K-State Previews TaxAct Texas Bowl at Tuesday Press Conference

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman, along with running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive back Russ Yeast, met with members of the media on Tuesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview the TaxAct Texas Bowl against LSU. A complete transcript of Klieman's press conference is posted below, while video and audio links are above.

The TaxAct Texas Bowl will be played on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game, which kicks off at 8 p.m., will be televised by ESPN.

CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good afternoon, everyone. We'll get started talking about the press release that we have coming out or that just came out. We're going to wear a helmet sticker on the helmets, down at the TaxAct Texas bowl. A lot of K-Staters and fellow Kansans in Western Kansas were dealt that devastating blow on December 15, when the fires, fueled by 100-plus mile an hour winds, burned over 400,000 acres and destroyed homes, vehicles, barns, thousands of head of cattle. Our hearts go out to people in Western Kansas. It's just a small thing for us to show our support for people throughout the state that have had such an impact of their lives so much. So, we'll wear a helmet sticker on (January 4) and show our support for those people. Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody that has had so much loss. Moving on to football – We just finished up another practice this morning. We'll have two more practices here before we cut them loose for about five or six days and reconvene, I think it's the 29th or 30th and then start our prep again. For the game on the 4th, we've had really good practices. We'll get in my mind six good practices. We had a day off in between there, but six good practices before we cut them loose for a little while. So, a lot of the game plan is in. We just need to fine tune some things and continue to work with our young guys too. That's the other part of everything in our bowl prep practices. We're always working developmental stuff. It's not just LSU stuff. It's working a lot of our younger players, whether it's drill work or team work, just to take advantage of this time. Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll) has got the developmental guys in the weight room quite a bit, too. So, it's obviously the great reward for all of us to be able to continue to practice and continue to develop these players."

On Skylar Thompson's injury status...
"He's trending in the right direction. He's practiced. We hope he doesn't have any setbacks, and if he doesn't, then in all likelihood he'll play. We're excited about that. We still have a couple weeks away, so I don't want to, in case we have a setback or anything, but right now he's trending in the right direction."

On the addition of Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez and why he will be a good fit...
"Well, the person for starters. He was able to come down here and spend some time with Coach (Collin) Klein and I. He's a competitor, really intelligent, really mature, fit in with our guys around campus. I think he came to a practice, and I've watched him over the last few years. He's a true dual-threat guy that can run it, can throw it. Excited for him, excited for us to bring him aboard and part of the K-State family. I think he can be a terrific football player."

On Adrian Martinez's shoulder injury in relation to spring practices…
"I don't think he'll be cut loose, full-go, in spring ball. He might be able to do some things, but he wouldn't be in any contact. I don't know how much he'll be cutting it loose in March, but that's okay. He can come in and learn the system and learn our guys and learn terminology and continue to allow ourselves to keep getting the three guys that we have here ready to go. Continuing to progress Will (Howard), Jaren (Lewis), and Jake (Rubley). Max (Marsh), we've decided to move to safety, and I'm excited because Max Marsh is a really good athlete. So, he's going to add depth and get a chance to compete for significant playing time over there for next year."

On the younger quarterbacks' reaction to the addition of Adrian Martinez...
"Well, you're going to have competition no matter what, whether it's in the program or from outside of the program. They have an unbelievable rapport with Coach Klein. I know Collin brought them in and visited with them about that. We're always going to try and add competition, talent to our football team. Whether it's a defensive back to an o-lineman, to a quarterback. I know that's the position that everybody looks at. But in general, we're always going to add competition."

On the excitement for the Texas Bowl…
"Yeah, absolutely it has, and for a lot of reasons. One, it gives us another chance to be together as a football team. This is a close-knit group of guys that cares a lot about each other and enjoys each other's company. Gives us a chance, like we talked about, having our developmental guys continue to get a lot of reps and have Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll) work with those guys. For us, being the extended or late game on January 4, even though we'll have a little time off, it's really given us almost a full extra month with these guys."

On developing the younger players throughout bowl prep...
"Continuing to learn our terminology, continuing to learn basic fundamentals of blocking and tackling and getting off blocks and catching the ball and special teams drills have been a big emphasis for us. There's so many things that we do drill work wise on special teams that carries over to offense and defense. So, we've done a really nice job, I think, of bringing these guys along and making sure that they understand how important these reps that they are getting because it allows us to kind of decide on some depth charts as we get into spring."

On young players who have stood out...
"Cody Stufflebean is a guy that I think is going to be a really impactful guy here. Really excited about what Cody has done as a guy that nobody would know much about, but he's a Kansan kid that I think the world of. He's probably the guy that I just see every day keep showing up."

