Will Stein stressed the importance of staying focused after the recent big wins

Kentucky can't ride the high from the LSU win for long. They still have a tough road ahead.

Kentucky’s coach Will Stein came out with players against LSU at Kroger Field Saturday evening. Oct. 10, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Saturday was one of the best nights in the history of Kentucky football and as fans, you can ride that high the rest of the week leading up to the next game. If you're a player or coach, you've gotta enjoy the win, but flip the script once Monday rolls around.

Up next, Kentucky will travel to Oklahoma to take on a Sooners team that is coming off of a massive win over rival #1 Texas and will be very motivated to add to that. Will Stein is here to make sure his players know to stay focus on the next task at hand, which is beating Oklahoma. Here is what he had to say ahead of Saturday's game coming off of an historic win.

Oct 10, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein looks on during the second quarter against the LSU Tigers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"if you don't, you get whooped, and so that's really what it is," Stein responded when asked about keeping his team's mind sharp. "If you don't come to play, you'll get embarrassed in this league, and so we have to play better than what we played last week. There was a lot of great moments, but there was opportunity as well for growth on our team in all three phases and as a coaching staff. And that's what we're taking into this week. There's no gimmies. You're playing Oklahoma, like if you can't get up for that game, then I don't know if you even have a pulse."

Speaking of Oklahoma, here is what Stein had to say about the Sooners, a team that features a great defense that they feed off of, as well as a dynamic quarterback in John Mateer.

"Coach Venables, I think he's one of the best coaches in college football. One of the elite defensive minds as well. They're one of the best defenses that we will face this entire season," Stein said. "when you think about his teams and how they play, I mean, extremely hard, physical, never out of the fight mentality. This is a really well coached football team in all three phases. You know, his defense is elite. I would say these guys are phenomenal. They're one of the best defenses that we will face this entire season."

Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws the ball during the game between the Sooners and the Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With QB John Mateer, he has had some efficiency struggles, but Stein says don't let those struggles fool you. "He's won a lot with with Ben (Arbuckle) as his coordinator. Then they go to the playoffs last year. You know, he's a guy that can beat you through the air on the ground, I know he's had some turnover issues this year, but you can't can't sleep on this dude. Like, the guy's been a winner his whole life. I recruited him a little bit when I was at UTSA, and then he went to Washington State, and obviously he was a Heisman hopeful before the season. I still think he's got elite and some rare talent in spots."

After win like Kentucky had over #10 LSU, it's easy to lose focus heading into the next week, but as we have seen this season, Will Stein has been great at getting his team to put in the full preparation for every game, and that starts at the beginning of each week. Kentucky is now in a position where playoff hopes are alive, but they can't lose many if they want to make it in the 12-team bracket.

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