Kansas State University Athletics
SE: K-State Ready for Challenge, Opportunities of AutoZone Liberty Bowl Trip
Dec 26, 2019 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
About a year ago, Chris Klieman was just starting to meet his current team. K-State football's head coach knew coming in that winning was going to be a challenge in year one, but his initial one-on-one and team conversations gave him confidence it could happen.
"I envisioned it being challenging," Klieman said in a press conference last week. "We've had some challenges, we've had some rough spots, but if you continue to do all the things we talk about, you have a chance to be successful, if you keep believing and keep having great days. Our guys have done that. I felt better about it after I met all the seniors because there were so many of them and they were committed to getting back to the postseason."
And they did.
K-State (8-4) was picked ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll and finished in a tie for third. The Wildcats defeated three ranked teams, including No. 5 Oklahoma, in their first seven games. They secured bowl eligibility a week later, the fastest six-win start since the 2014 K-State team.
This group of Wildcats looks to win its ninth game of the season against its postseason challenge in No. 21 Navy (10-2) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee on December 31 at 2:50 p.m., on ESPN.
"It's a real big challenge," Klieman said of Navy, which boasts the nation's No. 1-ranked rushing attack.
It's also a really big opportunity, both for K-State's 27 seniors to go out on top and for the younger Wildcats to develop through the extra practice time leading up to it. Klieman said there's a balance to it — preparing for the bowl opponent, on one hand, and getting the younger players extra reps in K-State's system, on the other.
"You owe it to the seniors first. That's the first and foremost thing. You owe it to the seniors to send them out with an opportunity to win a football game by preparing the best you can," he said. "Then, you owe it to the program to make sure that we continue to develop. There's not going to be a practice that we don't work on development. Every practice we've had so far, we've dedicated some substantial time to development."
K-State will continue doing so when it leaves for Memphis on Thursday. Like all bowl trips, however, the Wildcats will experience more than a week of preparation.
Below is a breakdown of what each day of the week will look like for K-State leading up to gameday. Make sure to follow the Wildcats' bowl trip experience from start to finish via the team's social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram), as well as at kstatesports.com.
December 26
After morning workouts and a walk through in Manhattan, K-State will fly to Memphis early afternoon on Thursday. Shortly after arriving at the Historic Peabody Hotel — yes, the one with the ducks — the Wildcats will head to the Bass Pro Shops Team Welcome Party in the 321-foot-tall pyramid building that holds, among other things, 10 aquariums, a swamp and a bowling alley. Each player will get a gift card to Bass Pro Shops as well.
December 27
The Wildcats will practice for the first time in Memphis and continue preparing for Navy's potent triple-option, led by senior quarterback Malcom Perry. Later, the Wildcats will have some fun and dinner at Dave & Busters to close their first full day in Tennessee.
December 28
Position meetings and practice eat up most of the morning into the early afternoon. K-State offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham along with select offensive players will answer questions from the media in the afternoon. Meanwhile, there will be a watch party for the College Football Playoff semifinal games. K-State players also get the option to attend a professional rodeo this night.
December 29
After different church offerings in the morning, the Wildcats will get right back into position meetings and practice. Following that, players will be able to tour the National Civil Rights Museum. Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton and select defensive players will speak to the media in the afternoon. In the evening, players can attend an NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Charlotte Hornets at FedEx Forum, where two Wildcats will square off with two Navy players in a halftime contest.
December 30
Klieman will hold a press conference in the afternoon, the last media availability before his first bowl game as K-State's head coach. Players will also get to preview Liberty Bowl Stadium for the first time. At 3 p.m., the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Parade will take place on World Famous Beale Street, where fans are encouraged to come watch more than 70 different local groups. At 4:30 p.m., the Bash on Beale Pep Rally will take place. A stage will be set up on the corner of Beale Street and BB King Boulevard, where Klieman and the Wildcats will make an appearance.
December 31
Game day. The Wildcats look to finish the year and the decade on a high note. K-State seeks its fourth win against a ranked opponent this season, the most since the notching five in the program's Big 12 Championship season in 2012.
