Kentucky rallies past Oklahoma 21-13, ties Georgia for share of SEC lead

No. 15 Kentucky has a share of first place in the Southeastern Conference for the first time this deep into a season in a long while. The Wildcats scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat Oklahoma 21-13 in Norman on Saturday night. At 4-1 in league play, they are level with No. 1 Georgia, which lost to Auburn earlier in the day, according to ESPN.

Kentucky's defense won it. The Wildcats intercepted four passes and turned none of the ball over themselves. Oklahoma outgained them 346 yards to 230, but each of those yards came with a price. Ty Bryant picked off John Mateer twice. Jordan Castell had the other two: he took a pass on a fake field goal attempt in the first half, then returned an interception 41 yards for the touchdown that put the game away with 1:17 left.

Kentucky led 7-0 on its first drive, when Kenny Minchey hit Willie Rodriguez for a 2-yard score. After that the offense went quiet. Oklahoma held Kentucky to 76 yards and four punts over its next five possessions and led 13-7 late in the third quarter. Rocky Beers caught a 20-yard touchdown before halftime and Tate Sandell added two field goals. Bryant's first interception changed the game. Minchey then drove the Wildcats 44 yards in seven plays and found Rodriguez from 12 yards out for a 14-13 lead. Minchey finished 21 of 28 for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Mateer threw for 270 yards and a score.

Kentucky got there without running back CJ Baxter. 247Sports reported that he warmed up but never took the field, and the Wildcats had just 119 yards of offense at the half without him.

What it means for Vanderbilt and Mississippi State

Kentucky (6-1) has won five in a row since its 45-17 home loss to Alabama, and four of those wins came in conference play. The streak includes a 31-21 win at Texas A&M, but the last three games have been close: 35-34 at South Carolina, 35-34 over LSU and now an eight-point win in Norman. In seven games the Wildcats have scored 229 points and allowed 181. That gap is narrow for a team tied for the league lead, and the defense has had to do more of the work lately.

Next is Vanderbilt at home on Saturday, Oct. 24, on SEC Network. Kentucky now carries a share of the conference lead into a stretch where every league game matters for the title race. Whether Baxter is available will be the main question this week. Kentucky's offense managed only 230 yards without him in Norman.

Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2 SEC) has lost the week after a big win once again. A week after beating then-No. 1 Texas 27-24, the Sooners turned the ball over four times and failed to score in the fourth quarter. They have scored 14 points or fewer in four of their six games, and their defense has allowed just 109 points all season. Oklahoma visits No. 16 Mississippi State on Oct. 24. At .500 overall, with two league losses, the Sooners have little room left if they want to stay in the conference race.