Biggest questions for South Carolina football resuming SEC play vs. Kentucky in Week 6

COLUMBIA — South Carolina football is coming off an impressive 50-10 win over South Carolina State, and after playing Thursday because of Hurricane Ian, the Gamecocks have a long rest before kicking off in Week 6.

The Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) resume conference play this week after struggling against both Arkansas and Georgia. They travel to Kroger Field to face Kentucky (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network).

Here are the biggest questions after five games:

Are the Gamecocks ready to re-enter SEC play?

South Carolina has had promising performances since its blowout loss to Georgia in Week 3. The Gamecocks put up more than 50 points on both Charlotte and South Carolina State, the first time the program has had back-to-back 50-point performances since 1995. They also had their best defensive showing of the season against the Bulldogs, holding them to just 10 points with three interceptions and a sack.

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It's no secret that Charlotte's abysmal defense and an FCS program are not the most challenging matchups for a South Carolina team that hopes to be competitive in the SEC, but the Gamecocks' dominance is a positive sign. While Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds might not be on the level of Kentucky's Will Levis or Florida's Anthony Richardson, an injury-riddled South Carolina defense contained his passing ability well, and it completely shut down S.C. State's No. 1 receiver, Shaquan Davis, who is considered an NFL Draft prospect.

Is South Carolina going to look as good as it did the past two games against Kentucky this week? Definitely not, but it is unquestionably in a better place than it was three weeks ago.

What is the biggest concern for the offense?

After the loss to Georgia, the run game was the clear answer, and those issues certainly could make a comeback against Kentucky. However, six rushing touchdowns and Marshawn Lloyd's 169 yards against Charlotte were huge positive steps, and the Gamecocks added another 200-plus ground yards against S.C. State.

At this point, the questions are in the passing game, specifically the receiving corps. South Carolina has more depth at wide receiver than any other position, but it is still struggling to get its potential stars consistently involved. Since recording 189 yards against Arkansas, Antwane Wells has been invisible with just nine receptions in the following three games. Jalen Brooks has multiple receptions of more than 35 yards but is averaging less than four catches per game. Josh Vann, last season's star, has just 13 yards on three catches.

Meanwhile, Xavier Legette caused two interceptions on drops against S.C. State, and the team is adding Arkansas State transfer Corey Rucker to the rotation after his return from injury. Depth is great, but the Gamecocks don't have a go-to receiver whom they trust in key moments. As Spencer Rattler tries to get comfortable in the offense, a more consistent target share might help build some of those connections.

How much has the offensive line improved?

Fans were ready to hit the panic button on the offensive line after a disappointing performance against Georgia State in Week 1. After it gave up six sacks and the team logged just 40 rushing yards against Arkansas, the concern was legitimate, but the line has visibly improved over the first five weeks of the season.

The Gamecocks have given up just one sack since the loss at Arkansas, and the team has recorded more than 100 rushing yards in every game since. Although Rattler faced nine quarterback hurries against Georgia, the line still looked better than it did in weeks 1 and 2 against one of the best defensive lines in the country. It will have to adjust quickly to the stronger and faster SEC linemen it faces in the second half of the schedule, but the group shouldn't be outclassed like it was early in the year.

Injuries could pose an issue moving forward with fifth-year Dylan Wonnum already questionable with a foot injury, and the offensive line lacks some depth since the season-ending ACL tear of Chad Terrell.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football's biggest questions entering Kentucky game