LSU saw a chance to win on the road and end their 7 game SEC road losing streak Saturday. Kentucky stunned the No. 10 ranked Tigers 35-34 in overtime when Kentucky’s quarterback Kenny Minchey converted on a two-point conversion after the Wildcats answered back with a touchdown of their own.
LSU got the ball first in overtime and scored quickly, with a 15 yard touchdown run by Sam Leavitt to take a 34-27 lead. It took the Tigers only 2 plays to find the endzone. Kentucky answered back with a 1 yard touchdown run by CJ Baxter, then went for two to win the game and got it when Kenny Minchey ran it up the middle through a wide open lane.
The game was tied at 27 in regulation after Kentucky’s Adam Zouagui hit a 33 yard field goal with 15 seconds left. LSU had gone up 27-24 on a 41 yard touchdown pass from Jackson Harris to Roman Mothershed with under 10 minutes left in the game.
A Back and Forth Game
LSU opened the scoring on a field goal on their first drive, and Kentucky answered right away with a touchdown run from CJ Baxter. Leavitt then found Zach Grace for a 22 yard touchdown to put LSU back in front on a wild trick play. Kentucky’s Brock Coffman changed the game in the second quarter with a 55 yard punt return touchdown, and the Wildcats led 21-17 at the half after a late Minchey rushing touchdown. LSU’s only third quarter points came on a field goal to make the score 21-20 going in to the fourth.
Where Things Went Wrong
LSU had the slight edge in total yards, 410 to 401. They also led in first downs, 26 to 19, and held the ball longer for 32:30. The Tigers still lost due to the little things.
- Special teams: Coffman’s punt return touchdown gave them momentum.
- Turnovers: LSU had two (an interception and a lost fumble), while Kentucky had none.
- Penalties: LSU had seven for 50 yards while Kentucky had two for 20 yards.
- Run game: LSU managed only 94 yards on 36 carries, 2.6 per attempt.
Leavitt and the passing game were efficient. The Tigers completed 26 of 35 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Kentucky’s defense still had three sacks and an interception.
What’s Next
LSU drops to 4-2 after the loss. Its other defeat came at Ole Miss on September 19th. The Tigers will look to bounce back at home against Mississippi State next Saturday.
— Eric Palmer, TigerSources