LSU walked out of Kentucky with another road loss and a result that will sting for a while: a 35-34 overtime defeat that dropped the Tigers to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.
It was a night that had enough inventive offense to keep LSU alive, but not enough consistency to finish the job. The Tigers flashed plenty of creativity, and Charlie Weis Jr. leaned into it early.
Zach Grace got involved on a route that turned into his first career catch, a wide-open 22-yard touchdown. Later, LSU went even further outside the box, with Sam Leavitt taking the snap while off-center before flipping the ball to Jackson Harris, who then launched it to backup tight end Roman Mothershed for a 41-yard score.
Those moments helped LSU build momentum, but they also masked the rough edges that kept showing up underneath. The Tigers piled up nearly 400 yards, yet the offense never looked fully in control. Leavitt had stretches that were fun to watch and others that were flat-out costly, especially after halftime.
His interception early in the third quarter handed Kentucky the ball at LSU’s 36-yard line with a four-point LSU lead, but the defense held and forced a turnover on downs. In the fourth quarter, with LSU up 27-24, Kentucky put together one of its better drives before missing a 42-yard field goal. LSU then gave the ball right back when Leavitt coughed it up on an ugly, avoidable fumble, only for Kentucky to miss again, this time from 26 yards.
The Tigers also didn’t get much from the run game, which was an unexpected problem in a matchup that looked better on paper. LSU averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Dilin Jones wound up being more valuable as a receiver, finishing with seven catches for 84 yards.
Kentucky finally broke through when Adam Zouagui made his first kick of the night with 19 seconds left to force overtime. That set the stage for LSU’s latest road disappointment, and it came after a late decision that is sure to draw attention: the Tigers punted on 4th and 1 near midfield, though still on their own side of the field, with 1:37 left.
The defense had its moments, too. For stretches in the middle of the game, it looked like the Blake Baker-led group LSU fans know.
But the ends of the night told a different story. At times, it brought back shades of the Ole Miss loss, especially when Kenny Minchey settled in, led a strong two-minute drive, and then ran in the two-point conversion to win it.
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More recently, the game has kept finding ways to look strange, including LSUs dramatic finish in 2002 and Kentuckys latest victory over the Tigers in 2021, a 42-21 result in Lexington. For LSU fans, the memory bank on this series is full of odd turns and uncomfortable surprises, which is part of why Kentucky week has never quite felt normal. [Read more 🡒]