LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky football team's first scrimmage of the fall Saturday revealed plenty of areas needing improvement, according to head coach Will Stein.

"In terms of the scrimmage, I would just categorize it as sloppy," Stein said after the team ran through drills at Kroger Field. "There's a lot of reasons why, so I typically let the tape tell me the story."

Stein acknowledged that heat and early-season installation of new offensive and defensive schemes contributed to the sloppy performance. With the season opener against Youngstown State set for September 5, the new head coach said conditioning will be crucial.

"I'm not going to let weather or heat play a factor into why it might look a certain way, because ultimately, this is going to be the temperature for the first game," Stein said. "We're on turf. It's going to be hot. It's the first game of September."

Despite the rough scrimmage, Stein remained optimistic about the time remaining before the season kicks off. Stein, who previously served as Oregon's offensive coordinator, is in his inaugural season after taking over a program that went 4-8 and 5-7 the previous two seasons.

"I always look at what's good, and the opportunity is that we're still 21 days out," Stein said. "We're not playing today or tomorrow, so we got time, but time's ticking. So, we've got to get the train moving. We have some work to do, but hey, that's what you sign up for, and that's why you practice."

Stein drew on past experience to illustrate how quickly a program can turn around. "I remember my first fall camp scrimmage out at Oregon with Bo Nix and, like, seven NFL players," he said. "And I don't think we scored a touchdown, and we ended up leading the country in scoring."

In roster updates, Stein announced that senior receiver Antonio O'Berry has exhausted his college eligibility. "He's a great person, great player, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward," Stein said.

The coaching staff received better news regarding receiver Alex Afari, who has been cleared to practice. "His competition eligibility remains under review," Stein said. "We're awaiting further clarification before he will be permitted to play in games with us this season. But obviously, he cares a lot about UK, this place as a whole, and we would love for him to have the opportunity to come back."