Stein’s Wildcats Dominate Debut | Lexington News

Will Stein makes a statement in his debut as Kentucky’s head coach, leading the Wildcats to a dominant 45-13 win over Youngstown State. Quarterback Kenny Payne dazzled in his first start, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, while the offense rolled with balance—six touchdowns, over 500 total yards. Young receivers Kenny Darby and Prince Jean shined, and running backs CJ Baxter, Jason Patterson, and Martel got key reps. Defense held Youngstown to under 60 rushing yards, controlled the line of scrimmage, and even forced a turnover on punt. Stein praised the effort but stressed urgency—ball security, pace, and execution must improve ahead of Alabama. Emotional tribute to Nic Smith added depth to the win. A strong start, but the real test is next week. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8b8f663b477e1d43