K-State Holds Weekly Press Conference Prior to Hosting Iowa State

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday at the Vanier Family Football Complex, as the Wildcats prepare to host Iowa State on Saturday night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. A complete transcript of Klieman's press conference (also streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and archived here) are posted below, in addition to comments from select players.

The Wildcats and Cyclones kick off at 6:30 p.m., on Saturday in a game televised by ESPN2 with Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Tiffany Blackmon on the call.

CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good afternoon everyone. It's good to see everybody again and excited to be back getting ready for a game. Last week was a good week. We had an open week, did a lot of stuff with our younger players, worked a little bit of Iowa State as well, but focused a decent amount on our young guys. Then gave them the weekend off so they could recharge their batteries and get themselves as healthy as they can get. Had a good workout yesterday for about an hour, hour and 20 minutes or so. We'll get back into our padded stuff today on Tuesday and have kind of a normal week leading up to Saturday. We're going to play a really good football team in Iowa State that we know well, and they know us well. So, we've got to do a great job coming up with game plans and, most importantly, being able to execute on both sides of the ball and on special teams. So, looking forward to a great crowd, looking forward to a great evening to play football. It's going to be a great atmosphere."

On who stepped up during the off week…
"Probably Krew Jackson. He might be able to provide some spark somewhere, whether it's on special teams or a little bit on defense. I thought he had a really good week. I thought Tyrone Howell – although he's played – started to understand more and more of our system. I think Tyrone can be a guy that can be a factor for us. Those two guys kind of stick out for us, one on each side of the ball."

On if Skylar Thompson will be back to normal this year or have to deal with his injury…
"I think he's going deal with it. He's going have the brace on. I don't know how long, but I know it's going to stay on, but he felt a ton better yesterday. He practiced on Tuesday, Wednesday, and a little bit on Thursday of last week, not a ton of repetitions but practiced some. I asked him when we had our meeting yesterday, and just the weekend off and him continuing to do rehabilitation. He's got to always continue to take care of his body, and he said he felt pretty fresh yesterday."

On the special teams…
"Well, we need to continue to do a good job on special teams. We've had a couple of splash plays the last couple of weeks. We need to be consistent on our coverage teams as well. But, without a doubt, trying to find a spark in the return game. We punted the ball well last week and Taiten (Winkel) continues to kick the ball really well. So, it has to be a big factor for us."

On using last year's game as motivation…
"We discussed it a little bit on Thursday before we left for a little bit of a break. It's a new season, new group of guys, and I know a lot of guys were at that game, but there's a number of guys that weren't, whether they were on the roster or were injured. So, try not to put too much into what has gone on in the past. You better focus on the future, and I know our guys are excited about the opportunity."

On what Iowa State did offensively last year…
"Well, the running back (Breece Hall) is an exceptional player. We let him go early, and then had a difficult time containing him. Once the running game got going for those guys, then the play action pass worked really well. I think (Brock) Purdy is a tremendous quarterback that sees the field really well and is a really smart player that puts the ball in the playmakers' hands. They have a bunch of tight ends and wide receivers that can make plays as well. So, you can't say against these guys, 'Boy you just have to stop the run.' You have to be able to control the run, but you can't neglect what they can do with the passing game."

On how much the coaches look at last season…
"We don't look at it right now just simply because we're in the midst of this season. It was still a season, you still have to count it. But we're trying not to look back as much as we're looking forward to seeing how much better we are, not only on the field, but off the field. Part of that was out of some of the guys' control. We just didn't have a ton of bodies last year, and we're focused on this year and continue to improve. Like we talked at the end of last week, I believe our best football's in front of us this year as Skylar (Thompson) gets healthier and as we continue to learn more about ourselves on defense. I'm excited about the next seven weeks."

On if Skylar Thompson will be able to run the football more…
"I believe so. I think each week he's going to. I don't know how much he will. Everything is just a little dictated on how people play the quarterback run because some people can take the quarterback run away and some people can make you run it within their defensive scheme. I think he feels more comfortable. I know he does. He needs to be able to run the ball for us a little bit, probably not as much as we'd ask Will (Howard) to do it, but has to be a threat. It can't be that we're not going to run some of our quarterback series. We have to be able to do that with him."

On the progress of freshman quarterback Jake Rubley in the bye week…
"He did a really nice job, he's learned. He's thrown the ball really well. He's feeling more comfortable in the surroundings of our offense, but he's still a young player that we're fortunate to have some older guys that he can continue to learn from."

