There is just something about Week 4 that brings the best out of Maxwell Hairston. Last year, the standout cornerback snagged a pair of interceptions and returned them both to the house in a road win at Vanderbilt — two of five picks on the season. This time around, he snatched another ball in the flat and returned it to the house 25 yards for his third career pick-six, tying a Kentucky football school record.

The big moment came in the third quarter, eyeing down a screen pass from Ohio’s Nick Poulos for the easiest touchdown of the day in a 41-6 win for the Wildcats. The best part? Hairston actually baited the Bobcat quarterback into the throw to secure the score.

“We were in our five coverage. It’s a little soft Cover 2, so I had to reroute. I really tried to bait the quarterback and he took it,” the star defensive back said after the game. “When I saw his eyes go to the flat, then I saw him crack the shells, I said, ‘Yeah, that’s me. That’s me.’”

Mark Stoops confirmed Hairston’s assessment of the swing, saying the projected top-round draft selection next spring couldn’t have executed the play any better — a perfect read leading to the record-tying pick-six.

Their trick pulled on the inexperienced backup quarterback worked.

“He really did a nice job. He baited him into that throw. Coach (Brad) White had a really nice call on there,” Stoops said on postgame radio. “We passed the linebacker in the nickel, but we really went zone. I’m sure the quarterback thought it was man the way the Mike linebacker pushed through the zone, but we were just exchanging zones there, so it looked like man. I didn’t see it, Max and I were talking about it afterward. I thought it was Pop (Dumas-Johnson), then I look down and see it’s Maxwell.

“He was trapping that, so it was good execution with Max the way we talked through it. He was sitting on him, showing soft corner, and he actually rolled up on him.”

Hairston didn’t realize it in the moment, but it hit him after the win that his trio of pick-sixes all came in Week 4 wins. There is only one explanation for something like that, he says.

“I did think about that while I was taking a shower,” he said. “I was like, ‘Last year in Week 4 I got my first pick-six — two of them.’ And it’s Week 4 now? That’s God. That’s God.”

Does it ever get old?

“Nah, but I do need to think of a touchdown celebration,” Hairston joked. “I need to get better in that aspect. It happens so fast, I just try to find my family.”

Now he’s just got to figure out a way back in the end zone in Oxford next week against a pass-happy Ole Miss team to keep the momentum rolling. Maybe if we tell him it’s just Week 4 again it’ll work?

“Yeah, yeah! Come on! Hey, we’re definitely going to get some opportunities,” Hairston said. “They air that ball out, so we just have to do our job, have good eyes and play disciplined. We’re gonna go get one.”

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