If South Carolina each week could get a one-liner like Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason delivered last week, the Gamecocks might end up with a special season after all.

South Carolina rushed for 273 yards in the 37-14 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday, the most it has had as a team since it had 422 against Western Carolina on Nov. 19, 2016. Quarterback Jake Bentley said the players, especially the linemen, took it personally that Mason said the game would be a “street fight” and that they could play anywhere, from the stadium, to the back yard, to the street. Bentley added that the 273 yards spoke for itself.

 

The Gamecocks had 534 total yards to surpass 500 in conference play for the first time since Nov. 1, 2014, against Tennessee.

“There was a lot of what we call ‘bull yardage’ — yards after contact,” coach Will Muschamp said. “And that’s something you are going to have to have in our league, because they are going to have enough in the box a lot of times. You’ve got to run through contact, and you’ve got to earn your scholarship.”

The win came at an interesting time, because now the Gamecocks face a Kentucky team that’s one of the hottest in America. What’s more, the Gamecocks are already well aware of the Wildcats’ four-game winning streak in the series. That storyline was brought up in the summer and attached to questions about whether the Gamecocks could take the next step in the SEC.

Kentucky is 4-0 for the first time since 2008, and 2-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1977, which also was the last time Kentucky finished with a winning SEC record.

With D.J. Wonnum still injured and unavailable, fellow defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw delivered his best game of the season and shook off a late injury. Kinlaw had a career-high two sacks, two forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and five tackles. To beat Kentucky, Kinlaw may need that and more. Along with running back Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky has arguably one of the best offensive lines in the SEC, a major reason the Wildcats have beaten Florida and Mississippi State.

The Gamecocks tried to step onto the top shelf of the SEC East in Week 2 against Georgia. Now, the Vanderbilt win helps them hit the reset button and look for an upset in Lexington. Measuring themselves against the likes of Georgia is one thing, but if they have a prolonged losing streak against Kentucky, that would make it tougher to argue that they’re an elite team.

“I expect our guys to handle a road environment well, and I expect our guys to handle a thunderstorm well and a lightning delay well,” Muschamp said of the 40-minute weather delay. “That’s what you expect when you have an older team at some positions. Again, we don’t have the depth we want, but at most positions, we’ve got some guys who have played quality football for us.”

The new uptempo offense may have found its stride after stumbling against Georgia. The rushing aspect appeared to be in midseason form, and Bentley found the likes of Shi Smith, who had a career-high 108 yards on 4 catches by halftime and 119 for the game. That’s a solid complement to Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards. The Gamecocks had four players run the ball and seven make at least one catch.

“You hit some plays, you get the chains moving, and you see that the defense may be fatigued,” Muschamp said. “You look at our total snaps — close to 80 — and that’s a good ballpark to be in, as long as you are moving the ball.”