OFFENSE: A-

45 points and 447 total yards of offense for the Kentucky Wildcats. What a night! While quarterback Patrick Towles had a seemingly quiet game (208 passing yards and one touchdown), but the real fireworks came from sophomore running back Jojo Kemp who destroyed the Gamecocks defense out of the Wildcat formation. Not only did Kemp score all three touchdowns from the Wildcat formation, he racked up a career high 131 yards on just 17 carries. It was Kemp’s big runs in the fourth quarter that sparked several of Kentucky’s scoring drives in the second half.

DEFENSE: B

For the majority of the game, the Kentucky defense was unspectacular. They were gashed all game by running back Mike Davis and the South Carolina running game, who eventually racked up 282 rushing yards when it was all said and done. But the Wildcats secondary came to play against a Steve Spurrier offense that normally has much success passing the ball. The Gamecocks threw for only 218 yards and Kentucky grabbed three interceptions, including two late in the game that turned into a game-winning pick-six by Bud Dupree and a game-sealing pick by Ashely Lowery. Simply put, Kentucky’s defense stepped up in the big moments and made the plays when they needed them most.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Kentucky’s special teams was largely unimpactful last night. The bright spot for Kentucky’s special teams came when placekicker Austin MacGinnis drilled a 47-yard field goal at the end of the second half. The punting game for the Wildcats got the job done, pinning South Carolina within their 20-yard line twice. No big plays from the special teams, but more importantly, no mistakes.

COACHING: B

Once again, it was another solid coaching performance by Mark Stoops and his staff. The Wildcats unfortunately had eight penalties for 80 yards, but it ended up not costing them the win. Thanks to Stoops, it sure looks like Kentucky is well on its way to shaking the SEC bottom feeder label sooner rather than later.

OVERALL: B+

With Mark Stoops as the head coach, I’m sure fans would have preferred a stronger defensive performance, but a win is a win. The offense looked explosive and virtually unstoppable in their Wildcat. The manner in which Kentucky won is also very impressive, coming back and scoring 21 unanswered points. Based off how the Wildcats performed so far this season, it’s getting more and more clear that this Kentucky squad is more than much improved – they are a good football team.