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Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has survived several close calls against South Carolina in his tenure as coach of the Wildcats. He’s also lost a few, too, including a 17-14 setback to the Gamecocks last year in Columbia.

Stoops is 8-4 overall against South Carolina, but the Wildcats have lost two straight to Shane Beamer’s squad. The two teams will meet in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Kroger Field and Stoops anticipates another close encounter.

“South Carolina is a team we always seem to have good games with through my many years here,” Stoops said. “(It’s) always a good game, always evenly matched. We’re looking forward to that challenge.”

Although the Gamecocks have won the past two games, Stoops added it’s “always a new team, new year.”

“You’ve heard me say that a 100 times, whether it’s dealing with bad streaks, good streaks you name it, every year is a new year,” he said. “With that being said, you always try to learn from teams you’ve played maybe things that pop up, things that have happened we’re always going to try to learn and grow from mistakes or things that have happened (in the past) and things of that nature.”

Kentucky opened the season with a 31-0 win over Southern Mississippi in a game shortened to a little more than two quarters because of lightening, while South Carolina forced a pair of fumbles in the red zone and added a crucial interception in the fourth quarter of a 23-19 win over Old Dominion.

“We did some good things,” Beamer said. “Was it good enough on Saturday? Absolutely not. Nobody is saying that. We also did some good things and we also have to be able to finish drives in the red zone and not kick field goals.”

Stoops was impressed with South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has a reputation as a “dual-threat guy.”

“He is big, he is strong, he can throw the heck out of the ball down the field,” Stoops said. “You saw that, you can see the arm talent. I think he is a very good football player who is going to get better with every snap he takes. Every game, every rep, he’ll improve. A pretty good physical guy with a lot of attributes. He can run, he can throw, he seems like a very mature young man. So, obviously, I think everything you read and see about him, he takes the game very seriously and works very hard at it.”

Beamer, on the other hand, said Kentucky’s defense will be a challenge for his team’s offensive line and singled out defensive tackle Deone Walker.

“He can wreck your entire game plan — not like mess up a play, he can wreck your entire game plan. He is a load to handle, but it is not just him. (J.J. Weaver) on the outside is a really good player.

“Nobody talks about the other guys they have inside, (Tre’vonn Rybka), (Octavious Oxendine) and (Keeshawn Silver) they are very twitchy and athletic and very disruptive inside. We have to do a great job on the offensive line this week for us to be able to do the things that we want to do offensively.”

History

Beamer grew up in Murray while his father Frank Beamer was coach at Murray State from 1981-86 and remembers following Kentucky and Louisville athletics.

“l grew up in elementary school following UK athletics and Louisville athletics was rolling at the time in basketball with Denny Crum and Pervis Ellison and LaBradford Smith and all those guys. Certainly, Kentucky basketball with Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton when I was growing up and Kenny Walker and Mel Turpin and always followed Kentucky football. … Always have followed them and always enjoy going back to Kentucky.”

Availability report

Kentucky has 13 players on the first availability report, released Thursday. Running back Chip Trayanum as well as offensive lineman Courtland Ford, also won’t play against the Gamecocks. Seven players are out, one is doubtful, another questionable, and four are probable.