Kenny Minchey's game-winning quarterback draw lifts Wildcats past Tigers for fourth straight victory and second consecutive overtime win.
Minchey threw for 246 yards and C.J. Baxter rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) overcame a late deficit to hand LSU (4-2, 1-2) another conference loss.
Trailing 34-33 in overtime after Baxter's 1-yard touchdown run, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops elected to go for the win rather than force another possession. The Wildcats spread the field with five receivers, allowing Minchey to burst through the middle on a quarterback draw for the decisive conversion.
The dramatic finish capped a back-and-forth contest in which Kentucky overcame missed scoring opportunities and a fourth-quarter deficit.
LSU struck first on Scott Starzyk's 24-yard field goal, but Kentucky answered immediately when Baxter broke free for a 77-yard run before scoring from 3 yards out to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead.
The Tigers regained the advantage on Sam Leavitt's 22-yard touchdown pass to Zach Grace, but Kentucky responded with a special teams touchdown. Brock Coffman returned a punt 55 yards for a score, weaving through LSU's coverage to put the Wildcats ahead 14-10 early in the second quarter.
Leavitt connected with Jackson Harris on a 10-yard touchdown pass to restore LSU's lead before Minchey scored on a quarterback sneak just before halftime, sending Kentucky into the break ahead 21-17.
Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter. Kentucky's Ty Bryant intercepted Leavitt on LSU's opening possession, but the Wildcats failed to capitalize. Starzyk later connected on a 24-yard field goal to pull the Tigers within 21-20.
Kentucky extended its advantage to 24-20 on Adam Zouagui's 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but LSU answered with a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by Harris' 41-yard touchdown pass to Roman Mothershed.
The score gave LSU a 27-24 lead with 9:42 remaining.
Kentucky squandered two opportunities to respond when Zouagui missed field goals from 42 and 26 yards. The second miss followed a forced fumble by Jamarrion Harkless that Tavion Gadson recovered deep in LSU territory.
The Wildcats' defense delivered another stop, giving Minchey one final opportunity with 1:37 remaining.
Starting at his own 19-yard line, Minchey completed passes of 16 yards to D.J. Miller, 15 yards to Ja'Kayden Ferguson and 19 yards to Kenny Darby to move Kentucky into scoring position.
Zouagui redeemed himself with a 33-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining, tying the game at 27 and forcing overtime.
Kentucky responded when Minchey connected with Darby for 22 yards to reach the LSU 1-yard line. Baxter scored two plays later, setting up the winning conversion.
The Wildcats again trusted their offense in overtime, repeating the aggressive two-point strategy that helped them defeat South Carolina the previous week.
The victory strengthened Kentucky's position in the SEC standings while dealing another setback to LSU's conference championship aspirations.
Kentucky travels to Norman next Saturday to face Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The game will air on SEC Network.
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-- By Andréa Mochida and Andre Leday
© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.
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