Kentucky didn’t sneak out of Kyle Field with a lucky break on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats walked in, played the more physical game, and left with a 31-21 upset of No. 9 Texas A&M.
Mike Elko didn’t waste time softening the blow. In his opening statement after the loss, the Texas A&M head coach made the point as plainly as it gets.
“Hats off to Kentucky. They came in here, and they beat our ass.
Not good enough for us on any level: coaching, playing, performing, physicality, anything. And so, on it’s on me.
I own it. It’s my program.
I’m in charge of it, and we have to get it fixed.”
That was the tone of the day in College Station. Kentucky ran the ball better, controlled the line of scrimmage on offense, and pushed Marcel Reed into a more dropback-heavy afternoon than Texas A&M wanted. The Wildcats also created the explosive plays, kept the Aggies from generating them, and won the turnover battle.
They were sharper in the red zone too, cashing in on their chances while also coming up with stops when Texas A&M tried to answer. Kentucky then put together a 14-0 run in the Middle Eight and seized control in the fourth quarter.
By the end, the message from Elko matched what everyone could see on the field.
“Kentucky came in here, and they whooped us. That should be the story of the game.”
For Will Stein’s first team in Lexington, it was a statement win - the kind that says Kentucky can line up with the bigger names in college football and beat them straight up.
In Other News...
Kentucky Faces One Risk Fans Hate After Texas A&M Win
Fresh off a road win over Texas A&M, Kentucky turns back to Kroger Field this week with South Alabama coming in as the next test. The Jaguars arrive with a 2-1 record, having beaten Southeastern Louisiana and Ohio while pushing Tulane in a close loss, so this is not the kind of nonconference game the Wildcats can simply coast through if they want to keep the momentum rolling.
The bigger concern in Lexington may be less about the opponent and more about who is available on defense. Will Stein addressed injury questions surrounding Ty Bryant and Grant Grayton, and the staff is also weighing how to manage starters with the schedule ahead. After an emotional win like the one in College Station, Kentucky has to guard against a letdown, but it also has to make sure the roster it leans on now is still healthy for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Finally Gets To Enjoy The SEC Shorts Joke
Kentucky got a rare turn in the SEC Shorts spotlight this week, and this time the Wildcats were not the butt of the joke. The Week 3 video from the popular comedy series riffed on recent Southeastern Conference results, including Kentuckys upset of Texas A&M, and gave the Cats a far more flattering role than fans have usually come to expect from the longtime punchline factory.
The sketch also leaned into the wider chaos around the league, using a playful recap style that tied together multiple storylines from the weekend. For Kentucky, the appeal was simple: after spending plenty of time as the team SEC Shorts likes to roast, the Wildcats finally got to enjoy one of those rare clips where they come out looking like the ones with the last laugh. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Got An Early Answer On Will Steins New Staff
Before Will Stein even settles into life as Kentuckys new coach, he already has a good read on one of the biggest additions to his staff. Jay Bateman, who arrived from Texas A&M to run the Wildcats defense, helped Kentucky take a familiar opponent out of its rhythm in a 31-21 win over the Aggies, with the defense doing enough early to tilt the game in the Wildcats direction.
For Stein, the move is about more than scheme. He has talked up Batemans coaching and his fit inside the staff, and Saturdays result offered an encouraging first look at how that partnership might work when the games start counting for real in Lexington. [Read more 🡒]