About a year ago, Chris Klieman was just starting to meet his current team. K-State football's head coach knew coming in that winning was going to be a challenge in year one, but his initial one-on-one and team conversations gave him confidence it could happen.
"I envisioned it being challenging," Klieman said in a press conference last week. "We've had some challenges, we've had some rough spots, but if you continue to do all the things we talk about, you have a chance to be successful, if you keep believing and keep having great days. Our guys have done that. I felt better about it after I met all the seniors because there were so many of them and they were committed to getting back to the postseason."
And they did.
K-State (8-4) was picked ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll and finished in a tie for third. The Wildcats defeated three ranked teams, including No. 5 Oklahoma, in their first seven games. They secured bowl eligibility a week later, the fastest six-win start since the 2014 K-State team.
This group of Wildcats looks to win its ninth game of the season against its postseason challenge in No. 21 Navy (10-2) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee on December 31 at 2:50 p.m., on ESPN.
"It's a real big challenge," Klieman said of Navy, which boasts the nation's No. 1-ranked rushing attack.
It's also a really big opportunity, both for K-State's 27 seniors to go out on top and for the younger Wildcats to develop through the extra practice time leading up to it. Klieman said there's a balance to it — preparing for the bowl opponent, on one hand, and getting the younger players extra reps in K-State's system, on the other.
"You owe it to the seniors first. That's the first and foremost thing. You owe it to the seniors to send them out with an opportunity to win a football game by preparing the best you can," he said. "Then, you owe it to the program to make sure that we continue to develop. There's not going to be a practice that we don't work on development. Every practice we've had so far, we've dedicated some substantial time to development."
K-State will continue doing so when it leaves for Memphis on Thursday. Like all bowl trips, however, the Wildcats will experience more than a week of preparation.
Below is a breakdown of what each day of the week will look like for K-State leading up to gameday. Make sure to follow the Wildcats' bowl trip experience from start to finish via the team's social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram), as well as at kstatesports.com.
December 26
After morning workouts and a walk through in Manhattan, K-State will fly to Memphis early afternoon on Thursday. Shortly after arriving at the Historic Peabody Hotel — yes, the one with the ducks — the Wildcats will head to the Bass Pro Shops Team Welcome Party in the 321-foot-tall pyramid building that holds, among other things, 10 aquariums, a swamp and a bowling alley. Each player will get a gift card to Bass Pro Shops as well.
December 27
The Wildcats will practice for the first time in Memphis and continue preparing for Navy's potent triple-option, led by senior quarterback Malcom Perry. Later, the Wildcats will have some fun and dinner at Dave & Busters to close their first full day in Tennessee.
December 28
Position meetings and practice eat up most of the morning into the early afternoon. K-State offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham along with select offensive players will answer questions from the media in the afternoon. Meanwhile, there will be a watch party for the College Football Playoff semifinal games. K-State players also get the option to attend a professional rodeo this night.
December 29
After different church offerings in the morning, the Wildcats will get right back into position meetings and practice. Following that, players will be able to tour the National Civil Rights Museum. Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton and select defensive players will speak to the media in the afternoon. In the evening, players can attend an NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Charlotte Hornets at FedEx Forum, where two Wildcats will square off with two Navy players in a halftime contest.
December 30
Klieman will hold a press conference in the afternoon, the last media availability before his first bowl game as K-State's head coach. Players will also get to preview Liberty Bowl Stadium for the first time. At 3 p.m., the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Parade will take place on World Famous Beale Street, where fans are encouraged to come watch more than 70 different local groups. At 4:30 p.m., the Bash on Beale Pep Rally will take place. A stage will be set up on the corner of Beale Street and BB King Boulevard, where Klieman and the Wildcats will make an appearance.
December 31
Game day. The Wildcats look to finish the year and the decade on a high note. K-State seeks its fourth win against a ranked opponent this season, the most since the notching five in the program's Big 12 Championship season in 2012.
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