While it normally would be considered an overreaction to call a week two matchup a “must-win,” for Kentucky football in 2024, its week two clash with South Carolina is just that.
The first and potentially most obvious reason for this is that the Gamecocks are one of the few favorable matchups for the Wildcats in a grueling conference schedule.
With one week of play in the books, unfavorable matchups against the likes of No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 14 Tennessee already seem like even taller tasks after those teams dominated in their season openers.
The Bulldogs were the only team to play a ranked opponent when they dominated then No. 14 Clemson 34-3.
The other teams lit up the scoreboard against non-conference opponents as the Longhorns thrashed Colorado State 52-0, the Rebels decimated FCS Furman 76-0 and the Volunteers annihilated FCS Chattanooga 69-3.
While these teams shined in week one, South Carolina did not as the Gamecocks were almost upset by Old Dominion. In fact, it was a Jalon Kilgore interception with 1:29 remaining in the game that saved the Gamecocks from embarrassment.
As kickoff continues to draw near, Kentucky is the favorite according to most betting markets and matchup predictors, but with some much tougher opponents looming, Kentucky needs to take care of business in the matchup.
Looking beyond the record, the game is also a must-win to keep the faith of Big Blue Nation.
With it being so early in the season, the anticipation is at an all time high and, while fans are aware that beating the likes of Georgia is a bit of a stretch, they expect the team to win the games it is supposed to win.
A loss in the game at home could leave a very sour taste in fans’ mouths and leave them looking forward to the tip-off of the men’s basketball season before football even really gets underway.
Lastly, Kentucky needs to avenge back-to-back losses against the Gamecocks in the pair’s last two meetings.
Starting in 2022, with Will Levis out due to injury, South Carolina took advantage of backup quarterback Kaiya Sheron and defeated the Wildcats 24-14.
In what may be a tough memory to look back on from last season, Kentucky also fell short 17-14 despite having several chances to get the game-tying field goal or the potential game-winning touchdown.
These reasons and plenty more will be why head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks will not get a pleasant reception at Kroger Field.
No matter which reason individual fans have as the most important, the bottom line is that the game is a must-win for Kentucky football and anything less would be a complete disaster and could even ruin what has the potential to be a promising season in the Bluegrass.
With numerous storylines heading into the contest, the next chapter of Kentucky football will be written when the Wildcats and Gamecocks take the field on Saturday, Sept. 7, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will also air live on ABC and ESPN+.
