Kentucky Goes for Two in Overtime and Stuns No. 10 LSU, 35-34

Some Saturday nights in the South you remember for years. In Lexington, No. 25 Kentucky went for two in overtime and beat No. 10 LSU 35-34 at Kroger Field, with quarterback Kenny Minchey running a quarterback draw up the middle untouched to win it, as the Associated Press and ESPN reported.

How it went down

ESPN reports LSU got the ball first in overtime and scored when quarterback Sam Leavitt ran 15 yards. On Kentucky's turn, freshman receiver Kenny Darby, who had first committed to LSU, caught a 22-yard pass that took the Wildcats to the 1. C.J. Baxter ran it in from there, and Kentucky lined up five receivers to spread the field before Minchey ran it in. Kentucky only got to overtime because kicker Adam Zouagui hit a 33-yarder with 12 seconds left after missing two kicks late in the game. Baxter finished with 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns, 77 of those yards on the first play of the game.

Same script, two weeks running

Kentucky's postgame notes say this and last week's South Carolina game were the first back-to-back overtime games in school history. Both times Kentucky won the toss, played defense first, and won 35-34 with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. For LSU, the Tigers' own recap doesn't hide how much it hurt. They are 4-2, and 1-2 in the SEC.

Why working folks love a call like that

Kicking the extra point would have played it safe. Going for two meant betting the whole night on a single play, the kind of call anybody who has ever run a crew or a small shop understands. Some days you can't wait around for another shot, so you trust your people and go.

Overheard at the mixing desk

The game came up while we were talking with one of the producers at MuddySouth Music on a busy day in the studio. The interview had already wandered all over, from taxes to turbos, and when we asked about all the wild Saturday football going on, he leaned back and asked something nobody saw coming: if Hell is hot, does that make Heaven cold? He laughed and said he doesn't have all the answers and won't pretend to. What he does know is that good people have been living and dying for generations to keep this country moving, keep it free, and keep it under God. And he says that's how it'll stay, whether tomorrow's headlines bring good news or bad.

Your turn to go for two

Speaking as the one who wrote this, here's my pitch. MuddySouth Music has big outreach planned this year and a lot more ways to get together with the fans, and the people on our contact list will hear about all of it first. Signing up takes less time than an overtime drive, so don't play it safe. Get on the list and come along for the ride.