Kentucky left Columbia with a win it had no business taking lightly, and it came in the wildest possible way. The Wildcats erased a 17-0 hole, survived a back-and-forth second half, and then edged South Carolina 35-34 in overtime on Saturday afternoon on a two-point conversion that finished the job.
The ending was as bold as the comeback itself. After South Carolina scored first in overtime, Kentucky answered and then went for two instead of settling for the extra point.
Will Stein’s call paid off, and the Wildcats walked out with the largest come-from-behind road win in program history. Next up, Kentucky returns home for a matchup with LSU next Saturday night.
That finish didn’t happen because the early stages went smoothly. South Carolina came out controlling the game, moving the ball at will and building a 17-0 lead while Kentucky struggled on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats did manage to trim that to a 20-10 deficit before halftime, and from there the game turned into a fight.
Kentucky showed plenty of grit after the break. The Wildcats battled their way into the lead, only to see LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina answer when they had to.
Kentucky put together another strong third quarter and briefly led 24-20 before giving that advantage right back. A late field goal in the fourth tied things at 27-27, and that’s where the score stayed until overtime.
One of the biggest issues for Kentucky all season has been getting behind the sticks, and this game offered another clear look at why that matters. The Wildcats have struggled on third down, but the deeper problem is what happens before they even get there.
Too many sacks and tackles for loss keep drives in trouble, and when the run game isn’t working, the offense has to ask too much of Kenny Minchey. Early protection problems only made things worse.
That’s why first and second down are such a major focus for Will Stein and Joe Sloan. Kentucky needs cleaner situations before it ever reaches third down, because the offense has a much better chance when it’s not constantly fighting uphill. Even so, the Wildcats did find success in the key moments late, which is part of why the second half and overtime looked so different from the start of the game.
Minchey deserves plenty of credit for that. He doesn’t light up the stat sheet in flashy ways, but he manages the offense well and usually keeps Kentucky on schedule.
He protects the ball, keeps drives moving, and can make winning plays when the moment demands it. He’s not the kind of quarterback who constantly uncorks deep shots or pulls the ball down and runs, but he fits what Kentucky is asking him to do.
There are missed throws in there, sure, but the overall picture is clear: he handles the offense the way this staff wants it handled. Stein and Sloan are giving him structure, and Minchey is executing it.
In this game, that included the two throws that ended up winning it in overtime. For Kentucky, that kind of fit matters as much as raw talent.
And then there’s Kenny Darby, who keeps making the kind of plays that force people to pay attention. The true freshman wideout, listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, has already become one of Kentucky’s most dangerous weapons. DJ Miller may still be the team’s best receiver, but Darby leads the Wildcats in receiving yards, and that lead grew even more after Saturday.
With Miller out and the offense searching for answers, Darby kept stepping up. He already showed earlier in the season that he can bounce back from mistakes, like the touchdown drop against Texas A&M that he answered with a touchdown and more catches afterward. Against South Carolina, he made an unbelievable diving catch that was overturned in an inexplicable ruling, and it didn’t slow him down at all.
He just kept producing. Darby is more than a one-trick deep threat.
He can work the middle on crossing routes, turn a screen into a big play, and create headaches all over the field. You never quite know what you’re going to get from him, except that it’s usually going to be electric.
In Other News...
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 🡒]