LSU has struggled on the road in conference play, and those problems could prevent the team from reaching the College Football Playoff. The 10th-ranked Tigers coughed up a late lead in Lexington before losing to Kentucky in overtime, 35-34, for their second loss of the season.
With 97 seconds remaining, LSU held a 27-24 lead when it punted the ball to Kentucky. The Wildcats took possession at their own 19-yard line and drove 63 yards in just 1:25 for a game-tying field goal. In overtime, Kentucky matched LSU's touchdown and got the two-point conversion to win the game.
That marked the eighth straight road loss for the Tigers in conference play. The last time they won on the road in the SEC was on Oct. 19, 2024, when they beat Arkansas, 34-10.
Lane Kiffin wasn't around for most of those losses, but he's had his own issues away from home. Since becoming the Ole Miss coach in 2020, Kiffin is 13-13 in conference road games.
LSU has more talent than most of those Rebels teams, but talent alone hasn't fixed the problem because LSU was too sloppy to escape Kroger Field with a win.
Sam Leavitt turned the ball over twice in the second half -- and although Kentucky failed to convert either into points -- and those mistakes killed drives and threw the Tigers out of rhythm. In fairness to Leavitt, Kiffin had to put a lot on his quarterback's shoulders because the running game was completely ineffective. The Tigers ran the ball 36 times for just 94 yards.
LSU was also the more penalized team, taking seven penalties for 50 yards, while Kentucky was penalized just twice for 20 yards.
Another road loss means LSU has two blemishes on its College Football Playoff resume in early October, with games against Mississippi State, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee remaining. Given how much the Tigers invested in their roster, the pressure will be on Kiffin to get the job done in those games and keep his team's playoff hopes alive.
On the other sideline, Will Stein has Kentucky believing big things are possible in his first year on the job. The Wildcats already have a road win over Texas A&M and a win over LSU. In one offseason, Stein has completely rejuvenated the offense as Kentucky quietly builds a playoff resume of its own.