On Will Howard's redshirt...
"We still don't know Skylar's true fate. We think he's going to be able to play, and we hope he is. But if no, then Will will play this game. That's kind of the thought we had going into Texas is there's a chance he's going to play in one if not two football games. You're healthy and you get an opportunity to play. Competitors want to play, and that's what Will is, he's a tremendous competitor. He's played a decent amount of football for maybe costing him one year and not two years. You're healthy, you're able to play. I've seen a lot of situations where you hold somebody back and then the next year they get hurt, and you say you wish you would have. We have to live in the present right now, and that's what we're doing with Will."

On the depth at running back...
"We still have No. 22, and Deuce (Vaughn) is going to get the lion's share of the reps. Then it'll just kind of be running back by committee with everybody else on the roster."

On the challenges preparing for LSU with their roster turnover...
"It's been challenging, but they're still LSU. I know that we as coaches and our players – especially our older guys – know that no matter who they put out there is going be a pretty, pretty good football player and guy that even if he hasn't played, maybe it's his opportunity just like we're going to have some guys that are going to have an opportunity that haven't played a lot of football for us. That's a great thing for college football. It's not great when people opt-out and don't play games, but that is what it is. That's not going to change, but it is exciting for the guys that do get an opportunity because maybe they were a guy that felt like he should have been in or somebody that they think really highly of. So, we know that there's a reason they're at LSU because they're extremely talented players. No matter if it's somebody that we watched on film or the next guy that steps up, they're going to have really good football players."

On what LSU does schematically...
"They run the football on offense, and they have a really good offensive line. Most of those guys, I believe, are going to play. The running back is a really good player. That's their bread and butter. Then they run the RPO game off it with some slants and glances and in bubbles and things. Then they can stretch the field because they have wide receivers that can really go. So, offensively, they're really explosive, but yet they can probably just pound it at you all day. Then on defense, they're going to come after us. I really believe that they're going to be a pressure team. That's what they've gone to the last, maybe, third of the season. Played a lot more man coverage. Now maybe they'll change again, but we've seen it on both. Playing zone early and then man late, but just the ability to put pressure on the passer is one of our biggest concerns because they have really good players up front and then they bring a lot of different blitzes."

On players heading home for Christmas with COVID-19 risks...
"Absolutely, on all accounts but everybody else is going through the same thing too. Right now, just as everything is trending, it would have been great to play all these bowl games before Christmas. Maybe would have gotten more of them in, and knock on wood, we continue to get them all in. That's the hope. It's a concern. We talk about it with our guys quite a bit. We know we're sending them home, but you have to give them a break. It's Christmas. We've just got to make sure that, vaccinated or non-vaccinated, kids are still getting this from what we understand. So, you've got to do a great job protecting yourself and more importantly protecting the loved ones you're going back to see."

On which LSU quarterback they are preparing for...
"It's a good question. The young kid for starters, the (Garrett) Nussmeier kid, which we probably believe he'll play but who knows. That's kind of the thought right now. They've played a couple of different guys throughout the season and maybe they have different skill sets. They know better than we do, but their offense is still going to run through the running backs and the o-line."

On any opt-outs for the bowl game...
"We have not. We've still had some flu bug guys. We're still missing a guy here or there it seems like, but knock on wood, we continue to stay healthy and guys stay with the program."

On the importance of the Texas Bowl for the seniors...
"A couple of reasons. One, a few of these guys were a part of the bowl game when we played UCLA a few years back, but probably didn't play very much. Didn't have success against Navy, a lot of guys were here for that. I thought Navy was a good football team, and we had a chance to win and didn't do it. Then last year, I think going through last year as difficult as it was from a COVID standpoint. One of the things that I think is so unique about college football is the bowl system, the playoff system, and the postseason in general. There were probably a lot of guys bummed last year that we didn't get a chance to play in a bowl game."

On conversations with seniors who could possibly return...
"Yeah, I have, but I'm going to let those guys announce when they want to announce what they're going to do. I think that's kind of more appropriate for those guys. There's some that are coming back, and then there's some that have jobs and are going to go play in the NFL. I just think it's better for those guys to be able to announce that when they want to."

On if he is aware of each senior's decision...
"Pretty much. There's maybe a couple that are still up in the air, and I've given them that space, because if they're not ready to make that decision, then I can't press upon it. It's too big of a decision for some of these guys that potentially are going to be done playing. When we talked, I think when we had an open week in early December, asked a few about it. They said, 'Coach, can I just have more time?' and absolutely. They've done so much for K-State football and done so much for me, I can give them a little bit more time."

