** Kentucky's game plan was clear on the first drive of the game. They were run heavy and got one first down but on third down everything was covered up and Vandagriff had nowhere to go with the ball. They got Gavin Wimsatt in for a run play that didn't go for much on second down.
** UK almost brought Sellers down for a sack backed up in their own territory after a penalty but he broke his arm free and threw it away in the middle of the field on a dangerous play.
** Special teams got off to a rockier start this week. Last week they were perfect. In the first quarter to start things off Berry had a short punt into the wind, Barion got dropped before the 20 on a kickoff return, and Maclin muffed a punt.
** UK kept up the outside runs by Barion and had a seven yard loss on their second possession of the game. They aren't getting much out of that. At some point they'll hit a huge play out of it but it's not being blocked especially well and he's not elusive. That was a play where Vandagriff should have kept the ball and run it himself.
** The safeties miscommunicated on the first quarter touchdown pass by Sellers when a receiver was left wide open. Safety play is under the microscope.
** Jason Patterson appeared to fumble on his first carry but he didn't, the ball came out when his arm hit the ground.
** Dane Key had one of the best plays by a Kentucky receiver in recent memory with his over the shoulder grab on that drive after the USC touchdown.
** But on the very next play Anthony Brown-Stephens gets lit up on a block and a screen is taken down in the backfield. On the next play Vandagriff was sacked. Jager Burton was beat on an inside rush. The offensive line gave up a sack and Vandagriff was fortunate to get back a fumble. The blocking really broke down everywhere on the field that drive.
** Berry's second punt was a nice one, 47 yards to place USC back inside their 10 yard line when they had all the momentum.
** Sellers appeared to make a great play climbing the pocket to avoid pressure from Deone Walker and other defenders to make a big third down conversion but there was a holding call.
** Kentucky got the ball with great field position on its last drive of the first quarter but more negative yardage plays ensue: Vandagriff has to run out of the pocket and throw it out of bounds on one play, things break down and he's tackled for loss, and also flagged for intentional grounding. Towards the end of the first quarter the blocking absolutely spiraled.
** USC freshman Dylan Stewart had a tremendous play to end a UK drive. On third and long he took on three guys and still chased Vandagriff down to force a throwaway.
** The decision to go for it on 4th and 1 in your own territory will certainly be second guessed. UK had run the ball pretty well to that point but got no push on a QB sneak. South Carolina ends up getting a field goal making it a two possession game out of it.
** Kentucky ran the ball all the way down the field on the next possession down 10-0 but runs an unimaginative play on 3rd and 4. They have to settle for a field goal. Kentucky showed its game plan early, run heavy, but got away from it when it was working and wasted a couple of drives.
** To that point in the game, under two minutes before the half, South Carolina has only run 18 plays but they're averaging 6.1 yards per play. Kentucky has run 33 plays but is only averaging 3.5.
** It's surprising that Beamer had Sellers throwing the ball downfield on back to back plays in the first half. It was on their side of the field up by a touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the half. The interception followed Weaver forcing a fumble that USC recovered.
** Vandagriff was inaccurate on a third down slant attempt and the Cats had to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Raynor, his second of the game. To that point in the game Kentucky had run the ball almost 20 times in a row.
** In the big picture, the concern at halftime: South Carolina is one of the league's worst programs, currently, so it's not a good sign that you've lost to them two times in a row but to be losing at home when USC only has four first downs at halftime?
** Talk about bad luck: Hairston forced a fumble on a corner blitz but South Carolina recovered it and was able to run it back near the line of scrimmage. Then on the very next play it seemed like Kentucky was all but guaranteed to recover another fumble but the Gamecocks ripped it away. Kentucky was just unable to fall on several fumbles to this point in the game. You really have to wonder why Beamer was having Sellers drop back so many times when so much disaster was narrowing being averted. Kentucky brought a lot of pressure to start the second half.
** That pressure was exploited with a couple of huge plays by Sellers in the passing game to open up a 17-6 lead. Too many receivers are wide open against Kentucky too often.
** Dingle moved while someone else was in motion and that wiped out a big passing play on Kentucky's next drive. Then there was a holding call against Dylan Ray. Then there was a holding call by Marques Cox.
** Kentucky's 3 and out in the middle of the third quarter was plagued by penalties and dangerous lob throws around the line of scrimmage by BVG. It's just hard to see how you patch together a quality offense out of what we saw today.
** Kentucky has a lot of injuries we will be asking about this week and that could have a long-term impact. Then again, the offense was bad enough and broken enough that you have to wonder what they're capable of.
** Vandagriff threw a pick six down 23-6 to start the fourth quarter. At this point in the game Vandagriff has more total yards, passing yards, and points for the other team than for Kentucky.
