Nick Saban explains why Kentucky has seen success in Will Stein’s first season
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Nick Saban took College GameDay viewers into the film room on Saturday to discuss Kentucky and why the Wildcats have played to a No. 12 ranking and a 6-1 record under first-year head coach Will Stein.
The Wildcats’ last three wins have been by one score. They defeated both South Carolina and LSU in overtime. In Week 7, they scored 14 fourth-quarter points —including a pick-7 with 1:17 remaining — to take down Oklahoma on the road.
All of a sudden, Kentucky enters Week 8’s game against Vanderbilt tied with Georgia atop the SEC standings with a 4-1 conference record. The last time the Wildcats won four or more SEC games was in 2021, when they finished 5-3.
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“I think when you’re efficient and effective in how you execute, it helps your internal confidence as an individual, but it also helps the team confidence because they start to believe in each other, and you expect to win the game even in an overtime situation. And they’re playing with tremendous confidence right now,” Saban said.
Saban mentioned the Wildcats’ “experience(d)” offensive line and its ability to keep quarterback Kenny Minchey upright while creating running room for their tailbacks, including CJ Baxter. They’ve been able to hold on to the ball and force takeaways while remaining disciplined, too.
“They stay ahead of the sticks, and because they have balance, they make explosive plays. But they don’t turn the ball over, and they lead the SEC in turnover margin with plus 11, and (they have) the fewest penalties of any team in the SEC. So all these things lead to very efficient performance,” he said.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
