Kentucky beat No. 10 LSU 35-34 in overtime on Saturday at Kroger Field, with CJ Baxter scoring the winning touchdown and Kenny Minchey running in the two-point conversion. The Wildcats improved to 5-1 while the Tigers fell to 4-2 in a game that saw six lead changes in the final three quarters and overtime.
LSU appeared to grab control in the extra period when Sam Leavitt capped the opening overtime possession with a 15-yard touchdown run, putting the Tigers up 34-27. Kentucky answered immediately. Baxter punched in a 1-yard score on the Wildcats’ first snap of their overtime possession, and Minchey’s conversion run sealed the final margin. Baxter finished as Kentucky’s leading rusher, carrying 19 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns, with a long run of 77 yards.
Takeaways From Kentucky’s Win Over LSU
Kentucky’s defense forced overtime with its only takeaway
Ty Bryant intercepted Leavitt for Kentucky’s lone turnover of the game, part of a defensive effort that held LSU without a turnover advantage despite the Tigers piling up 410 total yards. Elijah Barnes led all tacklers with 12 stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and Grant Godfrey added two quarterback hurries.
A punt return touchdown flipped early momentum
Trailing 3-0 after an early LSU field goal, Kentucky answered with a CJ Baxter touchdown run, then turned a special teams play into points when Brock Coffman returned a punt 55 yards for a score with 13:06 left in the second quarter. The return made it 10-14 and set the tone for a back-and-forth second quarter that ended with Kentucky up 21-17 at halftime.
LSU’s passing attack kept pace but couldn’t finish
Sam Leavitt threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-34 passing before his interception, and backup passer Jackson Harris added a touchdown pass of his own, hitting Roman Mothershed for 41 yards in the fourth quarter to put LSU ahead 27-24. The Tigers out-gained Kentucky 410-401 and held the ball for 32:30, but their two turnovers and a 36-attempt rushing effort that produced just 94 yards limited them in short-yardage situations, going 1 of 1 on fourth down but managing only 7 of 13 on third down.
Player Of The Game: CJ Baxter
Baxter carried 19 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime. His 77-yard run was the longest play of the game for either offense and set up one of Kentucky’s touchdowns, giving the Wildcats a power running presence that offset a passing game that went without a touchdown.
Kentucky Vs. LSU By The Numbers
Kentucky rushed for 155 yards on 32 carries, a 4.8 average, compared to LSU’s 94 yards on 36 carries for 2.6 per rush. The Wildcats won the turnover battle 2-0, never giving the ball away while LSU lost a fumble and threw an interception. LSU held a lopsided edge in total offense at 410 yards to Kentucky’s 401, built largely on 316 passing yards against Kentucky’s 246.
Kentucky committed just two penalties for 20 yards, far cleaner than LSU’s seven penalties for 50 yards. Kenny Minchey finished 23 of 36 passing for 246 yards without a touchdown or interception, while also scoring on the ground once in regulation and converting the decisive two-point try in overtime.
What’s Next
Kentucky improves to 5-1 while LSU falls to 4-2.t close out the game.
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