Kentucky Football head coach Will Stein is only five games into his head coaching career, but he has already etched his name into the Wildcats’ history books.
Kentucky rallied from a 17-0 deficit Saturday to defeat South Carolina, 35-34, in overtime at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Wildcats completed the comeback when quarterback Kenny Minchey connected with Willie Rodriguez on a successful 2-point conversion in overtime.
The 17-point comeback was especially significant because it matched a remarkable piece of Kentucky history.
The only other time the Wildcats had rallied from a deficit of 17 or more points came against South Carolina on Oct. 16, 2010. Kentucky trailed by 18 points in that game before storming back to defeat the Gamecocks, 31-28.
Stein also became the first Kentucky head coach to begin his first season with a 4-1 record since Paul “Bear” Bryant did so in 1946.
Bryant went on to compile a 60-23-5 record during his eight seasons at Kentucky from 1946-53. During his tenure, the Wildcats won an SEC championship and made appearances in the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Cotton Bowl.
If Stein can find even a fraction of the success Bryant had during his time in Lexington, Kentucky could be entering a special era of football.
Some have already compared Kentucky’s potential trajectory under Stein to what Indiana has accomplished in recent years. Stein, meanwhile, has never shied away from his confidence in what Kentucky can become.
When asked why Kentucky would be successful, Stein’s response was simple:
Five games into his tenure, Stein has already made history. Now, Kentucky fans will find out just how far he can take it.
Source: www.aseaofblue.com
