Kentucky walked into Columbia needing a win, and walked out with one of the wildest comeback victories in program history.
Down 17 in the first half and staring at a game that was getting away from them, the Wildcats rallied for a 35-34 overtime win at South Carolina on Saturday. It was Kentucky’s largest comeback road win in conference play in program history, and it kept them moving a step closer to bowl eligibility with a tough stretch still ahead.
The start was ugly for Kentucky. South Carolina’s offense found room for chunk plays, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers breaking off big scrambles and the Gamecocks piling up rushing yards. On the other side, Kentucky’s offense never settled in early, with sacks and penalties helping stall the first few drives.
Still, once the Wildcats fell behind 17-0 late in the first half, they finally started to claw back. A fumble recovery in scoring position set up a CJ Baxter touchdown, and Kentucky added a field goal to trim the gap to 17-10. South Carolina answered with a field goal of its own, though, and took a 10-point lead into halftime.
Kentucky opened the second half with the ball and wasted no time cashing in. Kenny Darby’s 17-yard touchdown cut the deficit to one score, and the Wildcats kept building from there. By the end of the third quarter, they had surged in front 24-20 after another touchdown, capping a strong response after the early hole.
Then South Carolina punched back in the fourth quarter and grabbed a 27-24 lead, turning the game back into a tense back-and-forth battle. Kentucky’s defense, which had already steadied things late in the first half, came up with another stop to give the offense a chance. The Wildcats settled for a field goal to tie it with just under five minutes left, then got one more defensive stop to set up a potential winning drive with two minutes remaining.
Kentucky moved the ball while trying to work the clock, but the drive ended in frustration when it couldn’t get the snap off before regulation expired. That pushed the game to overtime, where South Carolina scored first and left Kentucky needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to finish the comeback.
The Wildcats got both. Stein went for two instead of settling for a tie, and Kentucky made it count for the 35-34 win.
Will Stein once again helped produce an epic third quarter, and Kentucky rode that response all the way to an absolute thriller.
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Will Stein's Late Gamble Put Kentucky Fans On Edge
Kentuckys 35-34 overtime win at South Carolina came with all the chaos youd expect from a road game that turned into the largest comeback in program history. Will Stein spent much of his postgame press conference walking through how it all unfolded, from the defensive strain that made the finish feel so precarious to the way key players helped the Wildcats dig out of a hole and keep the game alive.
Stein also owned the clock-management mistake late in regulation, a rare public slip in a night filled with high-leverage decisions. The biggest one came in overtime, when he chose to go for the win with a two-point conversion instead of extending the game, a gamble he tied to how worn down his defense had become as Kentucky dealt with injuries and a game that kept asking for one more answer. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey Just Delivered A Kentucky Road Performance Fans Rarely See
Kenny Mincheys night in Columbia started slowly, but it ended with Kentucky leaving South Carolina with a 35-34 overtime win and a quarterback performance the program has not seen often on the road. Minchey settled in as the game went on, completing 28 of 41 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns while helping the Wildcats bounce back from early trouble and stay in the thick of the SEC race.
The bigger significance may be what Minchey just did in a road conference setting. He became the first Kentucky quarterback since 2001 to post those passing numbers in an SEC road game without throwing an interception, a rare blend of volume, efficiency and poise away from home. With the win, Kentucky moved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in league play, and it now has a quarterback performance worth circling as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Gutsy Win Left The Wildcats With A Worrying LSU Problem
Kentuckys overtime escape against South Carolina came with the kind of toll that can change a week in a hurry. The Wildcats survived 35-34, but the win was shadowed by a string of injuries, with running back Jason Patterson, linebacker Antwan Smith and defensive back Jaden Smith all leaving the game hurt. Jaden Smiths injury was described as severe, turning what should have been a momentum-building finish into a far more uneasy evaluation of the roster.
Coach Will Stein said several other players were already unavailable before kickoff, adding another layer of concern as Kentucky shifts its focus to LSU. The Wildcats know they earned something valuable by pulling out a gutty overtime victory, but the challenge now is figuring out how much of that lineup will be intact when the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]