Kentucky to vacate football wins from 2021. What that means for Gamecocks’ W-L record
Shane Beamer’s debut season as South Carolina’s football coach produced some memorable moments. The Sept. 25, 2021 game against Kentucky wasn’t one of them.
Mark Stoops’ UK Wildcats defeated the Gamecocks 16-10 that night in Williams-Brice Stadium in what was mostly a forgettable game for South Carolina’s offense and defense.
Because of NCAA violations, Kentucky is being forced to vacate that victory over USC and nine others from a season that ended with a Camping World Stadium Bowl win over Iowa for the Wildcats.
“Kentucky has reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff on impermissible benefits that occurred in the football program ... as well as the appropriate penalties for those violations,” the NCAA announced Friday. The announcement included violations and penalties for the school’s swimming program.
In the football team’s case, according to the NCAA, “the agreed-upon violations involve at least 11 football student-athletes receiving payment for work not performed between spring 2021 and March 2022.” That work involved hospital jobs, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The news means the Kentucky team will vacate those 10 victories, and they’ll be removed from official record keeping.
It does not mean South Carolina, or other teams, now get credited with an additional win.
“The won-lost records for each of the opposing teams are not changed when games are vacated,” according to NCAA documentation. Game stats won’t change except for any UK players who were deemed ineligible.
The Gamecocks’ lone score in that 2021 game was a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Doty to wide receiver Jalen Brooks. Parker White added a late field goal to make the final score 16-10.
USC compiled just 216 yards of offense, and the Gamecocks’ defense allowed 230 yards of rushing by the Wildcats.
South Carolina went on to close the season with memorable wins over Florida and Auburn, and a Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory over North Carolina. The Gamecocks finished 7-6 overall, and that 7-6 record will remain on the record books.
USC got significant contributions from four different quarterbacks that season — Doty, Zeb Noland, Jason Brown and Dakereon Joyner. Even punter Kai Kroeger threw a touchdown pass in 2021.
South Carolina 2021 football scores
Home games in bold
This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Kentucky to vacate football wins from 2021. What that means for Gamecocks’ W-L record."
