Kentucky’s amazing season continued Saturday as the No. 12 Wildcats beat Missouri on the road, 15-14, with a last-second victory. Wildcats quarterback Terry Wilson hit senior tight end C.J. Conrad for a 2-yard touchdown on the final play to clinch a winning SEC record for the first time at Kentucky since 1977.

Through three quarters, Mizzou held the Wildcats to 1 for 9 on third down and picked up two key fourth-and-short stops to knock back a struggling Kentucky offense. Mizzou picked off Wilson in the fourth quarter but Kentucky got the ball back one last time and found a way to win with an eight-play, 81-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:24. A pass interference penalty in the end zone extended the game for one more play and that was the final, winning play.

The Tigers offense stalled badly in the second half, with Kentucky holding them to three-and-out on Mizzou’s last eight possessions.

Linebacker Cale Garrett led the Tiger defense, which held Kentucky’s rushing attack under 100 yards. Benny Snell was held to 67 yards on 19 carries.

Kentucky drove down the field on its opening drive, led mainly by a quick-hitter pass from Wilson to Lynn Bowden for 45 yards. The drive stalled in the Tiger red zone, and freshman kicker Chance Poore made a 31-yard field goal to stake Kentucky to the lead.

Missouri countered with a 10-play, 73 yard scoring march that covered the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second, capped by a 2-yard scoring run from Damarea Crockett. Just before halftime, Mizzou stopped Kentucky on fourth down then drove 51 yards on 10 plays, punching the ball into the end zone on a 1-yard Larry Rountree run.

Kentucky answered with a 67-yard punt return from Bowden with 5:18 to play that narrowed the score to 14-9.

Mizzou’s senior QB Drew Lock completed passes to seven receivers in the first three quarters, and avoided turnovers against Kentucky’s own outstanding defense. The Wildcats held Missouri’s big-play offense mostly in check, and senior Josh Allen picked up two sacks to continue his excellent season.

While Missouri did an excellent job containing Snell, much of UK’s offensive struggles for most of the game centered around continued inefficiency in the passing game. Kentucky backup Gunnar Hoak appeared but did not move the offense. Bowden topped both double-digit reception totals and 100 yards receiving, as well as adding the 67-yard punt return.

Kentucky (7-1, 5-1 SEC) kept pace with Georgia in the SEC East race heading into next Saturday’s showdown with the Bulldogs in Lexington. Missouri (4-4, 0-4) heads to Gainesville next week to play Florida.