Football is in the air and the Big Blue Nation certainly showed how much they missed it, filling up Kroger Field in all-white attire for the first game of the Will Stein era.

With J Batt and Mark Pope in attendance, throwing footballs and shaking hands, vibes were high in Lexington on Saturday, Sept. 5, feeling foreign but at the same time, encouraging.

Kentucky pulled off a 45-13 win, taking down the Youngstown State Penguins to start the season with a 1-0 record. The Wildcats came out red hot, going 80 yards in the opening drive in just over three minutes of game time. Runningback CJ Baxter ran in a 15-yard touchdown to cap it off, putting Stein’s team up 7-0 early.

After forcing a punt, Joe Sloan would help move the offense right back down to the endzone, handing the ball off to Baxter for his second touchdown of the day.

At this point, fans and the media could shake hands and agree that the makeup around this new-look football team felt drastically different from what it was just this time last year.

With that being said, the fun wouldn’t stop at Kroger Field for some time, with the white-shirted stands roaring after a fourth down stop by the blue and white. Spilling into the second quarter, quarterback Kenny Minchey would connect with Mikkel Skinner on a 10-yard touchdown pass – Minchey’s first as a Wildcat and Skinner’s first of his career.

On the next offensive drive, Stein’s team would be forced to punt for the first time of the day, but a muffed catch was recovered by senior Ty Bryant, giving Kentucky a “free” 45 yards and putting them in prime position to score again.

The Cats would do exactly that, with Minchey hitting tight end Willie Rodriguez for his first touchdown of the season after racking up the yards en route.

Youngstown State would finally get on the board as the time expired in the half, going 75 yards in only 12 plays. Regardless, the Wildcats held a strong 28-7 lead at the break.

As expected, the gameplan out of halftime was simple: run the da*n ball and drain the clock. That’s all there is to it, and that’s all that was done, with the defense keeping the visitors stagnant.

Waking the crowd up a bit, true freshman Prince Jean would catch his first collegiate ball, turning it into a 26-yard endzone trip. After the hype celebration, Minchey would jog off the field with his young wideout after throwing his third passing touchdown of the day.

The only other exciting moment would be yet another passing touchdown from Minchey, hitting yet another freshman wideout, this time Kenny Darby, for a deep, 37-yard bomb.

As time expired, what was left of the Big Blue Nation cheered in proud excitement.

Up next, the Wildcats will host the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, Sept. 12. The once prestigious program is favored by -10.5 points early and is looking to keep its dominant winning streak against the Wildcats alive.

Kickoff from Kroger Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC/Disney+. Both “SEC Nation” and “Marty & McGee” will be on-site before the week two conference matchup.

Kentucky Athletics has officially embarked on a new era with Athletic Director J Batt, and as the football season draws near, it is clear that fans aren’t the only ones looking forward to what lies ahead.

Tuesday morning, on Sept. 2, Batt shared his eagerness for football in the Bluegrass.

“This is my favorite time of year,” Batt wrote. “There is a special energy across Lexington, and after spending my first several weeks getting to know so many members of our community, I am excited to experience the season alongside all of you.”

Alongside his palpable anticipation, Batt mentioned the numerous changes made to the gameday environment both around and inside Kroger Field. 

“Fans will see several new enhancements at Kroger Field this season,” Batt noted. “…our focus is on creating memorable experiences for everyone who joins us.”

Some of the new additions and modifications that fans will notice at football games this fall include lowered concession prices, new gameday host Ohavia Phillips, and unique, game-by-game themes for fans to follow. 

Knowing how important a lively atmosphere is at Kroger Field, Batt wrote directly to members of the Big Blue Nation who will be in attendance at football games this season.

“Our fans are the difference maker for our program,” Batt continued. “When Kroger Field is full, loud and united behind the Wildcats, it creates an environment our team can feel and our opponents cannot ignore.”

Striving to navigate the current landscape of college athletics, Batt aims to work with BBN in order to be amidst the nation’s top athletic programs. 

“As college athletics moves into this new era, we will continue making the investments necessary to support our student-athletes and keep Kentucky competing among the nation’s best,” Batt added. “The challenges and opportunities ahead will require us to stay united as one Big Blue Nation, working together to ensure the Wildcats thrive in this changing landscape.”

Batt will enter Saturday’s season-opener against Youngstown State as not only the new AD, but also as BBN’s biggest advocate. 

