The Kentucky Wildcats stormed back in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points against the South Carolina Gamecocks to seal an incredible victory in Lexington, Ky.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Wildcats’ thrilling win.

  1. Kentucky has as much fight as any team in college football – Against a punishing running attack by Mike Davis and facing a 14-point deficit, the Kentucky Wildcats could have easily mailed it in. But not these Cats. Kentucky never gave up, scoring 21 unanswered points and upending the Gamecocks in Lexington for Kentucky’s biggest win of the season. It was an absolutely incredible effort by a team that looks determined to rid itself of the SEC bottom feeder label that has plagued the program for many years.
  2. Jojo Kemp out of the Wildcat now UK’s biggest offensive threat – Wow, what a day for the sophomore running back. Kemp emerged from today’s game as a Kentucky hero after seemingly single-handedly defeating Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks. His 131 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries stands out as one of the more impressive performances of the weekend. Perhaps what’s even more impressive about Kemp’s game was that much, if not all, of his success came out of the Wildcat. Simply put, South Carolina could not stop Kemp out of the backfield and it appears that Kemp and the Wildcat formation became one of Kentucky’s biggest offensive weapons.
  3. Kentucky’s run defense needs work – As great as Kentucky’s defense looked at times during today’s game (see three interceptions), the run defense struggled mightily all game. South Carolina’s Mike Davis ran for a career high 183 yards and three touchdowns and simply dominated most of the night when he had the ball in his hands. The Gamecocks also had much success on the option play against Kentucky’s defense, despite a rather immobile quarterback in Dylan Thompson.
  4. Kentucky’s a contender in the SEC East – Like Jojo Kemp said in his post game interview, why not Kentucky? And seriously…why not? The SEC East is about as wide open as any division in college football. Missouri, who currently leads the division, lost to Indiana at home a few weeks ago. Georgia’s defense is vulnerable and Florida’s offense can barely move the football. With only one loss so far, the Wildcats suddenly find themselves right in the mix for the SEC East title.
  5. Big plays dominating Kentucky’s season – Whether it’s on offense or defense, big plays are defining the 2014 season for the Kentucky Wildcats. Tonight was no exception as Patrick Towles had a 48-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Timmons, Jojo Kemp busted several long runs out of the Wildcat and Bud Dupree notched a crucial pick-six near the end of the game to put the Wildcats up seven points late. There’s no telling just how successful Kentucky is this season, but you can’t say it hasn’t been entertaining.