On the main focus of the defense…
"Yeah, we talked about that. We did some things in the limited practice time we had with the older guys. Then the young guys we just worked all of our base stuff. It still comes down to what we talked about at length last week of being able to get off blocks and being able to tackle and making sure that we correct leverage angles on tackling, as well as the ability to block destruct and get off and run to the football."

On teams keeping the ball away from Phillip Brooks on punts…
"For starters, you almost gain a first down if you can field the 32-yard punt or 35-yard punt because people can bang it 45 and 50 yards. The operation time that we've seen from snap to kick so far in our first five opponents, as well as ourselves, doesn't lend itself to having many opportunities to block kicks. Everybody's getting so much better at the operation time. Operation time is so quick right now. A lot of that we're seeing as well. So, we're trying to set up some returns. We still have to be able to pressure people, and in case there is a bobbled snap or in case the timing is off, but we're continuing to try to win outside. That's the biggest thing we have to do on punt returns is people have really good, what we call gunners, that run down there and force fair catches. We've got to do a great job against those guys."

On the versatility of Reggie Stubblefield…
"He practiced last week. He'll practice this week. I think the bye week did him some good. It wasn't just a hand. There were some other things that he was fighting through, and he's I think healthier. He's such a smart football player. It gives us another experienced guy out there, whether it's direct traffic, or telling guys based on different things that he sees offensively what could be coming from a play standpoint. So, Reggie is a really versatile guy that's good and with really good experience."

On if Iowa State's ranking matters…
"Absolutely none. I think probably Matt (Campbell) would tell you the same thing. I think rankings are something that nobody controls. I know they're a really good football team and the two losses they've had, I think they would tell you they felt like they probably should have won both games, but that's the parity of college football. It's games in the fourth quarter and you have to find ways to win."

On wide receiver Landry Weber…
"Well, he's a great leader for starters. He's up for the Campbell Trophy, the Academic Heisman, and he is well deserving of that. Does everything right off the field, in the community, in the classroom, and that rubs off on young players. Young players can see that the hard work you put in can be really rewarding on the field as well as off the field. And just his health this year, he's healthy and he's able to play the way that I know that Landry expects to play, the way I saw young Landry in 2019 play that he couldn't do in 2020 due to his injuries."

On the legacy type of players…
"Well, it's huge because he and his dad and his brother had great careers here, and they bleed K-State. We have a number of kids like that on our team. We've got a lot of dads that have their sons on this football team, and I think it means a ton to the families. We've said this a lot that we play for the people that put the purple on before us, and it's cool to have some of those legacies come back and have their sons join our program. We hope we make them proud. They've built this great facility that we have with the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that they put into it."

On the close games between K-State and Iowa State…
"I think both teams are very physical. I think both teams have playmakers. It still comes down to being able to make plays at the right time. We had an opportunity to answer a score last year and didn't do it. Then we turned the football over and it got away from us. The year before we were able to capitalize on some turnovers when we were able to win at home a couple years ago. They're tough because you have to be able to run the football against them, and they do a great job of stopping the run. You have to be able to slow the run down against them. I think they're two teams that know each other really well, and we spend an awful lot of time in the offseason self-scouting them. They're a good enough staff, they probably scout a little bit of everybody, but I think when teams know each other pretty well and have playmakers that make plays, you get competitive games."

On the Iowa State tight ends…
"They can do everything. They block at the point of attack. They can flex out and be wide receivers. They can start in the backfield and motion out. They just do so many things with these guys, and both the two (Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen) are the two I know. There are other ones, but those are the two that stick out to me as far as just making such a difference for their football team because they do so many things. And you can't say, 'Well if there are two tight ends, they must both either be on the line of scrimmage or in the backfield.' These guys are wide outs as well, and they do a tremendous job of utilizing those guys' versatility within their offense."

On the rapidly changing recruiting landscape…
"We talked about it last week, but you still don't know what your roster is. That's what people don't realize is you still have to have your roster scholarship guys at 85. So, it just depends on who comes back, it depends on who leaves your program. There's going to be somebody that leaves our program that we don't know about right now. Those are the things that you can't control on October 12 or 11 or whatever the heck it is. Those are the sort of things that play out. We have a really good recruiting department that just lays out the plan of where we need help at, whether it's young players or somebody via the transfer portal as well as what happens in December, what happens in April for that matter. So, it's something that's just always evolving."

