The Gamecocks have a difficult road to keep things going as they head to No. 3 Alabama next Saturday.

And they’ll definitely have to be sharper than they were against Kentucky.

South Carolina’s defense, which came in third in the SEC, could not stop a Kentucky attack that had managed only 240 yards a game the past two weeks against the league’s No. 1 and No. 2 defenses in Florida and Alabama.

The Wildcats got nearly that much against the Gamecocks in the opening half with 213 yards built on scoring drives of 82, 59 and 54 yards.