K-State Holds Weekly Press Conference Prior to Hosting West Virginia
Nov 09, 2021 | Football
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 West Virginia on Saturday. 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 Mountaineers kick off at 11 a.m., on Saturday morning inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a game televised by FS1 with Eric Collins and Petros Papadakis on the call.
CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good afternoon, everyone. Excited about how the guys played last Saturday. I thought we played a complete game. I was really impressed that we started really fast and got up 14-3. I thought the touchdown before half to get us up 21-3 was really good. I thought our guys played fast. They ran the football. They were physical. We were definitely ready to play the game, and Kansas did some good things against us that challenged us. Then starting off the second half with a big touchdown run by Deuce (Vaughn) was big for us. Got up 23 and got a chance to play an awful lot of guys. Everybody that was on the trip, I think, pretty much got in the game or pretty close to that and came out of the game healthy, which is another real positive. Had our first practice yesterday for West Virginia. Everybody was out there at practice, which has been the first time we've had everybody practice on a Monday in quite a while, so that was a really good sign. Have to have a great week of preparation because it's a really good football team we're playing. They're really sound on defense, very physical, very fast, and they've got a bunch of veteran guys on offense. So, it'll be a big challenge for us."
On what Deuce Vaughn's high school coach said when they were recruiting him...
"Well, I know a bunch of our coaches probably had a chance to visit with him. I didn't get to that high school, but you could see a kid on film that loved to play the game. You can see a guy that did everything right on and off the field. You could see a young man that was a competitor, and that's the thing that so impressed us right away was how he played the game. Then when he got on the phone with him and then he and his mother came up, I think the first two that came up on the visit, and you could just see an energy in the young man and how his personality could be contagious with people. It has been ever since he arrived on campus. He's always got a smile on his face. He always practices hard, he always challenges his teammates to be better, and it's been a lot of fun to coach him in the last two years."
On if he thought Vaughn could accomplish so much in just two years...
"Yeah, I really could, especially after watching him his first fall camp here that he had that 'it' factor, had that special ability. Then, the more you got the ball in his hands, the more he was around our system and understood more and more of how he fit within the framework of our offense, the more we were able to utilize him, the more confidence I think that he had as well. So, nothing that Deuce Vaughn does surprises me and probably should surprise anybody that's around the kid as much as we are on a daily basis because he just checks every box. It's fun to be around him, and it's fun for us to have our young players – even though Deuce is young – to see what hard work does and what preparation does and what taking care of your body does to lead to success."
On what makes West Virginia a tough matchup...
"You know, the physical play for starters. I thought last year they won the line of scrimmage against us on both sides. Well coached. Tremendous amount of respect for Neal (Brown). Guys are always ready to play. They're in the right spot. They make plays, and it's in all phases – offense, defense and special teams. That's what I think makes it such a challenge for us is we have to be on our A game in all three phases. If we're not, we're going to have a long afternoon. So, I know our guys are excited about the challenge, and we have to have a great week of preparation because we've got to play our best."
On if the losing streak against West Virginia is used as motivation...
"No, I try not to do that no matter what the game is, whether you've won a bunch of them in a row or not. I've just never been a fan of that, even last week when we had won a bunch in a row against KU, it's more of it's the 2021 team against their 2021 team. It's different people in different spots, and the dynamic of each team is a little bit different. It's this year's version against their version, and it's going to be a big challenge for us."
On what stands out about Skylar Thompson's preparation...
"Yeah, he's always been a guy that's prepared exceptionally well, watched film, asked a lot of questions, took notes, visited with wideouts, tight ends, running backs, brings those guys together on his own with the quarterback. So, they watch extra film in the evenings, whether it be practice or game film to just get on the same page. The communication that I witnessed in practice even yesterday just doing some 7-on-7 on a Monday, the communication he has with his guys at wide receiver and tight end is on point. Everybody seems to be in sync, and that's when you're clicking is when everybody's on the same page. He's done a great job of fostering those relationships by meeting with those guys all the time."
On what West Virginia has done this season...
"You watch them against Oklahoma, and I really thought they won the line of scrimmage against Oklahoma. I thought that they were very disciplined. They didn't miss any tackles, and against Oklahoma, that's the key because the ball is going to be out in space. They didn't miss any tackles. I watched them against TCU eliminate big plays and find big plays of their own. Some of it is matchups, too, and they have tremendous skill at wide receiver and running back, and an experienced quarterback. So, you can't just say, 'We're going to try to shut down the run game. We're trying to eliminate somebody out of the wide receiver group,' because we have so many people that can beat you. Then on defense, they've got a bunch of veteran guys that played a lot of football. They know where they fit, and they do a good job running to the ball."
On finding the balance between simplicity and adding things defensively...
"Yeah, there is a good balance in that. But what we feel is our guys play faster when we strip back, and we'd like to keep adding things. We did a little bit against KU based on some personnel groups and some formations, but when our guys are playing slow, we're not very good defensively. So, we have to go back to what our kids know, what our guys can execute at a high level. When you see guys like Daniel Green and even Austin Moore last week, you know a couple linebackers playing as fast as they are, it makes it easier on the secondary because they can clean up some of the plays, because those backers are playing fast. We're playing so many guys up front, as we all know, so that's keeping guys fresh. I still think it's better for us that less is better right now."
On teams taking the return game away from K-State...
