LEXINGTON — A scoreboard can tell a lot of lies in four quarters of college football.
The Kentucky Wildcats left Kroger Field at 3-1 after beating South Alabama 45-21, riding a historic rushing clinic—390 yards on the ground, with three different backs topping the century mark. But when Will Stein reached the podium, he wasn't handing out cigars.
Like I told the guys, that was not our standard. If you think for one second that that is the standard of play here at Kentucky, then you're wrong. You're very seriously mistaken.
The Danger of the Slow Start
The concern isn't the destination—it's the turbulence getting there. For the second straight home game, a sluggish first half let a scrappy visitor hang around. South Alabama's pressure packages—bringing
the boundary cat, the star, and the safety off the plug—forced Kentucky to the edge and stalled early drives.
Stein was careful to separate effort from execution:
Our guys showed up on Tuesday and Wednesday. It wasn't for a lack of effort; I think it's more execution-based, right? It's like don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. The facts were that we did not execute. It wasn't for a lack of trying. There's a difference. Everybody's trying hard. It's about doing your job and doing it at an elite level.
Ground and Pound Saves the Day
Once the offense found rhythm, the backfield wore South Alabama down:
- Jason Patterson — 137 yards, 3 TDs
- CJ Baxter — 149 yards, 1 TD
- Jovantae Barnes—100 yards, his first trip to the end zone
Grant Godfrey's interception at the end of the half kept the margin comfortable. But Stein's read on the team's discipline stayed blunt:
If you do not show up on any given Saturday, you will get beat. We cannot turn the ball over on offense. We cannot have special teams turnovers. We have to get off the field on third and long. We have to corral the quarterback.
Health Check
Stein handed out a round of minor updates after the game, with nothing sounding season-altering. Jovantae Barnes appeared to limp on his final carry, but Stein wasn't worried:
"I'm expecting that he's okay. It wasn't anything major. I think he might have just gotten rolled up a little bit towards the end, but I think he's fine." DJ left the game with what Stein called "a soft tissue deal," while Nick and the team's long snapper each came out briefly with tightness. Martell Carter also didn't finish the game, though Stein waved off any concern: "Nothing major, season-ending—just some nicks and bruises."
October Awaits
September is in the books at 3-1—"a pretty good spot to be in right now," Stein said—but back to SEC play now, and the margin for error shrinks fast. His warning ahead of the trip to Columbia was direct: "If you don't, when we go to Columbia next week, it will not be pretty for the Cats." The Cats will be back on the road for to face South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. Kick-off is set for 4:15 PM ET. Will Stein and his ball club are the undercats by +3.5 heading into Week 5.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky coach Will Stein not happy with overall performance
