Kentucky fans waiting on Will Stein don’t need film study to understand the appeal. You can just read a box score and feel your blood pressure improve, and his staff isn't looking too bad either.
Oregon’s CFP opener against James Madison was the kind of performance that makes a play-caller’s reputation feel unavoidable. Even with a more competitive second half, JMU outscored Oregon 28-17 after halftime, the full-game offensive output still reads like an instruction manual.
And yes, it’s fair to stare at it and think, “That can come to Lexington?”
Will Stein’s Oregon offense was ruthless through the air
Dante Moore wasn’t just efficient. He was aggressive and accurate, which is the combo that turns a defense into a committee meeting.
19-of-27 passing, 313 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
The interceptions matter, but the bigger story is how Oregon kept hitting explosives without needing perfect protection or trickery. That yards-per-attempt number tells you everything about the structure: Oregon was creating space downfield and letting Moore rip it.
The receiving production backed it up with multiple “good luck defending this” lines:
- Malik Benson: 5 catches, 119 yards, 2 TD
- Jeremiah McClellan: 6 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
- Jamari Johnson: 1 catch, 41 yards, 1 TD
That’s not a dink-and-dunk diet. That’s an offense that expects chunk plays and designs them.
Will Stein’s Oregon offense gashed JMU on the ground
The run game wasn’t a complement. It was a second blade.
Oregon finished with:
- 26 carries, 201 yards
- 7.7 yards per carry
- 2 rushing touchdowns
And it wasn’t one fluke pop. It was consistent damage with multiple backs showing different answers.
Jordon Davison went 10 carries for 90 yards, which is already impressive, but the bigger tell is the efficiency: nine yards per carry. That’s “the defense is tired of tackling” production.
Dierre Hill Jr. was even louder on fewer touches: 6 carries for 76 yards and a score, including a long of 56. When you can hit a 56-yard run in a playoff game, you’re not just executing. You’re dictating.
Even Moore chipped in on the ground, including a short rushing touchdown. That matters because it forces defenses to account for the QB in the red zone and on key downs, which opens up the exact kind of spacing Stein loves.
What Kentucky fans should actually take from this
The easy takeaway is “Oregon scored a lot.” The smarter one is “Oregon created easy yards.”
313 passing yards on 27 attempts isn’t just a hot quarterback. It’s an offensive structure that manufactures favorable throws. 201 rushing yards on 26 carries isn’t just a great line. It’s spacing, pace, and leverage putting defenders in bad angles.
If you’re Kentucky and you’ve spent too many Saturdays living in the mud, this is why Stein is so intriguing. It’s not just points.
It’s points that look repeatable.