The Wildcats kick off their season at Kroger Field on Saturday, Sept. 6, facing the Youngstown State Penguins. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, with the game set to air on SEC Network+.

After months of anticipation, the wait is over. It’s Week 1 of the Will Stein era, and Kentucky Football will take the field at Kroger Field this Saturday.

To open the season is FCS opponent Youngstown State Penguins, who is ranked No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS top 25. Led by sixth-year head coach Doug Phillips, the Penguins aim to win the program’s fifth FCS title, with Phillips slowly rebuilding the program after it was put on probation in 2020 for recruiting violations.

While Youngstown State will be Kentucky’s first matchup of the season, the Penguins opened their season last week against a lesser FCS opponent, Mercyhurst. The Penguins completely dominated the game, winning 43-10 and recording 484 yards on offense.

While they are an FCS program and are big underdogs, Youngstown State should provide a good first test for Will Stein and the Wildcats, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

First look at the Will Stein offense

Will Stein is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in college football, which excites Kentucky fans after more than a decade of a conservative, defense-first style under the previous staff.

That style brought a lot of success to the program compared to its history, including two 10-win seasons, but it was also a source of frustration when things weren’t going well, as was the case in recent seasons. Too often, when Kentucky fell down by multiple scores, the game had all but ended.

Stein’s phrase “feed the studs” is apparent when you look at the roster, bringing in many players from top power five programs. Starting at quarterback is Kenny Minchey, who was reportedly very close to winning the starting job at Notre Dame last season. Other notable skill position players are running back CJ Baxter from Texas and wide receiver Nic Anderson from LSU. He also overhauled the offensive line, looking to bring back the ‘Big Blue Wall.’

That said, many of these players will need to take jumps and/or stay healthy for Kentucky to reach their ceiling this season. It all starts with week one.

Stop the run

Kentucky’s defensive line enters the 2026 season looking to play a faster, more aggressive style under new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

Youngstown State is an FCS team, but has one of the best offenses in the FCS, specifically with their running game. The head of the attack for the Penguins is Beau Brungard, a senior dual-threat quarterback coming off a 2025 Walter Payton Award win, presented to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS. Last season, he rushed for more than 1,400 yards while passing for more than 3,200 yards.

For Kentucky, they want to make it a point this season to have more success getting to the quarterback. Brungard is a shifty and talented quarterback who can test that.

Make a statement

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Game one in the first season for a new coach, Will Stein is going to want and needs to make a statement to Big Blue Nation. For one, to create some momentum going into a brutal SEC schedule that starts early with Alabama in week two. Additionally, Kentucky has benefited this offseason from national media talking positively about Stein and the program, and they need to perform to back it up.

Kentucky is a heavy favorite and should not be in jeopardy of losing this game, but they need to come out and execute. If the new-look Wildcats can put up 40+ points and cover the spread, it will make for a good start of the Stein era.

Key Players

QB Beau Brungard, 6-10, 215 lbs

• 2025 Walter Payton Award winner
• Accounted for five TDs and 351 yards of offense in the season opener

RB Jaden Gilbert, 5-10, 180 lbs

• 89 yards on 5 carries in the season opener (17.8 YPC)
• 670 rushing yards on 96 carries in 2025

Here is how you can watch and follow Game 1 of the Will Stein era for Kentucky Football.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Youngstown State Penguins

• Game Time: 1:00 PM EST on September 5, 2026
• Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, KY
• TV Channel: SEC Network+ will have the coverage for this game. This is a streaming-only game.
• Announcers: Kevin Fitzgerald and Charlie Strong
• Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
• Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Network.
• Satellite Radio: XM Channel 203, Sirius Channel 98, Internet Channel 966
• Replay: ESPN+ and SEC Network (check local listings).
• Rosters: UK | YSU
• Weather.com Forecast: Partly cloudy and in the high 80s
• Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky listed as 23.5-point favorites, with a point total of 62.5; ESPN gives the Wildcats a 93.6% chance of victory.
• Predictions: Given this is an FCS matchup, it is difficult to find protections, but DRatings.com picks the Wildcats to win 35-18. While I believe Will Stein will hold some things back in his first game, he wants to make a statement. I am taking the Cats to win and to cover in a 41-17 victory, Kentucky!

Send us your score predictions down in the comments section!