Cats pull off dramatic upset of No. 11 Cards

Kentucky snapped a five-game losing streak against Louisville with a 47-yard field goal from junior kicker Austin MacGinnis with 12 seconds remaining for a 41-38 win.

UK quarterback Stephen Johnson starred for the Wildcats, completing 16 of 27 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while gaining 83 yards on eight carries. He overshadowed Heisman Trophy favorite Lamar Jackson, who completed 16 of 25 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions and gained 171 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

UK linebacker Courtney Love recovered a Jackson fumble at the Kentucky 10-yard line with 1:45 remaining to set up Kentucky's game winning drive. Johnson found wide receiver Jeff Badet for a 29-yard gain on second down to move the ball into Louisville territory then gained 15 yards on a keeper on the next play. A 2-yard Jojo Kemp run, and a 5-yard completion to Ryan Timmons set up the MacGinnis field goal.

Jackson completed 15 of 23 passes for 267 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and gained 172 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. His performance overshadowed an impressive showing from Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and gained 68 yards on seven carries.

With the game tied at 38 and Kentucky driving into Louisville territory, Cardinals safety Chucky Williams stripped UK freshman running back Benny Snell at the Louisville 44-yard line with 5:42 remaining.

MORE COVERAGE

►Page | UK, Stoops just getting started

►Sullivan | Jackson loses grip, but not Heisman

►Instant Analysis | Kentucky 41, Louisville 38

► Jones | Cards end year with thud

►UK's Johnson comes out on top in QB battle

►MacGinnis hits game-winners like extra points

Louisville needed just more than two minutes and five plays to tally its first touchdown of the game on a 19-yard run from Jackson to give him sole possession of the ACC’s record for total touchdowns in a season (48), but Kentucky answered on play later with a 75-yard bomb from Stephen Johnson to Garrett Johnson to tie the game at seven.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the game at the 4:07 mark in the first quarter when junior running back Boom Williams scored on an 18-yard carry. Louisville answered on its next drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to a wide-open Reggie Bonnafon in the corner of the end zone.

A 19-yard Blanton Creque field goal gave Louisville a 17-14 lead at the 8:13 mark in the second quarter, and Jackson added to that lead with a perfectly executed shovel pass to tight end Cole Hikutini that went 24 yards for a touchdown five minutes later.

UK’s Johnsons connected on their second deep touchdown of the game – this one a 63-yarder – with 2:13 left in the first half, and the Wildcats kept Louisville out on the end zone just before intermission to head to the locker room trailing 24-21.

The Wildcats retook the lead on the first possession of the third quarter when Snell ran 18 yards for a touchdown on a third-and-inches carry out of the “wildcat” formation, but Louisville immediately answered with a five-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 3-yard Jeremy Smith touchdown run.

Kentucky had to settle for a 35-yard field goal to tie the game at 31 on its next drive after two impressive plays from Louisville defensive backs in the end zone, but junior safety Mike Edwards intercepted Jackson’s first down pass on the opening play of the ensuing Louisville drive to set up the Wildcats near midfield. Seven snaps later on a third-and-nine play, junior wide receiver Dorian Baker made up for an earlier drop with an impressive pass in coverage in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown to give UK a 38-31 lead with 14:19 remaining.

Louisville appeared to be driving for a game-tying score on the next drive, but on a 1st-and-10 play at the UK 16-yard line, a high pass from Jackson to Hikutini bounced off the Louisville tight end’s outstretched hands and into the arms of UK safety Blake McClain in the end zone. Kentucky could not add to its margin after the interception though, punting after three consecutive runs and an incomplete pass on third down.

Jackson did not err twice with a chance to tie the game, leading the Cardinals on a five-play, 55-yard drive, capped off by his own 1-yard dive into the end zone to tie the game at 38 with 7:44 remaining.

SCORING DRIVES

Louisville 7, Kentucky 0
Lamar Jackson 19-yard run (Blanton Creque PAT)
12:57, 1Q; 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:03

Louisville 7, Kentucky 7
Stephen Johnson 75-yard pass to Garrett Johnson (Austin MacGinnis PAT)
12:39, 1Q; 1 play, 75 yards, 0:18

Kentucky 14, Louisville 7
Boom Williams 36-yard run (MacGinnis PAT)
4:07, 2Q; 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:47

Kentucky 14, Louisville 14
Jackson 18-yard pass to Reggie Bonnafon (Creque PAT)
14:54, 2Q; 12 plays, 70 yards, 4:13

Louisville 17, Kentucky 14
Creque 19-yard field goal
8:13, 2Q; 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:20

Louisville 24, Kentucky 14
Jackson 24-yard pass to Cole Hikutini (Creque PAT)
3:09, 2Q; 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:36

Louisville 24, Kentucky 21
Stephen Johnson 63-yard pass to Garrett Johnson (MacGinnis PAT)
2:13, 2Q; 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:56

Kentucky 28, Louisville 24
Benny Snell 18-yard run (MacGinnis PAT)
10:58, 3Q; 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:02

Louisville 31, Kentucky 28
Jeremy Smith 5-yard run (Creque PAT)
9:19, 3Q; 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:39

Louisville 31, Kentucky 31
MacGinnis 35-yard field goal
2:43, 3Q; 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:36

Kentucky 38, Louisville 31
Stephen Johnson 35-yard pass to Dorian Baker (MacGinnis PAT)
14:19, 4Q; 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:10

Kentucky 38, Louisville 38
Jackson 1-yard run (Creque PAT)
7:44, 4Q; 5 plays, 55 yards, 1:48

Kentucky 41, Louisville 38
MacGinnis 47-yard field goal
0:12, 4Q; 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:33

Email Jon Hale atjahale@courier-journal.com. Follow him on Twitter@JonHale_CJ.