LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Only two weeks into the campaign, a Kentucky season that had fans excited about the Wildcats' potential has taken a stunning detour.

South Carolina came to Kroger Field as a 10-point underdog on Saturday but departed with a 31-6 victory after dominating a lifeless UK squad in almost every phase of the game.

"Not good enough, not acceptable," Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said after the Wildcats were held to just a pair of field goals by a stingy South Carolina defense that allowed only 183 total yards and just 44 through the air.

The mood was a stark contrast in the Gamecocks' locker room.

"What a team win for our football program," said South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, whose team improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC play. "The offense, defense, special teams, you talk about gritty. You talk about tough; you talk about competitive– we showed it all today."

The Gamecocks, who struggled to hold off Old Dominion 23-19 last week in their season opener, had little difficulty with an SEC opponent. They were particularly dominant against the pass, sacking the Cats five times and allowing only six pass completions while recording two interceptions.

Several of Kentucky's 11 penalties for 56 yards in losses resulted from holding calls that derailed drives.

“It’s embarrassing," said UK senior center Eli Cox. "Our coach said to us before, we got punched and never responded. I think that was uncharacteristic of this program and where it’s been before. It’s an unacceptable performance from this whole team. No excuses from anybody.”

The Gamecocks led only 10-6 at halftime but broke the game open in the third quarter as Kentucky's offensive struggles mounted and the Cats experienced some defensive breakdowns that put the game out of reach.

LaNorris Sellers threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joshua Simon, who was uncovered in the end zone, to make it 17-6 with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter. It marked the second uncovered receiver to score against UK on a day of blown coverages at inopportune times.

Raheim Sanders scored on a 1-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter to all but put the game out of reach at 24-6. Nick Emmanwori's pick-6 of Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff made it 31-6 on the opening play of the fourth quarter as the Big Blue contingent started to file out of Kroger Field.

The lone bright spots for Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC) on the offensive side of the ball were running backs Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (17 carries, 70 yards) and Jason Patterson (10 carries, 45 yards).

Making just his second career start at quarterback, Vandagriff went just 3-for-10 for 30 yards and an interception. He was sacked four times.

“South Carolina’s defensive line played a great game," Vandagriff said. "Some of that’s definitely on me though. I just got to be able to get the ball out and move around the pocket. Dudes were open. Just got to make sure I do my job in getting them the ball. Definitely could’ve played better back there myself.”

*****

In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK loss...

KEY MOMENT:

South Carolina entered the matchup with some serious questions on the offensive side of the ball, but the Gamecocks grabbed some early confidence when Kentucky blew a coverage and allowed an undefended 24-yard touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett Jr. at the 7:39 mark of the first quarter. As it played out, that would have been all South Carolina needed to secure the win.

GAME BALL:

Debo Williams, South Carolina -- The Gamecocks' linebacker had six tackles (five solo) and two tackles for loss to highlight a dominant effort by the South Carolina defense. The visitors finished with 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.

BY THE NUMBERS:

0 - Receptions for UK junior wide receiver Barion Brown, the first time in his college career that he's been held without a catch.

2-8 - Kentucky's record in its last 10 SEC home games.

2.9 - Average yards per play by the Wildcats.

6-17-44 - Kentucky's woeful passing figures.

25 - Kentucky's worst margin of defeat to South Carolina in a home game.

11-56 - Penalties and yardage assessed to Kentucky.

QUOTABLE:

"You know, we've been beaten pretty badly by some really good football teams. But I felt like our team always fought back. You know, we talk about it all the time. You get punched, you get hit, you swing back. Very disappointed. Not happy with us. Our coaching, our response, the way we played." -- UK head coach Mark Stoops

UP NEXT:

Kentucky returns to action next week at home against Georgia. The No. 1 Bulldogs (2-0) defeated Tennessee Tech 48-3 on Saturday in Athens. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 ET at Kroger Field.