South Carolina fell 40-13 to Georgia on Saturday to fall to 2-1 on the season. Faced with their 1st major test of the 2021 campaign, the Gamecocks found themselves outmatched by the No. 2 Bulldogs and will look to get back on track against Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 25.

Leading into the meeting against the Wildcats, though, there are 3 key injury concerns.

Both linebacker Sherrod Greene and quarterback Zeb Noland saw their nights cut short in the 1st quarter and defensive back Cam Smith missed much of the 2nd half. Greene suffered a nasty leg injury on the Dawgs’ opening drive while Noland had his hand stepped on during the Gamecocks’ 1st time with the ball. Meanwhile, Smith had his foot stepped on by a Bulldogs defender.

During the weekly SEC teleconference on Sunday, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer updated the prognosis of the 2 players. The news is good for Noland, as Beamer said that the former grad assistant is expected to be “ready to go” for the Kentucky game but is “struggling with getting feeling back”. Smith had X-rays on Sunday morning and is also expected by Beamer to return on Saturday.

As for Greene, it’s disappointing news for a 5th-year senior that saw his season halted by a hip fracture suffered against Tennessee to start the 2020 season. He required surgery on Sunday morning that will see him miss a good portion of the remaining games. But, per Beamer, he could be back before the season ends.

The Gamecocks and Wildcats kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.