Almost everybody picked South Carolina to beat Kentucky tonight, and in retrospect, that’s the best thing that could have happened. Fueled by “disrespect,” the Cats responded, beating the Gamecocks for the fourth straight year, 23-13. After a horrendous start, the defense stood tall and, as always, Stephen Johnson remained steady. It was a huge, huge win.
There’s a lot to go over with this game, but here are my five immediate reactions.
What a performance by the defense
Admit it, when Deebo Samuel scored 13 seconds into the game, you were worried. When Skai Moore intercepted Stephen Johnson’s pass on the next series, you panicked.