It’s Not Quite ‘Google Me,’ but Kentucky’s Will Stein Is Backing Up His Curt Cignetti

Kentucky football went from getting its butt kicked to kicking butt. Ten months ago, coach Mark Stoops, the winningest coach in program history, suffered a loss that was the straw that broke the camel’s back: a 41–0 defeat to rival Louisville in the season’s final game that led to this blunt summation from Stoops.

“Didn’t play very good, didn’t coach very good and got our butts kicked,” he said at the time.

A day later, Stoops was fired. Almost a year later, the Wildcats are the ones putting plantar to posteriors with new coach Will Stein.

As Stein headed toward midfield for the postgame handshake after his Wildcats defeated No. 9 Texas A&M, 31–21, at Kyle Field on Saturday, Aggies coach Mike Elko, never one to mince words, succinctly summed up the contest.

KENTUCKY UPSETS NO. 9 TEXAS A&M IN COLLEGE STATION 😲

"You guys kicked our ass." —Texas A&M coach Mike Elko pic.twitter.com/NQ0RrVxEoO
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 19, 2026

“You guys kicked our ass, good job,” Elko said.

Coming from Elko, whose teams are typically built Ford tough in the trenches, that’s like a seal of approval for Stein’s operation. There were glimpses of Kentucky’s turnaround against an FBS opponent in last week’s loss to Alabama, in which the Wildcats controlled the Crimson Tide for much of the first half.

But it all came together for Stein’s Wildcats against the Aggies, who were manhandled for much of Saturday’s game. Kentucky led 28–7 heading into the fourth quarter.

This was the vision Stein not-so-shyly set into motion at SEC media days this summer. Asked why he believes he can win at Kentucky, Stein channeled his inner Curt Cignetti.

“This is going to sound like really—I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said in July. “I think cause of me. I think I know what it takes. I have seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level …”

Both before and after uttering those confidence-oozing words, all Stein has done is back them up. The fruits of one of the country’s best transfer portal classes have already come to bear, most notably against the Aggies.

The offensive line, aka the Big Blue Wall, was on the verge of collapse at points last season, but looked sturdier than ever on Saturday after Stein imported six big, physical transfer linemen with nearly 50 career starts among them. The Wildcats’ revamped line completely neutralized the Aggies’ pass rush and paved plenty of lanes up front for running back duo CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson, who combined for 145 rushing yards and two scores.

The Kentucky defense, led by Stein hire and ex-Texas A&M defensive play-caller Jay Bateman, consistently pressured Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed, forcing him into two turnovers while slamming the door shut on A&M’s aerial attack, which produced just 4.8 yards per pass attempt.

But arguably Kentucky’s biggest impact transfer—and Stein’s best find—is at the most important position. Quarterback Kenny Minchey, a former Notre Dame backup, looked to be in command of the Wildcats offense against the Aggies, and really got into a rhythm down the stretch, completing his final 11 pass attempts.

Most importantly? After two costly turnovers against Alabama last week, Minchey played mistake-free football against an opportunistic Texas A&M defense.

“Kenny was elite," Stein said after Saturday’s game. “That was the best thing that happened to him, getting sacked four times last week, throwing a pick-six. Because he learned.”

Just three weeks into Stein’s tenure, the Wildcats have already won half as many games as they did last year. They boast a top-10 win over a program that made it to the College Football Playoff last season and had dreams of replicating the feat this year. But more than any achievements, it’s the feel—or the vibes, as they say—around this team that speaks volumes.

Stein has already got the once-frustrated Kentucky fan base to buy in, see his “sneak a flask” comment before the Alabama game and the ensuing turnout and energy at Kroger Field.

But most impactful, Stein has the Wildcats believing.

“We said all week, be the eye of the storm,” Stein said Saturday. “We knew there was going to be ups and downs, ebbs and flows, but we truly focused on just one play at a time. Not the next, not three away, not what just happened—the next play.”

How good can the Wildcats be in 2026? If Saturday’s game was any indication, a bowl game could very well be in their future, even with a hellacious end to the schedule that includes ranked opponents in five of their last seven games. If the second half of the Alabama loss was an indication, this team may have some trouble finishing games against ranked SEC competition. At worst, he has a physical, will-imposing team that will provide maximum resistance to every opponent on its schedule. You couldn’t say that last year.

Cignetti raised eyebrows with his “Google me” comment but also paved a path forward for braggadocious coaches by walking the walk with a substantive product on the field to back up the big talk.

Stein, so far, is backing up his words.

PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.

Add us as a preferred source on Google