Kenny Minchey just carved up South Carolina’s defense, throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Henry Boyer and then sealing the deal with a clutch 2-point conversion to Willie Rodriguez in overtime, lifting No. 24 Kentucky to a wild 35-34 road win on Saturday. The Wildcats were down 17-0 early on, but Minchey proved he’s built for these moments. This was an absolutely insane game and a huge statement for first-year coach Will Stein.
The Comeback No One Saw Coming
Talk about a gut check! Kentucky, ranked No. 24, was staring down a 17-0 deficit. But Minchey, that Notre Dame transfer, wasn’t letting that happen. He threw a 32-yard scoring pass to Nic Anderson late in the third quarter that gave Kentucky its first lead, 24-20. The drama didn’t stop there. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers hit DJ Black for a 15-yard TD in the fourth quarter to retake the lead. But Minchey, cool as ice, marched his team 66 yards down the field, setting up Adam Zouagui for a 29-yard tying field goal with just 4:13 to play.
Overtime? You knew it was gonna be chaos. Sellers hit Maurice Brown II for a 5-yard score, putting the pressure right back on Kentucky. But Minchey found Boyer for the 6-yard TD, and instead of playing for another overtime, Coach Stein went for the win with the 2-point conversion. Rodriguez, wide open in the back of the end zone, snatched that pass and the entire Kentucky sideline erupted! This is Stein’s second major road win already, remember they beat then-ninth-ranked Texas A&M 31-21 just two weeks ago. Minchey finished with 272 yards and three touchdowns, while Sellers put up 226 yards and two scores, plus an impressive 147 rushing yards. But it wasn’t enough for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina’s Nightmare Continues
Man, you gotta feel for South Carolina fans, but at some point, you gotta look at the writing on the wall. This loss makes it eight straight in SEC play for them. Eight! It’s no wonder coach Shane Beamer’s contract buyouts are apparently getting looked up. The pressure has to be absolutely crushing. Adding to the pain, they were without star defensive end Dylan Stewart, a projected top-10 NFL draft pick, who was suspended by the school and the SEC for throwing a punch in their 49-18 loss to the Crimson Tide last week. That kind of self-sabotage just adds insult to injury. And let’s not forget, just two weeks ago they were up 16-0 on Mississippi State before collapsing to a 41-34 loss. This team just cannot close.
What’s next? Kentucky heads back home to host No. 11 LSU next Saturday night. That’s a huge test to see if they can keep this momentum going. Meanwhile, South Carolina has to go to No. 8 Florida next Saturday. After this kind of brutal overtime loss, and with contract buyouts being looked at, that game against Florida is absolutely massive for Shane Beamer. The heat is on!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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