# Stein Gets First Signature Win in Third Game as UK Coach **Published:** 2026-09-20T00:49:02.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/19/stein-earns-first-signature-win-in-third-game-as-head-coach/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/stein-gets-first-signature-win-in-third-game-as-uk-coach LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Stein earned his first signature victory as Kentucky football head coach on Saturday with a stunning 31-21 road upset over No. 9 Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, just days after a disappointing loss to No. 12 Alabama, [according to UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/19/stein-earns-first-signature-win-in-third-game-as-head-coach/). Kentucky entered the game as a 16.5-point underdog but dominated the Aggies across all three phases, snapping Texas A&M's 19-game home winning streak. The victory marks the Wildcats' first top-10 road win in nearly two years and represents a remarkable achievement for Stein, the Kentucky native who grew up attending games at what was then Commonwealth Stadium. The win places Stein in rare company. He became only the third first-year Kentucky head coach to defeat a top-10 opponent and the first to do so on the road. The previous wins came under John Ray, who beat No. 8 Ole Miss in 1969, and Joker Phillips, whose team topped No. 10 South Carolina in 2010 — both at home. According to UK Athletics, Kentucky first-year coaches are now 3-23 all-time against top-10 teams, and Saturday's victory marked only the seventh time in program history the Wildcats have beaten a top-10 opponent in a true road game. For context, Mark Stoops, Kentucky's all-time winningest coach, did not record a win over a ranked team until his third season in 2015 when the Cats defeated No. 25 Missouri. Stein's accomplishment is even more striking given it came in just his third game leading the program. After the game, Stein emphasized that the performance should serve as a baseline for his team rather than an exception. "That is the physicality, that's the toughness, that's the competitiveness, that's the grit that I expect us to play with every single Saturday," Stein said, according to UK Athletics. "You have to be at your best every single week, and so that's the expectation for us." Stein expressed pride in his players' effort while acknowledging the magnitude of the win had not fully set in. "I'm just really proud of the guys. I'm proud of this team," he said. The victory comes one week after Kentucky led No. 12 Alabama 17-13 at halftime in front of a packed Kroger Field crowd before the Tide rallied to win decisively, 45-17. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/19/stein-earns-first-signature-win-in-third-game-as-head-coach/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/19/stein-earns-first-signature-win-in-third-game-as-head-coach/.