Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Coordinators Preview UCF Contest
Sep 25, 2025 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State offensive coordinator Matt Wells and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex to discuss this Saturday's game against UCF inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.
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MATT WELLS, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On what was accomplished during the bye week…
"Well, the big focus early in the week for us as coaches was on self-scouting and what we've done well, what we haven't done well. You try to grab the good and you fix the fixable. What do we throw out? What do we keep doing? What do we have to get better at? That's kind of the focus internally. Then, practice was just getting back to basics and fundamentals and running the ball better and trying to protect the quarterback better and doing things that we do better. That's the biggest thing is you have a refocus. You always focus on yourself, and then you start to look at the opponent a little bit more at the end of the week to grab a couple extra days. I think that was accomplished last week. I thought our guys had a good week of practice. It was pretty physical for three days, and I think they responded in the right way. Now, we need to go out and play well Saturday morning."
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On what was focused on during the bye week…
"Well, we haven't been very good on third downs. Captain Obvious – the games that we haven't been good on third down are the games that we've spent on more reps in third and long, seven-plus, which has a low percentage probability. We actually have been pretty good in third and long if you want to go by percentages, like 24% and 29% in those two categories. We're just in it too much. You're in it too much, which leads back to whether it's a TFL on a first and 10 call and you're playing behind the chains. So, I think that was magnified more than any in the Arizona game was just playing behind the chains and not playing as well on first and second down."
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On if being in third and long is a system-wide issue…
"Now, anytime you don't win – and when I say win, we've lost three one-score games. We don't come out on top of it. We've detailed in here and at other times. I know Coach (Klieman) has – what of the few plays that have highlighted those losses and that could have won them at the end of the game? Anytime you do that, and you lose three one-score games, it starts with the play calls, it is every position and every coach. You own it, and every one of us have to be better, whether it's me choosing play calls that our guys do better or against the scheme or in flat out executing slide protection and gap protection and zone schemes and counter schemes, from the quarterback to making some better throws. Some of it's fundamental, and some of it was drops. We all own it. We all have a hand in owning it."
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On if a healthy Dylan Edwards will help…
"Anytime you have a starter back, tremendously. That's our starting running back, and we haven't had him for four games, or three (games) and three quarters. He'll absolutely help. He'll help in the passing game. He'll help in the running game. When you run it better, it opens up lot more RPOs and opens up more shots downfield."
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On if having Dylan Edwards back will help in the read game…
"I think it's a threat in all the read game. It's a threat in the RPO game. Absolutely, he's a weapon, and he'll make our O-line better, too."
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On Jayce Brown's effectiveness on gadget plays…
"Well, if you can scheme it to where he's out in the middle of the field and opening up, he's fast. He's really fast. I think at times when those have presented themselves, our guys have done a really good job blocking for him. Those things have been set up, and he takes advantage. He uses his natural ability."
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JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On what he hopes the biggest change is that he sees out of the defense on Saturday…
"Hopefully just that we're better fundamentally and more sound. I don't know if we were doing too much, but we've tried to simplify things as much as we can so that we can play faster. I think the one disappointing thing about the Arizona game when you look at it, the results are disappointing, obviously, but the more disappointing thing is just that there were times where it just didn't seem like we were playing with any gusto. That's the stuff that's got to be changed. I think if we play our tails off and we're sound in what we're doing, we can live with the results. If we're not good enough to beat somebody, then we're not good enough to beat somebody, but I think that we'll find that we are. So, I think the biggest thing you're going to see is how we play and the enthusiasm that we play with."
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On the defense attacking the play…
"I would say that's accurate to some degree. I wouldn't say that's accurate across the board, but there were times, certainly in Arizona, where there's somebody standing in the hole and we're catching tackles and falling backward. One that was particularly disappointing, it was a short, third and four, or something, and it ended up getting a first down on a run play that probably should have been stopped for no gain. It was the one that they measured and reviewed, and they got the ball back. Then they went down and got a field goal on that drive. Those are the kind of things that are just frustrating, and they're not just frustrating to the coaches, they're frustrating for the players too because it's not universal. There are some players that are really playing their tails off. So, I hope that we're all on the same page now as players and we get that fixed."
