A Look Back at the History of LSU and Kentucky: Chaos

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A show of hands: how many of you know that LSU and  Kentucky played every year from 1952 to 2002? Now keep your hand up if you know LSU has not won in Lexington since 2002. Keep it up if you knew Bear Bryant was Kentucky’s head coach when the teams met four times between 1949 and 1953. I would be curious how many LSU fans knew all of those facts. Even if yours is down, I am sure you still know how chaotic some of LSU and Kentucky’s meetings have been.

In the first two meetings, Bryant’s Wildcats shut out the Tigers, 19-0 in Baton Rouge in 1949 and 14-0 in Lexington in 1950. LSU got its first series win in 1952, a 34-7 blowout in Lexington. A 6-6 tie in Baton Rouge in 1953 remains the only one in series history.

The early ping-ponging was not even the wildest stretch. In 1988, the week after the Earthquake Game, LSU led late 13-12 and held on to win 15-12 in Baton Rouge thanks to a late safety. In 1992, in the middle of the Curley Hallman era, Kentucky stole a 27-25 win at Tiger Stadium. LSU finished 2-9, its fourth consecutive losing season.

1997 was the year of the Air Raid and Hal Mumme’s Wildcat, picking up a 27-24 victory in Lexington with Tim Couch as the quarterback, throwing for 410 yards to make Kentucky’s first win over a ranked LSU team in almost 20 years. In 2001, the year before the Bluegrass Miracle, the late Jared Lorenzen, The Hefty Lefty, led a comeback just for Rohan Davey to find true freshman wide receiver Michael Clayton for a touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the game, snatching a 27-24 win for LSU.

The most famous meeting came a year later. Kentucky kicked a field goal to take a 30-27 lead, leaving a Nick Saban-led LSU with two seconds left and the ball; Wildcats head coach Guy Morriss was already covered in Gatorade. The play call came in: Dash Right 93 Berlin. Tiger quarterback Marcus Randall launched one from his 18-yard line as Wildcat fans prematurely rushed the field after a Kentucky defender tipped the ball around the 25-yard line. The ball was caught off the tip drill by Devery Henderson at about the 15-yard line, who took it the rest of the way in for the score. LSU wins it 33-30.

Five years later in 2007, Kentucky would attempt to spoil LSU’s National Championship season under Les Miles with a triple-overtime thriller to end the Tigers’ undefeated run that season. The 43-37 upset remains one of the highest-ranked wins in Wildcat football history, as LSU was number one. LSU would go on to become the first two-loss team to win the national championship. 

With all of this chaos, you might assume the series record is rather close. It is not. LSU holds the series record with 39 wins, 17 losses and one tie (give or take a vacated win on both sides). LSU holds the longest win streak of the series, racking up 13 from 1961 to 1973. 

The last time LSU and Kentucky met was in Lexington in 2021. Ed Orgeron was the head coach for LSU while Mark Stoops led Kentucky. The 16th-ranked Wildcats dominated that game 42-21. Will Levis was 14-of-17 for 145 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two. Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for 147 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, and also caught a touchdown pass. Wan’Dale Robinson had eight catches for 60 yards and a score. For LSU, Max Johnson was 22-of-38 for 261 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown to Malik Nabers. Kayson Boutte and Brian Thomas Jr. also contributed in the receiving game, combining for 11 catches and 118 yards. Ty Davis-Price ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, and Damone Clark led the defense with 14 tackles.

The teams meet Saturday, October 10, at Kroger Field in Lexington. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

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