Kentucky notched its first signature win of the Will Stein era with a 31-21 upset of No. 9 Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday.
The Wildcats (2-1) outscored the Aggies 21-0 in the third quarter to record their first win over a ranked opponent since a 20-17 triumph over Ole Miss in Oxford two years ago. A big underdog, the Wildcats made a statement, ending the Aggies’ 19-game winning streak against unranked opponents at Kyle Field. It also marked Kentucky’s first win at College Station in 74 years.
“What a victory, what a victory,” Stein said. “I’m proud of our guys, not because of how they played, but how they prepared. It was an unbelievable week of practice.”
Three days after a 45-17 loss to No. 10 Alabama, Stein said his squad “showed up” and began preparing for the team’s first road game of the season.
“They showed up, they were intense, and they were focused,” he said. “… They hit, thudded up, and that’s what showed today. The more physical team won the game. I’m proud of every facet. Everybody had a piece in this victory. Our players played so hard. They played relentlessly, and they didn’t let one thing lead to another.”
Stein told his squad to be the “eye of the storm” while preparing for the conference road opener.
“That was it,” Stein said. “We knew that there were going to be ups and downs, ebbs and flows, but we truly focused on just one play at a time.”
In his third collegiate start, Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats’ offense, which finished with 408 yards, 15 less than the Aggies.
Wildcats’ receiver DJ Miller caught five passes for 96 yards, while Kenny Darby and Henry Boyer combined for four catches for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Miller caught a 53-yard strike from Minchey, leading to a go-ahead 3-yard touchdown catch by Boyer that broke a 7-7 deadlock.
Kentucky opened the second half by scoring 24 unanswered, spacing the Wildcats needed to seal the deal, which they failed to do in the loss to Alabama last week.
Minchey’s passing game produced 252 yards, but Kentucky also racked up 156 yards on the ground, paced by C.J. Baxter, who rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Patterson added 58 yards on six carries.
Like his coach, Baxter said the team’s preparation played a big role in the upset victory.
“Last week (in the loss to Alabama), we faced adversity,” Baxter said. “We played a great first half up and even until the fourth quarter. We would go back and look at the game and that was really the thing that we preached this week. Finish, finish, finish, because we know what type of team we have and what we’re capable of. It’s just all about putting the pieces together and I think we did that today.”
Kentucky’s defense forced two turnovers. Sam Greene had a key sack that resulted in a turnover on downs and added an interception for the Wildcats in the first half. Jordan Castell collected a pick in the fourth quarter that helped fend off a late rally by the Aggies.
“This was a giant victory for our squad,” Stein said. There’s going to be plenty to clean up from (the) tape, which I’m so excited about to watch. There’s plenty of ways that we can improve and then go attack this next week because we know we have much more down the line that we’ve got to focus on. But to go on the road in the SEC at Kyle Field, this is definitely a big win for us.”
