A Hall of Fame coach gave Will Stein some advice after the big win at Texas A&M

History was made for Kentucky football this past weekend when the Wildcats dominated the #9 Texas A&M Aggies, marking the first big win of the Will Stein era and a game that is now put into the history books of the program. With all of the celebrating that has went on, the coaches and players need to remember a well-known term in sports called 'rat poison', which a team does not want to get caught up in following a big win.

For Kentucky, they're getting ready for South Alabama, a team Will Stein believes is the best team in the Sun Belt Conference. They don't seem to be your typical by-week team and Kentucky has to make sure the hangover from Saturday doesn't continue dragging on. That starts with practice this week. Will Stein recently appeared on The Triple Option podcast, and he asked Hall of Fame college football coach Urban Meyer what his message would be to his players after a big win like Kentucky just had. Kentucky fans will love what he had to say.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer hoists the trophy following their 42-20 win over Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12, 2015. (Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Lou Holtz would call me every Sunday or Monday after a big win -- he was my mentor -- and he would always remind me that's when you coach them the hardest," Meyer told Stein. "Everybody makes the drastic failure of just jumping on them when you lose. But everything's fragile when you lose. When you're winning, you can tell them to jump and they'll say 'How high?'. Lou Holtz would call me every Monday after a big win and say, 'You coach them and hold your staff accountable because everyone's patting them on the back, but they're listening to you because you just went and beat (Texas A&M)."

That's some really solid advice and someone you listen to when saying something like that. Meyer has been there and done that, winning three national titles, two with Florida (2006, 2008) and one at Ohio State in 2014. This week, Stein has already been talking about having the right mindset and what Meyer said is very true, because the hangover of wins like Kentucky just picked up can be a dangerous thing.

"The scoreboard is 0-0. There’ll be 15 minutes on the clock starting the first quarter. We’re gonna kick it off, and we gotta go play well. Major Applewhite can coach, like, he can coach, and he’s got good players, and so we have to have that mindset," Stein said earlier this week heading into Saturday against South Alabama.

Sep 19, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein looks on during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stein is going to make sure they acknowledge the magnitude of the win while also turning the page quickly and hearing that from an accomplished coach like Meyer, who himself learned from the legendary Lou Holtz, is some advice Stein should remember forever

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