The LSU football team heads into the locker room with a 27-3 lead over Kentucky after a quick start and wild finish to the half by the Tigers.
The Tigers on the opening possession took the kickoff to the Wildcats’ 44-yard line, but after a 15-yard facemask penalty on the Wildcats, began on the Kentucky 29-yard line.
It took the Tigers six plays to punch it in the end zone when freshman running back Leonard Fournette (13 carries, 37 yards and a touchdown) leaped into the end zone from one yard out to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
After the Tigers forced Kentucky to go three and out on its first possession, LSU was set up in good field position after sophomore cornerback Tre’Davious White took the punt return 17 yards to the Tigers’ 48-yard line.
Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings (6-12, 106 yards and a touchdown) completed a pass to senior tight end Travis Dickson down the middle of the field for a 27-yard gain to the Wildcats 21-yard line. The Tigers rushed their way to the Wildcats 4-yard line before having to settle for a field goal to put the Tigers up 10-0 with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter.
The biggest play of the half came less than two minutes later, as White made a couple players miss and returned a Kentucky punt 67 yards for a touchdown giving LSU an early 17-0 lead.
The Wildcats settled down after the Tigers’ 17-point outburst to begin the game. On the next Kentucky possession, the Wildcats conducted a 13 play, 66 yard drive capped by a field goal to cut the Tigers’ lead to 17-3 with 1:15 remaining in the first quarter.
After a 20-point first quarter, both teams struggled to get on the board in the second. The Tigers were forced to punt three times in the quarter while averaging only 0.3 yards per rush. But after LSU forced Kentucky to punt with 1:33 remaining, the Tigers had seemingly one more chance for points before the half.
On a second down and six from the Wildcats’ 36-yard line, Jennings found Dural in the end zone to put the Tigers up 24-3 with 0:44 seconds remaining.
But on the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers squibbed the ball up the middle and recovered it at the Wildcats 42-yard line. The squib led to a Tigers 35-yard field goal giving LSU a 27-3 lead heading into the half.