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

How the Kentucky Wildcats (6-4, 3-4 SEC) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (4-6, 2-5 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

▪ Kentucky’s Devin Leary (2,063 passing yards, 57.1 completion percentage, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions) completed 17 of 31 passes for 158 yards with a TD and a pick last week in UK’s 49-21 loss to Alabama. The 6-foot-1, 217-pound super-senior from Sicklerville, New Jersey, was sacked three times by the Crimson Tide pass rush and was under duress in the pocket many other times. Over the past three games combined, Leary, a graduate transfer from North Carolina State, has thrown five touchdown passes vs. one interception.

▪ South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (2,867 passing yards, 70.6 percent completions, 17 TDs vs. seven picks) has been especially adept in games played at Williams-Brice Stadium. In home games this season, the 6-1, 217-pound redshirt senior has completed 80.1 percent of his throws, averaged 339.2 passing yards a game and thrown 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Last season, when South Carolina upset then-No. 13 Kentucky 24-14 in Lexington, Rattler, a transfer from Oklahoma, completed 14 of 19 passes for 177 yards with one TD and one interception.

Advantage: South Carolina.

Running backs

▪ Kentucky star Ray Davis (929 yards rushing, 11 TDs, 5.8 yards per carry; 24 catches, 259 yards, five TDs) has found the going tougher in recent weeks as opposing defenses have emphasized stopping the UK rushing attack. Over the past three games, the 5-10, 216-pound San Francisco product has rushed for only 148 yards combined. Last year, while playing for Vanderbilt, Davis had a big game vs. South Carolina, running for 167 yards on 20 carries and a catching a 5-yard touchdown pass in a 38-27 Commodores loss. Super-senior Ramon Jefferson ripped off a 74-yard run last week vs. Alabama.

▪ A transfer from NCAA Division II Newberry College, Mario Anderson (645 rushing yards, three touchdowns, 5.5 yards per carry; 16 catches, 129 yards, one TD) has emerged as the Gamecocks’ top runner. In last week’s 47-6 strafing of Vanderbilt, the 5-9, 208-pound redshirt senior ran for 102 yards on nine carries. Anderson had a 75-yard scoring run vs. Tennessee and a 72-yard jaunt against Vandy. After originally starting his college career as a quarterback and then shifting to wide receiver, Dakereon Joyner started this season’s first four games at running back. The 6-1, 229-pound super-senior has rushed for 115 yards and five touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 117 yards. However, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer says Joyner is “very doubtful” to play vs. UK due to an ankle injury.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Wide receivers

▪ Kentucky sophomore Dane Key (32 catches, team highs of 477 receiving yards, four TDs) continued his late-season rise with four catches for 46 yards vs. Alabama. Over UK’s past three games, the 6-3, 195-pound product of Frederick Douglass has caught 15 passes. Super-senior slot receiver Tayvion Robinson (33 catches, 472 yards, team-high four TDs) had a 27-yard reception vs. South Carolina last season. Sophomore Barion Brown (team-high 34 catches, 361 yards, two TDs) had a rough go last week vs. Alabama, catching two passes for 3 yards and losing a fumble that the Crimson Tide converted into a short-field touchdown.

▪ South Carolina super-senior Xavier Legette is producing an All-SEC caliber season. The 6-3, 227-pound product of Mullins, South Carolina, has caught 59 passes for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns and is averaging 109.3 receiving yards a game. True freshman Nyck Harbor landed the No. 1 spot on college football writer Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” for his combination of size (6-5, 243 pounds) and speed (10.22 seconds 100 meters). Harbor (11 catches, 177 yards, one TD) is coming on late in his freshman season, as he has made nine catches for 125 combined yards in the prior three games in which he has played.

Advantage: South Carolina.

Tight ends

▪ Kentucky tight ends had a substantial impact on the UK offense in the Alabama loss. Sophomore Josh Kattus (eight catches, 108 yards, two TDs) caught two passes vs. the Crimson Tide for 38 yards. Super-senior Brenden Bates (three catches, 79 yards) had a 33-yard reception vs. Bama. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Dingle, with 11 catches for 198 yards, continues to lead UK tight ends in receptions and receiving yards.

