With Kentucky taking on the South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend — quite the familiar face throughout the program’s history — I think it’s fun to go back here and there to refresh my memory with the history between the two to see how things have varied over the decades.

These two have been facing each other for nearly a century now. Not quite a full century, but since 1937, which is 88 long years. And to be completely transparent with you, after that first matchup, they didn’t play again for another 51 years (1978), but we’re still sticking with that first number because it did happen.

Over its history, the Gamecocks lead the series all-time 21-14, including 1 tie that came in that ’78 game. While we’re on this topic, I’m highly against ties. What’s the point? All that traveling, all that preparing, all of that effort just to end in a no-winner situation? I hate it. I’m glad we don’t operate that way anymore and I honestly feel like they just need to erase all ties from the record books. They’re pointless. Either you win or you lose. That’s the whole goal in all of this stuff.

As of late, South Carolina has been on a winning streak, winning the last 3 games and also now being the betting favorite in the upcoming game. Before that, Kentucky won the previous two (2020 & 2021), before SC won in 2019. Before the back-and-forth results over the last half decade, Kentucky went on their largest winning streak in the rivalry’s history, winning 5 straight from 2014-2018.

Here’s how the history played out over the 35 total games.

1937: Kentucky wins 27-7 (Lexington, KY)

1978: TIE between Kentucky and South Carolina 14-4 (Columbia, SC)

1981: South Carolina wins 28-14 (Lexington, KY)

1992: Kentucky wins 13-9 (Lexington, KY)

1993: Kentucky wins 21-17 (Columbia, SC)

1994: South Carolina wins 23-9 (Lexington, KY)

1995: Kentucky wins 35-30 (Columbia, SC)

1996: South Carolina wins 25-14 (Lexington, KY)

1997: South Carolina wins 38-24 (Columbia, SC)

1998: Kentucky wins 33-28 (Lexington, KY)

1999: Kentucky wins 30-10 (Columbia, SC)

2000: South Carolina wins 20-17 (Lexington, KY)

2001: South Carolina wins 42-6 (Columbia, SC)

2002: South Carolina wins 16-12 (Lexington, KY)

2003: South Carolina wins 27-21 (Columbia, SC)

2004: South Carolina wins 12-7 (Lexington, KY)

2005: South Carolina wins 44-16 (Columbia, SC)

2006: South Carolina wins 24-17 (Lexington, KY)

2007: South Carolina wins 38-23 (Columbia, SC)

2008: South Carolina wins 24-17 (Lexington, KY)

2009: South Carolina wins 28-26 (Columbia, SC)

2010: Kentucky wins 31-28 (Lexington, KY)

2011: South Carolina wins 54-3 (Columbia, SC)

2012: South Carolina wins 38-17 (Lexington, KY)

2013: South Carolina wins 35-28 (Columbia, SC)

2014: Kentucky wins 45-38 (Lexington, KY)

2015: Kentucky wins 26-22 (Columbia, SC)

2016: Kentucky wins 17-10 (Lexington, KY)

2017: Kentucky wins 23-13 (Columbia, SC)

2018: Kentucky wins 24-10 (Lexington, KY)

2019: South Carolina wins 24-7 (Columbia, SC)

2020: Kentucky wins 41-18 (Lexington, KY)

2021: Kentucky wins 16-10 (Columbia, SC) — (this win was officially vacated by the NCAA)

2022: South Carolina wins 24-14 (Lexington, KY)

2023: South Carolina wins 17-14 (Columbia, SC)

2024: South Carolina wins 31-6 (Lexington, KY)

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