The Oklahoma Sooners head into Saturday facing one of college football's toughest teams: the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats are led by first-time head coach Will Stein and are off to an impressive 5-1 start.
To start the season, Kentucky has beaten the Texas A&M Aggies and the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road, and the LSU Tigers at home. Kentucky's only loss was a 45-17 home defeat to the Alabama Crimson Tide, but Kentucky led at halftime.
Stein is an elite offensive coordinator. He served as the Oregon Ducks' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. His imprint is all over the Kentucky team, which went from one of the worst offenses in college football last season to ranked No. 55 this season.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables
praised Stein's work up to this point.
"Coach Stein and his staff have done a fantastic job," Venables said. "They're playing as good as anybody in college football right now. 5-1. They've won their last couple of games by the same score. Both in overtime. They beat a really good LSU team and South Carolina at their place. A couple of weeks before that, they beat (Texas) A&M at their place in College Station. It's a team that is battle-tested and a team that really believes."
For Oklahoma, Kentucky's recent results make it clear that Saturday's matchup will require a complete performance. The Wildcats have already proven they can win in hostile environments and withstand late-game pressure, making them a dangerous opponent for a Sooners team trying to build consistency. Oklahoma's defense will need to limit Kentucky's offensive rhythm, while the offense must sustain drives and avoid putting the defense in difficult situations.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables praises Kentucky's Will Stein ahead of Saturday matchup
