Former South Carolina QB Describes Kentucky as "Severely Overhyped," Compares Kroger Field to Vanderbilt

Throughout Mark Stoops’ decade at Kentucky, the South Carolina game has had a little extra juice. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how this SEC East matchup became so tenuous, but that’s not going away anytime soon.

At SEC Media Days Mark Stoops threw a not so subtle jab at Shane Beamer for his social media antics. Now a former Gamecock is adding fuel to the fire before his alma mater travels to Lexington.

“It’s Not a Hard Place to Play”

Each week The Spurs Up Show is lucky enough to be joined by Stephen Garcia, the cocky quarterback the rose to fame at the height of the Steve Spurrier era. The former South Carolina star was asked why he thinks the games between the two programs have been so close in recent years. He does not attribute it to the crowds at Kroger Field.

“It’s not a hard place to play. I would say Vanderbilt’s probably the other easy one to play in,” Garcia said.

Naturally, Garcia drew from his experience to reinforce that opinion.

“I remember back in 2010 we were beating their ass. At halftime, you could hear a pin drop. I mean, nobody was on their feet, nobody was saying anything and then all of a sudden they introduce their basketball team and the place went apeshit. Obviously, the rest is history.”

The history he’s referring to is a 31-28 Kentucky win. South Carolina has only won once in Lexington since, back in 2012. Mark Stoops has never lost to South Carolina in Lexington and the Wildcats are winners in seven of the last eight games between the two teams.

When that stat was shared with Garcia, he responded as eloquently as he could. “I did not realize we’ve lost seven of the last eight. That’s pretty shitty.”

Former South Carolina QB not a believer in Kentucky

Stephen Garcia is a fan of Kentucky, but not on the gridiron. He shared that his mother is from Louisville, so he’s always cheered for the basketball team. He’s also a fan of Will Levis, but after watching two Kentucky football games this fall, he does not think highly of Mark Stoops’ 2022 team.

“They’re not as good as everybody in the preseason, all of the hype and all that stuff,” Garcia said. “I actually like their quarterback, Levis. I actually like him, I think he’s a good player. But I think they’re just severely overhyped right now.”

Stephen Garcia is a great representative for South Carolina football fans. Even though he no longer resides in Columbia, his unabated confidence is shared by almost every Gamecock fan. His co-host does share some self-awareness, accurately pointing out what is probably at the heart of the animosity between these two programs.

“Our fans refuse to give them any credit,” said Chris Phillips.

The disconnect between South Carolina fans and reality is stark. The Kentucky football team can remind them of their place in the SEC East Saturday night at Kroger Field.