On if Iowa State is the same kind of team as last year…
"Yeah, absolutely. Because they have experience, they have guys that have played and won a Fiesta Bowl. They have a really good coaching staff. It's hard to win college football games. I think Baylor's a really good football team. I think everybody's seen that now and Baylor did some really good things against them on both sides of the ball. You know, Iowa, they're the second-ranked team in the country right now for a reason. That's a tough game for Iowa State right now in that rivalry. So, they've lost two games against two pretty good teams just like we've lost two games against really good teams, and it's hard to win college games against really good opponents. You have to play your best and to do that you have to be able to prepare Monday through Friday. You can't just show up on Saturday. So, that's what we have to do this week is have a great week of preparation and a great week of game planning and have our guys truly understand the game plan so we can execute at a high level."

On the personnel issues against Iowa State last year…
"It was tough, but you know what I'm glad we played, especially for those kids that aren't with us anymore. If not, they'd lost a football game. I look at a kid like Brock Monty, and I'm so glad Brock Monty got to play another football game. That was our goal was to play as many games as we could. We played them all."

On the similar styles of defenses…
"Yeah, you bet. We did watch Iowa State, we've watched them a lot anyway. There's some similarities, but there's quite a few differences as well as this is their fourth or fifth year in the system. So, they're doing some things a lot differently than we are. But, without question, their success in this league – and there's a number of teams that have had some three-down success in this league to try to eliminate some of the RPO game. That's the number one reason why people are doing it is to eliminate some of the RPO game. So, you're going to give up some runs, you're going to give up some eight- to 10-yard plays, you're trying not to give up the 60-yard play, and that's one of the reasons that we looked at making the change. I assume that's the reason that Matt (Campbell) brought it into the Big 12. They thought, 'Boy, you people are trying to score a bunch and get the ball on the perimeter.' You just have more speed on the field."

On Wayne Jones being listed as a starter at strongside linebacker…
"He's just been consistent. Wayne's been a starter here. Wayne's a good football player, and they're both going to play. Whether you have one or the other, they're both going to play; both he and Henny (Ryan Henington) are going to see time there. Reggie (Stubblefield) is going to see time there just based on the personnel. I don't get caught up a whole lot in starters, I know kids do, and I know it's important, but it's what you do and how much you can contribute on Saturdays. Wayne's a good football player, and he's earned an opportunity."

On why he feels the team's best football is in front of them…
"I think it's pretty obvious that when you have a six-year senior quarterback coming back and seeing how he handles and manages a game and has the ability to throw the football all over the field and get multiple people involved, you're naturally going to be better, especially on offense, as he gets more comfortable again. He missed a few weeks in practice. But, as he gets more comfortable with the timing and more comfortable with looks and things he sees, naturally, that's why I believe our best football is in front of us on offense. On defense, we continue to try to do some things creatively with the defense we're running as well as simplifying. But just trying to get guys fresh and healthy so we can get off blocks and make plays. Khalid Duke is not coming back and that's a huge, huge loss for us because of what he was able to do within the system. We kind of designed it originally around him because of his versatility being a d-end as well as a linebacker. A lot of teams don't have two or three Khalid Dukes, and we're one that doesn't. Now we have to do a good job as coaches of putting our guys in the best position to be successful."

On putting the trust in players like Skylar Thompson to call plays…
"A lot, but you know you've earned that trust. I'm asking him an awful lot. What are things you like? Make sure Coach (Collin) Klein knows, make sure Mess (Courtney Messingham) knows because Mess sees it from up above, same as Collin. But, Skylar sees it from ground level, as well as the communication that he's having with the skill kids on offense is at a really high level on the sideline. Phillip (Brooks) saying, 'Skylar, you look the other way, I can beat him on this route. I'm open, but I can beat him back inside.' That happened to us on a fourth-down play where Skylar came back to Philip after a conversation on the sideline, and we beat a kid for a slant against Oklahoma for about a six-yard gain on fourth and four. Those are the conversations that you trust guys that have played an awful lot of football and know each other really well. They need to have no problem, and we talked about ownership in the program. They need to have no problem saying to an offensive coach, 'Hey, I like this, I like this call.' But on that particular play, we had one play called, and that's when we called timeout and went back and looked and talked about it and said, 'Hey we practiced this play where we flipped it out to Phil (Phillip Brooks) all week long, potentially on a two-point play. We were at the two- or three-yard line, and it was the perfect time."

