In a series that has recently been defined by one running back taking over the game — and, most frequently, that running back wearing Kentucky blue — the South Carolina Gamecocks got a long-awaited taste of that themselves, as MarShawn Lloyd powered them past the Wildcats in a cathartic 24-14 victory that was USC’s first win in Lexington since 2012 and extended the program’s first three-game winning streak since 2017.
The game got off to a wildly positive start for the Gamecocks, as Tonka Hemingway and company forced a fumble on Kentucky’s very first play and rumbled deep into Wildcat territory to set up a 2-yard MarShawn Lloyd touchdown, making it 7-0 within about 15 seconds of game time.