By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Kentucky head coach Will Stein is building momentum in Lexington, Kentucky, but his Wildcats will have to see if they can keep rolling through an LSU defense ranked No. 2 in the nation in yards allowed per game (220.6) and an offense ranked No. 3 in yards per game (547.8). No. 10 LSU (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) and Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 SEC) kick off on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Kroger Field.
“It’s gonna be a big task for us this Saturday, and it’s gonna take our very best,” Stein said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Stein is in his first head coaching job after spending the past three seasons as Dan Lanning’s offensive coordinator at Oregon. He has helped reinvigorate a Wildcats program that failed to reach a bowl game in its final two seasons under Mark Stoops. After losing its SEC opener to Alabama 45-17, Kentucky has notched conference road wins at Texas A&M (31-21) and South Carolina (35-34 OT).
Much like LSU, Kentucky’s 4-1 start has come on the back of a revamped coaching staff and monster transfer portal class. Stein’s first Kentucky transfer class featured 32 total commits, was ranked 10th in the nation by 247sports.com and was headlined by Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey.
Minchey, 247sports’ No. 17 transfer quarterback, has completed 97 of his 142 pass attempts this season for 1,148 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. In the Wildcats’ thrilling comeback win over South Carolina, Stein said it was his legs that made the difference in the game.
“He is kind of slippery and weirdly quick in spots,” Stein said. “I think we all can see that. It’s not like he’s LaNorris Sellers back there or Keelon Russell, but he is greasy. He’s just kind of like slithery out there. He made great plays. That was a big difference in us winning.”
Minchey finished the game with just 12 yards on eight carries, but that number is skewed by the -19 yards that came on three sacks. He gained 31 yards on the ground and ran for four first downs as he led the Wildcats back from a 17-0 second quarter deficit.
On the other side of the ball, though, Sellers ran for 147 yards on 17 carries. The Wildcats have given up 123 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to opposing quarterbacks this season, including an 80 yard performance from Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed. Stein said containing mobile passers will be a point of emphasis for his defense, especially with LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt coming to town.
“You got to be able to contain these guys,” Stein said. “It’s not like there’s giant, explosive runs from running backs right now. It’s literally quarterback scrambles, and so that has to improve. We know that. We’re aware of that. Nobody is shying away from that aspect of our defense that we’ve got to do a better job of getting people to the ground on third downs.”
Leavitt is second to only Sellers in rushing yards among SEC quarterbacks. He has taken 45 carries for 220 yards and six touchdowns, and Stein said he can beat teams a lot of ways.
“I think he’s got like a swagger and a confidence that you want in your starting quarterback,” he said. “He’s very aggressive, and he’s a really smart football mind. He throws a really good ball. He’s got great arm talent. He’s accurate and mobile, so he’s gonna be a difficult person for us to defend.”
Stein also had high praise for Lane Kiffin and his coaching staff ahead of the first meeting between the two offensive head coaches. He said he has long respected the work of LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and has connected with him over the past few years to pick his brain.
“He’s one of the elite offensive minds in football and seems to get guys wide open,” Stein said of Kiffin. “They always have great quarterback play, and you can see how he’s kind of transitioned his offensive identity that blends the tempo and the pro-style elements into a really elite offensive scheme.”
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