On where Krew Jackson would play…
"He'd be playing the same position as Khalid (Duke). He's six-foot-five or six-foot-six, 205 pounds, but he'll be 240 pounds here in a couple of years. A tremendous athlete, but like Will Howard or Jake (Rubley), can you put a freshman out there and play a full game? Probably not. He's learning our system, he's learning how to be a college student, but the off week gave us a chance to look at guys like him, look at guys like Tyrone Howell and give them more repetitions. Whether that's 10 plays, maybe it's 50 plays two, three, four weeks down the line. We always have to continue to find guys that can help us and he's one of those guys."

On the potential to have three backs getting carries…
"Well, we need to. And even that you could add the fourth with a quarterback, with some of the QB run game but, a lot of things have to click. We have to be able to get the ball to multiple running backs. We have to be able to get the ball to receivers on some jet sweeps and stuff as well. But, we also have to look and see, okay, what's open, what do they give us, you better be really patient against Iowa State because they're not going to give you a huge play very often. They're not going to give you a 50-yard run or a 50-yard pass. You have to be really patient and get yourself in third and short and not have negative plays, have a holding, have something where you're in second and 14 or third and 10, because then they really are able to dictate what they want to do."

On the status of defensive end Bronson Massie…
"I would say doubtful. He didn't practice yesterday. We'll see what happens today. But right now, I would say doubtful. I think everybody else that played against OU should be able to play. Bay-Bay (Daniel Imatorbhebhe) was back at practice, Reggie (Stubblefield) was, so I think Bronson's the only one off the top of my head that I think is in doubt."

On Nate Matlack getting more time…
"Yeah, Nate is. Spencer Trussell will play quite a bit more with Bronson (Massie) potentially out. I would say, Spencer and Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) and Nate (Matlack) and even Cartez (Crook-Jones) a little bit getting some more snaps in there, Tyrone Taleni. We're still going to play an awful lot of defensive linemen. We're just going to have to mix and match a little bit more."

On Iowa State's Mike Rose…
"He's a terrific football player. He's the long, athletic body to the field that you like. He can take away a lot of plays with his length, as well as many snaps as he has, how smart he is. He can play in the box as well, and that's something that at that position, that's similar to what Khalid (Duke) could do with having length and well as being a box player. So, I think he's one of their unheralded stars on defense that really makes that defense go. They've got a bunch of great complimentary parts because so many guys are returning, but he wreaked havoc on us last year and made a number of plays. So, we obviously need to know where he's at and make sure that we account for him."

On Iowa State's Breece Hall…
"Trying to keep him corralled and not let him bounce outside, because he can hit it between the tackles – don't get me wrong, and he's a punishing runner. He's a big kid, but what we don't want him to do is have patience and we lose patience on the perimeter and all of a sudden, he bounces outside because he's tough to bring down in the open field with defensive backs. He's proven that in a lot of the big explosive plays that we've seen him being patient in the hole, maybe not finding something and bouncing outside. We just watched when he had one of about 60 or 70 against Oklahoma State last year just bouncing outside. He can take it the distance, so we have to be able to try to keep him pinned in and that's difficult with their scheme."

SKYLAR THOMPSON, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On the potential to run the football more moving forward…
"Yeah, I haven't really looked into it that much other than just going back and watching the film. Like you said, I thought I did a really good job of maneuvering in the pocket and understanding where my outlet throws were. If I were to get pressure, or things were to break down, just be able to get the ball in my guy's hands and allow them to get some yards. In those situations, whereas, I agree, I felt like, with a healthy mindset, there were some situations where I probably would have just ran and probably could have got some similar yardage. This is another thing that I've been working on for a very long time. I just feel like I haven't really had the opportunities to really showcase it yet. I felt like last year in the OU game that I was really starting to click and get a good feel for that, and the same for Texas Tech before I got hurt. Then, obviously, I have had a limited year this year so far. I feel like that was just, honestly, something that I've been working on for a very long time, and it kind of just got brought to the light. With the situation at hand, I think it helped me a little bit do that, but it's just something that I got to continue to build on and understand. I know my legs are a big part of my game, but I can also hang in there and make some throws and have a lot of confidence in myself to do so."

On having the off week to rest up…
"Yeah, 100%. I'm getting better every day, truly. I'm still attacking the rehab, and it's going to be a year of, the whole season, I'm going to be in there just continuing to strengthen that thing up and continue to build confidence. But yes, it's feeling better every day. The more that I get around and move around, the more confidence I'm building in it. Having a week off to still practice and build that confidence has helped a lot and having some time off to rest, as well. So, that was good."

