Kenny Minchey’s two-point-conversion pass to Willie Rodriguez lifted No. 24 Kentucky to a 35-34 overtime win over South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
Minchey connected with Henry Boyer on a 6-yard touchdown to set up the successful two-point attempt and cap the largest road comeback in program history after Kentucky trailed 17-0 in the second quarter.
LaNorris Sellers’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Brown II opened overtime and gave the Gamecocks a 34-27 lead.
Minchey had 272 passing yards and three touchdowns. Kenny Darby caught 12 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and Nic Anderson had 80 receiving yards and a score. CJ Baxter had a rushing score for Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference).
Sellers threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 17 times for 147 yards. Matt Fuller and Jabree Coleman each had a rushing touchdown, while Mazeo Bennett Jr. had 92 receiving yards, and DJ Black and Brown each caught a touchdown pass for the Gamecocks (2-3, 0-3 SEC).
South Carolina opened the scoring when Fuller burst untouched into the end zone on a 6-yard run four minutes into the game.
With 2:09 left in the first, the Gamecocks took a 14-0 lead on Coleman’s 4-yard touchdown run. South Carolina went up 17-0 on Malik Orsan’s 29-yard field goal with 11:02 left in the first half.
The Wildcats cut South Carolina’s lead to 17-7 on a 3-yard scoring run by Baxter with 2:47 left in the second quarter. Adam Zouagui’s 42-yard field goal cut Kentucky’s deficit to 17-10 with 59 seconds remaining before halftime.
Orsan’s 48-yard field goal as time expired gave the Gamecocks a 20-10 halftime advantage.
The Wildcats opened the third quarter with Minchey’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Darby 3:01 into the second half.
Kentucky took its first lead at 24-20 when Minchey lofted a 32-yard touchdown pass to Anderson with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
But the Gamecocks answered back, taking a 27-24 lead after Sellers followed a 74-yard run with a 15-yard scoring strike to Black. Zouagui tied the game at 27-all, splitting the uprights from 29 yards out with 4:14 remaining.
