Kentucky squandered its first opportunity at a signature win early in Will Stein’s tenure as coach.
But given a second chance a week later, the Wildcats didn’t throw away their shot.
Kentucky will look to build on its 31-21 road upset of then-No. 9 Texas A&M last week when it faces South Alabama on Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Ky.
The Wildcats (2-1) led then-No. 12 Alabama 17-13 at halftime on Sept. 12 before being outscored 32-0 in the second half.
Against Texas A&M on Saturday, Kentucky took control after halftime, scoring all 21 of the game’s third-quarter points to break open a 7-7 contest.
There was plenty to like from the Wildcats’ win. The defense forced two turnovers, while quarterback Kenny Minchey continued to find success in the first extended playing time of his collegiate career.
The Notre Dame transfer completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, giving him seven touchdowns against one interception through his first three starts.
Even with the early success under Stein, the first-time head coach said he is not satisfied.
“We still have plenty to improve from these first three weeks,” he said. “I think this team can be as good as we want it to be but it’s still going to take work and improvement.”
South Alabama (2-1) is coming off a 41-36 win over Ohio even though Jaguars starting quarterback Bishop Davenport was sidelined with an undisclosed injury, although the team is describing it as minor.
In his absence, Jared Hollins threw for 192 yards and a touchdown in his first career start, while Keenan Phillips, PJ Martin and Trae’von Dunbar ran for a combined 248 yards and four TDs.
Jaguars coach Major Applewhite didn’t have a firm answer when asked earlier this week if Davenport will return this weekend.
“He was able to go Saturday in some capacity, but we wanted to just be smart about what capacity he plays in and be fair to him so he can play at a high level,” Applewhite said. “Throughout the week, I’ll have a better idea of where he is.”
South Alabama is 1-8 all-time against Southeastern Conference teams, with the only win coming over Mississippi State in 2016. This will be the Jaguars’ first game against SEC member Kentucky.
