Will Stein’s first Kentucky offense showed plenty through the air in its debut, but the more telling number might have been on the ground. The Wildcats moved the ball with a kind of balance that fits exactly what Stein has built before, and it showed up clearly Saturday.
Kenny Minchey looked sharp in his first outing, completing 67 percent of his passes and averaging 11.8 yards per dropback. But the Notre Dame transfer’s strong start was helped by an offense that kept the defense guessing and never let the passing game stand on its own.
Stein said as much after the game.
“We were able to run the ball,” Stein said in his press conference opening statement. “Able to give them a bunch of personnel groupings to keep them on their toes and different tempos. So, we rushed the ball for…301 passing, 205 rushing, so that’s very balanced.”
That balance is the calling card of Stein’s offenses. At UTSA and Oregon, his teams paired star quarterbacks with run games that made everything else easier.
Those offenses all ranked top-15 nationally in points per drive, and they did it with a mix of tempo, personnel, and aggression that kept defenses stretched. Kentucky saw the same formula at work in Stein’s debut.
The Wildcats used a wide range of runners to do it. Jason Patterson led the way with 78 yards on 11 carries, including a long of 22.
Texas transfer CJ Baxter handled all of his work early and finished with 48 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns. Martels Carter Jr. added 37 yards on five attempts, while Minchey picked up 17 yards on a scramble.
Junior college transfer Ahmir Smith added 13 yards in garbage time. Wide receiver Kenny Darby and tight end Mikkel Skinner also got involved in the run game.
Just looking at the traditional backs, Kentucky put together 176 rushing yards on 27 carries. That worked out to 6.5 yards per rush, and it kept the offense ahead of the chains enough to create easier throws for Minchey and the rest of the passing game.
That’s the part Kentucky is going to need to keep repeating. The quarterback position will draw the attention, especially with the Wildcats making noise in recruiting there and Stein’s track record already established.
But the whole machine runs better when the ground game is doing its job. If Kentucky can keep resetting the line of scrimmage and forcing defenses to respect the run, Stein’s offense should keep opening up.
The debut gave a strong preview of how this is supposed to look. The passing game may grab the headlines, but the run game could end up being the secret sauce all season.
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Kentuckys New Offense Just Gave Fans Real Reason For Hope
Will Steins first Kentucky team wasted little time showing what this offense might look like, and the season opener against Youngstown State offered plenty for fans to like. The Wildcats rolled to a 45-13 win, hit the end zone on their first three drives and paired that early efficiency with a ground game that piled up 205 rushing yards.
Kenny Minchey made the kind of first start Kentucky was hoping to see, completing 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns. For a program trying to build momentum under a new coach, the opener was a strong start, though the real test will come as defenses force this revamped attack to prove it can keep the same rhythm when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Heading To Kroger Field Need To Know This First
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The good news for anyone already making the trip is that the shutdown has since been lifted, and the weather in Lexington has also improved after morning thunderstorms rolled through the area. Conditions have cleared, and temperatures are expected to climb as the game goes on, giving fans a much different day than the one they woke up to. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Faces One Big Health Question Before Alabama
Kentucky got through its season opener with a few familiar names on the sideline, including starting cornerbacks Terhyon Nichols and Hasaan Sykes, both of whom were dressed but did not play because of minor issues. Head coach Will Stein said the roster should start to get healthier soon, with several players working their way back into the mix as the Wildcats turn their attention to Alabama.
One of the clearer signs of progress is along the line and in the front seven, where Malachi Wood is expected to return after being held out by a calf bruise and Alex Afari is gradually being reintegrated into the team. The bigger question remains in the secondary, where Kentucky could use more clarity before a matchup like this, especially with Nichols still not fully settled on a return timeline. [Read more 🡒]