First look at South Carolina vs. Kentucky: early betting line, top storylines, TV info

South Carolina football opened the season with a call that was too close for comfort, and now things ratchet up.

Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks hit the road for their SEC opener against Kentucky, a solid program year in and year out. Here’s a first look at the game.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. KENTUCKY GAME, TV INFO

Who: South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. UK (1-0, 0-0 SEC)

Where: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

TV: ABC

VEGAS ODDS: SOUTH CAROLINA VS. UK POINT SPREAD

The Gamecocks are 9-point underdogs against the Wildcats, according to DraftKings.

LAST MEETING, TRENDS

South Carolina upset Kentucky 17-14 late last season in Columbia. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 20-14 and have won three of the past five after snapping a five-game losing streak.

State of the South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks flat out struggled against Old Dominion to start the season, trailing a Sun Belt team in the fourth quarter. Now they’ll play a pivotal game in the season.

With another brutal schedule, this game against the Wildcats projects as one of the more winnable ones for South Carolina. Kentucky is a good team, but it’s likely shorter on high-end talent than about half of the teams on South Carolina’s schedule. The game is on the road in a house of horrors for USC historically, but most of the team’s best paths to a bowl involve a win this weekend.

The Gamecocks’ offense was run-heavy but uneven when breaking in a new quarterback and running back. The question is, how that will continue not only against SEC competition, but also against a usually sturdy defense?

State of the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky showed well enough in their season opener, starting slow but smothering Southern Miss before weather ended the game early. .

UK is still breaking in some new pieces, headlined by former five-star quarterback and Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff. They’re also waiting on the health of tailback Chip Trayanum, an Ohio State transfer who missed the opener and might not play against USC.

If the Wildcats can win the majority of their toss-up games, they should be in good shape for another winning season. The top of the schedule includes four long-shot games, so their fate likely rests on being able to edge teams like the Gamecocks.

Players to watch

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers: The first-year starter struggled through the air but did run 22 times. Now he’ll be challenged to stand tall and lead the Gamecocks’ offense in a hostile SEC environment for the first time.

South Carolina RB Rocket Sanders: The Arkansas transfer and former All-SEC back flashed in his first outing in garnet and black, putting up 88 yards on 24 carries against Old Dominion. This week, he’ll have to contend with a tough UK defense and help take pressure off a young quarterback.

South Carolina S Jalon Kilgore: The Gamecocks’ starting nickel can play all over, and he might be tasked more physically than usual in this game. The Wildcats have a run-heavy identity, which may force him to be sturdy in the box. But they’ve also got a few speedy receivers who could test him when they slide into the slot.

UK QB Brock Vandagriff: The longtime understudy at UGA is finally getting his chance to play. After putting up 169 passing yards and 35 more on the ground in a shortened game, he’ll be getting his first SEC start.

UK DL Deone Walker: A 6-foot-6, 344-pound junior, Walker is a game wrecker and put up 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss last season. He’s unbelievably quick for a man his size and likely would already be a high NFL Draft pick were he not too young.