Everything you need to know ahead of South Carolina football's matchup with Kentucky

Shane Beamer's South Carolina football team didn't perform its best in the season opener against the Old Dominion Monarchs, but the season's first major test is coming up this weekend as the Gamecocks travel to Lexington, Kentucky as the Gamecocks and Wildcats meet inside of Commonwealth Stadium.

USC has won the last two meetings (one in Columbia in 2023 and one in Lexington in 2022), ending what had been a strong run from Kentucky in the rivalry series.

South Carolina Football vs. Kentucky
How to Watch

Kentucky fans really dislike South Carolina, and right now, both programs view the other as a "should win" matchup this season. A sellout has not been announced, but many around the UK program believe every seat will be full on Saturday afternoon.

The game will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Kickoff is slated for a 3:30 PM ET start.

For DirecTV subscribers who currently do not have any access to Disney properties (like ABC and ESPN), here is a helpful guide for some other ways to watch the South Carolina Gamecocks and Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.

South Carolina Football vs. Kentucky
Storylines to Watch

In many ways, South Carolina football fans are hopeful that the Kentucky game will be an opportunity for a reset. The Wildcats are a pretty good team, but they aren't world-beaters, and the Commonwealth Stadium environment provides one of the smallest SEC home-field advantages for the 'Cats.

LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecock offense (and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains) need to be better on Saturday. Loggains has to trust Sellers to throw the football, and Sellers has to reward that trust with calm and accurate throws. None of that happened last Saturday.

The offensive line lacked any real push in the run game and was inconsistent in its protection of Sellers. Deone Walker and the Wildcat defensive line will crush the Gamecock offense if the O-line isn't much better in this one.

According to PFF, running back Rocket Sanders recorded 100% of his total yards recorded as yards after contact against ODU. The running game will be completely non-existent if Sanders and the other backs are getting hit behind the line so frequently against Kentucky.

No Gamecock pass-catcher had more than 2 catches against the Monarchs. That will have to change against Kentucky.

The Carolina defense was solid against Old Dominion, and EDGE players Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard dominated, but Kentucky will be a better test for Clayton White's unit. If the offense isn't significantly better, the USC defense will have to be near perfect for the 'Cocks to pick up a win.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff, a Georgia transfer, will be playing in his first SEC start. The seasoned Gamecock defense must take advantage of Vandagriff's inexperience and stifle the Big Blue offense.

The defense used their 4-2-5 set for most of the game, but the Gamecocks forced a turnover late using the 3-3-5. It will be interesting to see how Clayton White's unit is deployed in this one.

The Gamecocks had a couple of communication issues in the defensive backfield against Old Dominion, and that can't happen against a Kentucky team that likes to create secondary confusion with tight formations and rub routes.

Since 2021, the Gamecocks have led the SEC in turnovers forced, and during that same time span, Kentucky has averaged nearly 2 giveaways per contest. Shane Beamer has led his team to a 13-3 in games in which they force a turnover and run for at least 100 yards.

Kentucky's starting running back this summer, Ohio State Buckeyes transfer Chip Trayanum, will miss the game with a broken hand. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye will be the top back for Mark Stoops' team.

As the betting line has moved to 10 points according to most outlets, it is important to note that the Shane Beamer-led Gamecocks have three wins as 10-point underdogs, only trailing two other programs since 2021.

South Carolina Football vs. Kentucky
What Experts Are Saying

The betting line for South Carolina-Kentucky opened at -6.5 in favor of the Wildcats, but by Thursday, the spread ballooned to make UK a 10.5-point favorite.

ESPN's FPI (Football Power Index) gives the Gamecocks a 30.3% chance to win the game and considers USC a 10-point underdog.

The Fox Sports college football team picked Kentucky to win the game but Carolina to cover a 10-point spread. They also picked the "under" point total of fewer than 42.5 points between the two teams.

College Football Network's Will Helms picked the Gamecocks to complete the upset, 24-20.

South Carolina Football vs. Kentucky
Official Garnet and Cocky Prediction

This game is the most important game of the Shane Beamer era. With a win, Carolina has a clear path to bowl eligibility and has something to sell to a really strong 2026 recruiting class in the Carolinas and Georgia. With a loss, reaching any form of postseason feels very unlikely, and with another losing record, "righting the ship" would be nearly impossible thanks to two years of losing in a row.

The Gamecocks have played much better under Shane Beamer when their backs have been against the wall. If that translates to the field on Saturday, beating Kentucky becomes a very real possibility.

As has been the case in 8 of the last 9 meetings between these two teams, this game should be a low-scoring affair.

Solid defense should limit both teams from running the ball particularly well, and turnovers will be extremely important as the Gamecocks' biggest plays in their two-game win streak were interceptions and forced fumbles.

To win, the Gamecocks need LaNorris Sellers and his wide receivers to step up and perform well. With the first-game jitters out of their system, and Kentucky's defensive weak point being on the back end, expect Sellers to find a few open men down the field.

When the game ends, the under should hit as the Gamecocks win a game in which touchdowns are rare commodities, getting the 2024 season back on track.