Kentucky Wins 35-34 in Overtime at South Carolina on Stein's Two-Point Call
The short version
- Kentucky beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime in Columbia after trailing 17-0, the largest road deficit overcome in program history.
- Coach Will Stein went for two after Kenny Minchey's overtime touchdown to Henry Boyer; Minchey hit Willie Rodriguez for the win.
- Minchey: 28-of-41, 272 yards, 3 TDs, no INTs. South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers: 226 pass yards, 2 TDs, 147 rush yards.
- Stein is 4-1 in his first season, a start only he and Bear Bryant have had at Kentucky.
- Kentucky hosts No. 11 LSU next.
Will Stein's two-point conversion decision in overtime finished a 17-point rally as Kentucky beat South Carolina 35-34, the largest road deficit the program has ever overcome.
Kentucky rallied from 17 points down to beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime Saturday in Columbia, with first-year head coach Will Stein deciding the outcome with a late two-point gamble. After the Wildcats pulled within one on their touchdown in the extra period, Stein passed on the tying kick and kept his offense on the field. Quarterback Kenny Minchey then spotted tight end Willie Rodriguez by himself at the back of the end zone, and the conversion gave Kentucky the win.
The comeback was the largest any Kentucky team has completed on the road. The Wildcats fell behind 17-0 before turning things around and taking a 24-20 lead. South Carolina reclaimed the advantage at 27-24, and Kentucky drew level to force the extra period.
Stein had been the more conservative of the two coaches late in regulation. With four minutes left on the clock, he chose a field goal that pulled Kentucky even rather than pressing for a lead. After Kenny Darby was brought down in bounds with only seconds remaining, time ran out on regulation, and the Wildcats had to settle matters in overtime.
South Carolina scored first in the extra period, which meant Kentucky needed a touchdown and the ensuing kick just to stay alive. Minchey answered, hitting tight end Henry Boyer for the score that cut the gap to one. Instead of kicking, Stein sent the offense back out for a two-point try, and Minchey's throw to Rodriguez settled the final score at 35-34.
Stein explained the decision by pointing to the trouble his defense had slowing Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 147. Unwilling to hand Sellers one more possession, Stein left the outcome to Minchey instead.
The quarterback delivered on it. Minchey completed 28 of 41 passes for 272 yards with three touchdowns against no interceptions. Stein singled out Minchey and Rodriguez afterward for making the plays that decided it.
In his postgame comments, Stein reached for a piece of school history to describe what his team had done. A lifelong fan of the program, he drew a parallel to Tubby Smith's 1998 national championship team and labeled this group the "Comeback Cats."
Questioned about how he felt once the game ended, Stein pointed to a theme he said the team had leaned on all week. "We said this whole week, band of brothers," Stein said. "A band of brothers came into Columbia, South Carolina, and got a win."
The win ran Stein's record to 4-1 in his first season at Kentucky, a start that within the program belongs only to him and Bear Bryant. The Wildcats' next game comes at home against No. 11 LSU.
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