"We had a couple nice returns. Phil (Phillip Brooks) had a couple really nice plays, but whether it was pooch kicking it on kick returns – there was a little bit of a wind – that made sense to me. Then, doing the same thing kind of angle some punts, you're trying not to give us explosive plays. We have to find ways to continue to find a way to manufacture some returns because we need to be able to flip a field. We were able to flip one. We had one explosive return. We need to so that we can get a 50-yard field because the one negative about the Kansas win for us as a coaching staff is we didn't create a turnover that would have gotten us a short field. So, we've got to continue to emphasize that. We can get a short field by creating a strip or interception, and if we can't, we've got to be able to do it on teams."
On Will Howard getting some passing reps against Kansas...
"You bet. It was a big emphasis for us to get him running and to get him throwing, and I thought Will looked fresh. I thought he looked really comfortable. He looked confident. We had a couple of plays called back but it was fun to see him go quarterback run game, and a guy's unblocked and he runs through an arm tackle. He threw a couple of strikes. It's fun to watch. We talked about it yesterday, and he felt comfortable and felt confident. It was fun for him to get back out there, and I know his body feels pretty good compared to last year."
On managing the roster and knowing what recruiting needs are there...
"Yeah, it's really hard. The NCAA granting some initial counters will help us, but you still don't know because we're going to have an awful lot of guys go through Senior Day next week, and then they have to make decisions. We have to make decisions on how many of those guys are coming back. There's not a right time to talk about that. We talked about it internally, but there's some guys that have said in their own mind that this is my last go round and I'm ready to roll, and there's other guys that are still contemplating coming back for that extra COVID year. We've talked about this before. That's going to be for the foreseeable future. We're going to have this kind of conversation every December. So, the recruiting is really difficult because the roster management. You have to keep it at 85, and there's going to be some difficult choices for guys."
On Daniel Green's growth...
"I think he's playing at an all-conference level. I really do. Excited for him. His first year as a true full-time starter. He has played a lot our previous two years, but this year being a full time starter and being the guy, we put an awful lot on his plate as far as making some adjustments and some calls and some line stunts. He feels more and more confident each week. I know he's playing with a lot of confidence. I think it helps him having a guy like Cody (Fletcher) with him. That's another really good super senior that, between the two of them, they've played a lot of ball, and they've played a lot of ball together. So, it's a comfort level for Coach (Steve) Stanard to have those two guys out there, but I think Daniel's playing at a really high level."
On which players for West Virginia stand out...
"Their defensive front is dominating, and they really rush the passer. There are a number of guys there. I'd leave somebody out so I won't get into any names, but there's a bunch of guys that rush the passer. I think they really do a nice job in the back seven of tackling and running through leverage and not giving you much after contact. Oklahoma State's doing that to a lot of teams right now. They're playing really well on defense, and I saw it last week with KU inside and this week with West Virginia. That defense is probably playing as good as there is in the country."
On if Skylar Thompson is playing at an all-conference level...
"I think he is. I think Deuce Vaughn is. There's just a lot of good quarterbacks and a lot of good running backs, so you control what you can control. The numbers that Skylar is putting up is really fun to see. For us to put the game in his hands a lot more this year and feel comfortable that when the pocket breaks down and he's going to scramble out, direct traffic and send Malik (Knowles) – who was running an outbreak and cut vertical – and throw a big touchdown, it was huge. For him to step aside from pressure and throw a strike to Kade Warner, for him to do some things on third down and can throw it here to Landry (Weber) for a first down or take a shot and be smart enough to just keep moving the chains. I think the game has slowed down for him so much. He's so comfortable with the system we have. He's comfortable with the play calls. He's comfortable at changing things, and without a doubt he's having an all-conference type of season. All that being said, none of that is under his control or our control. I just know that for him going into his last year and coming back with the injury that he had, to think where we're at now compared to where we were – the second quarter of the Southern Illinois game – I hope he's pleased with where he's at. I know we are."
On Taiten Winkel...
"Taiten decided to hang it up. He had an injury and didn't know if he could come back from that and decided to step aside and focus on his academics. Tremendous amount of respect for Taiten and wish him nothing but the best. It wasn't something where he got in trouble, or we asked him not to come back. He had an injury and didn't think he was going to be healthy enough to finish it out and wants to get his degree. So, tremendous amount of respect for Taiten."
On the team keeping its composure after the late hits on Skylar Thompson...
"Yeah, and that's hard to do with a bunch of guys who are going to protect their quarterback, and our guys did a good job. We talked about it before the game. We talked about it all week that this could get to be a chippy situation, and, lo and behold, it happened and it happened on our sideline, which is always worrisome on our sideline but, credit Tru (Trumain) Carroll and the strength and conditioning staff because they were right there. They made sure nothing was going to happen. Proud of our guys to stay away from that and not get any personal fouls or unsportsmanlike. Skylar's good, he's all right. It wasn't a good situation, but we came out of it okay."
On the different defensive matchups...
"Some of it's based on personnel. Some of it when we move J-Mac (Jahron McPherson), we're learning this defense. We're learning this defense because we're making some mistakes within the defense, and I knew that was going to happen this year as we continue to evaluate our talent and evaluate where we're going to put people on the field. Where does Cincere Mason fit in? Where does Ross Elder fit in? We made the move a couple of weeks ago to put J-Mac as the middle safety and give him an opportunity to get closer to the action, and that was a good move for us. TJ (Smith) is still a part of that mix. But J-Mac is a six-year guy that provides a bunch of experience in there of playing the game. Then, I think it suited Ross (Elder) and Cincere (Mason) better to be on the boundary safety, and they're playing and splitting time and then between Reggie (Stubblefield) and Henny (Ryan Henington) and Wayne Jones. I think all three are really good football players and some of it is based on the down and distance and some of it is based on what personnel the offense has, but all three of those guys are really capable players. Then, every other position, as you guys know, it's just mass line changes of d-linemen and corners and linebackers to get more and more guys on the field."
