Saturday’s matchup at Kroger Field brings LSU back to Lexington for only the second time since Kentucky stunned the eventual national champions in 2007, but this series has a habit of delivering chaos whenever the Tigers show up in town.
Kentucky has pulled off plenty of damage at home against LSU over the years. In 1989, Freddie Maggard threw a touchdown pass and the Wildcats beat LSU 27-21.
Since that win, Kentucky has taken four of the last six home games in the series. The two losses that followed were the kind people in Lexington still remember with a wince.
One came in 2001, when Jared Lorenzen caught fire in the second half and helped Kentucky erase a big deficit to grab the lead in the fourth quarter. That comeback, though, fell apart when LSU scored the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left.
The next year brought one of the most painful finishes in the series. Kentucky fans were already lining up to storm the field after what looked like a 30-27 victory, and Guy Morriss had been doused with Gatorade, when Marcus Randall’s pass was tipped and caught by Devery Henderson for a 74-yard touchdown as time expired. The play became known as the Bluegrass Miracle.
Kentucky answered that heartbreak in emphatic fashion four years later. With top-ranked LSU in town and CBS carrying the game, the Wildcats fought their way to a 43-37 win in a night that remains one of the program’s most memorable.
Steven Peake revisits that upset in the latest KSR Explains video, while Kentucky Sports Radio is also continuing its expanded YouTube coverage with interviews, commentary, Rapid Reactions, and live shows. Jacob Tamme also joined in this week to relive Kentucky’s 2007 triple-overtime win over LSU. More 11 Personnel is scheduled for tonight at 6 PM EST.
In Other News...
Kentucky Gets A Needed Boost Despite One Late Availability Concern
Kentuckys latest availability update brought some clarity going into the weekend, and it came with a bit of relief for a roster that has already spent plenty of time juggling injuries. Under the SECs new weekly reporting policy, the Wildcats had to file an official status update Friday, and it confirmed several players will be unavailable, including defensive tackle Kalen Edwards, who moved from doubtful to out.
Even with that setback, the bigger picture is more encouraging for Kentucky as it heads into the next game. The Wildcats are still expected to be short-handed, but the sense around the program is that at least three of the teams top players are on track to make it back onto the field, giving the roster a much-needed boost at a time when depth has been tested. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Get A Game Day Warning Before Sold Out LSU Night
Kentucky fans heading to Kroger Field for the sold-out LSU game are being asked to plan for more than just a full house Saturday night. Kentucky Athletics issued a weather advisory ahead of the 7 p.m. ET kickoff, noting that rainy and windy conditions are expected and that the program has already adjusted its game-day plans accordingly.
The most visible change is a rescheduled halftime drone show, while fans are being urged to come prepared with rain gear and to make sure tailgating items are secured before heading inside. The department also put out additional traffic and parking guidance to help handle the crowd, a reminder that a major SEC night at home can turn messy even before the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Passing Surge Is Making One SEC Program Look Wrong
When Kentucky went looking for help in the passing game, Kenny Darby fit the kind of profile that can change a room quickly: a freshman receiver with SEC-level upside who had already been through a recruiting detour before landing in Lexington. Darby originally committed to LSU, but the new coaching staff did not keep him in the fold after Lane Kiffins arrival. Once Will Stein brought Joe Sloan aboard as offensive coordinator, Darby flipped to Kentucky and has wasted little time turning opportunity into production.
Through five games, Darby has become Kentuckys leading receiver, and the pace he is on has the Wildcats watching their freshman record book with real interest. He is tracking toward several program marks for a first-year pass catcher, which only sharpens the sense that Kentucky may have found more than a useful addition. For LSU, it is another reminder that roster turnover can come with a cost, and for Kentucky it is a sign the passing game is beginning to find a player who can grow into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]