Final: South Carolina holds on for SEC football win over Kentucky

South Carolina battles SEC foe Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with the Gamecocks needing a win to keep their bowl hopes alive. Here’s the latest from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

Final score

South Carolina defeats Kentucky, 17-14, to improve to 5-6 (3-5 SEC). Kentucky drops to 6-5 (3-5 SEC). The Gamecocks host Clemson to determine if they’ll reach a bowl game.

USC finished with 257 yards of total offense. Kentucky had 296 yards of total offense.

Q4: South Carolina 17, Kentucky 14

Legette scores a 17-yard touchdown with 7:44 to play to give South Carolina the lead back. The extra point is good, and the drive lasted nine plays over 74 yards.

End of the third quarter

Kentucky leads 14-10 at the end of the third quarter. Rattler is 13-for-20 with 180 yards and one touchdown. Leary is 11-for-20 with 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

South Carolina ends the third quarter with Rattler taking a sack to force the Gamecocks out of field goal range.

Q3: Kentucky 14, South Carolina 10

Kentucky running back scores a 31-yard rushing touchdown to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game. The extra point is good, and the drive lasted nine plays over 92 yards.

Halftime

South Carolina leads Kentucky 10-7 at halftime. Rattler is 11-for-14 with 97 yards and one touchdown. Leary is 7-for-15 with 85 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Gamecocks defense forced two turnovers in the second quarter, but allowed 125 of total offense.

Q2: South Carolina 10, Kentucky 7

Leary finds wide receiver Barion Brown for a 7-yard touchdown. The extra point is good, the drive lasted 12 plays over 75 yards.

End of the first quarter

South Carolina leads 10-0. Spencer Rattler is 8-for-10 with 77 yards and one touchdown. Kentucky’s Devin Leary is 0-for-3 with zero yards. The Gamecocks defense has allowed seven yards in the opening frame.

Q1: South Carolina 10, Kentucky 0

Mitch Jeter kicks a 23-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Gamecocks’ drive lasted 12 plays over 51 yards in six and a half minutes.

Q1: South Carolina 7, Kentucky 0

Xavier Legette scores a 13-yard touchdown on South Carolina’s opening drive, his sixth receiving touchdown of the season. The extra point is good, and the drive lasted 11 plays over 69 yards for over five minutes of playing time.

O’Donnell Fortune out against Kentucky

O’Donnell Fortune will not play against the Wildcats, after not being mentioned in this week’s injury report. Fortune has played in all 10 games, started in nine.

Per the pregame show, Fortune was “suspended for violations of team rules.” He missed the first half against Texas A&M on Oct. 28 for a “violation of an athletic department policy.”

Freshman defensive back Judge Collier will make his second career start against the Wildcats in place of Fortune, and has played all 10 games this season. Collier has seven solo tackles this season.

Uniform combo: All black

The Gamecocks will wear all black tonight for the first time in the 2023 season. USC also work all black against Kentucky during the 2017 season.

Darude peforms ‘Sandstorm’ before USC-UK game

Darude, the creator of “Sandstorm,” played a concert ahead of South Carolina’s football game Saturday night against Kentucky. Set up at Gamecock Park, he played a remix of that popular hit.

Final point spread

South Carolina is a 2.5-point favorite after being an underdog for most of the week.

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USC vs. UK football game info

Who: South Carolina (4-6, 2-5 SEC) vs. Kentucky (6-4, 3-4)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

TV: SEC Network

Stream: ESPN.com and the ESPN app