How Kentucky football and South Carolina match up — with a game prediction

How the Kentucky Wildcats (2-1, 0-1 SEC) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) match up at each position for Saturday’s college football contest — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

• Kentucky redshirt freshman Cutter Boley will make his first career road start at Williams-Brice Stadium. The former Lexington Christian Academy star performed well two weeks ago vs. Eastern Michigan in what was his first start of 2025. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Boley completed 12 of 21 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-23 UK win. Against Eastern Michigan, Boley put a down-field threat into what had been a struggling UK aerial attack by completing seven passes that went for 20 yards or more.

• Considered one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2026 NFL draft, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers played well in the Gamecocks’ 29-20 loss at Missouri last week. The 6-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Florence, South Carolina, completed 18 of 28 passes for a season-high 302 yards with two TD throws. Sellers was especially effective throwing deep vs. Mizzou, as he connected on four passes of 30 or more yards. Last season, in South Carolina’s 31-6 demolition of Kentucky in Lexington, Sellers completed 10 of 14 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Advantage: South Carolina

Running backs

• Kentucky’s Seth McGowan is fifth in the SEC in rushing with 275 yards. The 6-1, 215-pound transfer from New Mexico State is tied for fifth in the FBS in rushing touchdowns with six. Nebraska transfer Dante Dowdell is ninth in the SEC in rushing with 214 yards. The 6-2, 227-pound junior carried only eight times for 29 yards vs. Eastern Michigan before leaving the game due to injury. With Dowdell out, redshirt freshman Jason Patterson got a chance vs. EMU and rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts.

• A transfer who ran for 1,109 yards last season for Utah State, South Carolina’s Rahsul Faison is in his seventh year of college. The 6-foot, 218-pound product of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, had a rough go in the loss at Missouri, rushing for only five yards on six carries. Oscar Adaway III is also a seventh-year player. A 5-11, 219-pound product of North Little Rock, Arkansas, Adaway ran for 738 yards two seasons ago for North Texas. Against Mizzou, however, Adaway carried three times for seven yards.

Advantage: Kentucky

Wide receivers

• Kentucky senior slot receiver Kendrick Law failed to catch a pass in the season-opening win over Toledo. However, the 6-foot, 205-pound transfer from Alabama is now tied for the UK team lead in receptions with eight. Super-senior Ja’Mori Maclin made a 36-yard reception vs. Eastern Michigan and is now second on the the Wildcats in receiving yards with 103. Sophomore Hardley Gilmore followed up a 38-yard reception vs. Mississippi in week two with a 32-yard catch vs. EMU.

• South Carolina’s Vandrevius Jacobs had a banner game at Missouri, catching seven passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. The 6-2, 180-pound redshirt sophomore now leads the Gamecocks in receptions (13), receiving yards (215) and receiving TDs (two). A national-level sprinter at 6-5, 235-pounds, Nyck Harbor is one of the most physically imposing athletes in college football. The Washington, D.C., product has caught 10 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. True freshmen Donovan Murph (five catches, 94 yards) and Brian Rowe Jr. (seven catches, 67 yards, one TD) are in the Gamecocks’ rotation.

Advantage: South Carolina

Tight ends

• Kentucky senior Josh Kattus is tied for the Wildcats lead in receptions (eight) and leads UK in receiving yards (108) The 6-4, 247-pound senior from Cincinnati “is playing at a high level,” Mark Stoops said. Sophomore Willie Rodriguez caught his first college touchdown vs. Eastern Michigan. On the season, the 6-4, 252-pound Covington Catholic product has five catches for 68 yards.

• A former multi-year starter at Kentucky, South Carolina’s Jordan Dingle has caught four passes for 63 yards so far with the Gamecocks. A Bowling Green High School product, Dingle caught 43 passes for 615 yards and four touchdowns during the four seasons (2021-2024) he played for UK. A redshirt senior who began his college career at Ball State, Brady Hunt has caught five passes for 49 yards.

Advantage: Kentucky

Offensive line

• Kentucky left guard Joshua Braun transferred to UK from Arkansas after beginning his career at Florida. The 6-foot-6, 342-pound product of Live Oak, Florida, has helped solidify the interior of the UK front. “A great leader, very big, very strong, steady,” Mark Stoops said of Braun. “We’re very grateful that we have him.”

