Baxter, Patterson and Barnes rush for 100 yards, Kentucky rolls over South Alabama 45-21

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — CJ Baxter, Jason Patterson and Jovantae Barnes combined for 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns to power Kentucky to a 45-21 win over South Alabama on Saturday.

Baxter ran for 149 yards and the opening touchdown of the game. Patterson added 137 yards and three touchdowns, the first tying a 75-yard burst to tie the game at 21, and Jovantae Barnes had 100 yards and a score that tied the game at 14.

It is the first time Kentucky (3-1) had three 100-yard rushers in a game since 2020.

Jared Hollins threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns for Troy (2-2) in place of Bishop Davenport who has missed the last two games with an unspecified injury. His 36-yard toss to Anthony Eager put the Jaguars up 14-7 and Jeremiah Jones-Thomas, who had 6 catches for 91 yards, had a 19-yard scoring catch for a 21-14 lead.

Patterson's long TD on Kentucky's next snap tied the game 1:22 before halftime and then Grant Godrey intercepted Jared Hollins on the next Troy snap. Adam Zouagui kicked a 34-yard field goal at 16 seconds for a 24-21 lead.

Patterson had touchdown runs of 15- and 2-yards in the second half before Kenny Minchey threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Shane Car to close out the scoring.

South Alabama: The Jaguars came into the game second in the country in time of possession at 36:46 per game and converting more than 50% of their third down attempts. That script flipped Saturday as they only had the ball 28:19 and went 4 of 15 on third down.

Kentucky: The Wildcats clearly had a hangover from last week’s 31-21 upset over then-No. 9 Texas A&M. Kentucky turned the ball over on downs twice, had a muffed punt, and linebacker Elijah ‘Bo’ Barnes was ejected for targeting on a hit on Hollins all in the first half.

South Alabama: Home against Louisiana-Monroe next Saturday to open Sun Belt Conference play.

Kentucky: At South Carolina next Saturday.

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