# Stein's UK debut historic: Wildcats rout Youngstown 45-13 **Published:** 2026-09-05T22:06:45.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/05/kentucky-youngstown-state-postgame-notes-2/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/stein-s-uk-debut-historic-wildcats-rout-youngstown-45-13 LEXINGTON, Ky. — [Kentucky opened its 136th season with a decisive 45-13 victory over No. 17 (FCS) Youngstown State](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/05/kentucky-youngstown-state-postgame-notes-2/), marking an impressive debut for first-year head coach Will Stein and transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey. The Wildcats' 45 points set a Kentucky record for a head coach's first game, surpassing A.D. Kirwan's 46-7 win over Maryville in 1938. [Stein's offense was only the third UK squad since the SEC's founding in 1933 to score 30 or more points in a head coach's debut](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/steins-offense-off-historic-start-191125407.html). Minchey, a transfer from Notre Dame, completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns in his first collegiate start. The 6-foot-2 quarterback, who committed to [Kentucky just one day after pledging to Nebraska](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47520875/transfer-qb-kenny-minchey-flips-nebraska-kentucky-one-day-cornhuskers-commitment), connected with nine different receivers and finished with an impressive 66.7 completion percentage. "Feed The Studs" — Stein's stated offensive philosophy — proved effective in practice. The tight ends dominated, combining for nine catches, 140 yards and two touchdowns, their best combined performance since 1999. True freshmen Kenny Darby and Prince Jean each caught touchdown passes, marking the first time since 2022 that a pair of true freshmen scored in the season opener. Running back C.J. Baxter scored twice in the first quarter, the first time that has happened in a UK season opener since 2010. The defense limited Youngstown State's high-powered quarterback Beau Brungard, the 2025 National Player of the Year in the FCS, to just 29 net rushing yards. Kentucky generated 506 total yards and forced a turnover on Youngstown's second possession. The offensive line was stellar, allowing no sacks and just one quarterback hurry. [Minchey transferred to Kentucky as part of Stein's project to rebuild the program](https://www.whas11.com/article/sports/kentucky-qb-kenny-minchey-taking-advantage-starting-job/417-f5258509-a437-44db-b27d-a1444c1b09b1) after the Louisville native and former Oregon offensive coordinator took over in December 2025. The victory featured honorary captains Lynn Bowden, a 2019 All-American from Youngstown, and Stein's father, Matt, a UK letterman from the 1980s. Kentucky (1-0) next hosts Alabama on September 13 for the SEC opener, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/05/kentucky-youngstown-state-postgame-notes-2/) - [Yahoo Sports coverage of Stein's historic offensive performance](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/steins-offense-off-historic-start-191125407.html) - [ESPN on Kenny Minchey's transfer commitment flip from Nebraska to Kentucky](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47520875/transfer-qb-kenny-minchey-flips-nebraska-kentucky-one-day-cornhuskers-commitment) - [WHAS11 on Kenny Minchey's transfer and starting opportunity at Kentucky](https://www.whas11.com/article/sports/kentucky-qb-kenny-minchey-taking-advantage-starting-job/417-f5258509-a437-44db-b27d-a1444c1b09b1) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/05/kentucky-youngstown-state-postgame-notes-2/.