Kentucky hosts South Carolina in stand-alone SEC opener that will determine initial league leader

South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Kentucky (1-0, 0-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Kentucky by 10.

Series record: South Carolina leads, 20-14-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The winner earns sole possession of first place (for now) in the expanded 16-team Southeastern Conference. Both teams enter league play after opening-game victories. South Carolina survived Old Dominion 23-19 while the host Wildcats raced past Southern Miss 31-0 in a lightning-delayed game ultimately called off early in the third quarter by another threat. The Gamecocks seek a third consecutive series win over Kentucky.

KEY MATCHUP

South Carolina’s defense was opportunistic against Old Dominion with four takeaways, including two fumble recoveries deep in Monarchs territory resulting in touchdowns, and a late interception to seal the outcome. The Gamecocks also posted five sacks and eight tackles for loss. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s first game under offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan was quick and efficient as it scored TDs on drives of 59, 75 and 84 yards along with a short scoring march after taking over on downs. More notably, the Wildcats ran 42 plays and tallied 317 yards in just two-plus quarters.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Carolina edge rushers Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart each set up TDs with strip sacks and were a frequent presence in ODU’s backfield. Kennard, a fifth-year Georgia Tech transfer, had 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Stewart’s first collegiate game featured 1.5 sacks among four tackles, two forced fumbles and a QB hurry. The duo was named the SEC’s defensive linemen of the week.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff completed 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards and three short TDs in his first career start after transferring from Georgia. He averaged 14.1 yards per completion, highlighted by a 46-yard pass to Ja’Mori Maclin.

FACTS & FIGURES

South Carolina seeks consecutive wins to open the season for the first time since 2021. The Gamecocks haven’t won their SEC opener since 2017 at Missouri. … Kentucky has won seven of the past 10 meetings. … The Wildcats received two votes in the AP Top 25 poll.

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