COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Kenny Minchey threw two touchdown passes and CJ Baxter added two scoring runs as Kentucky used a huge third quarter to stun No. 9 Texas A&M 31-21 on Saturday.
Led by rookie coach Will Stein in his first road game, Kentucky beat a ranked opponent for the first time since downing No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 on Sept. 28, 2024.
Stein also became the third first-year Kentucky coach to beat a top-10 SEC team, joining Joker Phillips in 2010 against No. 10 South Carolina and John Ray in 1969 vs. No. 8 Ole Miss, according to ESPN Research.
Stein had vowed to do better after Kentucky (2-1, 1-1 SEC) led then-No. 12 Alabama 17-13 at halftime last week before being outscored 32-0 in the second half of a 45-17 loss.
The game pitted Texas A&M's offense against Kentucky defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who spent the last two years in the same position with the Aggies. He seemed to have Texas A&M's number, keeping the Aggies off-balance all day and limiting Marcel Reed to 26-of-49 passing for 236 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Minchey, a transfer from Notre Dame, found Kenny Darby wide open for a 42-yard touchdown on the first drive of the second half to break a 7-all tie.
Baxter's two touchdown runs came on the next two possessions to extend Kentucky's lead to 28-7.
The Aggies had been stopped on three straight possessions when Reed scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-14 with about 11½ minutes remaining.
The Wildcats made it 31-14 on a 52-yard field goal by Adam Zouagui that deflected off the upright and through with less than nine minutes remaining.
Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1) was driving after that, but Jordan Castell intercepted Reed on the 7-yard line.
The Aggies cut the lead to 31-21 when Reed connected with Micah Riley for a 5-yard score with less than four minutes to go.
Minchey was 14-of-18 for 252 yards and Baxter had 19 carries for 87 yards.
The Aggies had punted on their previous two possessions when they went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 33. But Reed's pass fell incomplete to give the Wildcats great field position.
They took advantage of it when Baxter scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run near the end of a third quarter in which they outgained A&M 196 yards to 20.
The Aggies took a 7-0 lead when Carsyn Baker's 2-yard touchdown run capped a 14-play, 79-yard drive with about five minutes left in the first half.
Minchey found Henry Boyer wide open for a 3-yard touchdown pass that tied it with about two minutes until halftime. That score was set up by a 53-yard reception by DJ Miller two plays earlier.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.