The Kentucky Wildcats have been a thorn in the side of the South Carolina Gamecocks in past years. Kentucky beat one of Steve Spurrier’s better Gamecock teams and affected the SEC East race.
By Matt Zemek
Kentucky foiled the Gamecocks last year, though that game was overshadowed by the injury to Deebo Samuel. Now, though, the South Carolina-Kentucky game means something more than what it used to: With Kentucky mowing down both Florida and Mississippi State, the Wildcats could very realistically claim second place in the SEC East and get a January bowl bid. Beating South Carolina will quite possibly enable Big Blue to achieve that goal.
This game is probably for second place in the SEC East. That’s very big. It is rare when Cocks-versus-Cats is such a large game on both sides. Welcome to 2018.
Let’s get into the game keys:
1 – STRENGTH OF INTELLIGENCE
The Gamecocks made it a point to play very physical football against Vanderbilt, and they did indeed overwhelm the Commodores as last Saturday’s game went on. However, Vanderbilt is not Kentucky.
This obviously does not mean that prioritizing physical line play should not enter into South Carolina’s plan against the Wildcats, but it does mean that not all opponents are exactly alike, and therefore merit a game plan with unique components that give a team a best chance of winning. Strength is definitely a physical thing, but it is also an intellectual matter, something which isn’t necessarily tangible.
Maybe South Carolina can win this game by bludgeoning Kentucky up front. It would be great if the Gamecocks could do exactly that. However, I am skeptical of the visitors’ ability to do that in Lexington. The simple game plan against Vanderbilt with its emphasis on physical superiority was more than sufficient for the opponent at hand. It was therefore a good plan. Moreover, the simple plan against Vanderbilt might also have been a way for Will Muschamp and his staff to suggest to Mark Stoops and Kentucky that South Carolina WILL emphasize running the ball in this game. If Kentucky does expect the run, South Carolina will be in a position to emphasize the pass and catch Kentucky off balance. If that is the case, credit Muschamp for being a deft chess player.
All in all, the game plan on offense shouldn’t be simple. It will need to be nuanced to handle a Kentucky line which mauled Mississippi State’s offensive front. That is a centerpiece of Saturday’s contest.
2 – DEEBO TIME
The start of the 2017 season displayed Deebo Samuel at his best. In this game, when South Carolina has the ball, Deebo needs to be the best player on the field. I am referring to “best player on the field” not necessarily in connection to the full game, but to the collection of 22 players – 11 on the South Carolina offense, 11 on the Kentucky defense. Deebo has to be the best out of those 22 players, with the possible exception of Jake Bentley. The plan and the performance must magnify Deebo, who didn’t get to play four quarters versus Kentucky last year.
3 – NO DEFENSIVE BUSTS
Make Kentucky go 80 yards on 10 plays. No cheap points. South Carolina can then be in great shape.
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