By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s much celebrated offense – the No. 3 offense in the land with 548 yards a game – had two chances to run out the clock with the lead in the final minutes and win at Kentucky Saturday night in Lexington, but failed both times and lost 35-34 in overtime at Kroger Field.
Facing a fourth-and-one at its 43-yard line with 1:46 left and a 27-24 lead in overtime, all that $40 to $50 million roster needed was one yard – three feet – to put this game away. But Kiffin opted to punt.
And the No. 10 Tigers (4-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) are in danger of not even making the College Football Playoff, which LSU’s administration, donors, boosters and collectives apparently paid for last winter by signing Kiffing to a $91 million deal over seven years. Punt that.
Now, ESPN’s playoff prediction service has LSU’s chances of the CFP at 14 percent.
“Disappointing,” Kiffin said. “In all three phases of the game, we could’ve won this game.”
Kentucky kicker Adam Zouagui missed a 26-yard field goal with 3:11 to go dead right that would have tied the game, and LSU just needed to run out the clock from there with a 27-24 lead. But the Tigers couldn’t do it, and Zouagui got another chance after a last-minue drive by the Wildcats and booted a 33-yard field goal with 12 seconds to play for a 27-27 tie.
After LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt scored on a 15-yard run to give the Tigers a 34-27 advantage to lead off overtime with the extra point, Kentucky scored on its overtime possession and went for two in a win or lose gamble. Quarterback Kenny Minchey scored easily from three yards out on a draw up the middle for the walk-off, 35-34 win.
The Tigers lost their second straight road game in the SEC, and Kiffin fell to 1-10 as an SEC coach to ranked league teams on the road in his three SEC stops at Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU.
Going into LSU at No. 25 Kentucky tonight, Lane Kiffin is 1-9 as SEC coach vs. ranked SEC teams on road. LSU is 0-7 on road vs. ranked SEC teams with last W, 49-39 at 21 Mizzou on Oct. 7, 2023. https://t.co/2sGyVofD7y
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 10, 2026
No. 25 Kentucky (5-2, 3-1 SEC) picked up its third straight home win over the Tigers – 2007, 2021 and 2026 – and became the first team in FBS history to win back-to-back games by one point in overtime since OT started in 1996. Kentucky beat South Carolina, 35-34, last week on a do-or-die Minchey two-point conversion pass.
LSU took its 27-24 lead with 9:42 to play in the game on a flea flicker touchdown pass of 41 yards from wide receiver Jackson Harris to tight end Roman Mothershed. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw a short pass behind the line of scrimmage to Harris in the flat on what looked like a screen pass, and the Kentucky defense bit and bit hard. Harris then threw a perfect spiral to Mothershed, who just moved to tight end last week after the injury to starter Trey’Dez Green on Sept. 19 at Ole Miss.
Kentucky drove to a second-and-five at the LSU 19-yard line with under seven minutes to play, but defensive tackle Malik Blocton sacked Minchey for a 6-yard loss to the 24-yard line. And on fourth down, Zouagui missed a 42-yard field goal badly wide left against a strong wind.
LSU took over with 4:57 to go just needing a drive to win the game, but Leavitt fumbled on a -15-yard sack, and Kentucky took over at the 13-yard line with 4:11 left. The Tigers’ defense answered the call, though, forcing another field goal attempt from Zouagui, and he missed the chip-shot 26-yard field goal.
The Tigers took over again with 3:11 left to play and moved to a fourth-and-one at its 43-yard line with 1:46 left. A first down there could’ve won the game for the Tigers. But Kiffin punted.
“Thought about going for it on fourth-and-one,” Kiffin said after the game. “Talked myself out of it. The way their kicker had missed two field goals already. So, punt and play defense. Worst scenario, we got to overtime, and that’s what happened.”
After LSU’s punt, Kentucky took over at its 19-yard line with 1:37 to play, and the Wildcats promptly drove 67 yards in nine plays to set up Zouagui’s 33-yard field goal for the 27-27 tie.
Kentucky had taken a 24-20 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Zouagui with 11:54 to go in the fourth quarter.
After trailing 21-17 at the half, the Tigers drew within 21-20 with 2:13 to go in the third quarter on a 24-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk.
“I told the team before the game, ‘You can’t let them hang around,'” Kiffin said. “We had the ball ahead, and we turned the ball over (Leavitt fumble). Then another chance to end it there (on the fourth-and-one).”
Leavitt finished 25-of-34 passing for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but he had the critcial fumble and threw an interception early in the third quarter, but that didn’t lead to points. He rushed 15 times for 63 yards, but lost 24 yards on three sacks. Minchey completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards.
The Tigers dominated several key areas in the first half, but LSU found itself behind, 21-17, at halftime after some questionable defensive play throughout the game.
LSU outgained Kentucky by 236 yards to 171 in the first half, doubled them in first downs, 16-8, and possessed the ball for 20 minutes to just nine. But LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s unit could not stop Kentucky running back CJ Baxter, who powered through the Tigers for 121 yards on 14 carries. But he was injured briefly in the third quarter and was not nearly as effective.
Baxter dashed 77 yards on Kentucky’s first possession on what looked like a busted play by the Tigers’ defense to set up 3-yard touchdown run by Baxter and 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter. LSU linebacker Davhon Keys, who has been starting in place of injured Whit Weeks, appeared to bull rush on the play and left a gaping hole for Baxter.
The Tigers had taken a 3-0 lead on the first possession of the game with a 24-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk after LSU drove 69 yards in 14 plays.
Leavitt threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide open tight end Zach Grace on what also looked like a busted play on defense to put the Tigers up 10-7 with 1:39 to play in the first quarter. But it was another case of LSU trickery that left Grace all alone. Leavitt handed off to running back Dilin Jones, who flipped the ball to wide receiver Winnie Watkins Jr., who flipped it back to Leavitt before the pass. Grace faked like he was blocking and crept out into the clear.
Kentucky came right back to take a 14-10 lead, however, on a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown by Brock Coffman with 13:06 to play in the first half. Leavitt answered that with a 65-yard drive in 14 plays, culminating with his 10-yard touchdown pass to Harris for a 17-14 lead with 6:11 to go.
Leavitt finished the half 14-of-18 passing for 162 yards and two touchdowns while rushing seven times for 31 yards, showing no signs of his injured hamstring.
But LSU’s defense allowed Kentucky to drive 75 yards in 15 plays over the final moments of the first half with Minchey scoring on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal for the 21-17 halftime lead.
“I’m not going to overreact,” Kiffin said. “We got all these problems, but at the same time, we had so many opportunities to close the game out and win.”
Asked about LSU’s sudden slipping playoff chances, a weary Kiffin said, “I’ll get to that tomorrow. I just told them (the players), this goes on all of us. We had all kinds of chances to close out the game, win the game, and we didn’t do it.”
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