Kentucky Has Two Wins Over AP Top 10 Teams for Fourth Time in Program History

FINAL SCORE: RV/25 Kentucky 35, No. 10 LSU 34 (OT)

Team Records and Series Information

– Kentucky is 5-1 overall, 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference. LSU is 4-2 overall, 2-2 in the league.
– LSU leads the series 40-17-1, including 16-13 in games played in Lexington.
– NOTE: the series records do not include a 2021 Kentucky win in Lexington, later vacated by the NCAA.

Next Game

– Kentucky makes its first visit to Oklahoma since 1980 when the Wildcats visit the Sooners on Saturday, Oct. 17. Game time is 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT in Norman) and it will be televised on the SEC Network.

What the Win Means for the Wildcats

– Kentucky’s 5-1 record is the Wildcats’ best start since the 2023 squad opened 5-1.
– Kentucky’s 3-1 SEC record is the Wildcats’ best league start since the 2021 team began 4-0. (Note: the 2021 wins were later vacated by the NCAA. The last official 3-1 SEC start was the 2018 season.)
– Will Stein is the first UK head coach to be 5-1 in his first season since Alpha Brumage in 1913.
– Stein is the first coach in UK history to begin 3-1 in SEC play in his first season (SEC football began in 1933).
– Kentucky has two wins this season vs. Associated Press top-10 teams, also at #9 Texas A&M.
– It is the fourth time in school history that has been accomplished, also 1947 vs. #9 Georgia and at #10 Vanderbilt, along with 1964 at #1 Ole Miss and vs. #7 Auburn, and 2007 vs. #9 Louisville and #1 LSU.
– Kentucky is 4-3 vs. AP top-10 teams since Nov. 25, 2023.
– This marks the first time since the 2023 season the Wildcats have multiple AP top-25 victories in a single season.
– It is Kentucky’s first home win vs. an AP top-10 opponent since the victory over #10 Florida in 2021. (Note: the win was later vacated by the NCAA. The last official home win over an AP top-10 team was over #10 South Carolina in 2010.)

Team Notes

Deja Blue …
Tonight and the South Carolina game were the first back-to-back overtime games in school history
In both games, Kentucky wins in the first overtime
In both games, Kentucky wins the toss, plays defense first, and wins by the same score, 35-34, when the Wildcats score a touchdown and two-point conversion
Kentucky is now 5-9 all-time in overtime games, including 2-0 vs. LSU, also a 43-37 three-overtime win in Commonwealth Stadium in 2007.
This is the first time Kentucky has won consecutive games by the same score since defeating Morris-Harvey and Miami (Ohio) by 12-0 scores in 1911.
Will Stein becomes the first coach in school history to defeat two ranked opponents in his first season.
Kentucky scored 35 points and had 401 yards total offense against a defense that entered the game allowing just 15.2 points and 220.6 yards per game.
35 points is the most against an AP top-10 team at home since 2007 vs. LSU (43 points).
First time with at least 400 yards total offense against two AP top-10 teams since 1997.
The Kentucky defense allowed 34 points and 410 yards total offense, significantly below the 43.6 points and 547.8 yards LSU was averaging entering the game.
Kentucky allowed 94 net rushing yards tonight, fewest against an AP top-10 team at home since 2010 vs. South Carolina.
Kentucky has scored at least 31 points in five of the first six games, first time since 2007.
Will Stein is the first head coach in Kentucky history to accomplish this feat in his first season.
First time scoring at least 31 points vs. two AP top-10 teams since 2010.
Kentucky scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game, second time this season, also in the season opener vs. Youngstown State.
Kentucky’s 21 first half points are the most against an AP top-10 opponent since scoring 24 against No. 5 Georgia in 2002.
Once again, Kentucky won the “middle eight.” With a touchdown on the final play of the first half, UK won the middle-eight segment 7-0.
The Kentucky defense has been proficient coming out of halftime, as the Wildcats have not allowed a point on opponents’ first possession of the second half this season.
Kentucky has yielded an average of 4.0 yards on those possessions (24 total yards).
Tonight, the Wildcats claimed an interception on LSU’s first offensive play of the third quarter.
Kentucky forced two turnovers tonight (UK had none) and now is +7 on the season.
Kentucky tight ends combined for another productive game, totaling seven catches for 29 yards.
UK tight ends have totaled 44 receptions this season, most in the first six games of a season since the tight ends caught 48 in the first six games of 2000.
First time Kentucky had a run of at least 75 yards and a punt return for touchdown in the same game since 1987 vs. Utah State.

