LSU’s next trip away from Baton Rouge brings the Tigers into a Kentucky game that already has a place in program history under first-year coach Will Stein.
The No. 10 Tigers head to Lexington on Saturday, Oct. 10, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
CT on ESPN. Kentucky is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play after a wild overtime win at South Carolina, a result that kept the Wildcats rolling and added another line to Stein’s fast start.
LSU, meanwhile, is chasing something it has not done in a long time: win in Lexington. The Tigers’ last victory there came in 2002, when the Bluegrass Miracle ended with Marcus Randall hitting Devery Henderson on a 75-yard touchdown as time expired. LSU lost its next two trips in 2007 and 2021.
Stein’s arrival in Lexington came after three seasons at Oregon, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. A Louisville native, he played quarterback for the Cardinals, but Kentucky has always been part of the family tree. Both of his parents attended UK, and his father, Matt, played defensive end for the Wildcats.
Hired in December 2025, Stein built his reputation around quarterback development, and that background has carried over quickly. At Oregon, he coached Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. His first offense there led the nation in passing yards per game and finished second in scoring.
Kentucky’s early run under Stein has already produced two notable firsts. He is the first coach in school history to win his first two SEC road games, and the first to begin 4-1 in a debut season since Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1946.
The staff around him also includes a pair of names LSU fans know well. Former Tigers assistant Joe Sloan is Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, while former Texas A&M coordinator Jay Bateman runs the defense.
On the field, Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey is steering the offense. Against South Carolina, the senior quarterback completed 28 of 41 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
One of his favorite targets was freshman receiver Kenny Darby, a Bossier City product from Airline High School. Darby hauled in 12 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, setting Kentucky’s freshman single-game receptions record.
Former LSU receiver Nic Anderson, who followed Sloan to Kentucky, also turned in his best outing as a Wildcat. He caught five passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Texas transfer CJ Baxter led the ground game with 48 rushing yards and a score.
Kentucky’s tight ends delivered the biggest plays when it mattered most. Henry Boyer scored on a six-yard touchdown in overtime before Stein chose to go for the win. Minchey then hit Willie Rodriguez in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion that completed the 35-34 comeback.
The defense had its own swing moments. Linebackers Grant Godfrey and Sam Greene were central to the rally, with Godfrey posting nine tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery, and Greene forcing two fumbles.
Kentucky’s roster also includes former LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux and offensive lineman Lance Heard, adding a few more familiar faces to the matchup.
That comeback at South Carolina was no small thing. The Wildcats erased a 17-0 hole to secure their largest road comeback and their first road overtime win.
The third quarter has been a major separator in Kentucky’s SEC road success so far. The Wildcats have outscored Texas A&M and South Carolina by a combined 35-0 in third quarters across those two wins, a stretch LSU will have to keep in mind if it wants to leave Lexington with a victory.
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