BOZICH | Kentucky offense no-shows in 31-6 loss to South Carolina | Sports

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) — South Carolina is a program that better be in your rear-view mirror if you expect to ascend in the Southeastern Conference.

The Gamecocks aren’t Vanderbilt. But they’re certainly not a program that consistently hangs out in the Top 25. Steve Spurrier couldn’t get them there. Lou Holtz couldn’t get them there.

Shane Beamer has only pushed the Gamecocks into the Top 25 briefly over three-plus seasons in Columbia.

This is not expected to be one of those seasons, not with South Carolina predicted to finish 13th in the SEC, two spots behind Kentucky. Not after the Gamecocks scrambled to put away Old Dominion by 4 points in their home opener.

South Carolina is not in Kentucky’s rear-view mirror. The Gamecocks have actually become a major road block to coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats.

South Carolina beat Kentucky for the third consecutive season Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. This time it wasn’t as close as the last two seasons. The Wildcats lost, 31-6.

This time it was as deflating a loss as the Wildcats have suffered since ... you can fill in the blank.

"Very disappointed and not happy with us," Stoops said. "Our coaching. Our response. The way we played ... today it didn't really look like a well-coached team and it didn't look like we wanted to respond.

"There's no way to sugar coat it. We got our butts beat."

How ugly was it?

"You never expect to lose but you never expect to lose like that," UK halfback Demie Sumo-Karngbaye said. "You never expect it."

On a day when the Wildcats slid to 1-1, they managed to drive the ball past midfield four times on a dozen drives. No touchdowns. Nothing close to a touchdown. They failed to advance the ball past the South Carolina 14 yard line.

Only six pass completions, one for every 10 minutes of game action. Let the record show that UK's quarterbacks finished 6 for 14 for 44 yards with two interceptions. In College Football 2024, you better be able to complete at least six passes every quarter.

"Put this one on me," said UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. "We never got in a rhythm."

After three quarters, Kentucky had more penalties (6) and sacks allowed (4) than pass completions (3 of 9). Boos echoed through the stadium. The student section emptied in the third quarter. Las Vegas told them the Wildcats were supposed to be 10 points better than the visitors.

"Not good enough," Stoops said, "Not acceptable. This felt like game one. There were things that happened out there that I can't explain."

Brock Vandagriff, the UK quarterback, was neither accurate nor comfortable. Generally Vandagriff did not have time to set his feet and deliver a strike, but when he did his throws were either wide or too high. He said after the game that he was dealing with pain in his right shoulder from a hit that he took in UK's season-opening win against Southern Miss.

"They played a great game but some of that is definitely on me," Vandagriff said. "Gotta be able to get the ball out. Move around the pocket and stuff."

"Clearly we were having a hard time with pass protection," Stoops said. "They clearly affected the quarterback. That's good play by them and not a good job by us.

Consider the Wildcats’ second series of the second half, when the game was still in reach with South Carolina ahead, 17-6.

Here is the rundown of the seven plays Kentucky ran:

Penalty for illegal shift, which negated a 25-yard pass.

Holding.

Running play that lost a yard.

Incomplete pass.

Punt that cost the Wildcats another five yards because of another illegal shift.

Now you understand the boos.

Stoops finally replaced Vandagriff with Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt in the fourth quarter after South Carolina expanded its lead to 31-6 by returning an interception of one of his passes 24 yards for a touchdown.

Didn’t matter.

Wimsatt completed one pass on his first drive before he also threw an interception. At that point the race for the parking lots intensified.

"We didn't play good enough today, period," Stoops said. "Every group needs to play at a different level."

Here’s a chilling update: Next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. the Wildcats will play host to No. 1 Georgia.

In two games against Clemson and Tennessee Tech, Kirby Smart’s juggernaut has outscored its opponents, 82-6, and outgained them, 945-322.

That’s correct: The next touchdown Georgia allows this season will be the first touchdown Georgia allows this season. Vandagriff, remember, transferred to UK from Georgia.

"When adversity hits, what are you going to do?" UK center Eli Cox said. "How are you going to respond. You've just got to go to work. It only gets more difficult. Every week the teams get better."

There's nothing else to say.