On West Virginia's Dante Stills...
"Yeah, and he's been that way for a while and his brother was there too, but he is a difference maker. Can rush the passer and is always going to draw a double team on run game. They move him around. He's not just playing inside. He's playing some outside. They're doing a lot of different things with him, and they're finding different ways to get a four-man rush with some different combinations of four down to three down and a linebacker rush in a kind of a hybrid position as well. That's what makes them difficult is they're just not lining up and you know where everybody's at. It helps to have an experienced quarterback and experienced offensive line to try to make sure that we're getting in the right calls based on whether it's the front or the pressure that we see."
On West Virginia running back Leddie Brown...
"Physicality. He runs with a purpose, runs with an attitude. Fun watching him run because he doesn't take the punishment. He delivers the punishment. Super impressed with him for a while. He's a terrific football player and one that can catch the ball out of the backfield. When they go to their empty, they keep him in the game and he becomes kind of a wide receiver. They run some screens to him. Obviously, he's great with just handing the ball off to him, but he's a complete player."
On Felix Anudike-Uzomah facing more double teams...
"Well, you got to be patient, for starters. You got to play within the framework of the defense. I thought they (Kansas) did a good job of chipping him all the time on third downs. They even chipped Nate (Matlack) a couple of times on third down, and Nate got his hand on a ball and made a good play. I think when you have a disruptive pass rusher like we've had here for an awful long time, the ball probably comes out a little bit quicker, and you're either going to get doubled or you're going to get chipped and just have to keep playing within the framework of the defense. When you have an opportunity to get that one on one, you need to be able to win."
On the young receivers getting some time...
"Last week we were banged up with Phillip (Brooks) and Malik (Knowles). Phillip didn't play very much, which was a good thing because he's healthy this week now. That gave both RJ (Garcia) and Jaelon (Travis) an opportunity to get more reps and practice and gain more confidence. We relied more on guys like Kade (Warner). Kade had a really good game and made a couple big-time plays for us. Keenan Garber is continuing to improve, had a couple of really nice catches, had a couple of really good blocks. The game is slowing down for Keenan. We have so many wide receivers right now. Everybody knows about Malik and Phillip and Landry (Weber) that are making the lion's share of the catches, but there's so many other guys that maybe are catching a ball or two, but getting a bunch of reps that I think make that position a strength for us. We have a lot of depth there, and we can play an awful lot of guys."
On the improved secondary play helping the defense...
"We're continuing to improve. We busted a couple of coverages, and it was a lack of communication, not necessarily a technique error but a communication error that we're always trying to shore up because that's the thing with secondary play. You can play really well but you have one bad play and everybody knows that that's the bad play. Those guys are playing more and more together. I look at guys like Russ Yeast and Cincere (Mason) that are new to our program. Julius Brents is new to our program, Reggie's (Stubblefield) new to our program that are getting more and more comfortable and confident with each other out in the field. Playing an awful lot of guys probably makes communication even more and more difficult because there's just so many. It's not like this guy only plays with this guy. They all have to be interchangeable. We're playing better in the secondary and we're going to be challenged this week for sure with a bunch of really good wide receivers. So, it's something that we're always emphasizing."
On being bowl eligible...
"Well yeah, we absolutely need to move on, but I'm happy for those seniors that came back or the seniors that are deciding what they're going to do that they know that on their last go round, they're going to get a chance to play postseason football. I think that's really important to those guys. In the same respect, I think we can still have a really special season. If we continue to keep trending in that direction of playing with more confidence, preparing every week like we have the last three weeks, believing that we're getting better and better and cutting it loose and playing with great technique and playing physical, those things, I think we can have a really special season. But, you know, it starts today with practice and continues on so that we give ourselves a great chance to be successful each and every Saturday. But, no question I'm happy, especially after starting 0-3 in conference play. The schedule – we started with really tough games and we've won three tough games – so the schedule is the schedule. You still have to beat people to get to that number to be able to play postseason football, and it didn't look good here for a little while. Credit to our seniors. Credit to our leadership to say we've got to take more ownership and we have to hold each other more accountable so that we can be prepared and ready to play every Saturday. We've been able to do that the last three weeks."
On Chris Tennant gaining experience...
"Chris has continued to take half of the reps all season long because we always thought it was an ongoing battle. But, now it just brings Ty (Zentner) back to the forefront of he may be an option. We just had taken that off his plate. He was just kicking off and punting. Now he becomes a field goal kicker as well. So, you've got another senior that's a reliable guy that the moment won't get to him, so he just takes more of those reps."
On Daniel Green putting up great numbers despite missing multiple quarters...
"He's not let that bother him at all. He's just continued to move forward. I think he does a great job of preparation and seeing plays throughout the week and watching film. The play he made on the quarterback to stop a drive, they were third and three, two or something. I thought they were in four-down territory, and he ran through and hit the kid for a three-yard loss. That's something that we had worked on in practice. He's shot out of a cannon. He knew the play and went and blew it up. He's just playing at a really confident level. It's fun to watch him because he's a special player."
SKYLAR THOMPSON, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On not beating West Virginia in his career...
"Yeah, it is definitely on our minds, on my mind, but especially the senior class. We haven't beat West Virginia since 2015, the year before I got here. It's definitely been discussed in our team meetings and stuff like that. It's something to use as some motivation, but also just going back to what's gotten us to where we're at right now and winning three games in a row and that's been our preparation throughout the week and just focusing on what we're facing right now and being where our feet are at today and focusing on the task at hand. That's having a great Tuesday practice today. Having that mindset, having that preparation every single week has led us to being prepared to play on Saturdays and allowing guys to play fast with confidence. That's what we got to continue to do."
