The South Carolina Gamecocks travel to Lexington, Kentucky this weekend to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in what many consider to be the most important game on the schedule for both teams. The Wildcats will pose plenty of challenges to the Gamecocks who will hope to lean on their defense and rushing attack to secure another win after an ugly defeat of the Old Dominion Monarchs last weekend.

Let’s take a look at Carolina’s keys to the game if they are going to claim their second victory of the season.

‍Win the turnover battle to spark the offense

There is nothing more detrimental to a struggling offense than losing the turnover battle. Take the game against ODU, for example. If it weren’t for the four forced turnovers, two of which set the Gamecocks up for quick scores, South Carolina may not have won the game. 

This week, the Gamecocks face a tough Kentucky defense, so not only will ball security be paramount, but forcing turnovers to spark the offense almost feels necessary given how sluggish it was against the Monarchs. 

Forcing Kentucky turnovers begins with their pass rush which was relentless in game one and caused two fumbles. The Gamecocks scored touchdowns following both of these turnovers, which were their only touchdowns of the game. If the Gamecocks, specifically Kennard and Stewart, can bring the same energy with its pass rush and either force fumbles or ill-advised throws to set up their offense for easy points, they might just have a shot against UK.

Of course, the pass rush will be more effective in long and obvious passing situations which begins with stopping the Wildcat rushing offense, leading me to my second key of the game.

‍Win the rushing battle

Even if the defense shows up, does its job, and forces turnovers to spark the offense, Sellers and company will have to generate scoring drives on its own if it wants to take down the Wildcats. Based on how awful the passing attack was last week, the likely source of offensive production for the Gamecocks will have to come from its rushing attack.

Both teams play with a similar style and identity: strong defense and a relentless rushing attack. I think for this game it’s simple: who rushes the ball more effectively?

The Gamecocks’ rushing attack is far more potent than it was a season ago with a complete overhaul at the running back position. Sellers also poses a rushing threat from the quarterback position which allows Loggains and the Carolina offense to get creative in its rushing schemes. That said, a concern all of last season was the offensive line and its ability to push defenses around to create running lanes. While this has improved, it is still the weak link in the rushing attack

Against ODU, the Gamecocks rushed for over one-hundred and seventy yards with most of their success coming from attacking the middle of the ODU d-line. On Saturday, however, Kentucky will have someone ODU didn’t, DT Deone Walker. He is a man among boys at well over three-hundred pounds and anchors the middle of their defensive line. How USC decides to block and scheme against him will be crucial for their success running the ball.

I have confidence in South Carolina’s rush defense which should be able to rotate their linemen frequently to keep them fresh. However, Kentucky has capable receivers, so the entire defense needs to be ready to play, but stopping the core of the UK offensive attack will go a long way in increasing their chances of winning.

I worry more about Carolina’s ability to attack the Kentucky rush defense given their lack of consistent push against ODU and the strength and athleticism of the Wildcats. I do believe, however, that there is far more in the arsenal in terms of play calling that should help to boost the run game on Saturday. I anticipate Loggains will dial up some RPO plays and play action to let the passing attack feed off the run to open up the offense. Can the Gamecocks assert the running game effectively to invigorate the passing attack while simultaneously slowing the Kentucky rushing attack?

‍Avoid giving up big play on defense

I feel the two teams are fairly similar in their identity with defense and rushing offense at the core of who they are. Kentucky does have a more capable passing offense, however, with several viable receiving options. If the Wildcats can have enough of a rushing attack, I do expect them to take some shots through the air to prevent the Gamecocks from loading the box.

Not letting the Wildcats connect on these big plays is essential if Carolina wants to keep this a low scoring, slow paced game. If Kentucky is able to land several big plays through the air for quick scores, this game may get away from USC and their one-dimensional offense.

‍Get off to a quick start

Lastly, I think it is vital that South Carolina gets off to a quick start. Going on the road with a freshman quarterback is tough in and of itself, but falling behind against a team like Kentucky that wants to slow the game with its defense and rushing attack will put a massive strain on an already limited offense.

In this scenario, the Gamecocks may be forced to put the ball in the air more than they’d like, and, honestly, the passing game isn’t yet ready to lead them to victory. Striking first will help them stay true to their identity. I don’t think that Lexington, Kentucky can be considered a hostile environment, but going on the road is going on the road, and taking the crowd out early will help the Gamecocks settle in and play their best ball. 

The good thing about playing Kentucky is that you know what you’re going to get. The Gamecocks will face a team that is equipped to run the football and stop the run. Carolina will look to do the same, but how they attack the Kentucky defense, specifically Deone Walker, will determine how successful they are rushing the ball on Saturday. 

Can they get enough of a push upfront to open lanes for the running backs? If not, do they have ways to attack the edges and inject more creativity into their attack to win the rushing battle against UK?

Can they continue to sustain a relentless pass rush and disrupt the Kentucky offense by forcing turnovers? Can they prevent Kentucky from hitting big plays through the air and speeding the game up? Can the Gamecocks get off to a quick start on the road?

These are the keys to the game, and if the Gamecocks get favorable answers, they have a good shot at coming out on top.