Kentucky stands 5-1 under first-year coach Will Stein after beating top-10 teams Texas A&M and LSU, tying the Wildcats with Alabama for second in the Southeastern Conference standings. The latest victory came last weekend, when Kentucky beat then-No. 10 LSU in overtime. Fans poured onto the field.
The Wildcats have won four straight since a 45-17 loss to then-No. 12 Alabama in their SEC opener. Their last two victories came in overtime against South Carolina and LSU, both by one point. Each game ended 35-34. Stein clinched both wins with a two-point conversion. CBS Sports reported that no team had previously won consecutive overtime games by a single point.
A Turnaround in the Standings
Kentucky has three conference victories, each by a narrow margin. The Wildcats have won their three SEC games by a combined 12 points, and Stein became the first UK coach to open league play 3-1. Kentucky has already matched last season's win total and needs one more victory for bowl eligibility for the first time in three years.
Kentucky sits at No. 15 before Saturday's game at Oklahoma. Its 5-1 start is the best by a first-year Kentucky coach since Alpha Brumage won five of his first six games in 1913. Stein's debut has also brought a winning expectation the article says Lexington hadn't seen since Hal Mumme's “Air Raid” offense arrived in 1996.
“We expect to win every single game no matter the opponent, no matter the logo, no matter what players they have on their team; we expect to win every single game,” Stein said. “We practice that way and we play that way.”
Stein's Approach
Stein turned 37 last month and took his first head-coaching job after three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon. Kentucky hired him partly because of his work as Oregon's offensive coordinator and his reputation as one of college football's top offensive minds. His basic philosophy: “feed the studs.”
A Louisville native, Stein won three Kentucky high school titles and walked on at Louisville as a quarterback. He went to Lake Travis High School in Texas to build his play-calling experience. His father, Matt, played at Kentucky, and the family held stadium seats in section 128, row 13.
Before the season opener, Stein said he believed Kentucky had enough talent, players and commitment to play well. He has also said the players have embraced the team's schemes. After the LSU game, he identified areas that still needed work and praised the team's effort in the close finish.
“I'm very confident in our team because I see them practice all the time,” Stein said. “I see them make plays. I've been through six games with them now. I think we can continue to improve and get better. There's plenty of things we have to clean up from (the LSU game). We just battled and kept playing hard and that's the sign of a team that really loves each other and is bought into the process.”
Players Describe the Buy-In
Running back C.J. Baxter, a Texas transfer, said the team brought the same outlook to games, practices and meetings. “Nobody believes in us except us, honestly, that's the way we look at it, and that's the best part about it,” Baxter said. “The way we approach everything: games, practices, meetings, everything, you can just see it from everybody in the facility.”
Quarterback Kenny Minchey credited Stein's trust in the players and confidence in them. Minchey said the team wasn't surprised when Stein chose to go for two at South Carolina: “We're here to win ballgames.” Stein called the conference “the closest thing to the NFL,” saying games come down to the final plays and possessions.