Kentucky’s win on the road in College Station against 9th-ranked Texas A&M was the first signature victory for Will Stein as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
In just his third game as head coach of the Wildcats, Stein’s squad went into a tough environment on the road and pulled out a big-time win.
While several new players had strong performances, like Kenny Minchey, CJ Baxter and Kenny Darby, there were multiple players who stuck around through the coaching change that made a significant impact in the game.
Sam Greene had a couple of impact plays in the first quarter, including an interception and a fourth-down stop that kept Texas A&M off the scoreboard.
Grant Godfrey and Ty Bryant came up big on defense, with Godfrey finishing with 11 total tackles and Bryant with 10.
Terhyon Nichols also had a solid performance in his first game back, and Tavion Gadson was solid on the defensive line.
Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, Cedric Works, Kalen Edwards, and Jaden Williams are other returning players who continue to play heavy snaps on defense. Even Alex Afari logged a season-high 32 snaps on Sunday after playing just three snaps in the first two games.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jason Patterson continues to look like one of the most improved players on the team. After struggling to find his footing last season, Patterson had a solid day on the ground against the Aggies with 58 yards on 6 carries.
DJ Miller came up big as well, catching 5 passes for 96 yards, including an explosive 53-yard reception. Henry Boyer was also key, catching a touchdown pass.
You have to give credit where it’s due to the previous coaching staff. A change was clearly needed for the program, and the early returns on Stein are positive, especially after earning that win in College Station.
But Mark Stoops and Co. certainly didn’t leave the cupboard bare, and the returning players have played key roles for this Kentucky team three games into the season. It’s certainly a much different situation than when Stoops took over the program in his first season. So much of this defense is comprised of players who Stoops got to Lexington.
There’s something to be said about leaving a program in a better spot than where you found it, and it’s clear that Stoops did that, and Stein is building off that foundation and putting those players in positions to succeed.
