Will Stein emphasizes first half against South Alabama was not up to standard

Kentucky's 45-21 win over South Alabama wasn't always as pretty as what the score says. In fact, the Wildcats struggled for half of the game. After going up 7-0 to start things out, it was Kentucky's offense that struggled mightily for much of the half. Kentucky's offense had multiple crucial mistakes that really cost them early.

Not only did they muff a punt return, but that error gave South Alabama excellent field position and allowed them to point points on the board to tie it. Then, Kentucky was able to move the ball on the next drive and turned it over on downs, giving the Jaguars great field position again. Both of those errors put the Jaguars up 14-7 before the Wildcats tied the game. South Alabama responded with a touchdown of their own after marching down the field easily. Thanks to a 75-yard run by Jason Patterson and an interception tha led to a field goal, Kentucky was able to take a three-point lead into halftime. It was a rough showing until Kentucky finally pulled away in the second half thanks to the incredible run game. Will Stein emphasized that the first-half performance was not up to the standard.

Sep 26, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein runs onto the field before the game against the South Alabama Jaguars at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I told the guys, that was not our standard. If you think for one second that is the standard of play here at Kentucky, then you're wrong. You're very seriously mistaken," Stein said of Kentucky's performance against South Alabama. "I'm very excited to get the win. I think being 3-1 in the month of September is a pretty good spot to be in right now, but if you for one second slip or think that is the way to play football here at Kentucky, then it's going to be a long road ahead."

At halftime, Stein made sure his guys understood the message he had for them, one that said the first half was not up to the standard. "It's not rocket science. You have to run the correct play. You have to block correctly. You have to tackle the ball. We have to corral the quarterback. And so, playing to our standard, not playing to whatever standard they had in their mind. So they did get the message. They played better in the second half."

Sep 26, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Jovantae Barnes (2) runs the ball during the third quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What went wrong for Kentucky in the first half that saw them trailing two separate times? Stein says it's really just about executing and playing better, which he says he's confident he and the staff can get corrected to start games going forward.

"It wasn't for a lack of effort. I think it's more execution based. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Like, the facts were that we did not execute. It wasn't for a lack of trying. There's a difference," Stein said. "Everybody's trying hard. It's about doing your job and doing it at an elite level, and if you don't and we go to Colombia next week, it will not be pretty. So we got to make sure that we are in a spot that these guys can go execute better. And I hate that our fans had to experience that today at home, but I know we're going to get it corrected, and it's a lot better to correct off a win."

Kentucky simply just didn't come to play in the first half and it took the entire half for them to get in the right mindset and go and execute. Now, it's about understanding the right standard moving forward. Stein's message at halftime needs to stick for the rest of the season.

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