Here are some quick thoughts regarding Kentucky’s incredible 45-38 victory over Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

What it means: The Kentucky Wildcats are 4-1 and basically a missed delay of game call in OT against Florida from being 5-0. The Wildcats’ victory is a huge statement win for Mark Stoops and his team as they take down the preseason favorite to win the SEC East. Not only is Kentucky no longer the SEC East bottom feeder, but they’re right in the thick of a wide-open SEC East title race.

What I liked: Jojo Kemp in the Wildcat. Not only was this Kentucky’s most effective offensive weapon, but it was pretty exciting to watch. The sophomore running back zigged and zagged his way through South Carolina’s defense out of the Wildcat formation, especially in the second half. He keyed three big scoring drives for the Wildcats off that formation and also scored all three of his touchdowns from the Wildcat. Kentucky does not keep this game competitive without the performance of JoJo Kemp tonight. He finished the game with 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

What I didn’t like: The run defense. Kentucky’s defense made some big plays throughout the game, but when it came to stopping the run, the Wildcats were lackluster. South Carolina, who came into this game ranked just 12th in the SEC in rushing offense, had their way against Kentucky on the ground. Running back Mike Davis exploded for 183 rushing yards and three touchdowns and looked more like the Mike Davis of 2013. It was the Gamecocks’ ground game that allowed South Carolina to get off to such an early lead and eventually pull away from the Wildcats in the second half. With the bevy of talented running backs in the SEC, Kentucky’s performance against the run tonight can’t be particularly encouraging for Big Blue Nation.

Key play: Bud Dupree’s pick-six. The Wildcats’ got another interception later in the game to seal it, but it was Dupree’s pick-six off of a deflected pass on the line of scrimmage that eventually turned the tide for Kentucky. It was arguably the biggest play of Dupree’s career and eventually it became the game-winning score for the Wildcats in a statement win over South Carolina.

What’s next: Kentucky gets a much needed breather next week against UL Monroe before a tough matchup on the road against LSU in two weeks.