Final (OT) · Sat. Oct. 3 · Williams-Brice

Kentucky 35, South Carolina 34

Carolina outgained Kentucky 458 yards to 394, led 17-0, and lost in overtime on a two-point conversion.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Kentucky	0	10	14	3	8	35
South Carolina	14	6	0	7	7	34

The yards

This time the yards became points. For a while.

The week's question was whether Carolina could turn yards into points after 419 yards and 18 points at Alabama. For a half, it did. Matt Fuller and Jabree Coleman ran for first-quarter touchdowns, Malik Orsan added a 29-yard field goal, and it was 17-0 early in the second quarter.

By the end, Carolina had 458 total yards to Kentucky's 394 and more than 225 rushing yards to Kentucky's 122. The offense did its part. It wasn't enough.

The second half

A 17-point lead, gone

The first crack came before halftime. A Coleman fumble at the Carolina 33 set up CJ Baxter's 3-yard touchdown run, and Kentucky added a 42-yard field goal with 59 seconds left. Orsan's 48-yarder at the horn made it 20-10 at the half.

Then Carolina went scoreless in the third quarter, and Kenny Minchey threw touchdown passes of 17 yards to Kenny Darby and 32 yards to Nic Anderson. Kentucky led 24-20 going into the fourth.

The run

Sellers' 74 yards

On the second play of the fourth quarter, LaNorris Sellers ran right for 74 yards to the Kentucky 2. His touchdown run two plays later was wiped out by a personal foul on DJ Black, and Carolina was pushed back to the 17. On second down, Sellers hit Black for a 15-yard touchdown and a 27-24 lead.

Sellers finished with 147 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdown passes.

The finish

Fumble, field goal, overtime, two-point try

With 9:36 left, Sellers fumbled at the Kentucky 26 and the Wildcats recovered. Kentucky drove 66 yards in 10 plays, and Adam Zouagui's 29-yard field goal tied it at 27 with 4:13 to go.

Carolina's next drive ended in a punt at the two-minute mark. Kentucky crossed midfield before regulation ran out.

In overtime, Sellers found Maurice Brown II for a 5-yard touchdown. Minchey answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Henry Boyer, and Kentucky went for two and the win. Minchey hit Willie Rodriguez, and that was the game: Kentucky 35, South Carolina 34.

Towel Weather Clean Out: status RED ALERT

You're mad. Here's what actually went wrong.

This isn't the first time. On Sept. 19, Carolina led Mississippi State 16-0, was held scoreless in the third quarter, and lost 41-34. Tonight it led Kentucky 17-0, was held scoreless in the third quarter, and lost 35-34 in overtime. That's two leads of 16 points or more given away in three SEC games.

The fixable parts are specific. Two lost fumbles became 10 Kentucky points. Twice now, a third quarter has gone by without a Carolina point. The yards are there. Shane Beamer's staff has to find a way to protect a lead once it has one.

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