DALLAS (FWAA) – The Kentucky Wildcats scored 21 unanswered points in a dominant third quarter and stunned No. 9 Texas A&M, 31-21, before 105,186 fans at Kyle Field. For defeating a 16½-point favorite and delivering first-year head coach Will Stein’s first Southeastern Conference and ranked victory, Kentucky earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 19, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Kentucky (2-1, 1-1 SEC) broke open a 7-7 halftime game by controlling every phase of the third quarter. The Wildcats scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions, outgained Texas A&M 196-20, collected 10 first downs while allowing none and possessed the football for 11:18.

Quarterback Kenny Minchey completed all eight of his third-quarter passes for 110 yards and finished 14-of-18 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He completed his final 11 passes of the game.

Minchey opened the second half by connecting with true freshman Kenny Darby for a 42-yard touchdown, capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive. After the Kentucky defense forced a three-and-out, the Wildcats marched 83 yards in nine plays and extended their lead to 21-7 on C.J. Baxter’s 3-yard touchdown run.

The defense produced another short field by stopping Texas A&M on fourth down at the Aggies’ 33-yard line. Baxter scored again four plays later, giving Kentucky a commanding 28-7 advantage with 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Baxter rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns and added a 28-yard reception. D.J. Miller caught five passes for 96 yards, including a 53-yard reception that set up Kentucky’s first touchdown. Darby recorded 64 yards on two receptions in his first collegiate start.

Kentucky’s defense intercepted Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed twice and stopped the Aggies on three fourth-down attempts. Sam Greene made six tackles, intercepted a pass and delivered a tackle for loss on fourth-and-inches during Texas A&M’s opening possession. Jordan Castell added a game-high 13 tackles and sealed the victory by intercepting Reed at the Kentucky 7-yard line with 6:34 remaining.

Kicker Adam Zouagui supplied the Wildcats’ final points with a career-long 52-yard field goal that struck the left upright and caromed through, extending Kentucky’s lead to 31-14 with 8:22 to play.

“I’m just really proud of the guys. I’m proud of this team,” Stein said following his first road victory as a head coach.

Stein became the first Kentucky head coach to defeat an AP top-10 opponent on the road during his first season. The victory was the Wildcats’ second-highest-ranked win in a true road game against an SEC opponent and their second-largest margin of victory in a true road game against an AP top-10 team.

This is the fourth time Kentucky has earned the FWAA’s National Team of the Week honor. The Wildcats were previously recognized following victories at Arkansas in 2007, at Florida in 2018 and at No. 9 Louisville in 2023.

Kentucky returns home to face South Alabama on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. ET at Kroger Field. The SEC Network will televise the game.

The FWAA has recognized a National Team of the Week since the 2002 season. Weekly candidates are evaluated by the FWAA All-America Committee with supporting data analysis from the Iron Football app. Today’s announcement will also be featured on the the Cover 3 Podcast, hosted by Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell and Bud Elliott of CBS Sports.

Each honored team will receive a delivery of assorted Pop-Tarts and a custom-crafted game ball from Big Game USA, the Dallas-based manufacturer of handcrafted American-made footballs.

Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event-management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events. Its annual events include the Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Camping World Kickoff and the FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of approximately 1,200 men and women who cover college football. Its membership includes journalists, broadcasters, publicists and key executives involved in the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.

When college football programs start to build, growing pains and losses mount. However, those challenges must be overcome if they are to make it to better times. Buena Vista, representing the American Rivers Conference, and Lawrence, out of the Midwest Conference, collided in Appleton, Wisc., looking to build momentum. While Buena Vista headed home to Iowa with a 26-14 victory, each team learned something vitally important, which can ultimately serve as the impetus for change.

Photo Cred: BVU

Rough Voyages

BVU competes in the ARC, a conference dominated by Wartburg, a nationally ranked powerhouse that always seems in playoff contention. Meanwhile, Lawrence must contend with conference foes Ripon, Illinois College, Lake Forest, and Monmouth. Neither conference affords the schools any semblance of rest or easy games on the schedule. In the last ten seasons, Lawrence has won less than a dozen games. Equally, Buena Vista continues to struggle. Why?

It’s not for a lack of effort. Each team showed today that they are capable of playing hard-nosed, aggressive football. Although that aggression occasionally led to carelessness, resulting in penalty flags being thrown for extracurricular activities. At the same time, that does not tell the story of not only the game but also the direction that each school wants to head.

Scoring Flurry

For a five-minute stretch in the first quarter, the two schools traded scoring blows, recording three total touchdowns in less than 300 seconds. BVU opened the scoring with Johnny Messerly’s 35-yard touchdown grab. A little more than a minute later, the Vikings stormed back as Ethan Holland broke loose for a 74-yard bomb, streaking past the Beavers’ secondary. Lawrence seemed to be competitive in a game, especially considering that they had faced too many recent opponents who built insurmountable leads against them.

Photo Cred: BVU

Determined Rushing Attack

Despite displaying the ability to throw the ball vertically, BVU wanted to pound the ball downhill against the Vikings. Cink, a sophomore, enjoyed a career day, rushing for 106 yards on 20 carries. BVU plodded ahead, moving the chains and fatiguing a game but smaller Lawrence defense up front. Additionally, Cink added 33 receiving yards to his day. Let’s just say that the Beavers could have found another weapon, given that he had only four carries going into the game.

“We’re Not Going to Lay Down”

Those five words from an unidentifiable Lawrence player in addressing his teammates exemplified what the coaching staff and athletic department want to build in their gridiron program. It’s the team’s heart that kept Lawrence working until the echo of the whistle. Teams in the past would have repeatedly lost the fight and given up. Even though it sounds corny and full of moral victory syndrome, the Vikings continued to play physically and chase the ball.

Long Road

Both shows need to examine themselves at this early stage of the season. Each played well enough to win today. Yet, only one did. For BVU, with momentum, they will take on Minnesota-Morris and Simpson before they face Wartburg. Similarly, the Vikings face conference threats from Illinois College and Lake Forest College. Harnessing some of the emotion from today’s game and channeling it into production could suit them well. College football is a game of uncertainty. Yet, both teams will pad up and keep trying to knock down doors.