For the fourth straight year, the Kentucky Wildcats found a way to defeat the South Carolina football team.
The Wildcats used solid third down offense and capitalized on the Gamecocks' special team's mistakes to come away with a 23-13 victory at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday.
South Carolina started fast with wide receiver Deebo Samuel scoring in the first 13 seconds of play. Quarterback Jake Bentley found Samuel on a slant and the junior outran the Kentucky secondary for a 68-yard touchdown, giving Carolina a six-point lead, as kicker Alexander Woznick missed the point after.
The USC defense carried that momentum when linebacker Skai Moore picked off Wildcat quarterback Stephen Johnson. The offense could not capitalize on the turnover, finishing its drive with a missed field goal by Parker White. Johnson fumbled a snap that was recovered by Jamyest Williams to set the offense up with good field position. That drive would end when Kentucky defensive back Mike Edwards picked off a forced Bentley throw. It was the first interception of his career at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Both teams traded punts before the Kentucky offense revved up. Running back Benny Snell capped off a 13-play, 75-yard drive to put the Cats on top, 7-6. A stop by the Kentucky defense gave the ball back to Johnson and the offense. Another long drive capped off by a Snell score put the Cats up 14-6 mid-way through the second quarter. During those two drives, the Kentucky offense converted five straight third downs.
Both teams traded punts before Carolina got a drive down into field goal range before halftime. White made from 49 yards out, but after a false start penalty, he missed the re-kick from 54 yards out. Kentucky went into halftime ahead, 14-6.
With about five minutes left in the third quarter, kicker Austin MacGinnis scored a 27-yard field goal, bringing Kentucky's lead to 17-6. In the fourth quarter, Johnson took a designed quarterback run 22 yards to put the Cats into field goal range. MacGinnis nailed a 44-yard kick to put the Cats up, 20-6, with nine minutes on the clock.
The Gamecocks brought the score within seven after Bentley found freshman wide receiver OrTre Smith on a pass in the corner of the endzone on fourth and six. It was Smith's first collegiate catch and gave the offense one more shot to tie it up.
That would not be the case as Johnson called his own number and ran 54 yards before sliding down at USC's 10-yard line. That set up senior kicker Austin MacGinnis to kick the Cats to a 23-13 lead with 2:07 on the clock.
Bentley's second interception of the night on the next series sealed the deal as Kentucky improved to 3-0 with the win, while the Gamecocks dropped to 2-1.