Is South Carolina a Rival? Stoops Preparing Kentucky for a Close Game [Video]

There’s a tenuous relationship between Kentucky and South Carolina. It’s unavoidable for a variety of reasons, and yet Mark Stoops isn’t building this game up as a bitter rivalry.

It did not start with a war of words off the field between the head coaches, but Shane Beamer certainly used Stoops’ “sunglass” comments to fuel his team to win at Kroger Field. That was just the second South Carolina win over the Cats in nine years. Now the Gamecocks have consecutive wins in the series, one that’s expected to be played annually when the league moves to nine SEC games a year.

For Stoops, the past does not matter. He expects his Kentucky football program to learn from its mistakes, but that should not amplify the significance of Saturday’s showdown in Lexington.

“It’s always new team, new year. You’ve always heard me say that, what, a hundred times? Whether it’s dealing with bad …