The Kentucky Wildcats have arguably their most important battle of the season on Saturday as the Alabama Crimson Tide will be making the trip north to Kroger Field. This will be the first real challenge for both sides, as the Cats throttled the Youngstown State Penguins this past Saturday and the Crimson Tide beat up on the East Carolina Pirates.
Kentucky edged Youngstown State 45-13, with quarterback Kenny Minchey, who transferred from Notre Dame this offseason, leading the charge and ending with 301 passing yards and four touchdowns. Alabama beat the Pirates 48-10, but dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell didn't look nearly as impressive, throwing for 256 yards and not having a passing touchdown to account for.
That said, the Cats will be
the home side for Will Stein's first top-25 battle of his head coaching career, and he's calling for Kroger Field to be "the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football." For fans wanting to see a change from Mark Stoops this offseason, they got that, and now their new leader is asking them to show up in a big way.
Will Stein on Saturday's game vs. Alabama:
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) September 8, 2026
"We have to make this the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football. That's my goal for our fans. The loudest it has ever been. And we need them to be at their best. I want people in the stands for pregame. Let's have 65,000…
The Cats will have many other highly competitive battles this season, especially as they take to the road and face the Texas A&M Aggies for their third game. Kentucky's sixth game will be against the top-ten LSU Tigers. They have a total of seven top-25 games this season, one of the most challenging schedules in college football.
However, Stein, with the Oregon Ducks last season, faced many rowdy environments and should be prepared for what's to come. His Cats may get a nice break as they'll be the healthier side entering their battle with the Crimson Tide. If the home-field advantage helps his cause, there's a decent chance Kentucky could find a way to pull off the upset.
As of now, it has opened as a 10.5-point home underdog, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Will Stein wants the 'loudest' game in Kentucky history vs. Alabama
