If you’re the type of fan who puts a lot of stock in a new head coach’s first impression, you were extra pleased on Saturday watching Will Stein draw up a blissful first drive of the season as Kentucky Football played host to Youngstown State. It’s been a long offseason of uncertainty, especially surrounding Kenny Minchey, as the Notre Dame transfer had never made a collegiate start.
How did UK’s QB1 respond? By orchestrating a flawless opening drive capped by CJ Baxter’s 15‑yard touchdown run. Minchey
looked poised and ready for the moment, connecting on all five of his passing attempts for 61 yards.
It took the Cats just 3:31 to put the first points of the 2026 season on the board, and the crowd at Kroger Field loved every second of the change of pace.
Notably, four different pass-catchers were the beneficiaries of Minchey’s passes, providing initial optimism of depth for a position that had question marks coming into Saturday’s game,
Without throwing any shade at the previous coaching staff, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Kentucky fan who wasn’t looking forward to the idea of an offense capable of effortlessly scoring points and using the entire field to do it. Coach Stein took no time to remind the Big Blue Nation what he intends to do with this football program moving forward.
The obvious quip here would be downplaying Youngstown State and the level of competition. But with an entire roster overhaul, it was impressive to see the Cats firing on all cylinders as soon as the game kicked off. Minchey and the offensive unit continued to impress, marching the ball down the field at will.
You could argue that the opening drive of the Will Stein era was a symbolic passing of the torch. Win or lose, it’s evident that the game plan in Lexington is to keep it fast-paced and efficient.
This is fun.