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On the players that have stood out to him from a leadership standpoint…
"There are several. We've got a strong group of guys in there on the defensive side of the ball. I think that the ones that pop out as vocal, Austin Romaine is a very vocal guy that's not been bashful about that. Damian Ilalio has been very vocal. Cody Stufflebean has been very vocal. VJ Payne, there are a lot of guys that have done a great job in that role. If that was the problem, we'd root that out as coaches. You can point to anybody on the defense, and you'll find some good plays, and then you're going to find a bust. It's just unfortunate that some of those busts that sometimes you're able to get away with, we're not. We're not getting away with them at all. It's spread out across people. It's not things that they don't know, it's not things that they can't do, it's not things that they haven't done. It's just things that are sometimes happening. So, I think that kind of grows in these players, they get stressed, and they feel like they have to be perfect, and that's why they're playing slow. So, the message to them this week is just cut it loose, guys. The National Championship team is not going to be perfect. There's going to be mistakes that get made, but you overcome those mistakes by how hard you play. I think that's been the message that the leaders that have played a lot of football for us are trying to get across."
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On if it has been harder to surprise teams with blitzes with four down linemen instead of three…
"No, I wouldn't say that. We haven't been as effective of a blitz team this year. I don't think it's because of the element of surprise. We're working that out with some of the angles and some of the things that we're coming at people with. We've been an okay blitz team, I'd say. There are some that are very successful, but then there are others that are some of the ones that we are popping out of a gap, and those are some of the things that are inexcusable execution errors."
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On defensive back Qua Moss…
"The thing about Qua – and he's learning as a player – but he is one of those guys that's going to play his tail off. He is one of those guys that's going to play with energy. We've had those kinds of catalyst-type guys. I've used the word catalyst with the players. He's that. He's an infectious-energy guy that plays with a ton of intensity. He's one of those perfect examples of guys that don't always do things perfectly from a technique standpoint. We're working on that. As a new player, that's something that's going to develop, but he's an infectious-energy guy when he's out there, and I think the players appreciate that."
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MATT WELLS, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On what was accomplished during the bye week…
"Well, the big focus early in the week for us as coaches was on self-scouting and what we've done well, what we haven't done well. You try to grab the good and you fix the fixable. What do we throw out? What do we keep doing? What do we have to get better at? That's kind of the focus internally. Then, practice was just getting back to basics and fundamentals and running the ball better and trying to protect the quarterback better and doing things that we do better. That's the biggest thing is you have a refocus. You always focus on yourself, and then you start to look at the opponent a little bit more at the end of the week to grab a couple extra days. I think that was accomplished last week. I thought our guys had a good week of practice. It was pretty physical for three days, and I think they responded in the right way. Now, we need to go out and play well Saturday morning."
Â
On what was focused on during the bye week…
"Well, we haven't been very good on third downs. Captain Obvious – the games that we haven't been good on third down are the games that we've spent on more reps in third and long, seven-plus, which has a low percentage probability. We actually have been pretty good in third and long if you want to go by percentages, like 24% and 29% in those two categories. We're just in it too much. You're in it too much, which leads back to whether it's a TFL on a first and 10 call and you're playing behind the chains. So, I think that was magnified more than any in the Arizona game was just playing behind the chains and not playing as well on first and second down."
Â
On if being in third and long is a system-wide issue…
"Now, anytime you don't win – and when I say win, we've lost three one-score games. We don't come out on top of it. We've detailed in here and at other times. I know Coach (Klieman) has – what of the few plays that have highlighted those losses and that could have won them at the end of the game? Anytime you do that, and you lose three one-score games, it starts with the play calls, it is every position and every coach. You own it, and every one of us have to be better, whether it's me choosing play calls that our guys do better or against the scheme or in flat out executing slide protection and gap protection and zone schemes and counter schemes, from the quarterback to making some better throws. Some of it's fundamental, and some of it was drops. We all own it. We all have a hand in owning it."
