Will Stein came out guns blazing in his first game with the Wildcats, taking no time in getting into the groove of things, demolishing Youngstown State by a score of 45-13 on Sept. 5.

This performance from the Wildcat offense was a refreshing sight to Kentucky fans all around the country. Notre Dame transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey went 18/27 for 301 yards, throwing for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Sports analyst Cole Cubelic shared his thoughts on Minchey’s performance via X. “Operation of offense looked smooth. QB had command. Like tested seams early. Ball got out on time.”

The rushing game was just as on-point as the passing game. Kentucky’s two-headed monster in the backfield, Jason Patterson and CJ Baxter, combined for 126 rushing yards and contributing hugely to the 205 ground-yard total.

This was Baxter’s first game with the Cats after transferring in from Texas this offseason, one of the most highly coveted transfers in the country.

The defense hit the ground running too, led by new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. Kentucky’s defensive did give up 305 total yards, but only 13 total points; the definition of bend, don’t break. The Cats held Youngstown State to 3-18 on third downs, and 0-2 on fourth downs.

Cubelic touched on the defense in the same post on X: “Defense ran to the ball. Movement up front got them out of their spot a few times. Tough with some of the option stuff they saw… Will need more rush discipline moving forward.“

Bateman’s unit still has some work to do before facing Alabama’s high-octane offense, but Saturday gave them a solid foundation to build from.

Looking around the country at how first-year head coaches did in their debut, Stein’s performance ranks among the best. It’s a good thing his debut didn’t play out the way Kyle Whittingham’s did at Michigan.

The Wolverines won in controversial fashion after a debatable call gave them an extra play at the end of the game, in which they converted on a hail mary to win the game over Western Michigan. Stein, on the other hand, was able to have his team ready from the kickoff, firing on all cylinders and leaving fans with high expectations for the rest of the season.

CBS Sports writer Shehan Jeyarajah rated first-year college football coaches after their debut games. On Stein he wrote, “Beating down FCS power Youngstown State was nice, but it was the offensive dominance that made fans excited.”

It’s a night-and-day comparison to Kentucky’s season opener last year, where they hardly pulled out a 12-point victory over Toledo. In that game, UK’s offense struggled to score, and the passing game was virtually non-existent, with Zach Calzada throwing for just 85 yards.

Stein and his squad can’t celebrate this win for too long as they have Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide coming to Kroger Field on Saturday, Sept. 12. He will look to make a statement in just his second game as UK’s head coach by beating Alabama for only the third time in program history, and the first time since 1997.

In that same CBS Sports article, Jeyarajah said, “The real test of Kentucky’s growth will come at home against No. 13 Alabama on Saturday. If the Wildcats pull a stunning upset, Stein will be the new hottest coach in college football.” He graded Stein’s debut an “A”.

Judging by the buzz around campus after the game and on social media, fans feel the same way and are excited for what the rest of the season has in store. Kickoff from Kroger Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC on Sept. 12, with both “SEC Nation” and “Marty & McGee” on-site before the week two matchup.

No. 12 Alabama comes to Lexington on Saturday, Sept. 12 for Will Stein’s first SEC matchup, and he doesn’t just want his team ready, he wants BBN ready. In his press conference on Tuesday he said, “We have to make this the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football.”

Week one was a great start for Stein, where his team beating Youngstown State 45-13. Now, the real test begins with the Crimson Tide and the testing conference play. This is why the fan turnout is crucial, and Stein wants it to be a packed house.

Alabama will be bringing its freshman quarterback Keelon Russell into his first SEC road start. giving fans the chance to create something he hasn’t experienced yet in college and rattle the young five-star. Russell passed his first test at home by posting 256 passing yards and rushing for 86 additional yards against Eastern Carolina.

We will see how he performs on the road with 60,000+ Kentucky fans trying to make communication nearly impossible, hopefully all participants in the strip out.

Saturday will also give the Cats an opportunity to make a statement on the national stage. SEC Nation will be in town to cover the game, which will put plenty of eyes on Kroger Field. This gives all the team a prime canvas to show what they can do against top-tier opponents, and the fans a chance to show opposing teams how hard it can be to play in Lexington.

It is up to BBN to show up on Saturday and create a record-breaking atmosphere. Kickoff from Kroger Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC on Sept. 12, with both “SEC Nation” and “Marty & McGee” on-site before the week two matchup.

In a press conference on Monday, Alabama’s head coach Kalen DeBoer had many great things to say about this year’s Kentucky Wildcats and Will Stein.

DeBoer’s press conference started with a question about Kentucky runningback CJ Baxter. He described him as “a really solid back” and “explosive.” In the season opener against Youngstown State, Baxter scored two touchdowns with 48 rushing yards.

Coach DeBoer described Kentucky’s opening matchup as “not contested for very long,” assuming that Stein and the Cats held back during the first game and, as expected, will show off some new plays on both sides of the ball this weekend.

Afterwards, he was asked how he has prepared so far, about to play against a program with so much hype surrounding it, answering with coach talk.

“What are you preparing for? Week two SEC game, that’s an interesting thing,” DeBoer said. “Can’t say I’ve played too many conference games this early in the year. Doesn’t matter, it’s on the schedule, we gotta be ready to go.”

Aside from that, DeBoer kept it brief and professional, not diving into too much detail about this bout with the new-look Wildcats.

Stein spoke with great optimism in his pre-Alabama press conference, where he called for the Big Blue Nation to make this “the loudest game in the history of Kentucky Football.” When asked about how emotion will play a factor in the upcoming contest, Stein said “emotion gets you beat” and believes that as long as the Wildcats play each play with maximum intensity, Lexington will see very positive results this Saturday.

Kickoff from Kroger Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC on Sept. 12, with both “SEC Nation” and “Marty & McGee” on-site before the week two matchup.