On what West Virginia does defensively to make them a tough matchup...
"They're pretty unique on defense. I think their scheme is a little bit out of the ordinary. It's not like your traditional structure, and they do some different things that are different to myself and others. I think they're really good up front. They have a really good defensive line that they do a lot of different stunts and twists and do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback. That allows the guys behind him to play with confidence and play fast. So, it's going to be a great challenge for us this week, but I know we're excited for it."
On Deuce Vaughn…
"He's a big part of our offense. He's a very special talent for multiple reasons, and he's a tremendous running back. But what I think makes him so versatile and special is he can line up a receiver and run anything on the route tree, and that's what makes it hard to cover. He's done a lot of different things. Defenses don't know what he's going to do because he can do whatever he wants to do, whatever we have gameplaned. For a guy like me having a guy like that that can do so many things and him and I being on the same page all the time, it gives you a lot of confidence, and it makes my job easy. I've said this before, but I knew actually the first time that I threw a Deuce during COVID when all that stuff was happening, we were at Anneberg Park, actually, and I was playing some catch back in those crazy times. The first time that I threw it to him, I immediately texted Coach (Brian) Anderson was like, 'This kid's going to be really special.' It was something just about the way that he communicated the way that he approached, just doing that, and the way that he moved and caught the ball, you could tell it was just natural for him. He's not a guy that's going to let the success get to his head. He's very humble and approaches his work the same way every single day. When a guy with the talent that he has and what he's been doing to stay consistent in that aspect, it's no surprise that he's doing what he's doing right now."
On the last two home games of his career...
"Yes, I've been thinking about it. You know, it's crazy. I was actually texting Briley Moore today, just catching up with him. He asked me exactly how I felt, how I was doing, and I've been putting a lot of thought into just what my journey here at K-State has been like. It's been a journey for sure. It's never been easy, and there's been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm so grateful for the whole process that has been and is truly developed me as a person, as a player, as a teammate, friend, brother. Literally every aspect of my life of this program has developed me, and that's what I came here for. Now that the clock is ticking and it's coming to an end, I'm just trying to just enjoy every single moment that I have right now with my teammates and this program, because it is so special to me. Knowing that I only have a couple games left here in Bill Snyder Family Stadium and all the memories that were brought to my life and my family, it's really special. As much as that can be good to put thought into, it can be an emotional roller coaster if you invest too much thought into it. So, I've just really been focusing on just having fun and enjoying this process and just taking it one week at a time because, like I told the team after the game, yesterday we had a captains meeting, and we didn't come here to win six games and be bowl eligible. That's not why I came here. That's not why, speaking to the team, any of us came here, to just win six games and be bowl eligible. Yes, it's a great accomplishment, but we're here for more and we want to place ourselves in the best position to be in the best bowl game possible. In order for us to do that, it's taking it one game at a time and focusing on this week, focusing on today, and everything else take care of itself. So, that's all I'm focused on and having fun, enjoying the game. It's so fun and how much fun my teammates are and just trying to cherish the moment."
REGGIE STUBBELFIELD, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK
On his role on the field...
"In the game, it actually allows me to play a lot of positions, honestly. Sometimes you can see me as a wide at the slot corner, sometimes in the box as a sub linebacker, even sometimes rotating there free or if we use in a different package and corner. So, still just a versatile guy."
On having many positions...
"I like doing all those things because I took care of them and put us in positions. I know he's going to help me succeed and the team, so I like doing it all."
On how excited he was to win the Kansas game...
"Yes, because of the rivalry game, bowl eligible. That was a big win."
KADE WARNER, SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER
On being a valuable player on the team...
"Yeah, I think that my reputation with football precedes me a little bit. So, when I got here and kind of talking with the guys that they take what I say and really know what I mean when I say. So, basically, it comes down to when we watch film together and we will look at the concepts we look at the defense that they can trust me that I know what I'm talking about. When we talk about concepts and how to get people open, they feel free coming to me and asking."
On the play of Skylar Thompson...
"Oh, unbelievable. I mean, I don't even know how many incompletions he had last week, but it wasn't very many. So, it's cool to see a guy with that much talent being rhythm have a hot streak and be able to complete all the passes. It's really been fun to watch him play to his best ability."
On the transfer portal...
"It's been awesome. Going into the transfer portal was a really weird setting for me. I've never been in it, obviously, before, so it was weird to get recruited for the first time and talk to different schools. It was really awesome to have K-State reach out early on because kind of like, 'Okay, I got a place to go.' Then after coming here and meeting the guys, I knew this was my place. I'm happy I'm here."
AUSTIN MOORE, SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER
On earning from Cody Fletcher...
"It's been an exciting time, definitely. I've been looking forward to our work for a long time, and it's a big opportunity that I'm thankful to have."
On choosing K-State...
"I am from Louisburg, Kansas. I did grow up a KU fan, but once I kind of got to high school and I came to a camp here, I really liked the place. I love Manhattan. Love the coaches that were there at the time. When it came to game day visit, I knew I really wanted to go to K-State."
On earning his first start at Kansas...
"That was really special. Really fun. I had a lot of friends and family there just how close Lawrence is to Louisburg. My sister actually goes to KU, so there's big rivalry there for me. It was just a fun, really cool experience."
