Kentucky’s matchup with LSU this weekend comes with plenty of intrigue, but one of the more interesting storylines is the respect Lane Kiffin is showing Will Stein.
Kiffin, now in his first season at LSU, has watched Stein’s early run as Kentucky’s head coach closely enough to notice a few familiar traits. And from Kiffin’s perspective, the Wildcats are carrying themselves like a team that believes it belongs in every fight.
“I think he’s brought that kind of youthful, confident energy in there, and you can see by the way that they play and by the way they kind of walk, that they have a lot of confidence,” Kiffin said. “They were down big in that game at South Carolina, and a lot of first-year teams would have folded in that, and they came all the way back and won.”
Kiffin went a step further and said he sees a bit of his younger self in Stein, pointing back to what Stein said at SEC Media Days about being the reason Kentucky will win big.
“I saw the young confidence, some might say cocky, so probably I did see in that moment some of myself when I was young,” said Kiffin. “He’s doing a great job, and he did a great job on offense at Oregon.
Really unique plays and a mixture of personnel and tempo and stuff. So he’s doing a great job.”
For Kentucky, it’s another shot to take down a top-10 team in Stein’s first six games as head coach, and it comes against an LSU team that is eager and loaded with talent. However it plays out at Kroger Field, the attention Kentucky is drawing is real.
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Kentucky Heads Into LSU With A Defensive Concern Fans Will Notice
Kentuckys trip to LSU comes with the usual SEC weight, but the latest injury report gives the matchup an extra layer of scrutiny on the Wildcats side of the ball. Kentucky has a handful of players working through availability questions, including wide receiver DJ Miller listed as probable, while the defensive backfield already has some clear absences with cornerbacks Grant Grayton and Jaden Smith ruled out.
For a team heading into a road game against a conference opponent, those secondary issues are the kind that can shape everything from coverage plans to how aggressive the defense can be early. LSU also has its own notable names on the report, with linebacker Whit Weeks and safety Dashanw Spears out, while quarterback Sam Leavitt is not listed and expected to play, leaving Kentucky with a test that could hinge on which side handles the missing pieces better. [Read more 🡒]
Will Stein Sent Kentucky A Blunt Message After Its 4-1 Start
Kentuckys 4-1 start has given Will Stein an early platform to reinforce the message he has been trying to build in his first season on the job. After the win over South Carolina, Stein addressed the team with a blunt reminder about belief in the program, and later on the SEC Coaches Teleconference he praised the Wildcats for their resilience while making clear there is still plenty of work ahead.
Stein, who arrived after serving as Oregons offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, has brought a steady tone to a group still taking shape under his leadership. The start has created momentum, but his postgame message made the balance obvious: confidence matters, yet Kentucky still has to keep improving if this run is going to mean anything in the SEC race. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Faces One Big Test Before LSU Comes To Kroger Field
Will Stein spent part of his latest remarks addressing something far removed from the white lines, a fake Kenny Minchey quote that had been making the rounds online. The Kentucky coach made clear Minchey never said it and used the moment to steer the conversation back toward what the Wildcats can control, which is the kind of approach that matters in a week when attention can scatter quickly. With LSU headed to Kroger Field, Stein also framed the matchup as another chance for Kentucky to carry over the confidence it has built away from home.
There was football substance in the discussion, too, including Steins explanation of the origin of the short-yardage "Big Blue Wall Play" package Kentucky used recently. It was a useful reminder that the Wildcats are still shaping pieces of their identity even as the schedule stiffens. Replicating that road composure at home against LSU would be the next step, but first Kentucky has to keep the noise outside the building from becoming part of the story. [Read more 🡒]