At was close to midnight on Saturday when Kenny Minchey converted a 2 point conversion that sent fans streaming onto the field. Kentucky football had beaten the No. 10 LSU Tigers, and were now 5-1 on the season, and making a habit of dramatic endings.
For the second straight week, the Wildcats ended their game with a 2-point conversion in overtime. This time, it was Minchey took the ball up the middle for the game-winner. He was, once again, locked in when it counted.
Overall, the defense struggled to contain LSU and Sam Leavitt. He was able to find open receivers for big gains, and find running lanes for himself as well. They converted a lot of third downs, something Kentucky had trouble with on the offensive end.
In the end, though, Wildcats
players made plays, and enough to get the win. As always, some players excelled, while others failed to find their footing. Here's whose stock is up this week, and whose is down.
Stock up: Elijah Barnes/Grant Godfrey
The Wildcats went into the game with very little depth at linebacker, meaning Barnes and Godfrey were going to have a lot of work. Both played very well, and made multiple plays. Barnes had 12 tackles, with 2.5 for a loss. Godfrey added 10 tackles of his own. Will Stein needed both to step up, and they did.
Stock down: Running backs not named C.J. Baxter
So far in 2026, the Wildcats have gotten a lot of production from their three primary running backs. On Saturday, Baxter opened the game with a 77-yard run, and had over 100 yards on the day. Jason Patterson and Jovantae Barnes, however, weren't able to find traction. They had just 26 yards on 10 carries.
Stock up: Ty Bryant
Bryant picked up his first interception of the season, but he also had 6 tackles and a tackle for a loss. More importantly, he remains a leader in the secondary, and important part of the defense.
Stock up: Ja'Kayden Ferguson
Ferguson didn't have a huge day, but he had his biggest day and a big impact on the game. He had 3 receptions for 43 yards, including an athletic sideline catch in the biggest moments of the game. He has big play ability, and this could be a stepping stone to more.
Stock up: Brock Coffman
Coffman made one of the biggest plays of the game by taking an LSU punt 55 yards for a touchdown to give Kentucky a lead. He broke tackles to get to the outside, then turned on the speed to go the distance. He also made good decisions when fielding other punts throughout the game.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky stock up/stock down report after beating LSU
