Will Stein becomes first head coach in program history to achieve impressive road stat in Year 1
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Will Stein said the Kentucky Wildcats would become a program to be reckoned with because of his presence. Through five weeks, he has proven himself right.
With the Wildcats’ 35-34 victory over South Carolina on Saturday, Stein became the first head coach in Kentucky history to win both of his first two road SEC games.
Stein’s first road conference triumph came in Week 3. The Wildcats went into College Station and, in the words of Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, “beat [the Aggies’] ass” throughout their 31-21 win. Things did not come as easy to Stein’s squad on Saturday. The Gamecocks held a 17-0 lead late in the first half, forcing Kentucky to fight back from a three-possession deficit to emerge victorious.
The Wildcats’ head coach set his team up to win the game with his aggressiveness. He smartly elected to play defense first in overtime, giving him an opportunity to effectively counter any South Carolina score. When the Gamecocks got a touchdown, Stein knew he’d be going for a two-point conversion as long as the Wildcats found the end zone. Both plays he drew up were beauties.
Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 SEC) can establish itself as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender with a win vs. LSU in Week 6. The Tigers and Wildcats duel at 7:00 p.m. E.T. on Saturday, Oct. 10 (ESPN).