The Wildcats and Mountaineers kick off at 11 a.m., on Saturday morning inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a game televised by FS1 with Eric Collins and Petros Papadakis on the call.
CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good afternoon, everyone. Excited about how the guys played last Saturday. I thought we played a complete game. I was really impressed that we started really fast and got up 14-3. I thought the touchdown before half to get us up 21-3 was really good. I thought our guys played fast. They ran the football. They were physical. We were definitely ready to play the game, and Kansas did some good things against us that challenged us. Then starting off the second half with a big touchdown run by Deuce (Vaughn) was big for us. Got up 23 and got a chance to play an awful lot of guys. Everybody that was on the trip, I think, pretty much got in the game or pretty close to that and came out of the game healthy, which is another real positive. Had our first practice yesterday for West Virginia. Everybody was out there at practice, which has been the first time we've had everybody practice on a Monday in quite a while, so that was a really good sign. Have to have a great week of preparation because it's a really good football team we're playing. They're really sound on defense, very physical, very fast, and they've got a bunch of veteran guys on offense. So, it'll be a big challenge for us."
On what Deuce Vaughn's high school coach said when they were recruiting him...
"Well, I know a bunch of our coaches probably had a chance to visit with him. I didn't get to that high school, but you could see a kid on film that loved to play the game. You can see a guy that did everything right on and off the field. You could see a young man that was a competitor, and that's the thing that so impressed us right away was how he played the game. Then when he got on the phone with him and then he and his mother came up, I think the first two that came up on the visit, and you could just see an energy in the young man and how his personality could be contagious with people. It has been ever since he arrived on campus. He's always got a smile on his face. He always practices hard, he always challenges his teammates to be better, and it's been a lot of fun to coach him in the last two years."
On if he thought Vaughn could accomplish so much in just two years...
"Yeah, I really could, especially after watching him his first fall camp here that he had that 'it' factor, had that special ability. Then, the more you got the ball in his hands, the more he was around our system and understood more and more of how he fit within the framework of our offense, the more we were able to utilize him, the more confidence I think that he had as well. So, nothing that Deuce Vaughn does surprises me and probably should surprise anybody that's around the kid as much as we are on a daily basis because he just checks every box. It's fun to be around him, and it's fun for us to have our young players – even though Deuce is young – to see what hard work does and what preparation does and what taking care of your body does to lead to success."
On what makes West Virginia a tough matchup...
"You know, the physical play for starters. I thought last year they won the line of scrimmage against us on both sides. Well coached. Tremendous amount of respect for Neal (Brown). Guys are always ready to play. They're in the right spot. They make plays, and it's in all phases – offense, defense and special teams. That's what I think makes it such a challenge for us is we have to be on our A game in all three phases. If we're not, we're going to have a long afternoon. So, I know our guys are excited about the challenge, and we have to have a great week of preparation because we've got to play our best."
On if the losing streak against West Virginia is used as motivation...
"No, I try not to do that no matter what the game is, whether you've won a bunch of them in a row or not. I've just never been a fan of that, even last week when we had won a bunch in a row against KU, it's more of it's the 2021 team against their 2021 team. It's different people in different spots, and the dynamic of each team is a little bit different. It's this year's version against their version, and it's going to be a big challenge for us."
On what stands out about Skylar Thompson's preparation...
"Yeah, he's always been a guy that's prepared exceptionally well, watched film, asked a lot of questions, took notes, visited with wideouts, tight ends, running backs, brings those guys together on his own with the quarterback. So, they watch extra film in the evenings, whether it be practice or game film to just get on the same page. The communication that I witnessed in practice even yesterday just doing some 7-on-7 on a Monday, the communication he has with his guys at wide receiver and tight end is on point. Everybody seems to be in sync, and that's when you're clicking is when everybody's on the same page. He's done a great job of fostering those relationships by meeting with those guys all the time."
On what West Virginia has done this season...
"You watch them against Oklahoma, and I really thought they won the line of scrimmage against Oklahoma. I thought that they were very disciplined. They didn't miss any tackles, and against Oklahoma, that's the key because the ball is going to be out in space. They didn't miss any tackles. I watched them against TCU eliminate big plays and find big plays of their own. Some of it is matchups, too, and they have tremendous skill at wide receiver and running back, and an experienced quarterback. So, you can't just say, 'We're going to try to shut down the run game. We're trying to eliminate somebody out of the wide receiver group,' because we have so many people that can beat you. Then on defense, they've got a bunch of veteran guys that played a lot of football. They know where they fit, and they do a good job running to the ball."
On finding the balance between simplicity and adding things defensively...
"Yeah, there is a good balance in that. But what we feel is our guys play faster when we strip back, and we'd like to keep adding things. We did a little bit against KU based on some personnel groups and some formations, but when our guys are playing slow, we're not very good defensively. So, we have to go back to what our kids know, what our guys can execute at a high level. When you see guys like Daniel Green and even Austin Moore last week, you know a couple linebackers playing as fast as they are, it makes it easier on the secondary because they can clean up some of the plays, because those backers are playing fast. We're playing so many guys up front, as we all know, so that's keeping guys fresh. I still think it's better for us that less is better right now."
On teams taking the return game away from K-State...
"We had a couple nice returns. Phil (Phillip Brooks) had a couple really nice plays, but whether it was pooch kicking it on kick returns – there was a little bit of a wind – that made sense to me. Then, doing the same thing kind of angle some punts, you're trying not to give us explosive plays. We have to find ways to continue to find a way to manufacture some returns because we need to be able to flip a field. We were able to flip one. We had one explosive return. We need to so that we can get a 50-yard field because the one negative about the Kansas win for us as a coaching staff is we didn't create a turnover that would have gotten us a short field. So, we've got to continue to emphasize that. We can get a short field by creating a strip or interception, and if we can't, we've got to be able to do it on teams."
On Will Howard getting some passing reps against Kansas...
"You bet. It was a big emphasis for us to get him running and to get him throwing, and I thought Will looked fresh. I thought he looked really comfortable. He looked confident. We had a couple of plays called back but it was fun to see him go quarterback run game, and a guy's unblocked and he runs through an arm tackle. He threw a couple of strikes. It's fun to watch. We talked about it yesterday, and he felt comfortable and felt confident. It was fun for him to get back out there, and I know his body feels pretty good compared to last year."
On managing the roster and knowing what recruiting needs are there...
"Yeah, it's really hard. The NCAA granting some initial counters will help us, but you still don't know because we're going to have an awful lot of guys go through Senior Day next week, and then they have to make decisions. We have to make decisions on how many of those guys are coming back. There's not a right time to talk about that. We talked about it internally, but there's some guys that have said in their own mind that this is my last go round and I'm ready to roll, and there's other guys that are still contemplating coming back for that extra COVID year. We've talked about this before. That's going to be for the foreseeable future. We're going to have this kind of conversation every December. So, the recruiting is really difficult because the roster management. You have to keep it at 85, and there's going to be some difficult choices for guys."
On Daniel Green's growth...
"I think he's playing at an all-conference level. I really do. Excited for him. His first year as a true full-time starter. He has played a lot our previous two years, but this year being a full time starter and being the guy, we put an awful lot on his plate as far as making some adjustments and some calls and some line stunts. He feels more and more confident each week. I know he's playing with a lot of confidence. I think it helps him having a guy like Cody (Fletcher) with him. That's another really good super senior that, between the two of them, they've played a lot of ball, and they've played a lot of ball together. So, it's a comfort level for Coach (Steve) Stanard to have those two guys out there, but I think Daniel's playing at a really high level."
On which players for West Virginia stand out...
"Their defensive front is dominating, and they really rush the passer. There are a number of guys there. I'd leave somebody out so I won't get into any names, but there's a bunch of guys that rush the passer. I think they really do a nice job in the back seven of tackling and running through leverage and not giving you much after contact. Oklahoma State's doing that to a lot of teams right now. They're playing really well on defense, and I saw it last week with KU inside and this week with West Virginia. That defense is probably playing as good as there is in the country."
On if Skylar Thompson is playing at an all-conference level...
"I think he is. I think Deuce Vaughn is. There's just a lot of good quarterbacks and a lot of good running backs, so you control what you can control. The numbers that Skylar is putting up is really fun to see. For us to put the game in his hands a lot more this year and feel comfortable that when the pocket breaks down and he's going to scramble out, direct traffic and send Malik (Knowles) – who was running an outbreak and cut vertical – and throw a big touchdown, it was huge. For him to step aside from pressure and throw a strike to Kade Warner, for him to do some things on third down and can throw it here to Landry (Weber) for a first down or take a shot and be smart enough to just keep moving the chains. I think the game has slowed down for him so much. He's so comfortable with the system we have. He's comfortable with the play calls. He's comfortable at changing things, and without a doubt he's having an all-conference type of season. All that being said, none of that is under his control or our control. I just know that for him going into his last year and coming back with the injury that he had, to think where we're at now compared to where we were – the second quarter of the Southern Illinois game – I hope he's pleased with where he's at. I know we are."
On Taiten Winkel...
"Taiten decided to hang it up. He had an injury and didn't know if he could come back from that and decided to step aside and focus on his academics. Tremendous amount of respect for Taiten and wish him nothing but the best. It wasn't something where he got in trouble, or we asked him not to come back. He had an injury and didn't think he was going to be healthy enough to finish it out and wants to get his degree. So, tremendous amount of respect for Taiten."
On the team keeping its composure after the late hits on Skylar Thompson...
"Yeah, and that's hard to do with a bunch of guys who are going to protect their quarterback, and our guys did a good job. We talked about it before the game. We talked about it all week that this could get to be a chippy situation, and, lo and behold, it happened and it happened on our sideline, which is always worrisome on our sideline but, credit Tru (Trumain) Carroll and the strength and conditioning staff because they were right there. They made sure nothing was going to happen. Proud of our guys to stay away from that and not get any personal fouls or unsportsmanlike. Skylar's good, he's all right. It wasn't a good situation, but we came out of it okay."
On the different defensive matchups...
"Some of it's based on personnel. Some of it when we move J-Mac (Jahron McPherson), we're learning this defense. We're learning this defense because we're making some mistakes within the defense, and I knew that was going to happen this year as we continue to evaluate our talent and evaluate where we're going to put people on the field. Where does Cincere Mason fit in? Where does Ross Elder fit in? We made the move a couple of weeks ago to put J-Mac as the middle safety and give him an opportunity to get closer to the action, and that was a good move for us. TJ (Smith) is still a part of that mix. But J-Mac is a six-year guy that provides a bunch of experience in there of playing the game. Then, I think it suited Ross (Elder) and Cincere (Mason) better to be on the boundary safety, and they're playing and splitting time and then between Reggie (Stubblefield) and Henny (Ryan Henington) and Wayne Jones. I think all three are really good football players and some of it is based on the down and distance and some of it is based on what personnel the offense has, but all three of those guys are really capable players. Then, every other position, as you guys know, it's just mass line changes of d-linemen and corners and linebackers to get more and more guys on the field."
