The South Carolina Gamecocks entered Saturday night knowing that they had to beat Kentucky if they want to have a chance to make a bowl.

Senior defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway made sure he did his part, as he recovered a monster fumble late in the fourth quarter for South Carolina. The Gamecocks ran the clock out after the recovery, and after Kentucky made a last-gasp effort and won the game 17-14 to move to 5-6.

Carolina ball!!! pic.twitter.com/TywQKtI4r4

— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) November 19, 2023

Three weeks ago, the Gamecocks were on the outside looking in, as they fell to 2-6 with a 30-13 loss to Texas A&M. That meant South Carolina would have to run the table for the team to get back to a bowl game, but the team hasn’t quit and now is only one win away from becoming bowl eligible.

To do that, the Gamecocks are going to have to beat another rival, as the Clemson Tigers will head into Columbia next Saturday.

Last year, South Carolina got a huge victory against Clemson, as the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers, 31-30, to eliminate Clemson from the Playoff contention. What made that win impressive was the fact the Gamecocks won at Clemson.

Kickoff next Saturday is at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be aired on the SEC Network.

Mark Kern