to salvage a winning season out of the wreckage that has been the 2023 campaign.

A nearly soldout and rowdy Williams-Brice Stadium welcomed the Kentucky Wildcats to Columbia for a game in which USC was around a 3.5-point favorite, a massive swing from being a 1.5-point underdog just two days prior.

In the end, the game looked more like the updated spread than the original as South Carolina football pulled off a 17-14 victory over the ‘Cats. The two-game win streak over Mark Stoops’ team marks the first time Carolina has beaten Kentucky in back-to-back seasons since a three-game streak from 2011-2012.

Here are the grades for South Carolina football’s victory over Kentucky: