Three reasons #24 Kentucky will lose to South Carolina in Columbia

South Carolina is a team that Mark Stoops struggled with over the last few years, but luckily for Kentucky fans, a new head coach will lead this team into Columbia on Saturday. Will Stein and the Wildcats are set to take on the Gamecocks in a game with huge implications for the rest of the season.

Knowing the hype that would come from a win on Saturday with a big matchup against LSU on October 10th, BBN is really hopeful that Stein will be able to go on the road and win this game.

I already wrote about three reasons the Kentucky Wildcats will beat the Gamecocks, but now it is time to look at the flip side of this argument. Let's take a look at three reasons why Kentucky will lose to South Carolina.

Three reasons #24 Kentucky will lose to South Carolina

Kentucky loses the turnover battle

In the upset win over Texas A&M, the Wildcats won the turnover battle, and the offense didn't turn it over a single time. Quarterback Kenny Minchey has proven to be a good decision maker early into the season, and hopefully this will carry over to Saturday. If Kentucky takes care of the football, they have a good shot to win, but if they turn it over, Shane Beamer could get a huge win.

South Carolina has a good day running the football

Sep 26, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Keon Sabb (3) pursues South Carolina Gamecocks running back Matt Fuller (28) down the sideline during the first quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Four games into the season, South Carolina has already run for 1,048 yards. The team is running for 6.6 yards per carry, and this includes the Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who is a dynamic runner. Kentucky has done a good job stopping the run so far this season, but this is a very good rushing attack from the Gamecocks. If Beamer's team runs the ball well, this will be a hard game for the Wildcats to win.

The Wildcats come out flat

Sep 26, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein looks on during the third quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kentucky came out firing against Alabama, but then against Texas A&M and South Alabama they came out a bit flat. Stein's team did win both of these games, which is great, but fans would love to see this team start hot early. The fan base in Columbia is frustrated right now, and a loss to Kentucky at home would be deflating. Stein and the Wildcats need to punch the Gamecocks in the mouth early. If they do this, it will take all of the juice out of the stadium.

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