Live Updates, Score, Game Notes: No. 13 Kentucky-South Carolina
It's a brisk evening here in Lexington as the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Kroger Field. UK is looking for its third win in a row over SC, but will have to do so without starting quarterback Will Levis, who is OUT due to turf toe.
Follow along here with Wildcats Today for live game updates:
FINAL SCORE: 24-14 South Carolina
FOURTH QUARTER
South Carolina Drive 12: The Gamecocks run out the clock to seal the win.
Kentucky Drive 12 (2:18): INTERCEPTION: David Spaulding picks off Sheron on the first play of the drive.
South Carolina Drive 11: Kentucky gets the three-and-out....Wildcats ball at their own 23.
Kentucky Drive 11: Sheron takes a bad sack, losing 14 yards.
Sheron converts on 3rd and 16 to Bates. Sacked again on the next play, now five sacks for the Gamecocks.
Sheron hits Magwood down field, Cats are moving down field...finally. Now at the SC 38, two incompletions make it 3rd and 10. Cats convert on 4th down.
TOUCHDOWN: Sheron fires to JuTahn McClain, who runs in for a 10-yard score. PAT is GOOD. South Carolina 24, Kentucky 14
16-play drive for UK.
South Carolina Drive 10 (8:26): Lloyd races down the left sideline for a 45-yard run. SC now near the redzone, looking for the nail in the coffin. McDowell goes for three on the next play, now at the UK 24.
TOUCHDOWN: Jalen Brooks runs a reverse 24 yards into the endzone. PAT is GOOD. South Carolina 24, Kentucky 7 Goodnight Irene.
Kentucky Drive 10 (9:08): Wildcats goes three-and-out. Goodfellow's punt goes 47 yards.
South Carolina Drive Nine (12:23): Starting at its own 9, SC gets five on 1st, but McDowell is denied on the next play for just one yard. Spencer Rattler with the biggest throw of the game extends the drive.
Two plays later on 3rd and 9, Brooks breaks a tackle after catching a slant, almost gets the 1st down. UK's defense holds...
Kentucky Drive Nine Con't: Sheron does his best Will Levis impression and executes a QB sneak on 3rd down. Next play, C-Rod rushes up the gut for seven yards, now into SC territory.
False start on Barion Brown sets UK back five. Sheron checks down to Brenden Bates on the next play, gain of three, now 3rd and 8. Sheron is rushed on 3rd down, has to throw it away...Kentucky to punt from the SC 48.
Tick tick tick...
THIRD QUARTER
Kentucky Drive Nine (2:38): Rodriguez gets five on 1st down. Pass interference on South Carolina...BIG penalty extends UK's drive.
Back to C-Rod, he gets six on 1st down. Next play he bulldozes for three more.
END OF Q3
South Carolina Drive Eight (9:39): Back-to-back rushes move the chains for SC, now at their own 26. Two more rushes from Lloyd get 11 more yards.
Kentucky finally stuffs a rush on the next play. Rattlers rolls out right, runs for seven yards...3rd and 3...he runs again up the middle, Josiah Hayes gets the tackle but the run is good for a 1st down.
2nd down, UK sniffs out another rush, Jordan Lovett with the tackle. 3rd and 9, Rattler hits Jalen Brooks, who extends the play 30 yards. 1st and 10 at the UK 21 for South Carolina.
Three plays later, D'Eryk Jackson gets a stop on 3rd and short, forcing a field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL: SC's Mitch Jeter hits a 32-yarder to extend the lead to 10 for the Gamecocks. 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:01 minutes long.
Kentucky Drive Eight: Sheron is sacked on the first play of the drive...Kentucky then answers with a screen of its own, Sheron hits Robinson who runs for 27 yards, Cats now approaching midfield.
Sheron tries to evade pressure but EDGE Gilber Edmond brings him down on 1st down. 2nd and 24, Rodriguez runs for three yards. 3rd down, Sheron scrambles but not enough to extend the drive.
Tayvion Robinson is down by the SC sideline...eventually walked off under his own power into the injury tent.
South Carolina Drive Seven: Lloyd hits the corner and runs for 18 yards on the first play of the half. Rattler's first pass of the half is incomplete. Octavious Oxendine gets a big tackle on 2nd down, setting up 3rd and 9.
Jaheim Bell with a nice grab on 3rd down for SC...Rattler's pass was high but the tight end brought it down.
TOUCHDOWN: Antwane Wells Jr blows by the UK defense for a 42-yard score on a bubble screen. PAT is GOOD. Six plays, 75 yards for the Gamecocks.
SECOND QUARTER
Kentucky Drive Seven (0:35): Rodriguez runs on 1st down...letting the clock run down to 0:00.
HALFTIME
Kaiya Sheron: 5-9, 36 yards, TD
Chris Rodriguez: 16 carries, 97 yards
Kentucky out-gained SC 164-90 in the half.