Shifted gears to other things for postgame at this point, but just some real time observations.
** UK almost brought Sellers down for a sack backed up in their own territory after a penalty but he broke his arm free and threw it away in the middle of the field on a dangerous play.
** Special teams got off to a rockier start this week. Last week they were perfect. In the first quarter to start things off Berry had a short punt into the wind, Barion got dropped before the 20 on a kickoff return, and Maclin muffed a punt.
** UK kept up the outside runs by Barion and had a seven yard loss on their second possession of the game. They aren't getting much out of that. At some point they'll hit a huge play out of it but it's not being blocked especially well and he's not elusive. That was a play where Vandagriff should have kept the ball and run it himself.
** The safeties miscommunicated on the first quarter touchdown pass by Sellers when a receiver was left wide open. Safety play is under the microscope.
** Jason Patterson appeared to fumble on his first carry but he didn't, the ball came out when his arm hit the ground.
** Dane Key had one of the best plays by a Kentucky receiver in recent memory with his over the shoulder grab on that drive after the USC touchdown.
** But on the very next play Anthony Brown-Stephens gets lit up on a block and a screen is taken down in the backfield. On the next play Vandagriff was sacked. Jager Burton was beat on an inside rush. The offensive line gave up a sack and Vandagriff was fortunate to get back a fumble. The blocking really broke down everywhere on the field that drive.
** Berry's second punt was a nice one, 47 yards to place USC back inside their 10 yard line when they had all the momentum.
** Sellers appeared to make a great play climbing the pocket to avoid pressure from Deone Walker and other defenders to make a big third down conversion but there was a holding call.
** Kentucky got the ball with great field position on its last drive of the first quarter but more negative yardage plays ensue: Vandagriff has to run out of the pocket and throw it out of bounds on one play, things break down and he's tackled for loss, and also flagged for intentional grounding. Towards the end of the first quarter the blocking absolutely spiraled.
** USC freshman Dylan Stewart had a tremendous play to end a UK drive. On third and long he took on three guys and still chased Vandagriff down to force a throwaway.
** The decision to go for it on 4th and 1 in your own territory will certainly be second guessed. UK had run the ball pretty well to that point but got no push on a QB sneak. South Carolina ends up getting a field goal making it a two possession game out of it.
** Kentucky ran the ball all the way down the field on the next possession down 10-0 but runs an unimaginative play on 3rd and 4. They have to settle for a field goal. Kentucky showed its game plan early, run heavy, but got away from it when it was working and wasted a couple of drives.
** To that point in the game, under two minutes before the half, South Carolina has only run 18 plays but they're averaging 6.1 yards per play. Kentucky has run 33 plays but is only averaging 3.5.
** It's surprising that Beamer had Sellers throwing the ball downfield on back to back plays in the first half. It was on their side of the field up by a touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the half. The interception followed Weaver forcing a fumble that USC recovered.
** Vandagriff was inaccurate on a third down slant attempt and the Cats had to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Raynor, his second of the game. To that point in the game Kentucky had run the ball almost 20 times in a row.
** In the big picture, the concern at halftime: South Carolina is one of the league's worst programs, currently, so it's not a good sign that you've lost to them two times in a row but to be losing at home when USC only has four first downs at halftime?
** Talk about bad luck: Hairston forced a fumble on a corner blitz but South Carolina recovered it and was able to run it back near the line of scrimmage. Then on the very next play it seemed like Kentucky was all but guaranteed to recover another fumble but the Gamecocks ripped it away. Kentucky was just unable to fall on several fumbles to this point in the game. You really have to wonder why Beamer was having Sellers drop back so many times when so much disaster was narrowing being averted. Kentucky brought a lot of pressure to start the second half.
** That pressure was exploited with a couple of huge plays by Sellers in the passing game to open up a 17-6 lead. Too many receivers are wide open against Kentucky too often.
** Dingle moved while someone else was in motion and that wiped out a big passing play on Kentucky's next drive. Then there was a holding call against Dylan Ray. Then there was a holding call by Marques Cox.
** Kentucky's 3 and out in the middle of the third quarter was plagued by penalties and dangerous lob throws around the line of scrimmage by BVG. It's just hard to see how you patch together a quality offense out of what we saw today.
** Kentucky has a lot of injuries we will be asking about this week and that could have a long-term impact. Then again, the offense was bad enough and broken enough that you have to wonder what they're capable of.
** Vandagriff threw a pick six down 23-6 to start the fourth quarter. At this point in the game Vandagriff has more total yards, passing yards, and points for the other team than for Kentucky.
Shifted gears to other things for postgame at this point, but just some real time observations.