On West Virginia's Dante Stills...
"Yeah, and he's been that way for a while and his brother was there too, but he is a difference maker. Can rush the passer and is always going to draw a double team on run game. They move him around. He's not just playing inside. He's playing some outside. They're doing a lot of different things with him, and they're finding different ways to get a four-man rush with some different combinations of four down to three down and a linebacker rush in a kind of a hybrid position as well. That's what makes them difficult is they're just not lining up and you know where everybody's at. It helps to have an experienced quarterback and experienced offensive line to try to make sure that we're getting in the right calls based on whether it's the front or the pressure that we see."
On West Virginia running back Leddie Brown...
"Physicality. He runs with a purpose, runs with an attitude. Fun watching him run because he doesn't take the punishment. He delivers the punishment. Super impressed with him for a while. He's a terrific football player and one that can catch the ball out of the backfield. When they go to their empty, they keep him in the game and he becomes kind of a wide receiver. They run some screens to him. Obviously, he's great with just handing the ball off to him, but he's a complete player."
On Felix Anudike-Uzomah facing more double teams...
"Well, you got to be patient, for starters. You got to play within the framework of the defense. I thought they (Kansas) did a good job of chipping him all the time on third downs. They even chipped Nate (Matlack) a couple of times on third down, and Nate got his hand on a ball and made a good play. I think when you have a disruptive pass rusher like we've had here for an awful long time, the ball probably comes out a little bit quicker, and you're either going to get doubled or you're going to get chipped and just have to keep playing within the framework of the defense. When you have an opportunity to get that one on one, you need to be able to win."
On the young receivers getting some time...
"Last week we were banged up with Phillip (Brooks) and Malik (Knowles). Phillip didn't play very much, which was a good thing because he's healthy this week now. That gave both RJ (Garcia) and Jaelon (Travis) an opportunity to get more reps and practice and gain more confidence. We relied more on guys like Kade (Warner). Kade had a really good game and made a couple big-time plays for us. Keenan Garber is continuing to improve, had a couple of really nice catches, had a couple of really good blocks. The game is slowing down for Keenan. We have so many wide receivers right now. Everybody knows about Malik and Phillip and Landry (Weber) that are making the lion's share of the catches, but there's so many other guys that maybe are catching a ball or two, but getting a bunch of reps that I think make that position a strength for us. We have a lot of depth there, and we can play an awful lot of guys."
On the improved secondary play helping the defense...
"We're continuing to improve. We busted a couple of coverages, and it was a lack of communication, not necessarily a technique error but a communication error that we're always trying to shore up because that's the thing with secondary play. You can play really well but you have one bad play and everybody knows that that's the bad play. Those guys are playing more and more together. I look at guys like Russ Yeast and Cincere (Mason) that are new to our program. Julius Brents is new to our program, Reggie's (Stubblefield) new to our program that are getting more and more comfortable and confident with each other out in the field. Playing an awful lot of guys probably makes communication even more and more difficult because there's just so many. It's not like this guy only plays with this guy. They all have to be interchangeable. We're playing better in the secondary and we're going to be challenged this week for sure with a bunch of really good wide receivers. So, it's something that we're always emphasizing."
On being bowl eligible...
"Well yeah, we absolutely need to move on, but I'm happy for those seniors that came back or the seniors that are deciding what they're going to do that they know that on their last go round, they're going to get a chance to play postseason football. I think that's really important to those guys. In the same respect, I think we can still have a really special season. If we continue to keep trending in that direction of playing with more confidence, preparing every week like we have the last three weeks, believing that we're getting better and better and cutting it loose and playing with great technique and playing physical, those things, I think we can have a really special season. But, you know, it starts today with practice and continues on so that we give ourselves a great chance to be successful each and every Saturday. But, no question I'm happy, especially after starting 0-3 in conference play. The schedule – we started with really tough games and we've won three tough games – so the schedule is the schedule. You still have to beat people to get to that number to be able to play postseason football, and it didn't look good here for a little while. Credit to our seniors. Credit to our leadership to say we've got to take more ownership and we have to hold each other more accountable so that we can be prepared and ready to play every Saturday. We've been able to do that the last three weeks."
On Chris Tennant gaining experience...
"Chris has continued to take half of the reps all season long because we always thought it was an ongoing battle. But, now it just brings Ty (Zentner) back to the forefront of he may be an option. We just had taken that off his plate. He was just kicking off and punting. Now he becomes a field goal kicker as well. So, you've got another senior that's a reliable guy that the moment won't get to him, so he just takes more of those reps."
On Daniel Green putting up great numbers despite missing multiple quarters...
"He's not let that bother him at all. He's just continued to move forward. I think he does a great job of preparation and seeing plays throughout the week and watching film. The play he made on the quarterback to stop a drive, they were third and three, two or something. I thought they were in four-down territory, and he ran through and hit the kid for a three-yard loss. That's something that we had worked on in practice. He's shot out of a cannon. He knew the play and went and blew it up. He's just playing at a really confident level. It's fun to watch him because he's a special player."
SKYLAR THOMPSON, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On not beating West Virginia in his career...
"Yeah, it is definitely on our minds, on my mind, but especially the senior class. We haven't beat West Virginia since 2015, the year before I got here. It's definitely been discussed in our team meetings and stuff like that. It's something to use as some motivation, but also just going back to what's gotten us to where we're at right now and winning three games in a row and that's been our preparation throughout the week and just focusing on what we're facing right now and being where our feet are at today and focusing on the task at hand. That's having a great Tuesday practice today. Having that mindset, having that preparation every single week has led us to being prepared to play on Saturdays and allowing guys to play fast with confidence. That's what we got to continue to do."
