Big Blue Preview: Kentucky vs. LSU
Info to Know
| Kentucky vs. LSU | When: Sat., Oct. 10, 7:00 p.m. ET | Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky. | TV: ESPN | Radio: UK Sports Network |
Preview
After winning at South Carolina in overtime on Saturday, No. 25 Kentucky returns home this weekend, hosting 10th-ranked LSU at Kroger Field (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) overcame a 17-point deficit in Columbia on Saturday, the biggest road comeback in program history. The Cats won the game in overtime when Kenny Minchey found Willie Rodriguez in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion.
LSU (4-1, 1-1) crushed McNeese 63-14 on Saturday behind 366 yards rushing as a team and three touchdown passes from quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Kentucky and LSU have not played each other since 2021, a game that saw the Cats top the Tigers 42-21 at Kroger Field.
Cat Scratches: Cats Looking to Improve Third Down Efficiency
Kentucky is off to a 4-1 start and is ranked 25th nationally in the AFCA Coaches Poll this week. The Cats rallied to win at South Carolina on Saturday, capping the game with a successful two-point conversion for the win.
While that all sounds positive, UK head coach Will Stein knows there is still room for his team to get better. On Tuesday, Stein met the media and he discussed third downs, which have been an issue for the Cats on both sides of the ball.
On offense, Stein knows that his team must do better on converting third downs and keeping drives alive.
“It’s not our best,” Stein said. “Obviously, it’s the worst in the country, so we’ve got to continue to improve in that area. I don’t know how many third downs we have (had), which is a positive, but when you are in those opportunities, you have to have the ability to convert them.”
Stein noted that it wasn’t necessarily a schematic problem against South Carolina, but an execution problem…Read More
Kentucky-LSU Series
The Series
• LSU leads the all-time series, 40-16-1.
• The Tigers also lead, 16-12, when the game is played in Lexington. (Note: series records do not include UK’s 2021 win in Lexington, which was later vacated by the NCAA.)
• Kentucky earned a 42-21 victory over the Tigers in the last meeting on Oct. 9, 2021. That game was also played in Lexington.
• Prior to UK’s victory in 2021, the Tigers had won six of the last seven.
• Kentucky’s most notable win in the series came in 2007 when UK outlasted the eventual national champions, 43-37, in three overtimes. LSU was ranked No. 1 in the polls at the time.
• The series began in 1949 with a UK 19-0 victory in Baton Rouge.
• The teams are not slated to play again until the 2028 season.
In the Last Meeting
• Will Levis threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores and Kentucky dominated LSU throughout in a 42-21 win in 2021.
• The Wildcats were off to a 6-0 start, their best since 1950, and improved to 4-0 in the Southeastern Conference with the win.
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 147 yards and Kavosiey Smoke also had a big night on the ground for the Cats, amassing 104 yards rushing.
• Levis hit on 14 of 17 passing for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Wan’Dale Robinson was the favorite target for Levis on this evening, catching eight passes for 60 yards and a score.
• Note: the game’s result was later vacated by the NCAA.
The Connections
• Three Kentucky players, Nic Anderson, Ahmad Breaux and Lance Heard, have all suited up for the Tigers at one point in their careers.
• Anderson saw action in 10 games in 2025 with three starts and had 12 receptions for 106 yards and two scores for the Tigers
• Breaux saw action in 25 games in a two-year career (2024-25) with LSU. As a sophomore, he tallied 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
• Heard played in all 12 regular-season games for the Tigers and made one start was a true freshman in 2023 before transferring to Tennessee.
• Heard is also a Bonita, Louisiana, native.
• UK freshman wide receiver Kenny Darby hails from Bossier City, Louisiana and at one time was committed to LSU before becoming Will Stein’s first high school signee at Kentucky.
• LSU offensive tackle Darrin Strey appeared in four games a season ago for the Wildcats. His collegiate debut came against his brother Dennis, who played offensive line at Eastern Michigan.
• Kentucky offensive coordinator Joe Sloan spent the previous two years serving in the same role for the Tigers. Prior to being elevated as OC for the Tigers, he was the quarterbacks coach from 2022-23.
• LSU’s offensive line coach, Eric Wolford, was a part of Mark Stoops’ UK staff in 2021 and again in 2024-25.
• LSU’s senior offensive analyst Tee Martin was UK’s wide receivers coach in 2010 and 2011
By the Numbers
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Will Stein is the first coach in Kentucky history to win the first two SEC road games of his career
5
UK has had five different players rush for 100 or more yards in a single game since the start of 2025. Only two FBS teams (Army and Rice with 6) have had more
12
Receptions by Kenny Darby at South Carolina, a UK freshman record
17
UK erased a 17-point deficit to win at South Carolina, the largest comeback win on the road in school history.
93
Rushing yards needed for Jovante Barnes to reach 1,500 career rushing yards
