GAME NOTES: The eighth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats are one of the nation's most surprising teams, and they will battle the 11th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, another overachieving SEC club. At 5-0, Kentucky is off to its best start since 1984, and the club has won 10 of its last 11 outings dating back to last season. Last Saturday, the Wildcats cruised to a 45-17 decision over Florida Atlantic. The competition level will be elevated tremendously in the coming weeks, however, as Kentucky will face top-ranked LSU and ninth-ranked Florida after this weekend's game against the Gamecocks. Speaking of South Carolina, it currently owns a 4-1 record, as the only loss thus far came against now top-ranked LSU on the road. Last weekend, the Gamecocks moved to 2-1 in SEC play with a 38-21 decision over Mississippi State. South Carolina holds an 11-6-1 series lead over Kentucky, including a 24-17 victory over the Wildcats last season.

No player deserves more credit for the resurgence of the Kentucky football program than quarterback Andre Woodson. The standout signal caller completed 26-of-33 passes for 301 yards and five touchdowns in the victory over Florida Atlantic last weekend. He had thrown an NCAA-record 325 consecutive passes without an interception before having that streak ended by the Owls. Still, it was yet another stellar performance by the Heisman hopeful. Through five games, Woodson has completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,309 yards and 16 touchdowns with one interception. Keenan Burton has made 30 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns, while Rafael Little has rushed for 547 yards and three scores. Kentucky is averaging 46.6 ppg and 492.2 total ypg, outstanding numbers by any standards. The 'Cats are averaging well over 200 yards per game both rushing and receiving, proof of their strong offensive balance.

Opponents are scoring 22.0 ppg while gaining 384.8 total ypg against Kentucky. While those numbers could certainly stand some improvement, the defense does not have to be great with Woodson and company piling up points. The biggest area of weakness for the Wildcats has been run defense, as they are allowing 203.2 rushing ypg on 5.0 ypc. The pass defense has been much better, as foes are only averaging 5.7 yards per attempt with five passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. Kentucky has recorded 14 takeaways this season, much more impressive than the club's total of eight sacks. Wesley Woodyard's importance to the defense is obvious, as he has made more than twice as many tackles as any other player on the roster. The Wildcats recorded a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery in the win over South Carolina.

After the loss to LSU, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier announced that redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Smelley would get the start over veteran Blake Mitchell against Mississippi State. Smelley took full advantage of his opportunity, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs. It came as no surprise that Kenny McKinley was the top target on the outside. The standout receiver finished with four catches for 107 yards and was on the receiving end of both Smelley touchdown passes. As for the ground attack, Cory Boyd and Mike Davis were effective as a tandem as usual. South Carolina is averaging 27.2 ppg and 363.6 total ypg this season. McKinley has scored five touchdowns and will certainly get plenty of attention from Kentucky defenders this weekend. As for the quarterback situation, Smelley proved capable of leading the offense, but he could fall out of favor with head coach Steve Spurrier in a hurry if he doesn't play well again.

Taking a look at the stats from South Carolina's win over Mississippi State, there are both positives and negatives to report concerning the defense. The unit can certainly be proud of the fact that the Bulldogs finished with only 258 total yards, including 118 passing yards on 12-of-27 completions. On a down note, Mississippi State did score three offensive touchdowns in the tilt. Clearly, there is room for improvement for the Gamecocks, but they have been solid for the most part this season. Opponents are scoring 15.6 ppg against South Carolina, which is yielding 307.6 total ypg. Foes have had no luck throwing the ball against the Gamecocks, who are permitting only 106.4 ypg through the air. Opposing quarterbacks are completing less than 50 percent of their passes and have thrown three times as many interceptions as touchdown passes.

Obviously, Kentucky faces a stiff challenge this weekend, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see South Carolina win the game. Still, expect the experienced Woodson to outplay the inexperienced Smelley, leading the 'Cats to victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Kentucky 21, South Carolina 17