NORMAN, OK – Maybe Kentucky isn’t just a basketball school anymore.
The 17th-ranked Wildcats have been living dangerously the past two weeks, with 35-34 overtime wins over South Carolina and LSU, and they stayed true to form this week, extending their winning streak to five with a 21-13 win over an still-offensively-challenged Oklahoma.
Kentucky wasn’t much better, gaining only 230 yards, but cashed in on two John Mateer turnovers to get the points they needed to keep pace in the rough-and-tumble SEC.
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After scoring on its opening drive, courtesy of Kenny Minchey rolling to his right and throwing a 2-yard pass to wide-open Willie Rodriguez, the offense stalled. The opening drive covered 67 yards; the Wildcats gained 53 the rest of the half.
Will Stein’s group could get nothing going offensively and punted on their first two second-half possessions, but then waited for turnover-prone Mateer to make a mistake like he has been doing all season long. Mateer did just that near the end of the third quarter, when he was hit by Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace, causing the ball to float harmlessly in the air, where it was easily intercepted by Ty Bryant, one of four Sooner turnovers.
Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC) cashed in on the turnover to take the lead for good, marching 44 yards and hitting paydirt when Minchey, who threw for 158 yards, found Rodriguez again for a 12-yard scoring strike.
Mateer was sacked, ending Oklahoma’s next drive, and Kentucky had a chance to put the game away by taking over near midfield, but failed to convert on 4th-and-3 from the Oklahoma 5-yard line when Minchey was sacked.
Oklahoma got the ball back with 2:43 left and had to drive 96 yards for a chance to win. But Jordan Casteel picked off Mateer with 1:17 left and raced down the left sideline for a 41-yard interception return touchdown to end the scoring.
Mateer went 24-for-40 for 270 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions, and was sacked five times for Oklahoma, which still hasn't found any semblance of a running game, averaging 2.5 yards on 31 rushing attempts.
The Sooners' good fortune from their victory over Texas quickly soured when opportunities slipped away. With a chance to build a double-digit lead in the third quarter, Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2 SEC) instead settled for a 26-yard field goal to take a 13-7 lead, and their offense would be stuck in neutral the rest of the game.
The Sooners also had a chance to score in the second quarter, but Castell intercepted a pass intended for Rocky Beers on a 28-yard fake field-goal attempt.
Kentucky knows it must play better down the stretch if it wants to dream of the College Football Playoff. The Wildcats will entertain Vanderbilt next week before the November gauntlet of Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, and Louisville.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky keeps winning, beats Oklahoma to fuel College Football Playoff dreams