It's already cliched, but this game was really two games in one.  There was the first half that was an example of Murphy's Law for the Gamecocks, and then there was the second half which was what should have happened for 60 minutes.  What that tells us about this team and what it means for the rest of the season depends on your perspective.

If you are negatively inclined, though you may call it realistically inclined, you may see the first half as a warning for how bad USC can play.  Will a half like that show up against Georgia? or Tennessee? or Clemson?  Could a clearly inferior team be given another golden opportunity to ruin South Carolina's season?  Those thoughts won't leave the minds of many Gamecock fans.

No. 6 South Carolina scored 31 straight points in route to a 38-17 victory against Kentucky. It was not the best showing for the Gamecocks but it counts as a 'W' in the win column. Getting past this game was also a important step in getting ESPN GameDay to come to Columbia to set up for a epic battle against Georgia. So what did we learn from this win, well....

1. Clowney and Taylor are the best defensive tandem in college football....I know most will agree as this has been said before but really in truly those two are pure domination. Devin Taylor was credited with 1.5 sacks and three tackles. Jadeveon Clowney had one sack, 2.5 TFLs and 4 overall tackles. Both caused more havoc that could be recorded. USC is blessed to have these boys.

2. Lattimore is 100%...Each game he gets stronger and in this past game, especially in the second half, he was stellar. The cuts he was making and hard-nosed runs eludes who to think he is fine from a health standpoint.

3. USC has to play complete football...Just because the USC uniform is garnet and black and the Gamecocks are a top ten team, no opposing football squad is going to rollover. South Carolina has to perform from the very first whistle and keep the focus.

4. Akeem Auguste just may be ready to contribute....Auguste had four tackles, which may not raise your eye brows but having him back is a big plus. Especially with the heart of the schedule upcoming, the Gamecocks need his talent as it provides depth in the secondary. He looked good and hopefully he can stay healthy.

5. Tyler Hull needs to improve...One may not think about the punter until he screws up, well in this game Hull did not do that but he does need to improve. He had two punts for a 37 yard average. Need to increase that average and get around 42-45 on average as having a strong punter is a asset, especially when you are on the hunt for a BCS berth.

So there you have it.....what did you learn?

The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Kentucky Wildcats last night. Here are the highlights:

ESPN College GameDay is set to come back to the University of South Carolina. Be on the look out for Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and the rest of the ESPN crew as they will be setting up shop on The Horseshoe as they feature the USC vs. UGa game.

The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0) and Gamecocks (5-0, 3-0) will likely produce a exciting game on-the-field. Now it is up to us, the fans, to make sure the crowd is just as intense and ready. Let's get those signs ready, paint the faces, and get ready to be loud. Let's show that SEC football fans are like none other and make Columbia shake just a little as we cheer on USC to a epic win.

According to USC Sports - "This will mark the sixth time that ESPN's College GameDay will visit the South Carolina campus. The first visit came in November of 2001 for the USC-Florida game. They were on hand again in September of 2004 for the Carolina-Georgia contest. They returned for the first game of the Steve Spurrier Era when the Gamecocks hosted Central Florida on Aug. 31, 2005. They came back in October of 2006 when Carolina hosted Tennessee. Most recently, they were on hand when South Carolina upset No. 1 Alabama in October of 2010. In addition, ESPNU's "Road Trip" show will be in Columbia and highlight the Carolina campus and Top-10 matchup next week."

Related -> The Big Spur Talking about Game Day 

The No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0, 2-0 SEC) travel north to clash with the Kentucky Wildcats (1-3, 0-1 SEC). This SEC football game will kickoff on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). The big question is not IF the Gamecocks will win but by how much. South Carolina enters as a 21 point favorite. For USC to achieve a big win by big numbers, the Gamecocks must respect these five UK football players: 

1. Maxwell Smith. The sophomore threw for 966 yards and eight TDs in three games but missed last week's shutout loss in Gainesville with a bruised joint in his throwing shoulder. He'll be playing most likely in this contest. USC will need to keep him in check. But with the USC front seven....I should not be worried.