On the addition of transfer defensive back Josh Hayes...
"Josh will have a big impact. I know Josh well. I know his family well. He was recruited by us at North Dakota State in 2017. As a true freshman, we had some guys get hurt and he started at corner in a National Championship game and really shut down one of the best receivers in FCS that day. So, I know his ability, and he's a physical corner. He's a good man-coverage guy. We're going to play him at nickel and at corner. I know his parents really well. Excited that Coach (Joe) Klanderman and myself get another year to end Josh's college days."

On Ryan Henington organizing the community toy drive..
"Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up. He asked me about it a couple of weeks back, and he was really passionate about it. That's the way Ryan is, and his family is and his roommates. I know that Fletch (Cody Fletcher) was involved, and I know that Ross Elder and some other guys were involved, but they raised an awful lot of money and took care of countless families and we're able to have those people have a special Christmas. But that's Ryan Henington, and that's our seniors. Our senior class is first class. He talked about it to our team after practice today about the importance of giving back to this community. There's a sell out or close to a sell out for every home game because of the kids on our team. We hope the product continues to improve, and we're working on that. But the support for those kids that do a lot for this community is pretty cool, and they love this community. So, Henny did that and with a bunch of his teammates and made a really special Christmas for a lot of families."

On the impact of Deuce Vaughn, Cooper Beebe and Felix Anudike-Uzomah…
"For starters they are great leaders. They're great people off the field. They do things right in the classroom. They do things right in the weight room. They're leading by example in what they do, and then they're terrific football players that impact every game. You hear about Deuce and you hear about Felix so much. The guy that's really unsung is Cooper. Cooper, all year long, I thought he was an All-Big 12 offensive lineman and was rewarded with that honor. I just love the way he goes about his business and works and continues to help the young kids as well. But three impactful guys on and off the field for K-State."

On Khalid Duke's recovery…
"Well, we see him on the sideline every day at practice and think, 'Boy, if that kid were out there coming off the edge, it would give us another player with Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) and Nate (Matlack) and Boom (Bronson Massie) and those guys.' His progress is great. He's probably going to miss a significant part of spring ball. We'll do a bunch of movement skills for him, but he's not going to get any contact. Typically, you don't with that injury that he had. He'll be full-go for next fall. We'll give him enough individual and some other reps in the spring but keep him out of contact because he won't be ready for contact. But Khalid will be back next year for sure."

On any other position changes besides Max Marsh…
"He's the main one that I can think of. I don't think there's been anybody else, Max is the main one. He still does some scout team quarterback for us, but he's a tremendous athlete. He's really strong, put some weight on, and we need some help in the secondary. So we decided, we talked to Collin (Klein) and we talked to Max. Max was all excited about it because he always worked special teams drills for us throughout the season and was a backup on a few teams. Now he's going to get an opportunity to have a full spring and a full winter with Coach (Joe) Klanderman."

On how different the offense will look in the Texas Bowl…
"It can only change so much in this amount of time with us being on the road for two weeks, finals the third week. This is really our first prep that we have had. Probably a few subtle changes, but it's not like we're going to run the wishbone or anything. So, there will be a few subtle things."

On the season that Russ Yeast had…
"Phenomenal season, one of the best transfer portal additions in the country. We were fortunate enough to land Russ. Had a lot of conversations with his parents, and they believed that this was a great place just like Russ did. He's been a great football player and a great mentor for younger players. He's going to get a chance to play on Sundays, I really believe that. Has just had a phenomenal season, and, once again, was rewarded as well like he should have been because he was darn good this year."

DEUCE VAUGHN, SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK
On the reaction to facing LSU...
"It was one of the things like I'm ready to go compete, SEC football team, and of course, a lot of things come with the name LSU and it's a big-time opponent. Matter of fact, the entire team is ready to go and get to play against a really good football team."

On his schedule without classes...
"Kind of gotten back to, not like a fall camp vibe, but in the sense that it's all football, which I really, really like. You get to get that, not a burden, but you could say the weight of school off and it's kind of all football. You have more time for film, more time to be up here, more time for practice and things like that. So, we had practice this morning and some meetings, and then we'll head back up here at about 3:30 and get some more meetings and stuff and a walkthrough. Just get ready for LSU."

On the mood of the team heading into the bowl game...
"I feel like we're ready to go. It's an opportunity to go out there and play together and on a big-time stage. I think we're the only game on as far as bowl games go. Everybody is going to be watching. We'll be down in Houston in a great venue, NRG Stadium, have been a couple of times, and it's a beautiful stadium, playing against a really good ballclub. So, we're really excited."

