College football fans have never needed permission to hurl a stream of obscenities at their opponent or sneak contraband into the stadium, but the Kentucky faithful have the green light from coach Will Stein this week.
With No. 12 Alabama coming to Lexington for Saturday's SEC opener, Stein wants to make Kroger Field an inhospitable environment for the Crimson Tide. Speaking with Kentucky Sports Radio, Stein wants the fan base to become the "loudest 65,000 group of people in the history of the world."
If Stein gets his way, parents may want to pack a set of headphones for the children because there might be some four-letter words thrown Alabama's way this weekend. Throw southern hospitality out the window.
"I want them in there 45 to 30 minutes before, in their seat, standing up, screaming obscenities at our opponent, making them feel very unwanted in Kroger Field and creating an environment of excellence for Kentucky football," Stein said. "I mean, that's what it's about. You want to see a great product on the field. I want to see insane fans in the stands as well."
With college football stadiums now serving alcohol, an interesting dynamic was created. Sometimes, there are empty seats scattered throughout the venue as fans seek refills. Stein's solution is simple: Go old-school and sneak booze into Kroger Field.
"Sneak a flask in," Stein said. "Sneak a flask in. Again, do whatever you got to do, right? Get your drinks ready. Sit in your chair, all right, and start cheering. And then once you're done with the drink, go back in as fast as you can, and come right back out."
There's no word yet on whether security measures at Kroger Field will be loosened to accommodate Stein's request.
Stein has certainly brought a renewed energy to the Kentucky program, and that might help him on Saturday. Alabama is the more talented team by a clear margin, but the crowd in Lexington should be amped up for Stein's first game in SEC play.
Keelon Russell makes his first road start
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell got his first start jitters out of the way last weekend in a blowout win over East Carolina, but this game against Kentucky will be his first start on the road. That can be a very different animal, especially in the SEC.
Kalen DeBoer was asked about taking his young quarterback on the road for the first time, and he admitted that crowd noise will be a factor. That communication was a big point of emphasis in practice -- for Russell and the entire Alabama offense.
"I think probably just handling noise now, you know, on the road,' DeBoer said. "And so got to work on that this week. Just communicate, because we always talk communication. You heard me say it over and over again. So communicating becomes a little more difficult. We need to, you know, communicate not just with them but also the guys on the outside at times. So just, you know, that's where it starts."
As is typical for any team in Week 1, the Crismon Tide offense ran into some operational issues last weekend. Getting that corrected before Saturday will be key because DeBoer knows the little things can add up.
"It's a couple small things, and I think a lot of it has to do just do with just, you know, a couple new guys that were out there for the first time and getting their first snaps playing college football when it's meaningful snaps, at least," DeBoer said. "So, you know, they learn from that, and just I think the cycle of a play and how you got to go about that with eyes to the sideline, or get into the huddle, or understanding the play clock."
Russell wasn't perfect in his first start last weekend, but he flashed his immense potential plenty of times. He totaled 342 yards, which included a team-leading 86 rush yards and a touchdown.
If the Wildcats want any chance of beating the Tide, they'll have to throw Russell off his game. The crowd could play a role in that, especially if fans follow their coach's marching orders.