▪ South Carolina expects to get Trey Knox back this week after he missed the prior two games with a hamstring injury. When healthy, the graduate transfer from Arkansas has been a central part of the Gamecocks offense, catching 32 passes for 277 yards and two TDs. With Knox sidelined the past two games, former Western Kentucky standout Joshua Simon has caught 13 passes for 129 yards. For the year, Simon, another grad transfer, has 25 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

Advantage: South Carolina.

Offensive line

▪ Kentucky surrendered nine tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries and three sacks in the loss to Alabama. UK coach Mark Stoops has, in recent weeks, implored the interior of the Wildcats offensive line — center Eli Cox and guards Kenneth Horsey and Jager Burton — to raise their level of play.

▪ Out of 130 FBS football programs, South Carolina is tied for 120th in sacks allowed with 37. Starting left guard Trai Jones is expected to miss Saturday’s game due to a high ankle sprain. Yale transfer Nick Gargiulo has claimed the center position, while true freshman Tree Babalade, a 6-5, 338-pound product of Hyattsville, Maryland, is starting at left tackle.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Defensive line

▪ Kentucky star sophomore defensive tackle Deone Walker, the 6-6, 348-pound Detroit product, continued his All-SEC-caliber season with five tackles, a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hurry vs. Alabama. Walker has 35 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8.5 TFL, six QB hurries and two pass breakups on the season. Junior end Tre’vonn Rybka, a 6-4, 278-pound product of Dickson, Tennessee, also played well against the Crimson Tide with five tackles.

▪ South Carolina redshirt sophomore tackle T.J. Sanders leads the Gamecocks in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (8.5) and is second in quarterback hurries (four). Redshirt junior tackle Alex Huntley is also active with two sacks and four TFL.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Linebackers

▪ Kentucky’s starting linebackers had quiet days, statistically, in the loss to Alabama. MLB D’Eryk Jackson and WLB Trevin Wallace were each credited with three tackles vs. the Crimson Tide, while OLB/rush end J.J. Weaver had two stops. For the season, Jackson leads UK in tackles (61), Wallace is tied for the lead in sacks (4.5) and Weaver is third in both sacks (four) and TFL (5.5).

▪ South Carolina WLB Debo Williams is third in the Southeastern Conference in tackles with 94 stops. The 6-1, 232-pound redshirt junior from Smyrna, Delaware, also has eight TFL and three QB hurries. MLB Stone Blanton, a 6-2, 232-pound sophomore from Jackson, Mississippi, returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown to clinch the Gamecocks’ 38-28 victory over Jacksonville State two games ago.

Advantage: Even.

Defensive backs

▪ Kentucky freshman free safety Ty Bryant, the Frederick Douglass product, has made 28 tackles in three games since being pressed into starting duty due to injury. Redshirt sophomore safety Jordan Lovett picked off Alabama’s Jalen Milroe last week. Veteran safety Jalen Geiger, a Columbia, South Carolina, native, returns to his hometown Saturday night. Two seasons ago, when UK won 16-10 at South Carolina, Geiger made two stops and had a TFL.

▪ South Carolina is last in the SEC in pass defense, surrendering 268.4 yards a game. Redshirt senior cornerback Marcellas Dial is the best player in the Gamecocks’ secondary. He has broken up nine passes, made 32 tackles and recorded a sack.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Special teams

▪ Kentucky place-kicker Alex Raynor, a Georgia Southern transfer, has had a strong year, albeit one where he has not gotten abundant opportunities to kick. Raynor is 9-of-10 on field-goal attempts with a long of 50 yards. Punter Wilson Berry (39.5 yards a kick average) has had a difficult second half of the season. For the year, the Australian is averaging 39.8 yards on 41 kicks and has pinned foes inside their 20-yard line 10 times.

▪ South Carolina place-kicker Mitch Jeter is 11-of-13 on field-goal tries with a long of 51 yards. Punter Kai Kroeger is averaging 43.2 yards on 46 kicks and has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 16 times. Continuing in the family tradition established by his father, former Virginia Tech head man Frank Beamer, Shane Beamer’s special teams specialize in blocking kicks. The Gamecocks have blocked four this season, two place-kicks and two punts. Last season in Lexington, South Carolina blocked a Kentucky punt.

Advantage: South Carolina.

Prediction

South Carolina 31, Kentucky 27.

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