On having the opportunity to play in a bowl game this season...
"Super excited. This is going to be the first time I get to go to a bowl site. To have that four to five days with my teammates and get into practice and being in a new city and having all the amenities that come with it – go to a Rockets game, go to all the venues that the Texas Bowl has ready for us and be in the hotel and just spend time with my guys and get this last opportunity to be together this season."

On why the team is so fired up for this bowl game...
"Personally, for me I feel like just from the fact that the way that we lost our last game and it's been a while since we played football in a sense. We had some time off after the Texas game and then getting back into practice, and now I'm just fired up to be out there and play another football game with my guys. I feel like we're really ready to go because it's another opportunity. I feel like that's the biggest thing is we have another opportunity to come out here and just showcase what all K-State is about."

On being one of the final bowl games of the year...
"It's a little tough just from the fact that you would love to be out there right now. Right now, you're kind of just practicing while other teams are playing, and they're at their bowl sites and things like that. But it's also building that sense of being ready to go like I was talking about. Our time will come and just kind of take it day by day."

On LSU...
"They have really athletic players. They run well. They look like LSU and an SEC football team. They changed their defense up a little bit. If you look into the first half of the season, they were playing a lot of quarters stuff, kind of rallying to the football, but they changed and they went with some more of an Okie Bear front towards the back end of the year and a lot of one-high stuff, deep one-high and going to run a lot of man. So, just figuring out how we're going to attack that as far as you don't have a whole bunch of film on them playing that since it was the back end of the year. Just figuring out exactly what we can do as an offense to go and try and explore some things that they have is going to be something that we've been trying to do for the past month I would say."

On playing with Adrian Martinez next season...
"Absolutely. I got to talk to him just for a little bit whenever he came up for a visit. He seemed like a really cool dude, and he's somebody that I'm excited to have come in and just compete with us because if he's coming in to be a K-State Wildcat and our coaches signed off on him and everybody sign off, he's going to be someone who's going to come in and compete and join in just like a family that we are just like the other transfers that we had. I'm really excited for him to come in."

On all the awards he's won...
"It's surreal. Just when I was talking to my parents, my dad and mom asked if it had hit me yet, just from the matter of fact that this is a goal that I've been wanting to achieve since I was seven years old. It's crazy. It didn't hit me until a couple of days after to the point where it was like, 'Man, all that hard work that I've put in, even from middle school to high school to now and then all the support system, everybody that I had has poured into me to be able to say that I achieved that because of y'all. I'm going to say thank you for all of that.' It's unbelievable. It's surreal like I said. Man, it's just it's another stepping stone, and it's something that keeps me motivated."

On if being an All-American was a goal when he came to K-State...
"Yes, sir. I will say that ever since I was little, I always looked at the All-American status of players and you see all these big names and he was an All-American. He was one of the best of the best in the nation, and that was always something I wanted to do whenever I got to this level. So, to be able to achieve that is astonishing. It's crazy."

On if he has other goals already for next season...
"Really, I just want to keep improving as a football player, whether that be in pass blocking, running routes, getting even more comfortable running inside the tackles, run outside and things like that and just adding anything that I can to my game is really what I'm looking forward to getting to do in the offseason. Adding more weight, adding more muscle mass and having a strength staff and Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll), knowing they're going to take care of that. It's really exciting to see all the more steppingstones that can be walked on as I continue on my path here."

On possibly getting Skylar Thompson back for the bowl game...
"Absolutely. It's big time for him to possibly get a chance to finish it off down in Houston playing against LSU. It's really big, and man, I'm excited for him to possibly have that opportunity. Whenever he's ready to go, I'm going to be right there and we're going to be rallying behind him because that's our quarterback. That's our guy and excited to possibly have him back. He's looking good."

On trying to send Skylar Thompson out with a win...
"Absolutely. Absolutely. Sending Sky T out with a big-time win would be huge just for his legacy and everything that he's done for the K-State Nation and us as a family here at K-State in the locker room and in this building. He's been somebody that's been like a rock for us. To send him out like that would be big time."

On being on 2022 Heisman lists...
"Humbling, but 2021's not over yet. 2022 is, I guess you could say, right around the corner because whenever you get done with this bowl game, getting ready for the 2022 season. It's pretty crazy to even be mentioned with the Heisman Trophy, but it's going to be something that I don't really feed into. I'm just going to work my butt off every single day, every single time I hit the ground when I wake up, and whatever happens, happens."

