Oct 8, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer and Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops shake hands after a game at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

ESPN picks the winner between Mark Stoops's Kentucky Wildcats and South Carolina

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 11:35 AM ET

The Kentucky football team is rested after its bye week and is getting ready to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia. Mark Stoops and Shane Beamer have created a small rivalry between these teams, and Big Blue Nation really wants to see the Wildcats pull off the win.

Last season, South Carolina came into Kroger Field and dominated the Wildcats 31-6 in a game where the Kentucky passing game accounted for 44 total yards and two interceptions.

If the Wildcats had won this game, there was a good shot that the Georgia game would have been College GameDay, but the Wildcats weren't able to get the win.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This truly was a demoralizing loss for Kentucky and was extremely frustrating for Big Blue Nation.

Heading into this season, Big Blue Nation didn't have a high expectation of winning this game, knowing the Gamecocks were projected to be one of the best teams in the nation, but it hasn't been a great start to the season for Beamer's team.

South Carolina has lost to Vanderbilt and Missouri, and their quarterback, Lanorris Sellers, has not lived up to the hype. The schedule is not going to ease up for the Gamecocks, so this game is a must-win for Beamer's squad.

Let's take a look at Kentucky's chances of winning this game according to ESPN.

ESPN predicts the winner between Kentucky and South Carolina

ESPN does not believe Kentucky is going to get the win, giving the Wildcats a 42.2% chance to win. For a road game this percentage chance is higher than many would have expected.

Cutter Boley is set to start for the Wildcats, and he was excellent in his first start. The young gunslinger has Big Blue Nation excited once again, and if he can go on the road and beat the Gamecocks, this excitement will grow.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina is one of Kentucky's permanent opponents for the next four years, so it would be great to get this era kicked off with a big win in Columbia. It is clear that there isn't a lot of love lost between these two football teams, and it would bring Stoops and his staff a lot of joy to pick up this road win.

Kentucky's defense is going to be able to get stops, so this game will be decided by whether or not Boley and the offense are able to score some points. This should be a fun football game, and Kentucky will look to pull off the upset.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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