Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader

LEXINGTON, Ky. — When Kentucky football comes off its open week to play at South Carolina on Sept. 27, the Wildcats will be facing what has been the pivotal opponent of the Mark Stoops coaching era.

It was success against the Gamecocks early in the Stoops coaching tenure that was the initial indicator that the UK program was on the rise.

From 2000 through 2013, Kentucky went a horrid 1-13 vs. South Carolina. However, in 2014 and again in 2015, Stoops and the troops stunned Steve Spurrier-coached Gamecocks teams.

After losing in back-to-back seasons to UK, the “Head Ball Coach” only coached four more games after the 2015 defeat to the Wildcats. Spurrier then quit as South Carolina coach with six contests remaining in that season.

Those early Stoops v

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