LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s Shane Boyd threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Glenn Holt with 1:39 left, lifting the Wildcats past Vanderbilt 14-13 on Saturday.
Kentucky (2-8, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) snapped a seven-game losing streak. Boyd and Holt connected for two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Commodores (2-8, 1-6), who just missed recording what would have been their first SEC road win in four years.
Vanderbilt led 13-0 entering the fourth quarter, but a 52-yard run by Kentucky tailback Arliss Beach led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Boyd to Holt with 12:12 left.
Kentucky walk-on Dennis Johnson blocked a Vanderbilt punt with 5:35 left, giving the Wildcats possession at the Vanderbilt 20, but the Commodores stopped Kentucky on downs at the 10 with 4:29 left.
Vanderbilt couldn’t manage a first down and punted again, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Vanderbilt 36 with 2:44 left.
It took Kentucky four plays to score. Boyd, being rushed, lobbed the ball into the back of the end zone. Holt, who caught nine passes for 87 yards, outmaneuvered cornerback Dominique Morris for the ball.
Taylor Begley’s extra point gave the Wildcats the lead.
Vanderbilt reached the 50 on its subsequent possession, but an intentional grounding penalty on Jay Cutler cost the Commodores 15 yards. Three incompletions later, the Wildcats took over with 36 seconds left.
Vanderbilt had one final chance, from deep in its own territory with 5 seconds left, but Cutler’s long pass sailed incomplete. Cutler finished 16-of-32 for 202 yards.
Boyd, a senior who almost lost his starting job during the week leading up to the game, completed 13 of 23 passes for 80 yards. He had thrown only three touchdown passes this season before Saturday.
For the first time all season, Kentucky did not commit a turnover.
The Commodores scored on the opening drive of the second half on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cutler to Chris Young, but Patrick Johnson’s extra-point attempt went wide left – which proved to be the difference in the game.
Vanderbilt led 7-0 at halftime, thanks to a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. Jeff Jennings scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter.
Begley missed field goal attempts of 35 and 47 yards, while Johnson had a 21-yard attempt blocked by Kentucky’s Lonnell DeWalt. It was the fifth block of the season for DeWalt, a 6-6 freshman.
