Kentucky Edges No. 10 LSU 35-34 in Overtime as Minchey Runs In Game-Winning Two-Pointer at Kroger Field

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky needed overtime for the second straight week, and once again the Wildcats refused to settle for a tie. Quarterback Kenneth Minchey ran untouched into the end zone on a two-point conversion to give Kentucky a 35-34 victory over No. 10 LSU on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

The Wildcats (5-1, 3-1 SEC) fell behind early in overtime when LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt scored on a 15-yard run. Kentucky answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by C.J. Baxter, and instead of kicking the tying extra point, first-year coach Will Stein sent his offense back out for the win. Minchey took the snap and ran in uncontested to close it. It was the second consecutive week Kentucky won by a single point on an overtime two-point conversion, following last week’s overtime win over South Carolina.

How Kentucky forced overtime

The Wildcats nearly won it in regulation, then nearly lost it. Kicker Adam Zouagui, who missed field goals of 42 and 26 yards with less than five minutes to play — the second miss coming after Leavitt was sacked and fumbled — drilled a 33-yarder with 12 seconds left to tie the game and force the extra period.

Minchey finished 23 of 36 for 246 yards, with 206 of those yards coming after halftime. The Notre Dame transfer managed just 40 passing yards in the first half, then threw for 131 in the fourth quarter alone. Baxter ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including 77 on Kentucky’s first play of the game.

LSU’s defense falters late

The Tigers (4-2, 1-2 SEC) entered the night with one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, allowing 220.6 yards per game, third in the country. Kentucky piled up 401 yards against it. LSU appeared to have the game won when receiver Jackson Harris threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Roman Mothershed with 9:42 remaining for a 27-24 lead, but the Wildcats had the final answer — twice, counting overtime.

Leavitt finished 25 of 34 for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble. Freshman receiver Kenneth Darby, who had originally committed to LSU, caught four passes for 79 yards for Kentucky; his 22-yard reception in overtime set the Wildcats up at the LSU 1-yard line and set up the winning sequence.

The win was Kentucky’s second against a top-10 opponent this season, following a Week 3 victory at Texas A&M, according to USA Today. The Wildcats’ fans stormed the field after the final play, a celebration that will cost the school a $500,000 fine under the SEC’s field-storming policy. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said when the penalty was raised to a flat $500,000 in May 2025 that “field rushing is field rushing, the first time or the 18th time.”

Kentucky next visits Oklahoma on Saturday. LSU hosts No. 17 Mississippi State.

Reporting based on coverage by NBC Sports and USA Today.