Kentucky pulls away from South Alabama 45-21 behind three second-half touchdowns

Kentucky beat South Alabama 45-21 at Kroger Field, using a 390-yard rushing day and a 21-point second half to turn a one-score halftime game into a comfortable win.

Kentucky opened the scoring on C.J. Baxter's 3-yard run with 37 seconds left in the first quarter. South Alabama answered on the first snap of the second quarter when PJ Martin scored from seven yards. Jared Hollins then put the Jaguars ahead with touchdown passes of 36 yards to Amari Eager and 19 yards to Jeremiah Jones-Thomas. Kentucky answered with Jamarion Barnes' 7-yard run, but South Alabama still led 21-14 with 1:22 left in the half.

The game's key reversal came on the next play. Jason Patterson broke a 75-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 21, and Alex Zouagui's 34-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining put Kentucky ahead 24-21 at halftime. The Wildcats did not give that lead back. Patterson ran 15 yards for a touchdown with 13:13 left in the third quarter, then scored again from two yards at 12:55 of the fourth. Kenny Minchey finished the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Carr at 10:45.

Patterson supplied three rushing touchdowns, while Baxter ran 16 times for 149 yards and one touchdown. Minchey completed 19 of 25 passes for 177 yards and one score. Hollins completed 23 of 43 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jones-Thomas caught six passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Martin added the Jaguars' only rushing touchdown.

Kentucky's 567 yards included 390 on the ground and 26 first downs. South Alabama gained 354 yards, with 266 passing and 88 rushing, but converted only four of 15 third downs and committed two turnovers. Kentucky held the ball for 31:41, and its ground game kept producing first downs even though the Wildcats converted just two of eight third downs. Both teams lost two possessions to turnovers, but Kentucky's rushing production created enough extra scoring chances to absorb those mistakes.

South Alabama's offense moved the ball in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns in a span that produced a 21-14 lead. After Patterson's long answer, however, the Jaguars were shut out for the final two quarters. Kentucky's defense did not need another takeaway to protect the lead; the second-half stops forced South Alabama into a one-dimensional comeback attempt while Patterson and Baxter controlled the clock.

Kentucky's final 21 points came from Patterson's two runs and Minchey's pass to Carr. South Alabama finished its scoring with Jones-Thomas' touchdown at 1:22 of the second quarter. The win was Kentucky's first meeting with South Alabama at Kroger Field and moved the Wildcats to 3-2 in the ESPN event record, while the Jaguars fell to 2-2.