South Carolina arguably had its biggest win in the past few seasons when it surprised No. 13 Kentucky, 24-14, Saturday night in Lexington. The Gamecocks excelled in all 3 phases of the game, even blocking a punt, their 5th of the season.

USC posted its 3rd consecutive victory, raising its overall mark to 4-2 and increasing its respectability in the conference. It picked up 12 votes in the AP Top 25 poll.

Respectability has been raised for quarterback Spencer Rattler, who overcame a slow start against Kentucky to have his 3rd effective and consistent game. Running back MarShawn Lloyd has surfaced as one of the better backs in the SEC and the nation, and he seems to be on his way to a 1,000-yard season.

Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, the momentum of a 3-game winning streak will have to be bottled. They have a bye, and they will return to Williams-Brice Stadium next week to host Texas A&M.

Still, expectations have been raised from last year’s 7-6 season, which ended with a victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Gamecocks have already played the easier part of the schedule.

So where can they go over the final 6 weeks? Here are some thoughts and predictions for the remainder of the season.

Wins, losses, and highlights (pencil them in for now)

It starts with Texas A&M in 2 weeks, and the Aggies may have a similar situation to Kentucky, which didn’t have starting quarterback Will Levis.

Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson has a broken bone in his hand, and it is very unlikely he will line up against the Gamecocks. Sophomore Haynes King threw for 253 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception, and he was the victim of 3 sacks in relief in a 24-20 loss to Alabama last week.

The Aggies also have the week off. They average 21.5 points per game and allow 18.8, while the Gamecocks now average 33.5 and issue 25 per contest.

This should be an entertaining and tight battle, and it is early to break it all down. Yet I Iike the Gamecocks in this one, and this will be another big win to further elevate their profile.

If Rattler is rolling and Lloyd is rambling, the Gamecocks will continue to ride the wave when Missouri comes to town. At the time of this writing, the Tigers (2-4) were reeling with a 3-game losing streak, and quarterback Brady Cook will test the Gamecocks’ secondary through the air.

Yet this is another one in their pocket, and they will suddenly rise to 6-2. The Gamecocks attract some more attention from the AP poll, and they should sneak in the 21-25 spot.

From there, USC heads to the road to Vanderbilt for a key showdown with the Commodores. The Commodores (3-3) have been struggling to be consistent, and they have Georgia and Missouri on their docket before USC.

If all goes to plan, this will be a game in which the Gamecocks will need to truly prove their legitimacy and be added to the list of a cushy bowl game.

Let’s also give this one to the Gamecocks, as they win another pivotal road game. USC claims a spot in the AP poll for the first time since September 2018.

The tidal wave of a 6-game winning streak will then hit the Florida Gators and cause some destruction.

The Gamecocks will be riding high, and they will be in their most intense game of the season. USC will register a close 2- or 3-point victory, its 1st in Gainesville since a 23-20 overtime triumph in 2014.

Rattler’s stock will reach a season high, and he will be a hot topic in NFL Draft chat. Lloyd will be closing in on or passing the 1,000-yard barrier, and he will be in the final phase of a compacted season as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

The Gamecocks’ secondary wil be totally healthy, and it again wll be regarded as one of the top 10 in the country. USC’s defensive front will be a factor after it was nonexistent through the first 5 games with 4 sacks.

As for the final 2 games, the Gamecocks could slide back from 1st class to coach. It’s hard to call their final home game of the season against currently 6th-ranked Tennessee.

Somehow, I see the Gamecocks dropping a heartbreaker here in front of their more than 75,000 strong at Williams-Brice in an atmosphere that could register the fans’ raucousness on a Richter scale.

A loss here would provide a deafening silence where you could hear a bump in the Columbia air. A win here would generate noise that could be heard in Hilton Head.

At this point, it will be hard to overcome Clemson in the finale, as the Tigers should be among the top 5 in the poll. The Gamecocks notch a valiant effort in one of the more memorable games in the past few years.

Overall, I see this team finishing 8-4, with a decent chance of hitting 9 wins. A key will be how it comes out against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, needing to gain control of the game in the opening half and avoiding a flat start and a flat game.

Rattler finishes the year throwing for more than 2,700 yards, and he has a more respectable touchdown-interception ratio than his current 5-to-8 mark.

The Gamecocks should be invited to one of more recognized bowls. Currently, published reports have them on the radar of the Birmingham and Liberty Bowls.

Barring any major injuries or a major freefall, South Carolina’s 2nd half of the season should be a fun one to watch.