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

How the Kentucky Wildcats (3-0, 1-0 SEC) and South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1, 0-1 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

▪ Kentucky’s Will Levis is sixth in the SEC in passing yards per game (266.7) and has already thrown as many touchdown passes in three contests (seven) as UK threw all last season. Where the 6-foot-3, 232-pound graduate transfer from Penn State has struggled is ball security. Levis threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in UK’s 28-23 win over FCS foe Chattanooga last week. On the season, Levis has thrown four picks — a concern vs. a ball-hawking South Carolina defense.

▪ South Carolina’s Luke Doty will make his first start of 2021 after missing the first two games with a foot injury. In Doty’s absence, new Gamecocks Coach Shane Beamer convinced grad assistant Zeb Noland, an ex-Iowa State and North Dakota State QB, to activate his pandemic-inspired “free year of eligibility.” Noland (five TD throws, one interception) directed the Gamecocks to wins over Eastern Illinois (46-0) and East Carolina (20-17) but was injured in last week’s 40-13 loss at Georgia. Doty returned and completed 13 of 26 passes for 153 yards with one TD and one pick.

Advantage: Kentucky

Running backs

▪ After UK’s Christopher Rodriguez ran for a career-high 198 yards on 27 carries two weeks ago in Kentucky’s 35-28 win over Missouri, new Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen tried some “load management” with the redshirt junior vs. Chattanooga. UK did not start the McDonough, Ga., product and limited his carries to 13 (for 46 yards). Expect Rodriguez — the SEC’s leading rusher with 378 yards — to get the ball early and often in Columbia. In UK’s 41-18 win over South Carolina in last season’s regular-season finale, Rodriguez ran for 139 yards and three TDs.

▪ South Carolina redshirt senior ZaQuandre White (167 rushing yards, 7.6 yards per carry), true freshman Juju McDowell (113, 4.9) and redshirt frosh MarShawn Lloyd (95, 3.7) have all had good moments early in 2021. Junior Kevin Harris, the SEC’s leading rusher (1,138 yards) last year, had offseason back surgery and has yet to find his form (55 yards on 23 carries in two games) this year. Harris gashed UK for 210 yards on 21 carries last season.

Advantage: Kentucky

Wide receivers

▪ Since transferring from Nebraska with fanfare, Kentucky slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson has exceeded high expectations. The 5-10, 183-pound junior from Western Hills HS is second in the SEC in receiving yards (337) and sixth in receptions (18). Senior Isaiah Epps (five catches, 104 yards) caught his first career UK TD last week vs. Chattanooga.

▪ South Carolina senior Josh Vann (10 catches, 282 yards, two TDs) has emerged as the Gamecocks’ go-to receiver. Converted quarterback Dakereon Joyner has transitioned into an effective possession receiver (10 catches, 58 yards, one TD).

Advantage: Kentucky

Tight ends

▪ Kentucky sophomore Izayah Cummings caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Chattanooga. The Male High School product has caught one pass in each of UK’s first three games. Super senior Justin Rigg is tied for third on the team in receptions with five for 51 yards.

▪ South Carolina’s Nick Muse, a super senior, caught 30 passes for 425 yards and a TD last year. A transfer from William and Mary, Muse has five catches for 26 yards and a score so far in 2021. Sophomore Jaheim Bell is a capable receiver (four catches, 61 yards, one TD).

Advantage: South Carolina

Offensive line

▪ According to Pro Football Focus, Kentucky star right tackle Darian Kinnard has not given up one quarterback pressure through the first three games. After dominating Missouri at the point of attack, “The Big Blue Wall” did not fare well blocking Chattanooga in the run game. So one would anticipate a motivated UK offensive front in Columbia.

▪ The strength of the South Carolina offensive line is on the right side where tackle Dylan Wonnum (27) and guard Jovaughn Gwyn (24) have combined to make over 50 career starts.

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive line

▪ Last week, the pass rush of Kentucky sophomore tackle Octavious Oxendine forced Chattanooga QB Cole Copeland to throw off his back foot on the fourth-quarter play that produced UK’s game-clinching pick-six. Senior end Josh Paschal has been the rock of Kentucky’s defensive front with five QB hurries and four TFL.

▪ A first-team All-SEC selection by the league coaches in 2020, South Carolina rush end Kingsley Enagbare has two sacks so far in 2021 — his only two tackles of the season. Tackles Jabari Ellis (10 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and Zacch Pickens (six tackles, 1.5 TFL) are both disruptive.

Advantage: South Carolina

Linebackers

▪ Ole Miss transfer Jacquez Jones has been a godsend for Kentucky. The MLB leads the Cats in tackles (20). The 6-foot, 235-pound senior set up at TD against Missouri with an interception and stopped a TD with a pass breakup vs. Chattanooga. Mark Stoops said at his weekly news conference that OLB Jordan Wright (nine tackles, two TFL) would play this week after sitting out last Saturday with an injury.

▪ South Carolina MLB Sherrod Greene (seven tackles, one TFL) broke an ankle on the second play of the Georgia game and is out indefinitely. In Greene’s absence, Damani Staley is listed as the starting MLB. A super senior, Staley made nine tackles vs. UK last season.

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive backs

▪ Senior strong safety Tyrell Ajian saved Kentucky’s bacon against Chattanooga by making a fourth-quarter interception and returning its 95 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. Senior free safety Yusuf Corker is second on the team in tackles (17) and leads the Cats in pass breakups (five).

▪ South Carolina leads the SEC in interceptions (six) and Gamecocks free safety Jaylan Foster leads the conference in picks (three) as an individual. Sophomore CB Cam Smith is fourth on the team in tackles (12) and first in pass breakups (three).

Advantage: South Carolina

Special teams

▪ Kentucky got a lift last week when walk-on punter Colin Goodfellow stepped in for injured Wilson Berry and averaged 50.5 yards on four kicks. Otherwise, the UK special teams struggled, taking a penalty on a kickoff when Chance Poore booted the ball out of bounds and giving up “hidden” yardage with Wan’Dale Robinson allowing short punts to roll.

▪ Befitting a team coached by the son Virginia Tech icon and special teams maven Frank Beamer, South Carolina has been stellar in the kicking game. Place-kicker Parker White is 5-for-5 on field goals and beat East Carolina, 20-17, with a 39-yard, walk-off field goal. A 63-yard kickoff return by Juju McDowell set up the tying field goal at ECU. Linebacker Debo Williams blocked two Eastern Illinois punts. Punter Kai Kroeger is averaging 41.3 yards on 15 kicks.

Advantage: South Carolina

Prediction

Kentucky 31, South Carolina 26