On what West Virginia does defensively to make them a tough matchup...
"They're pretty unique on defense. I think their scheme is a little bit out of the ordinary. It's not like your traditional structure, and they do some different things that are different to myself and others. I think they're really good up front. They have a really good defensive line that they do a lot of different stunts and twists and do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback. That allows the guys behind him to play with confidence and play fast. So, it's going to be a great challenge for us this week, but I know we're excited for it."
On Deuce Vaughn…
"He's a big part of our offense. He's a very special talent for multiple reasons, and he's a tremendous running back. But what I think makes him so versatile and special is he can line up a receiver and run anything on the route tree, and that's what makes it hard to cover. He's done a lot of different things. Defenses don't know what he's going to do because he can do whatever he wants to do, whatever we have gameplaned. For a guy like me having a guy like that that can do so many things and him and I being on the same page all the time, it gives you a lot of confidence, and it makes my job easy. I've said this before, but I knew actually the first time that I threw a Deuce during COVID when all that stuff was happening, we were at Anneberg Park, actually, and I was playing some catch back in those crazy times. The first time that I threw it to him, I immediately texted Coach (Brian) Anderson was like, 'This kid's going to be really special.' It was something just about the way that he communicated the way that he approached, just doing that, and the way that he moved and caught the ball, you could tell it was just natural for him. He's not a guy that's going to let the success get to his head. He's very humble and approaches his work the same way every single day. When a guy with the talent that he has and what he's been doing to stay consistent in that aspect, it's no surprise that he's doing what he's doing right now."
On the last two home games of his career...
"Yes, I've been thinking about it. You know, it's crazy. I was actually texting Briley Moore today, just catching up with him. He asked me exactly how I felt, how I was doing, and I've been putting a lot of thought into just what my journey here at K-State has been like. It's been a journey for sure. It's never been easy, and there's been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm so grateful for the whole process that has been and is truly developed me as a person, as a player, as a teammate, friend, brother. Literally every aspect of my life of this program has developed me, and that's what I came here for. Now that the clock is ticking and it's coming to an end, I'm just trying to just enjoy every single moment that I have right now with my teammates and this program, because it is so special to me. Knowing that I only have a couple games left here in Bill Snyder Family Stadium and all the memories that were brought to my life and my family, it's really special. As much as that can be good to put thought into, it can be an emotional roller coaster if you invest too much thought into it. So, I've just really been focusing on just having fun and enjoying this process and just taking it one week at a time because, like I told the team after the game, yesterday we had a captains meeting, and we didn't come here to win six games and be bowl eligible. That's not why I came here. That's not why, speaking to the team, any of us came here, to just win six games and be bowl eligible. Yes, it's a great accomplishment, but we're here for more and we want to place ourselves in the best position to be in the best bowl game possible. In order for us to do that, it's taking it one game at a time and focusing on this week, focusing on today, and everything else take care of itself. So, that's all I'm focused on and having fun, enjoying the game. It's so fun and how much fun my teammates are and just trying to cherish the moment."
REGGIE STUBBELFIELD, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK
On his role on the field...
"In the game, it actually allows me to play a lot of positions, honestly. Sometimes you can see me as a wide at the slot corner, sometimes in the box as a sub linebacker, even sometimes rotating there free or if we use in a different package and corner. So, still just a versatile guy."
On having many positions...
"I like doing all those things because I took care of them and put us in positions. I know he's going to help me succeed and the team, so I like doing it all."
On how excited he was to win the Kansas game...
"Yes, because of the rivalry game, bowl eligible. That was a big win."
KADE WARNER, SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER
On being a valuable player on the team...
"Yeah, I think that my reputation with football precedes me a little bit. So, when I got here and kind of talking with the guys that they take what I say and really know what I mean when I say. So, basically, it comes down to when we watch film together and we will look at the concepts we look at the defense that they can trust me that I know what I'm talking about. When we talk about concepts and how to get people open, they feel free coming to me and asking."
On the play of Skylar Thompson...
"Oh, unbelievable. I mean, I don't even know how many incompletions he had last week, but it wasn't very many. So, it's cool to see a guy with that much talent being rhythm have a hot streak and be able to complete all the passes. It's really been fun to watch him play to his best ability."
On the transfer portal...
"It's been awesome. Going into the transfer portal was a really weird setting for me. I've never been in it, obviously, before, so it was weird to get recruited for the first time and talk to different schools. It was really awesome to have K-State reach out early on because kind of like, 'Okay, I got a place to go.' Then after coming here and meeting the guys, I knew this was my place. I'm happy I'm here."
AUSTIN MOORE, SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER
On earning from Cody Fletcher...
"It's been an exciting time, definitely. I've been looking forward to our work for a long time, and it's a big opportunity that I'm thankful to have."
On choosing K-State...
"I am from Louisburg, Kansas. I did grow up a KU fan, but once I kind of got to high school and I came to a camp here, I really liked the place. I love Manhattan. Love the coaches that were there at the time. When it came to game day visit, I knew I really wanted to go to K-State."
On earning his first start at Kansas...
"That was really special. Really fun. I had a lot of friends and family there just how close Lawrence is to Louisburg. My sister actually goes to KU, so there's big rivalry there for me. It was just a fun, really cool experience."
Players Mentioned
DE
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
PK
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ FootballK-State FB | Welcome back Collin Klein
Monday, December 08
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Radio Interview
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Official Introductory Event
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Thank You Coach Klieman
Wednesday, December 03
