By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky’s recent struggles in the Southeastern Conference continued on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) dropped their seventh straight conference encounter with a 35-13 loss at South Carolina. Kentucky has lost four in a row to the Gamecocks and 14 of its past conference games.
Kentucky scored on its first two possessions and led 10-7 after the first quarter as the Wildcats racked up 141 yards on its first two drives. Despite the fast start, Kentucky fell apart in the second quarter and didn’t recover.
The breakdown began with a fumble returned for a touchdown, followed by an interception that was returned for a score, a turnover on downs and another interception. The four miscues resulted in 21 points for the hosts in the second quarter. The Gamecocks led 28-10 at the break.
“A tough loss,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “I really appreciate our players and the work that they put in. They did a lot of good things in that game, and got off to the start that we wanted, but just couldn’t sustain. Giving up a punt block, or a punt return, or a defensive score, obviously, that’s a critical momentum shift.”
Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley made his second start of the season and completed three of his first five passes, including an impressive 53-yard pass to Willie Rodriguez in the first half. Boley, threw for 124 yards and a couple of interceptions. Boley was sacked six times for a loss of 39 yards.
“We’re a better football team, and Cutter is a very good quarterback with a very bright future ahead,” Stoops said. “When you start on the road, for the first time in the SEC, you’re going to go through some lumps. We have to be good enough around him and as a team to overcome that, and we weren’t tonight.”
Boley started in place of starter Zach Calzada, who sat out the second straight game because of an injured shoulder. Boley started in a 48-23 win over Eastern Michigan on Sept. 13.
Running back Seth McGowan, finished with 112 yards rushing on 17 carries and scored Kentucky’s first touchdown of the game with a 20-yard run that capped an impressive drive to open the contest. McGowan rushed for 54 yards on five carries on the first drive.
“I think that was a pretty good display of the potential that this offense holds,” McGowan said. “I think everyone came out fired up, and we just didn’t maintain that momentum. Ultimately, I believe that’s what killed us.”
Kentucky’s offensive line struggled to contain South Carolina’s pass rush and surrendered 10 sacks for a loss of 52 yards.
South Carolina signal caller Lanorris Sellars did it all for the Gamecocks. Sellars threw for 152 yards and added 81 yards rushing. Receiver Vandrevius Jacobs hauled in five passes for 108 yards.
“We looked like how I want this team to be, and we’re a young team that continues to get better,” South Carolina coaxh Shane Beamer said. “We were out two guys that started the game on the offensive line. Last week, did not play at all. Tonight, we had three true freshman that started on offense. We’re a team that just continues to get better as the season goes, with all the youth that we have, we’re a team that continues to get healthier.”
GAMETRACKER: Kentucky at Georgia, noon, Saturday. TV.Radio: ABC or ESPN.