yahoo
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky football did not need a victory over No. 10 LSU to validate its season. Through five games, the Wildcats and rookie head coach Will Stein had already demonstrated their credibility. They went toe-to-toe with Alabama in Week 2, leading well into the third quarter before the Tide shifted the momentum. A week later, they traveled to Texas and upset top-10 Texas A&M. On Oct. 3, they overcame the largest road deficit in program history to defeat South Carolina. So no, a win over LSU and its outspoken coach Lane Kiffin on Oct. 10 was not necessary to establish themselves on the national stage. But the Wildcats went out and did it anyway.
For the second consecutive week, Kentucky won in dramatic fashion—this time in overtime, sealing a 35-34 comeback victory with a walk-off two-point conversion. Could this team become known as the "Cardiac Cats?" They keep stopping hearts in the Bluegrass State, only to revive them through the daring play of quarterback Kenny Minchey and the unwavering confidence of the ever-assured Stein. After the latest last-second triumph, Stein joked that he is "running out of lives." The SEC and the rest of the country should be so fortunate. The 37-year-old Stein is just getting started, and seemingly every week he matches or sets program history. Most recently, he became the first Kentucky coach since World War II to begin his debut season with a 5-1 record. Coupled with the win over Texas A&M, Kentucky has now defeated two top-10 opponents in the same season for only the fourth time. And since overtime was instituted in 1996, the Wildcats are the first FBS team to record consecutive one-point wins in extra frames.
For anyone who believes the Wildcats are more lucky than good, tell that to LSU. It was the Tigers, not the "plucky" Wildcats, who resorted to trick plays—not once, but twice—to score touchdowns on a windy night at Kroger Field. Remove those two scores, and the final statistics look different: take 63 yards off LSU's total. From an outsider's perspective, it seems a sign of respect that Kiffin, considered an offensive wizard, resorted to trickery more than once against Stein. It also suggests he did not trust his unit to manufacture points conventionally. "We've got to defend them better and got to be in the spots to make plays," Stein said. "So those are two really good plays, and tough to defend … So I don't know if it's respect. They were moving the ball pretty well, but those were good plays."
Respect for his program was scarce earlier in the day, however. Every picker on ESPN's "College GameDay" predicted LSU would come into Lexington and leave with a win. Stein saw it, snapped a picture, and showed it to his players. "Keep (picking against us). I appreciate that," he said. "Gives us a lot of fuel—a lot of fire—because everybody doubts us." There can't be many naysayers left now, not after silencing Kiffin, a coach with whom Stein shares many similarities, from innovative minds to bravado and candor. Yet even Kiffin did not experience this much success this quickly in his first college season. He was 3-3 through six games at Tennessee in 2009; the Volunteers finished 7-6 that season. Six games into his head coaching career, Stein has already recorded his second win against a top-10 team; Kiffin still has just one.
Kentucky should have its sights set far higher than that—and deservedly so. Stein and the Wildcats keep stacking victories, week after week. "I think we can continue to improve and get better," he said. "There's plenty of things that we have to clean up from tonight. We just battled, just kept playing hard, and that's the sign of a team that really loves each other and is bought into the process." If you haven't bought into these Wildcats yet, you're late to the party. That was evident afterward, when Minchey found the end zone and bedlam ensued. Fans poured out of the stands, celebrating one of the most memorable nights in school history. At the halfway point of his first regular season, Stein has already provided his fair share of indelible moments—proof that many more are on the horizon.
Originally reported by yahoo.