On the future NFL opportunity...
"It's definitely going to be whatever happens, happens. All I'm focused on right now is being a great football player at Kansas State. If I do get the opportunity at the next level, that'd be another big-time goal and a dream that I've had since I was a little kid. But right now, I'm going to take care of everything I can while I'm here as a Wildcat."

On Russ Yeast's season...
"It was big time. You see the stats. You see the plays that he makes in the backend. Him, Julius (Brents), Timmy Horne, all the guys, Cincere Mason, all the guys that we brought in, every single one of those guys, whenever you look at our defense and how they played, Reggie Stubblefield, don't know how I forgot him. The way that they play, the way they fly around to the football, the way they make plays. It's one of those things where on offense, whenever you're seeing that these are guys that are playing the butts off for us, and without a doubt you want to get back out there and help keep them off the field. Get them their rest so they can go out there and fly around again. Man, it's fun to see, especially No. 2 (Yeast) when it comes to interceptions and he's running it back. It's big time, and I appreciate every single one of those boys."

RUSS YEAST, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK
On preparing for LSU with so many opt outs...
"Yes, it does make it kind of difficult when you're not really sure which players you're going to play against, but you can just prepare for everybody and just kind of look at what they did throughout the course of the season and try to be ready for everything."

On the reaction to playing LSU in the bowl game...
"I was actually kind of really excited. LSU is a storied program and it's a program that I grew up watching. So, it'd be really fun to get a chance to go out there and play against them."

On the advice he would give to athletes entering the transfer portal...
"The portal, it is different times, so the portal is kind of becoming more prevalent in college football. My biggest advice to the players jumping in there, just make sure you find the right fit. Whenever you're leaving or something like that, make sure you're leaving for the right reasons, and when you're looking for new schools, make sure you're looking at them for the right reason as well."

On how he feels his transfer to K-State worked out...
"Yes, I think so. Coming to the portal, I wanted to come play for the football program, get a chance to be around a good team and be around a good coaching staff and things like that. So, I think everything's worked out."

On being looked at as one of the best transfer portal additions in the country...
"I think it makes me feel good, but I just want to continue to help the team win. I want to go out and win the ballgame. Individual accolades don't really mean that much to me. I'd just rather win games."

On why the team is so serious about the bowl game...
"Because a lot of the players in this locker room, I feel like the guys love football and just want to play football. To us it's another opportunity to play another game, another opportunity to win. So, I think that's a big, big deal. Nobody really thought about opting out or anything like that because we want to go out there and have another chance to play the game that we love."

On why this defense was such a good fit for him...
"I had great coaching. Coach (Joe) Klanderman, Coach Klieman, Coach (Van) Malone, they always put me in good positions to succeed as a player individually. They also did a good job of putting a lot of other players in good positions where their best strengths were able to show this year. I think we were able to come together as a unit and just kind of play off each other."

On if he expected K-State to change their defense this year...
"It was mentioned a little bit. I was more thinking that we were still going to be in the four-down kind of base defense. But we talked about it more actually once I actually got here, so it actually made me very excited whenever they started to bring it up because I felt like I could fit into it pretty good."

On Daniel Green's progress...
"He plays extremely fast, and he diagnoses things just as well as anybody I've ever played with. Playing with somebody like him obviously makes me better. It makes everybody on the whole defense better. So, I've really enjoyed playing with Deuce this season."

On the success transfers have had at K-State...
"Kind of like I told you guys earlier in the year, I think this locker room itself just did a really good job of embracing us whenever we first got here and making us feel like we were a part of the family. I think everybody that came in as transfers also came in with the right mindset and not trying to be handed anything and want to put their head down and work and earn the trust of the team. So, I think that those two things combined together, and they led to success for a lot of them."

On his past bowl game experience...
"My true freshman year I got to play in the TaxSlayer Bowl, and then we went to the Music City Bowl in 2018. I missed that because of my injury, so this is the first time I actually get a chance to go and play in a pretty good bowl game since my freshman year. So, it has me excited. I've been ready to play this game since it got announced."

Kansas State University Athletics

K-State Previews TaxAct Texas Bowl at Tuesday Press Conference

Players Mentioned

Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Cooper Beebe

Khalid Duke

Ross Elder

Cody Fletcher

Daniel Green

Ryan Henington

Timmy Horne

Will Howard

Max Marsh

Cincere Mason

Bronson Massie

Reggie Stubblefield

Cody Stufflebean

Skylar Thompson

Deuce Vaughn

Russ Yeast

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