Â
On if a healthy Dylan Edwards will help…
"Anytime you have a starter back, tremendously. That's our starting running back, and we haven't had him for four games, or three (games) and three quarters. He'll absolutely help. He'll help in the passing game. He'll help in the running game. When you run it better, it opens up lot more RPOs and opens up more shots downfield."
Â
On if having Dylan Edwards back will help in the read game…
"I think it's a threat in all the read game. It's a threat in the RPO game. Absolutely, he's a weapon, and he'll make our O-line better, too."
Â
On Jayce Brown's effectiveness on gadget plays…
"Well, if you can scheme it to where he's out in the middle of the field and opening up, he's fast. He's really fast. I think at times when those have presented themselves, our guys have done a really good job blocking for him. Those things have been set up, and he takes advantage. He uses his natural ability."
Â
JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On what he hopes the biggest change is that he sees out of the defense on Saturday…
"Hopefully just that we're better fundamentally and more sound. I don't know if we were doing too much, but we've tried to simplify things as much as we can so that we can play faster. I think the one disappointing thing about the Arizona game when you look at it, the results are disappointing, obviously, but the more disappointing thing is just that there were times where it just didn't seem like we were playing with any gusto. That's the stuff that's got to be changed. I think if we play our tails off and we're sound in what we're doing, we can live with the results. If we're not good enough to beat somebody, then we're not good enough to beat somebody, but I think that we'll find that we are. So, I think the biggest thing you're going to see is how we play and the enthusiasm that we play with."
Â
On the defense attacking the play…
"I would say that's accurate to some degree. I wouldn't say that's accurate across the board, but there were times, certainly in Arizona, where there's somebody standing in the hole and we're catching tackles and falling backward. One that was particularly disappointing, it was a short, third and four, or something, and it ended up getting a first down on a run play that probably should have been stopped for no gain. It was the one that they measured and reviewed, and they got the ball back. Then they went down and got a field goal on that drive. Those are the kind of things that are just frustrating, and they're not just frustrating to the coaches, they're frustrating for the players too because it's not universal. There are some players that are really playing their tails off. So, I hope that we're all on the same page now as players and we get that fixed."
Â
On the players that have stood out to him from a leadership standpoint…
"There are several. We've got a strong group of guys in there on the defensive side of the ball. I think that the ones that pop out as vocal, Austin Romaine is a very vocal guy that's not been bashful about that. Damian Ilalio has been very vocal. Cody Stufflebean has been very vocal. VJ Payne, there are a lot of guys that have done a great job in that role. If that was the problem, we'd root that out as coaches. You can point to anybody on the defense, and you'll find some good plays, and then you're going to find a bust. It's just unfortunate that some of those busts that sometimes you're able to get away with, we're not. We're not getting away with them at all. It's spread out across people. It's not things that they don't know, it's not things that they can't do, it's not things that they haven't done. It's just things that are sometimes happening. So, I think that kind of grows in these players, they get stressed, and they feel like they have to be perfect, and that's why they're playing slow. So, the message to them this week is just cut it loose, guys. The National Championship team is not going to be perfect. There's going to be mistakes that get made, but you overcome those mistakes by how hard you play. I think that's been the message that the leaders that have played a lot of football for us are trying to get across."
Â
On if it has been harder to surprise teams with blitzes with four down linemen instead of three…
"No, I wouldn't say that. We haven't been as effective of a blitz team this year. I don't think it's because of the element of surprise. We're working that out with some of the angles and some of the things that we're coming at people with. We've been an okay blitz team, I'd say. There are some that are very successful, but then there are others that are some of the ones that we are popping out of a gap, and those are some of the things that are inexcusable execution errors."
Â
On defensive back Qua Moss…
"The thing about Qua – and he's learning as a player – but he is one of those guys that's going to play his tail off. He is one of those guys that's going to play with energy. We've had those kinds of catalyst-type guys. I've used the word catalyst with the players. He's that. He's an infectious-energy guy that plays with a ton of intensity. He's one of those perfect examples of guys that don't always do things perfectly from a technique standpoint. We're working on that. As a new player, that's something that's going to develop, but he's an infectious-energy guy when he's out there, and I think the players appreciate that."
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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