On if the injuries have impacted the timing and chemistry with the receivers…
"I don't feel that at all. I feel like we've done a good job. Yes, there are some plays here and there that we wish we would have connected on last week. But, for the most part, I felt like the Oklahoma game was the best communication wise that as an offense we've had with each other and being on the same page. In between drives, guys talking about the way guys are playing them, what coverages they're seeing, because, a lot of times I'm reading – we have progression reads, we have split field reads, all that type of stuff. There's some times where I'm just reading one side of the field and not seeing what's happening on the other side based on what I see pre-snap. Having that communication dialogue between Phil (Phillip Brooks) and Malik (Knowles), like, 'This is how they're playing me. If we read this side, this is how I'm going to run this thing, and I'm going to be open.' That is the next level that we've been trying to reach for a long time in our passing game, and I felt like that really helped us in that aspect and something we just got to build off of."

On the urgency following an 0-2 conference start…
"Yeah, it's a huge game. I understand that, our team understands that in this conference, from top to bottom, everybody is really good. Iowa State is a really good football team, and every week we're going to have to bring it and play very good football in order to win. We understand that this is just another test that's going to be very challenging for us. In all honesty, we haven't put a lot of thought into being 0-2 in the conference. We haven't talked about that a lot. It's truly, we believe we're a good football team, and that we've played good football. There's three or four plays in the ballgame that determine whether you win or not, and we have to make those plays and the value of the importance in that is something that we have to control by the way we practice, by the way we approach every single day, and control the little things. That's ultimately what creeps up to beat you. We felt like we've beat ourselves in those two games by just not making those plays and not hammering in on little details at times that kind of bite us in the butt. We've just got to focus on going into this game and play K-State Football. If we play K-State football and we play for each other and play as one that, we can be very successful."

On the memorable games against Iowa State…
"I think it's just a lot of fun. First and foremost, my first game I played against them was probably one of my favorite games here at K-State. Over the years, it is going to be a close game, you know it is going to be a very physical game. I feel like we are very similar programs in a way that we do things, fan based or university wise, I feel like it is very congruent to one another. I went to the Manning Passing Academy this summer and got to be really good friends with Brock Purdy. We spent a lot of time together in the airport and traveling together and just sharing those memories between each other and hearing his perspective of things was really enjoyable. Like I said, we got to be really good friends and stay in contact still, so I know he is a good competitor too and Breece Hall, they are all good guys. Breece reached out to me after the game last year and checked in on me and asked me how my injury was going, that type of stuff. You know they are good people and a good program, and we understand that it is going to be a very hard-fought football game. That is what you want though, that is the most fun games – high competitive atmosphere and our fans are going to be loud and going crazy, everyone in the stadium and town has been unbelievable every home game. I thought the OU game last week was one of the best crowds that I experienced here as a player. We look forward to having that back in The Bill again and bringing that energy into it and just have a lot of fun."

WAYNE JONES, JUNIOR LINEBACKER
On the Iowa State offense...
"I think they're very physical. They have a lot of talent at the receiver position, tight end, running back and quarterback. They've got guys all over the field, but I think what sticks out most is that physicality."

On the rivalry...
"I think it's a big rival. I think it's called Farmageddon or something like that. Yeah, so pretty big rival."

On the bye week...
"We got to get our bodies back and we rested. This weekend we got to go home if you chose to go home and got to see our families but came back on Sunday ready to work. It was a great recharge, mentally and physically."

SPENCER TRUSSELL, JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END
On feeling about being at the top of the depth chart…
"I'm feeling good. It is always a loss to have some of our guys go down. Khalid Duke, he is a very productive guy at the d-end spot, especially on pass. Bronson Massie is a big factor for us as far as passing on a run game. Both very productive guys. I think it is a really good chance for me and Nate Matlack to step up this week, or even next week to be productive in this game. Especially with the style of offense they run and how productive they are on offense."

On challenges of Iowa State's offense...
"I'd say the top challenge is probably their backfield really. They have Brock Purdy and Breece Hall and a handful of very talented tight ends. There's a lot more things that need to stop the run."

On Oklahoma's offense…
"Every year we play Oklahoma it is like a seven-point game. Oklahoma's offense is very productive as well. I think we played pretty well. There are obviously some things that need to be corrected like schemes and stuff like that, but as the weeks progress and go week by week, practice by practice, we know we can only get better."

