Will Stein didn’t flinch when Kentucky got the ball in overtime against South Carolina and had to decide whether to play for another round or end it right there.
After the Wildcats answered the Gamecocks’ first score in extra time with a touchdown, Stein went straight for the win with a two-point try. Kentucky converted, leaving Columbia with a 35-34 overtime victory after rallying from 17 points down.
Asked afterward what went into the call, Stein said the choice was made early in overtime.
"We decided right at the beginning of overtime," Stein told the UK Sports Network's Tom Leach. "The momentum kind of swung back to them after regulation.
I did a poor job with the clock management towards the end. That was really bad by me, so it felt like if we were able to go down there and score, our best chance to leave this place with a win was to go for two and go for the win.
And great execution by our guys, great protection check by Kenny to get him protected, to step up in the pocket, deliver it back on a hitter line-type throw, really with the toe tap, and yeah, the rest is history."
Kentucky’s path to that moment was messy early and steady late. The Wildcats fell behind by 17 to open the game, went into halftime trailing 20-10, then put together a strong third quarter to climb all the way back and grab their first lead entering the fourth.
From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth fight before overtime delivered the finish.
Afterward, Stein said the comeback had the feel of Comeback Cats. In his first year leading the program, the overtime finish gave Kentucky another memorable moment, capped by the two-point conversion that ended it.
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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 🡒]