COLUMBIA — South Carolina football’s late-season upset magic was alive and well at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday as the Gamecocks kept their hopes of bowl eligibility alive with a 17-14 win over Kentucky.

It was a forced fumble by Jordan Strachan recovered by Tonka Hemingway with two minutes left in the game that sealed the victory as the defense ran from the 50-yard line into the waiting arms of the sold-out student section pounding on the barricade behind the goal post.

South Carolina (5-6, 3-5 SEC) started strong against Kentucky (6-5, 3-5), scoring on each of its first two drives. Quarterback Spencer Rattler led the Gamecocks on a 69-yard touchdown drive after the defense forced a three-and-out on Kentucky’s opening series, but it took the offense until the fourth quarter to see the end zone again.

A 17-yard touchdown from Rattler to Xavier Legette was the game-winner, the exclamation point on a drive where the pair connected three times for 62 of the 74 yards. Rattler finished 19-of-27 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

Turnovers fuel South Carolina's defensive effort

As the Gamecocks' hot offensive start cooled off in the second quarter, the defense stepped up again and again to preserve the team's halftime lead. Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary went just 7-of-15 passing in the first half, and Nick Emmanwori recorded his first interception of the season in perfect coverage on what would have been a touchdown pass.

The offense squandered the pick with a three-and-out, but safety DQ Smith got the defense back off the field almost immediately, recovering a fumble forced by freshman nickelback Jalon Kilgore. The fourth-quarter fumble was South Carolina's 10th turnover forced in the last three games after they went three straight weeks without one in the middle of the season.

Xavier Legette rises on Gamecocks' all-time receiving list

It only took Legette two plays against Kentucky to surpass Sterling Sharpe's 1986 season for fourth place in South Carolina's single-season for most receptions. The senior finished with 94 yards on six catches, which also vaulted him over Pharoh Cooper in 2014 and Sidney Rice in 2005. His 1,187 yards in 2023 rank second in program history.

Legette almost single-handedly kept South Carolina's offense alive in the fourth quarter, logging 62 yards in one drive that ended on a 17-yard touchdown. He has recorded at least 50 receiving yards in nine of 11 games this year.

South Carolina offense struggles with thin RB room

Starting running back Mario Anderson had never logged fewer than 68 yards in a start at South Carolina, but the senior finished with just 27 on 13 carries against Kentucky. Rattler was the team's leading rusher before sack yards, and no other rushers besides Rattler and Anderson made it to double digits.

With Dakereon Joyner and Juju McDowell out with injuries, the Gamecocks tested out a few designed-run packages for dual-threat freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers finished with nine rushing yards on two carries, like Rattler averaging more yards per rush than any of the team's true RBs.

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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football upsets Kentucky 17-14, keeps bowl hopes alive