South Carolina's 2026 is nearly here after a long offseason. And it won't be long until we know if all the offseason changes head coach Shane Beamer made will pay off.
As part of the buildup to the Gamecocks' new season, we are previewing each and every game on South Carolina's schedule. In Week 5 on Oct. 3, South Carolina gets the Kentucky Wildcats at home.
Opponent preview: Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky football will have a new head coach for the first time in 13 seasons, as the Wildcats moved on from longtime UK coach Mark Stoops last December.
To replace him, Kentucky has hired first-year head coach Will Stein, who used to play against the Wildcats for their biggest rival, the Louisville Cardinals. Stein played quarterback at Louisville from 2008-2012, before starting his coaching career there in 2013 as an assistant.
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He then primarily coached as an assistant at Texas, getting various stops at Texas, Lake Travis High School and UTSA. Across the last three seasons, he was Dan Lanning's offensive coordinator at Oregon, helping lead the Ducks' high-powered offense.
Stein comes to Kentucky with plenty of confidence. At SEC Media Days in July, he said the Wildcats will win more with him at the helm simply "because of me."
At quarterback, Stein will turn to Notre Dame transfer Kenny Michey. The Tennessee native has just 20 completions under his belt across three seasons. But coming out of high school he was a talented prospect, rated by 247Sports as a four-star and was the No. 2 overall player from his home state.
The Wildcats also return receivers Hardley Gilmore and Willie Rodriguez, and brought in Texas transfer CJ Baxter and Oklahoma's Javonte Barnes. Most of the offensive line will consist of portal products, such as Ohio State's Tegra Tshabola, Mark Robinson and Lance Heard.
Defensively, Kentucky returns leading tackler from last season in Ty Bryant.
Key statistics to know
The numbers are on South Carolina's side for this one, no matter how confident Stein might be. The Wildcats have lost the last four straight in this series, and with the exception of 2023's 17-14 win, they have come by multiple scores.
In all, Shane Beamer is 4-1 against the Wildcats, with the lone loss coming by six points during his first season in Columbia in 2021. The Gamecocks will be coming off of a road trip to Alabama the week prior, so South Carolina will be eager to get back on the field if that one doesn't go South Carolina's way.
South Carolina's defense has also played Kentucky well in recent years, not allowing more than 14 points.
South Carolina vs. Kentucky game details
- When: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium
- Time: TBD (FLEX)
- Live TV: TBD
Kentucky vs. South Carolina prediction
South Carolina 38, Kentucky 10
Although Coach Stein enters his Wildcat tenure with plenty of bravado, his team doesn't have what it takes to pull off a road victory like this in Year One. South Carolina's offense will have a big day against a rebuilding Kentucky defense
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