South Carolina Drive Six (2:37): Ahmarean Brown takes a run for nine yards, into UK territory.
Big tackle from J.J. Weaver, followed by a stop from Jordan Wright.
INTERCEPTION: Trevin Wallace wins a 50/50 ball, picking off Rattler. 35 seconds left in the half.
Kentucky Drive Six (4:58): Rodriguez goes for 13 yards on the first play of the drive. Two more C-Rod runs go for just three yards, setting up 3rd and medium.
Sheron made a nice throw to Barion Brown, but the freshman couldn't make the grab. UK to punt away...another missed opportunity. Bad punt from Goodfellow goes just 35 yards, SC will take over near midfield.
South Carolina Drive Five: Huge chunk play for SC, Rattler finds Lloyd for 28 yards on the first play of the drive.
Holding on South Carolina takes away a nice run from Lloyd. Later on 3rd down, Rattler scrambles out of bounds for three yards, making it 4th and 11, SC to punt. Punt goes down to the UK 3.
Kentucky Drive Five: Drive opens at the UK 44, Chris Rodriguez gets a first down after a nine-yard run on 2nd down, into SC territory.
Sheron with a low throw to Tayvion Robinson in the flat on 1st down. Best pass of the night for Sheron so far...he hits Key for 13 yards rolling out to his right.
McClain runs for 11 yards, UK now in the redzone.
TOUCHDOWN: Sheron fakes a pitch, fires to Jordan Dingle up the middle for a 16-yard score. Beautiful play-call. PAT is good.
South Carolina Drive Four Con't: Lloyd gets four yards on 1st down, but is stuffed for a loss of three on the next play. Third down, Rattler converts on back-to-back third down passes, Gamecocks are putting together a drive.
Carrington Valentine stops JuJu McDowell from the line to gain on 3rd down. 4th and 2 coming up, SC staying on the field.
J.J. Weaver and Keidron Smith blow up the 4th down play, Kentucky takes over on downs. Big stop for the defense.
FIRST QUARTER
South Carolina Drive Four: 1st and 10 at the SC 27, JuJu McDowell runs for the first time, going for three yards. McDowell gets five more on 2nd down. Rattler evades pressure, completing a third down pass to move the chains.
END OF Q1
Kentucky Drive Four: Rodriguez runs for a first down on the first play of the drive, 12 yards.
Chris Rodriguez is making things happen for the Cats, he runs for 20 more yards. Kentucky into SC territory. Sheron then hits Barion Brown on a screen for 15 yards.
Sheron passes over the middle of the field for the first time...it's tipped by Zacch Pickens. Matt Ruffolo out for a 45 yarder.
FIELD GOAL NO GOOD: Ruffolo's FG doinks off the left upright. Wildcats come up empty.
South Carolina Drive Three: Lloyd runs for 11 on the first play.
Keidron Smith with a pass breakup for UK, but he came up limping afterward...
FUMBLE: Ty Ajian sacks Spencer Rattler, the ball comes out and J.J. Weaver recovers. There's the pass rush UK has been looking for.
Kentucky Drive Three: False start on Deondre Buford...not great for the new right tackle.
Bullish run from Rodriguez goes for 18 yards to the UK 37. Buford is flagged for another false start on the next play. Brown takes a pass on the next play but loses nine yards.
Sheron scrambles for 15, setting up third and 9, he passes to C-Rod but doesn't get the 1st.
PUNT BLOCKED: Colin Goodfellow can't get the ball away...the nightmare continues for Kentucky. SC near the redzone.
South Carolina Drive Two: Two false starts make it 1st and 20, Lloyd takes the next two snaps, getting 10 yards back.
First 3rd and long of the day for UK's defense... Rattler had a man downfield but the pass was about three yards short. Gamecocks to punt from their own 38.
Kentucky Drive Two: Chris Rodriguez takes his first real run of the game for eight yards. C-Rod goes for three on the next play to move the chains.
Sheron's first career pass attempt is incomplete to Dane Key. He's sacked on the next play after scrambling. JuTahn McClain's first rush doesn't get the first down, UK punts away.
South Carolina Drive One: TOUCHDOWN: Marshawn Lloyd takes it two yards into the endzone. PAT is good Nightmare start for Kentucky.
Kentucky Drive One: FUMBLE: Chris Rodriguez loses the football after trying to pitch it to Barion Brown on the first play of the game, South Carolina recovers and takes it to the UK 2. Brutal start for the Cats.
PRE-GAME INFO
South Carolina wins the toss, defers to the second half.
Will Levis is not playing tonight due to injury. In his place is redshirt freshman Kaiya Sheron, who is making his first career start. Kentucky is also without starting right tackle Jeremy Flax and linebacker Jacquez Jones. For a full injury report, click here.
Click here for Wildcats to watch for tonight as they look for win No. 5.
Our staff predictions can be found here.