Player Notes

– QB Kenny Minchey completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards.
He rushed six times for 18 yards on non-sack plays, including one touchdown and the game-winning two-point play – a quarterback draw – in overtime.
UK ended the first half with a 75-yard drive, taking the final 6:11 off the clock, capped by Minchey’s fourth-and-goal 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown. It marked his first career rushing TD.
He has 178 pass attempts this season with only one interception, most beginning a season since Maxwell Smith in 2013 (183 attempts, one INT).
– RB J. Baxter rushed 19 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
He scored Kentucky’s overtime touchdown, preceding Minchey’s game-winning run.
On UK’s first offensive play, he burst up the middle for a 77-yard run, setting up his own three-yard touchdown run on the next play.
His 77-yard run is longest against an AP top-10 team in school history and also the longest against LSU in school history.
He is the first Wildcat with at least 123 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against an AP top-10 opponent since Moe Williams vs. Tennessee in 1995.
He has rushed for a touchdown in five of six games this season.
He now has three career 100-yard rushing games and two this season, including two of the past three games (also South Alabama).
– TE Willie Rodriguez led the Wildcats in receptions, catching six for 25 yards.
His six receptions are the most for a UK tight end vs. an AP top-10 team since Jacob Tamme caught six at Georgia in 2007.
He has a reception in 17 of the past 18 games.
– WR Kenny Darby caught four passes for 79 yards, including two crucial receptions late in the game.
With Kentucky trailing 27-24 on its last possession, Darby caught a 19-yard pass that carried to the LSU 23-yard line. Four plays later, Adam Zouagui parked the 33-yard field goal that sent the game to overtime.
In the overtime, on 3rd-and-8 from the 23-yard line, Darby caught a short pass at the 19-yard line, veered to the middle to get the first down, then dragged a horde of tacklers all the way to the one-yard line. All totaled it was a 22-yard play that set up C.J. Baxter’s one-yard touchdown.
His 79 receiving yards are the most for a Kentucky true freshman vs. an AP top-10 team since Barion Brown had 145 vs. Georgia in 2022.
– In the second quarter, WR Brock Coffman returned a punt 55 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
It is Kentucky’s first punt return for a touchdown since 2021, when Josh Ali had a 74-yard jaunt at Mississippi State.
He is the first UK player with a punt return touchdown against an AP top-10 10 opponent since Derek Abney at No. 7 Florida in 2002.
– LB Bo Barnes led the Wildcats with a career-high 12 tackles.
He also had 2.5 tackles for loss for -4 yards.
– LB Grant Godfrey had 10 tackles, the second double-figure tackling game of his career, and was credited with two quarterback hurries.
– LB Sam Greene was a big-play performer again tonight with five tackles, including 1.5 quarterback sacks (-15 yards).
– NG Jamarrion “Chops” Harkless tied career highs for tackles (three) and quarterback sacks (1.5). He also had the first caused fumble of his career and had a QB hurry.
-DB Ty Bryant had six tackles plus an interception.
It is his first pickoff of the season and sixth of his career.
– K Adam Zouagui made 2-of-4 field goals, including the clutch 33-yarder that sent the game to overtime.
– P Wilson Berry saw his first punting action since the 2024 season, punting three times for a 40.3 yard average, including one inside the 20-yard line.

Game Captains