South Carolina (2-1, 0-1) vs Kentucky (3-0, 1-0)

When: Saturday, Sept 25, 2021 - 7:00 PM ET

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium - Columbia, SC (77,559)

Broadcast: ESPN2 (Brian Custer, Kelly Stouffer, Lauren Sisler)

Local Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Jamar Nesbit)

Satellite Radio: Sirius 135/XM 190

Odds: Kentucky -5 (O/U 48.5)

Weather: 71 degrees, 0% chance of rain

The Gamecocks (2-1) and Wildcats (3-0) are set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

That makes for an easy viewing experience as ESPN2 is available on all the major satellite, cable and streaming services and usually as part of the basic package. Check your local listings for the specific channel.

There are options to stream the game, including on the ESPN app, but viewers will need to be logged in within the app with a TV provider and package that already includes ESPN2.

ESPN2 is available on all the major streaming TV providers such as YouTubeTV, Hulu Live, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV and SlingTV.

Brian Custer will handle play-by-play duties from the booth where he will be joined by Kelly Stouffer, with Lauren Sisler patrolling the sidelines.

Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs will handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network with Jamar Nesbit on the sidelines. Check for your local radio affiliates at this link.

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CAROLINA VS. KENTUCKY: This is the 33rd meeting between the Gamecocks and Wildcats in a series that dates back to 1937. Carolina leads the all-time series 18-13-1, including a 9-5-1 advantage in Columbia. The teams played just three times (1937, 1978 and 1981) before Carolina joined the SEC in 1992. Since then, they have met every year. Since joining the SEC, the Gamecocks own a 17-12 record against UK, including wins in 14 of the 21 meetings in this century.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: Due to COVID altering the schedule, the Gamecocks and Wildcats did not meet until the final regular season game of the 2020 season, a Dec. 5 contest in Lexington. Kentucky posted a 41-18 win over Carolina that night, the largest margin of victory for the Cats in 32 meetings with the Gamecocks. Both teams moved the ball effectively on the ground, with South Carolina rushing for 297 yards, behind Kevin Harris’s 210 yards on 21 carries. Kentucky countered with 291 rushing yards as Chris Rodriguez Jr. and A.J. Rose each went over the century mark. Luke Doty, making just his second career start at quarterback, completed 11-of-25 passes for 85 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Tavien Feaster (107) and Rico Dowdle (102) combined for 209 rushing yards, nearly matching Kentucky’s entire offensive output of 212 yards, as the Gamecocks rolled to an easy 24-7 win in Columbia on Sept. 28, 2019. Feaster scored twice and Dowdle once as the Gamecocks rolled up 387 yards in the win. The Carolina defense pitched a shutout until Kentucky finally got on the board with just 2:32 left in the contest. The seven points was the fewest the Wildcats had scored against the Gamecocks since being held to three points in the 2011 contest. The Carolina win snapped a five-game losing streak in the all-time series.

A GAME OF RUNS: South Carolina won 10-straight games over Kentucky from 2000-2009, and 13- of-14 from 2000-2013. Since then, the Wildcats posted five-straight wins from 2014-18 and have won six of the last seven overall.

OLD FRIEND ALERT: Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, has logged two stints on the South Carolina coaching staff. Wolf served as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach under Steve Spurrier during the 2009 season, then returned to Columbia for four seasons (2017-20) as the offensive line coach under Will Muschamp.

Collyn Taylor: If anyone tells you they know exactly what’s going to happen in this game they’re probably lying to you. The Gamecocks have been on the wrong side of this series for the last seven years and if they want to get back to where they were in the early 2010s, this is a game they need to consistently win. Kentucky is a better team right now with fewer questions, but the Gamecocks are getting Luke Doty back this week for real and the offense could look different. The defense will have to limit big plays, which its’ done so far, and force some turnovers to keep the Gamecocks in it. The big question is if the offense has enough firepower to keep up with Kentucky. Kentucky 27, South Carolina 21

Kendall Smith: This game will be tight, but South Carolina fans will truly be a difference-maker for the Gamecocks. If Williams-Brice is at its best, it is a tough place for opponents to compete in. Luke Doty back in the starting quarterback spot for South Carolina is huge, and as long as the Gamecock offense can capitalize off his abilities and their running back talent, I have a good feeling about tonight. Kentucky barely beat Chattanooga last weekend, so if South Carolina can find those weak spots in Kentucky's game and make them pay for it, I think the Gamecocks will win in a close, stress-inducing game. South Carolina 27, Kentucky 20

Chris Clark: Kentucky's favored on paper to win this one, and that's totally fair. The Wildcats' new-look offense gives this UK team a different feel from some in the past, and South Carolina's defense will have to be careful not to give up the big play. On the other side, Carolina is hopeful that Luke Doty's insertion and a three-game-long wakeup call will result in a cleaner and more productive performance on offense. Kentucky's the safer pick, but here's to thinking the Gamecocks finally do more offensively and come up with a key stop or two on defense. South Carolina 26, Kentucky 24

Wes Mitchell: On a neutral site, with turnovers and everything else being equal, I would give Kentucky a clear advantage in this game. The Wildcats are a program that knows what it wants to be on defense and is finding its new identity on offense with a new offensive coordinator and two key transfers in QB Will Levis and WR Wan'Dale Robinson. As much as South Carolina fans will want to assume the Gamecocks are always going to be more talented than Kentucky, this is a tough matchup for the Garnet and Black. That said, Kentucky is only 8-25 on the road under Mark Stoops and the Wildcats haven't played a true packed-house road game since 2019. I think we're going to see one of the best atmospheres we've seen in Columbia in quite some time and that the Gamecocks will need every turnover they get in eeking out a fourth-quarter win. South Carolina 24, Kentucky 21

Michael Beckham: Big game with a big atmosphere, and that will help the Gamecocks. Will it be enough? I don't think it will. The Gamecocks have yet to put together a solid offensive game, and Kentucky's defense is simply a bad matchup for a South Carolina offense that only has a few deep passes to hang its hat on.

Kentucky is simply farther along in the development of their program, and South Carolina has way too many question marks on both sides of the ball. Kentucky 31, South Carolina 20

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