2. Alvin “Bud” Dupree. The sophomore linebacker has made at least one big play in eight straight games. Against Florida, Dupree had eight tackles including a sack. He leads the Wildcats with five tackles for loss. USC's Connor Shaw needs to know where he is on the field before he says "hike."

3. Raymond Sanders. This back is averaging 7.7 yards per carry with a touchdown. Out of the UK running back, I feel he is one that USC must show respect to as he can be elusive.

4. La’Rod King. He has 26 catches and two touchdowns to lead all Kentucky receivers. The Cocks need to blanket him. 

5. Avery Williamson. This linebacker loves to be around the ball as he has 41 tackles and an interception. USC must keep a block on him and respect his coverage skills.

There you have it. Watch for these five about for UK but do trust USC to have the right gameplan in hand. Go Cocks!

If you did not have a chance to listen to "Carolina Calls" last night, here is the audio of Spurrier's giving his statement on Ron Morris article's in The State Newspaper ....



Whether or not you agree with Steve Spurrier and his decision to speak out about his frustrations with the local media, it has made for an interesting news story and we covered in our Gamecocks Podcast - HERE.

I guess we will have to wait and see what Ron Morris's next move is and if The State Newspaper fixes this problem because we need to make sure Spurrier stays happy at USC.  




 

University of Kentucky

Location: Lexington, KY

Student Body: 28,094 ( 19,292 undergrad)

Stadium: Commonwealth Stadium, capacity- 67,606

Head Coach: Joker Phillips 3rd season as Head Coach, 12-17 overall record

Overall Record Vs. USC: USC leads the series 15-7-1

Last meeting: USC won 54-3 in Columbia

UK's 2012 record: 1-3overall, 0-1 SEC, losing last week to Florida 38-0



Read more below to find out what might happen this Saturday in Lexington, KY......

For those who missed it, yesterday LJ went on WACH Fox's morning show, Good Day Columbia, to talk Kentucky with host Tyler Ryan and A Sea of Blue's Glenn Logan. Here's the video, and thank you to Glenn for coming on the show.

Posted with Blogsy

The South Carolina Gamecocks will square off against the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend. Here are both Steve Spurrier and Joker Phillips on the record...take a listen to what they say about the game:

First up, Spurrier...

Here is the head man for Kentucky...

Today, we look at two more SEC coaches on the hot seat. Hopefully by now you have read our part one analysis that can be found here.

The coaches on the hot seat, as we see it, are:  

Derek Dooley. Dooley is in his third year and had notched exactly four SEC wins. The Vols looked  good against NC State and Georgia Southern before the wheels fell off against Florida mid-way through the 3rd quarter. A game the Vols were set to break wide open following a failed Gator fake punt, turned on a Tyler Bray grounding call and an 80 yard Trey Burton touchdown. The Vols didn't get off the mat. Bray clearly lost his composure and the Vols watched a 7 point lead evaporate into a 17 point loss. Tennessee gets some breathing room against Akron before taking on Mississippi State, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. Dooleys fate will be known by the end of October. The question for Vol fans is who can Tennessee get? Gruden is a pipe dream. Dooley was pretty far down on the list last year and inherited a huge mess. Bray and wide receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson may leave early for NFL fortunes, making the job a lot less attractive. Short of Tennessee quitting, the best option for Tennessee may be to ride out the storm one more year.

Gene Chizik.  So, how much is a BCS title worth as far as job security goes? If Auburn fails to make a bowl, we might find out. Chizik, an unpopular hire in 2009, somehow signed Cam Newton in 2010 and the rest is SEC history. Newton had perhaps the finest single season in SEC history leading Auburn to a BCS title. However, that one miracle season was book ended by 8-5 campaigns, and Chizik's highly rated classes keep hemorrhaging players. Some say, how much did Chizik have to do with the title? If Dan Mullen landed Newton (as many thought) could he have led the Bulldogs to similar success? This humble scribe thinks that two new coordinators will buy Chizik at least another year, but if things get ugly on the Plains, Auburn may be forced to make a move.

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Bryant Roberts is a life long SEC fan, has 2 autographed pictures of Steve Spurrier, is addicted to BBQ, and a graduate of Presbyterian College.  Follow him on twitter here.