PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Benny Snell now holds the school record for rushing touchdowns after scoring four times in the 28-7 win over Mississippi State. That gives him a total of 39 in less than three seasons. He is the first Kentucky player to score at least four touchdowns in a game twice. “He came in with an edge and an attitude about him from the very beginning, and he’s been consistent all the way through,” coach Mark Stoops said.
–TE C.J. Conrad is making up for lost time after a foot injury cut short his 2017 season. He has 10 receptions, second to wide receiver Lynn Bowden’s 20 catches, including a key 23-yard reception in Kentucky’s drive for its go-ahead touchdown in the victory over Mississippi State.
–LB Josh Allen is making an early bid for Defensive Player of the Year honors. He had six tackles (two for losses with a sack) and broke up a pass against the Bulldogs and consistently applied pressure on Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald. For the year, he has 25 tackles with three sacks and four quarterback hurries.
–LB Jordan Jones is there to clean up whatever Allen misses (which isn’t much). He had eight tackles and a quarterback hurry against Mississippi State, giving him 24 tackles for the season along with four pass breakups. “This past week was probably, arguably, one of the best games he’s played,” Stoops said. “Not because of tackles or production, because of the discipline that he played with within the defense, and he still showed up to make critical plays when we needed it.”
SERIES HISTORY: South Carolina leads the series with Kentucky 17-11-1, but Kentucky has won the last four meetings. The Wildcats won 23-13 last year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Certainly teams feature or maybe are better in one area than another. South Carolina is a very good football team across the board. They’re very balanced as far as being a good special teams, offense, defense. It does present a challenge.” — Coach Mark Stoops, on Kentucky’s next opponent.