By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Will Stein needed just three games to earn his first signature win at Kentucky.
Between two victories over Youngstown State and Texas A&M came a second-half meltdown in a double-digit loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference opener. Leading up to the first road game at College Station, Stein wanted his team to play all four quarters and simply finish what they started.
The first-half showing against the Crimson Tide carried over into the third quarter at Texas A&M when the Wildcats exploded for 21 points en route to the 31-21 victory over the Aggies.
While most, including myself, didn’t think Stein’s squad could recover that quickly from the loss to Alabama, the first-year head coach remained confident as he witnessed what was unfolding behind the scenes.
When the skies were cloudy, the Wildcats became a force to reckon with at Kyle Field. They controlled the temperature and the weather outlook, a forecast that’s intimidating when teams arrive at College Station.
“We said all week, be the eye of the storm,” Stein said.
They did just that. Kentucky’s defense had a lot to do with the upset win, mainly outside linebacker Sam Greene, who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Greene had an interception, six tackles, one-half tackle for a loss and a key stop, resulting in a turnover on downs in the first quarter.
Kentucky defensive coordinator Jay Bateman knows how hot and hostile things can get after spending the two previous seasons in the same capacity under Texas A&M coach Mike Elko. Like his boss and his players, Bateman didn’t buckle under pressure.
“I thought he was elite,” Stein said. “Obviously, it’s different. They (had) a different coordinator on offense, so they presented some different things to us. But you know, Jay is one of the best in the business, not only as a coach but a person.”
The Kentucky coach has been impressed with Bateman on and off the field.
“Our players love him (and) our staff loves him,” Stein said. “He’s the perfect fit for me.”
The upset caught the attention of the nation and served notice that the Wildcats are in it to win it immediately. No long-term plan, just living in the moment and seizing every opportunity. The performance at College Station is just what Stein envisioned when he took over the program last December.
“It’s what I expect us to do, it’s that’s how I expect us to play,” he said. “That is the physicality. That’s the toughness, competitiveness, the grit that I expect us to play with every single Saturday, and in this league, which is the hardest league in college football. … you have to be at your best every single week, and so that’s the expectation for us.”
The upset win in Aggieland will help Kentucky’s confidence, knowing they can not only compete with the best, but they can beat the creams of the crop.
The rest of the nine-game schedule features five ranked teams, not to mention crucial away games at South Carolina, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Coming off the biggest win of the new Stein era, Kentucky can’t afford to look ahead with South Alabama looming this week. The task for the Wildcats is to avoid a letdown before playing seven straight conference games, including four on the road.
It doesn’t get any easier.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today.