A position-by-position breakdown of Saturday’s game in Lexington, Ky.

Advantages

Quarterback

Chris Smelley’s coming out party last week is what Gamecock fans hope is a sign of things to come. Over 320 yards and three scores earned the junior the title of SEC Offensive Player of the Week, which has everyone hopeful. Kentucky’s Mike Hartline is right behind Smelley in the SEC ranks at No. 6 with 174 yards per game. But for a sophomore, Hartline has taken care of the ball with just two interceptions all year.

Edge: South Carolina

Running back

Four different Kentucky runners average more than 24 yards per game and their 142 yards per game is one notch above Carolina’s in the SEC ranking but well above in actual numbers. The Gamecocks are struggling to top 110 yards per game and rank No. 101 nationally in rushing offense. Neither team will rely much on the run, but the one that establishes some balance will be in better shape.

Edge: Kentucky

Wide receiver

Kentucky senior Dicky Lyons leads in the SEC with 6.2 receptions per game but fails to crack the league top 10 in receiving yards per game (50.4). By contrast, Carolina has two players in the SEC top 10 and has a lot of upside on the receiving group right now. With Kenny McKinley coming back from an injury and a coming-out game from Jason Barnes last week, the Gamecock unit looks to have plenty of weapons on hand.

Edge: South Carolina

Offensive line

Probably the biggest reason for Mike Hartline’s early success at quarterback has to be his protection. Through five games, the Kentucky front line has given up just three sacks for tops in the SEC. The South Carolina front line has been so lucky as they’ve given up 20 sacks already this season, ranking them next to last in the SEC. Both team’s defenses will provide the opposing offensive lines with fits.

Edge: Kentucky

Run defense

Both squads have been average at stopping opposing teams’ run games this season. Kentucky’s 115 yards given up on the ground per game outranks USC by just 1.7 yards, making them the eighth and ninth rushing defense in the SEC. But once again the biggest difference between the two squads comes down to touchdowns. While the Gamecocks have allowed seven rushing touchdowns all season, Kentucky has given up just one score on the ground all season.

Edge: Kentucky

Pass defense

For both teams’ quarterbacks, this game might be a bad game to try and win player of the week honors. Carolina and Kentucky are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the SEC in pass defense and No. 2 and No. 3 nationally. The Gamecocks are yielding just 128 yards through the air and have given up just two scores all year. Kentucky is very similar with 144.4 yards given up and two scores as well. This game will give fans the chance to see how good both teams really are.

Edge: South Carolina

Special teams

USC’s Ryan Succop has been solid all season going 11-of-14 on field goals. And aside from his 9-yard punt last week, Spencer Lanning has been a reliable punter all season. Kentucky has two place kickers and two punters in use, with Ryan Tydlacka splitting time between the two duties. Kentucky’s Derrick Locke does have one punt returned for a touchdown this season.

Edge: South Carolina

The Bottom Line

If defense wins championships, then the Gamecocks and Wildcats are well on their way to hoisting trophies. Both teams feature great defenses with offensive units that are slowly beginning to come around. If USC’s big win at Ole Miss can propel it for the rest of the season, it could be a good game in Lexington.

—Alex Riley