LEXINGTON, Ky. — Will Stein is ready for his debut as Kentucky football head coach. The Wildcats face Youngstown State at Kroger Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network Plus in what Stein described as an exciting first game after completing a productive preseason.

Stein, 36, came to Kentucky from Oregon, where he served as the Ducks' offensive coordinator after the program fired long-time coach Mark Stoops in November 2025. Stein has a reputation as one of college football's brightest offensive minds, having coached two Heisman Trophy finalists at Oregon.

The new Kentucky head coach praised his team's performance during fall camp, highlighting the competitive spirit shown throughout the preseason. "I thought our guys were really good over the last three, four weeks," Stein said at his first game-week press conference on Tuesday. "We created toughness in our unit. I thought we found out who we are in all three phases of the game."

Stein emphasized the importance of executing fundamentals when the games begin. "We got to continue to find out who is accountable and who is capable," Stein said. "Now it's time in a real game." He stressed that Kentucky must play with "elite fundamentals and technique" while protecting the football on offense and forcing turnovers on defense.

The head coach expressed excitement about opening at home, where he hopes the Kroger Field crowd will provide an edge. A Kentucky native whose parents both attended the university, Stein called Wildcat fans "the best fans in the country" and emphasized the need to "make this place the loudest, best environment in all of college football."

Youngstown State enters the contest as a strong FCS opponent. The Penguins reached the FCS playoffs last season and return significant contributors including quarterback Beau Brungard, who won the Walter Payton Award.