Photo by Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters; Logos via sportslogos.net
The #10-ranked LSU Tigers returned to the gridiron on Saturday, this time traveling to Lexington to face the 4-1 Kentucky Wildcats. This was the second time this season the Bayou Bengals went on the road through the first six weeks. LSU held the ball for most of the game but lost in overtime 35-34, dropping the team’s record to 4-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
On the opening drive, the Tigers gained 69 yards in 14 plays before settling for a 24-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk. The Wildcats got on the board 30 seconds later when running back CJ Baxter took the opening carry 77 yards up the middle. Baxter beat the Bayou Bengals to the goal line on the next play for a three-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Wildcats the 7-3 lead less than seven minutes into the game.
LSU responded with another six-and-a-half-minute drive that resulted in a Tiger touchdown. Quarterback Sam Leavitt made plays through the air and on the ground to pick up another four first downs. On 2nd & 15, LSU ran a double reverse where receiver Winston Watkins Jr. got the ball back to Leavitt, who delivered the ball to a wide-open Zach Grace for a 22-yard score. The play was Grace’s first career catch as the Tigers went up by three with 1:39 left in the opening quarter.
After a pair of punts, Kentucky received the punt, and return specialist Brock Coffman broke multiple tackles and took the ball 55 yards to the house for the Wildcat touchdown. LSU came right back with another near seven-minute drive, resetting the chains on a pair of third downs, and a 4th & 1 where Dilin Jones beat the defenders on the edge for a 14-yard rush. That play set up a 1st & GOAL where Leavitt made a precise pass to Jackson Harris for the 10-yard touchdown as LSU reclaimed a three-point advantage.
The Wildcats controlled the ball for the final 6:11 of the first half, scoring on the final play when Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey rushed for one yard on a tush push into the endzone.
The Bayou Bengals went into the locker room down 21-17.
Half number two wasn’t as offensively driven, with Leavitt throwing a high pass that Ty Bryant intercepted and returned to the Tiger 36-yard line. Kentucky couldn’t do anything with the short field, with Minchey’s pass falling incomplete on fourth down in the red zone.
After Leavitt completed three passes of 10 yards or more, the Tigers settled for another Starkyk kick, once again from 24 yards out to make it a one-point game with 2:13 left in the third quarter.
Kentucky matched LSU on the following possession with a 28-yard Adam Zouagui field goal a couple of minutes into the fourth. The Tigers didn’t take long to get back on the board, though, as they ran another trick play for a touchdown. This time, Harris caught the backwards lateral and connected with tight end Roman Mothershed for a 41-yard score, putting LSU ahead 27-24 at the 9:42 mark of the quarter.
In an insane series of events, Minchey took a six-yard sack on third down before Zouagui missed a 42-yard attempt. Leavitt then fumbled on the second play of the drive to give the Wildcat a chance on a short field. Zouagui proceeded to miss a 26-yarder to tie the game with 3:11 to go. The Kentucky kicker made up for it in the closing seconds by making a 33-yard attempt, sending the game into overtime.
LSU had the ball first and scored in two plays, with Leavitt reaching paydirt from 15 yards out on a quarterback keeper. The Wildcats scored in five plays as Baxter went in from one yard out, then Minchey had a successful two-point conversion on a designed QB run to give the Tigers the 35-34 loss.
BIG NUMBER: 6
The road struggles continue for the Bayou Bengals as their road losing streak increased to six with Saturday’s loss. The last time LSU won away from Death Valley was week one of last year vs Clemson.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: CJ Baxter
Baxter came up big for Kentucky at the bookends of the game. He finished with 123 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 19 carries as LSU lost on the road 35-34.
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