BEN SINNOTT, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN FULLBACK
On demand as fullback and tight end...
"It's not too bad. Our offense kind of revolves around the tight end/fullback, so you have to basically learn both if you're going to be in that position group. But I really enjoy being able to be a part of so many different things and being able to be in so many different places on the field."

On being aggressive on offense...
"Oh yeah, for sure. I like when the head coach stresses us to kind of get the job done and get that next play, because you want to be aggressive, and you want to score the ball. So, it's nice to be able to be trusted on fourth down and go for it."

On what got him some game time…
"I think definitely what was big for me in getting on the field was putting on weight and learning the playbook. That first year I came in I was like 204 (pounds), and now I'm like 250 (pounds). Getting that weight on and getting bigger and stronger, getting your head in the playbook and kind of learning the stuff so you know the concepts and are confident once you get that opportunity."

NOAH JOHNSON, SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On best games ahead…
"Our best days ahead of us are just improving. I think sometimes in college football, you are so judged off of the performance and wins or losses, but you just have to trust your process. I know that is what our team is doing and continuing to trust our process and program and just keep putting in the work every day and keep preparing every day. Every game is a learning opportunity. I think that is what Coach is referring to when he says our best days are ahead of us, as we are getting better each week. The scoreboard might not show it every time, but I believe and I know that everyone on this team is learning from wins and losses or from whatever period it is in practice. We are all trying to improve every day. I think that will carry on through the rest of the season, never shaking, never wavering in our belief and what our goals as a team are and being in it for the long haul. Whatever happens, we stand together, just continuing to believe and continuing to improve."

On motivation from last year's game…
"It is hard not to, the way they put it on us last year. You can't live in the past, and this is a big game for us this week. They are a great team. It is an awesome rivalry, but it's just the next game. The more pressure you put on yourself to do this or that because who you are playing, you are taking away from us and our team, and that is what the focus needs to be on is the group of guys that are in our locker room, just taking it one day at a time. That is what we have been stressing since last Saturday is don't look too far ahead. We had a great first day of practice yesterday, and we have to win today, tomorrow, win Thursday, win Friday, and then you set yourself up for whatever happens on Saturday. With Iowa State coming in, that is kind of the attitude. You have to have to be successful because they are going to bring their best. They are a really good team with a ton of experience. They beat us pretty bad last year, but we are a different team this year. We aren't living off of past success or past failure. We are living in the present and just trying to take it one day at a time."

On the intensity of the rivalry…
"When I was growing up, I never even really knew Kansas State and Iowa State had this big of a rivalry as it is, but since I joined the program, I think the cool thing about it is that we have similar two very programs that seem to built on the same values and same culture of under-recruited or undervalued guys who come in a put in the work and it shows on Saturday. Then you have two programs in the Midwest, same type of ethos, same type of communities. I don't know how many rivalries are based around farming, that is pretty cool, and it is what makes K-State great. I am not a part of Iowa State, but that is probably what makes them great too. It's a unique thing. It is a 6:30 p.m. night game between two really good teams, who both need a win at this point in time. What more could you ask for? I am incredibly excited about it, and I know this whole team is."

LANDRY WEBER, SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER
On ISU film from this year...
"They're going to be a very good team defensively. They're going to be very sound. They run their system very well. It's always going to be a tough matchup. They have a unique defense, but we've been preparing for it. It's helpful to have a bye week and have an extra week to prepare. We feel ready."

On rivalry from a player standpoint...
"I wouldn't say necessarily because you get so focused in the process, as a player, that whoever you're playing, you're just so focused on preparing for them and the details and what not, that you don't focus as much on the outside details. However, I do have the unique perspective of being a fan, and that kind of adds extra motivation for me."

On full potential wide receiver play...
"I feel like we had a really good game. I was really happy for our guys, and it felt like we were clicking really well with Skylar (Thompson). I felt like that's something that we can do week in and week out. I'm glad that we put that on display."

Kansas State University Athletics

K-State Holds Weekly Press Conference Prior to Hosting Iowa State

Players Mentioned

Phillip Brooks

Khalid Duke

Ryan Henington

Will Howard

Daniel Imatorbhebhe

Krew Jackson

Bronson Massie

Nate Matlack

Brock Monty

Jake Rubley

Reggie Stubblefield

Tyrone Taleni

Skylar Thompson

Spencer Trussell

Landry Weber

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