College Football · FINAL / OT

Kentucky 35 · South Carolina 34

October 3, 2026 · Williams-Brice Stadium

Williams-Brice Stadium · 2026-10-03

The final score was Kentucky 35 · South Carolina 34. The breakdown below uses this game’s figures, separate from season averages.

Kentucky Wildcats South Carolina Gamecocks

The scoring path

Q1SC +14point differential in this period

Q2UK +4point differential in this period

Q3UK +14point differential in this period

Quarter scoring
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT1	Final
Kentucky Wildcats	0	10	14	3	8	35
South Carolina Gamecocks	14	6	0	7	7	34

This game · football box score
Measure	Kentucky Wildcats	South Carolina Gamecocks
First downs	25	21
Total yards	394	458
Passing yards	272	226
Rushing yards	122	232
Third-down conversions	4-14	8-16
Giveaways	0	2
Possession time	33:29	26:31

Third-down conversion is shown as its own measure. It is not a substitute for overall play success rate. A dash means the source did not supply that field.

The Lab’s result test

Kentucky Wildcats won by 1 points. Q3 supplied the largest scoring swing in the winner’s favor, a +14-points period. The chart shows the result’s path; the box score helps explain what created it.

Kentucky Wildcats produced 394 total yards; South Carolina Gamecocks produced 458. Yardage describes how much ground was gained, not whether the most valuable drives were finished.

Kentucky Wildcats committed 0 giveaways against the opponent’s 2. That possession advantage gave the winner fewer mistakes to overcome.

The next test is repeatability. Separate staying on schedule from long gains, then examine field position and drive finishing. A large yardage total can coexist with missed scoring chances; a short field can make a modest drive valuable.