Kentucky Stuns No. 10 LSU 35-34 in OT on Minchey’s 2-Point Run

Q: How did a risky overtime gamble by a first-year coach secure an unprecedented, historic back-to-back FBS victory?

Will Stein’s gamble secured it by ending the game on Kentucky’s terms. After LSU scored a touchdown in overtime to go up 34-27, Kentucky answered with C.J. Baxter’s 1-yard touchdown and, instead of kicking the extra point to continue, Stein chose to go for two and the win. Quarterback Kenny Minchey dropped back, saw the middle of LSU’s defense vacated, and ran in untouched for the decisive conversion. The risk was amplified by the moment and by Stein’s inexperience as a head coach. He is in his first season, and Kentucky had already nearly let the game slip away with two missed fourth-quarter field goals before Adam Zouagui tied it with a 33-yarder with 12 seconds left. But Stein stayed aggressive, trusting an offense led by Minchey, who threw for 246 yards, 206 in the second half, and Baxter, who ran for 123 yards and two scores. The winning sequence was set up by another key choice and execution under pressure. After LSU coach Lane Kiffin used a timeout when Kentucky initially lined up for the conversion, Stein adjusted, avoided a false start with a late timeout of his own, and came back with a look that left the middle open for Minchey. The result was historic because it gave Kentucky back-to-back overtime wins by the same 35-34 score, one week after beating South Carolina. According to the available record since FBS overtime began in 1996, no team had ever before won consecutive games in overtime by one point.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 11

Kenny Minchey’s quarterback draw on a 2-point try won it in overtime, giving Kentucky a 35-34 upset of No. 10 LSU after both coaches traded timeouts before the decisive snap.
LSU helped open the door with Sam Leavitt’s second-half interception and fumble, and Kentucky still survived two fourth-quarter missed field goals, including a 26-yarder after Leavitt lost the ball at the LSU 13.
The Wildcats improved to 5-1 and became the first FBS team since overtime began in 1996 to win back-to-back games by one point in OT, both by the same 35-34 score.
The result should push Kentucky back into the AP Top 25 after last week’s puzzling drop, while 4-2 LSU faces a tighter playoff path with Alabama, Texas and Tennessee still ahead.