• South Carolina’s Shedrick Sarratt Jr. is a rarity: The 6-3, 336-pound product of Gaffney, South Carolina is a true freshman starting on the offensive line for a SEC team. The Gamecocks offensive front will be looking for a bounce-back performance after surrendering five sacks and six quarterback hurries and seeing its team finish with minus-nine rushing yards at Missouri.

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive line

• Kentucky redshirt senior tackle Kahlil Saunders (tied for the lead among UK defensive linemen with eight tackles) continues to draw praise from Mark Stoops. “He’s becoming more of a leader. You know, he’s grown up quite a bit. We’re very proud of him. He’s playing very well,” Stoops said.

• South Carolina edge Dylan Stewart is one of the most talented pass rushers in college football. In spite of drawing ample double-team blocking, the 6-5, 245-pound sophomore from Washington, D.C., has made 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and four QB hurries and has broken up a pass. In South Carolina’s win over Kentucky last season, Stewart had a sack and a hurry.

Advantage: South Carolina

Linebackers

• Kentucky weakside linebacker Alex Afari is leading the SEC in tackles with 26. The 6-2, 227-pound Cincinnati product is tied for sixth in the FBS in solo tackles with 18. Middle linebacker Daveren Rayner set up UK’s first touchdown vs. Eastern Michigan with a pass interception off of a deflection. A 6-2, 217-pound super senior, Rayner made three tackles and intercepted a pass last season vs. South Carolina — before making the decision to redshirt in 2024 and return to play his final season of eligibility in 2025.

• A sophomore from Norfolk, Virginia, middle linebacker Fred “JayR” Johnson leads South Carolina in tackles with 20. The 6-3, 244-pound Johnson has one sack, one QB hurry, one interception and one pass breakup. At weakside linebacker, the Gamecocks deploy a pair of players — Justin Okoronkwo (17 tackles, an interception) and Shawn Murphy (13 tackles) — who began their college careers at Alabama.

Advantage: Even

Defensive backs

• Kentucky free safety Jordan Lovett led the Wildcats with eight tackles vs. Eastern Michigan. A 6-2, 208-pound North Hardin product, Lovett has made 17 combined tackles in the past two games. Mark Stoops indicated Monday that he is hopeful that injured cornerbacks DJ Waller and Terhyon Nichols will be available at South Carolina. However, Waller is now listed as out for the game on UK’s injury report.

• Injuries have plagued an experienced South Carolina secondary expected to be one of the SEC’s best. Nickel back Jalon Kilgore missed one game (South Carolina State) with a hamstring injury but has returned to make 19 tackles. Kilgore led the SEC in interceptions last season with five. Free safety DQ Smith has played in 40 career games with 37 starts but missed the Missouri contest with what South Carolina coach Shane Beamer termed a “quad contusion.” Starting cornerback Judge Collier, who had been out since the season opener vs. Virginia Tech, returned to practice Tuesday.

Advantage: South Carolina

Special teams

• Kentucky redshirt freshman place-kicker Jacob Kauwe has started the season 6 of 6 on field goal attempts with a long make of 51 yards. Senior punter Aidan Laros is averaging 44.7 yards on 14 kicks and has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line eight times. Punt returner Ty Bryant had a 25-yard return vs. Eastern Michigan that set up a UK touchdown.

• South Carolina has lived up to Shane Beamer’s family tradition of excellence in special teams. Punt returner Vicari Swain has returned seven kicks this season — and three have gone for touchdowns. A 6-1, 190-pound redshirt sophomore, Swain took a punt 80 yards for a TD vs. Virginia Tech and had back-to-back punt return touchdowns of 65 and 42 yards vs. South Carolina State. Redshirt freshman punter Mason Love is averaging 46.9 yards on 17 kicks. Place-kicker William Joyce is 4 of 5 on field goal tries with a long make of 49 yards.

Advantage: South Carolina

Prediction

South Carolina 19, Kentucky 17

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 6:30 AM.

Mark Story

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-444-4731

Mark Story has worked in the Lexington Herald-Leader sports department since Aug. 27, 1990, and has been a Herald-Leader sports columnist since 2001. I have covered every Kentucky-Louisville football game since 1994, every UK-U of L basketball game but three since 1996-97 and every Kentucky Derby since 1994. Support my work with a digital subscription