Oct 26, 2026 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Collin Klein and select players met with the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview the game this Saturday at Colorado. Links to video and audio of Klein's press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of the player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klein's press conference is below.
COLLIN KLEIN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good morning. Reviewing the game yesterday and being able to go through it, it was just not doing things to the level that they need to be done, not playing winning football, and a lot of little things across the board that are really getting after us and costing us. Starting with the offense, I was extremely proud of Jacob (Knuth) and the effort that he put out there. He attacked it while not even being fully healthy from the jump and his competitive nature and leadership that he exuded through the ballgame. You could tell even as the game went, he tweaked his ankle a couple times, once in the second (quarter), once in the third (quarter), and you could see he was battling through it. Again, I just respect the heck out of the effort that he gave our program and his teammates. We knew it was going to be about, offensively, winning the line of scrimmage. We did not do that. Not being able to get the run game going was critical to taking pressure off of other phases and other things. We weren't able to do that. It put us in 3rd and 7-plus six times. We were not good in that field zone. We were 1-for-3 in three for two-and-three. So, when we got into some manageable stick situations, we weren't able to stay on the field. Two-for-three touchdowns in the red zone was better. We just didn't get down there. We weren't able to create explosive plays in the passing game. Some of that was a little bit of how that game plan was built. Some of it was a couple of shots that we did take that didn't pan out, and we weren't able to hit on. They were in Cover 0 three times – two on 3rd down, one on 4th down. We had some chances to hit them in the chin, and we not being able to take advantage of those situations was costly. At the end of the day, when that game is at one possession, we were unable to get that drive on some short fields that we needed to get to that two-score lead and put it away.
"From a 4th-down standpoint, obviously, there were two big decisions. Anytime you make game-management decisions like that, they're going to have a big impact on the ball game, whether they work or they don't. We were 0-for-2 in those. We weren't able to get those to work. The first one on 4th and 12, we're inside the 40-yard line. We're not quite to the kick line. We're in the range where it's either field goal or go and have to make a tough decision. I always believe in our guys and our chance to be successful. We weren't able to get it done, and obviously it affected the ball game. The 4th and 3, you're down to score across midfield. I had a feeling they were going to bring zero pressure, and we weren't able to execute and operate there at that moment in time.
"Defensively, I thought we did a better job of controlling the line of scrimmage. They had 147 yards rushing and 106 of those came on six plays. Our second- and third-level fits on every one of those plays, there's something in our control that we have to do better to get that ball down. Other than those six plays, I thought we did a decent job of controlling the line of scrimmage, but we can't let that happen. You look at explosives in the passing game – there were 103 yards on go routes – one-on-one go routes – and we get half of those 50-50 balls, or you take one or two of those away, all of a sudden, it makes a difference. Some of those same things are biting us, and we have to do little things a lot better to be able to minimize those explosive plays and those big things that are happening.
"Special teams-wise, we were close to popping a couple returns to be able to make some impact plays in the ball game. We got to get that short to be able to get us a short field or get a score. We're making progress in some of those areas. We haven't been able to capitalize or get one over the hump there. I thought we did a good job flipping the field at times and winning the field position with over 50 yards of hidden yardage in the course of the ball game from a special-teams standpoint, which I was proud of the guys of their effort there.
"Bottom line, overall, collectively, not where we want to be, but we are where we are. I told the guys this morning, our commitment to doing little things well in your job, in your role, at your position is what makes these inches come to pass. It's on 3rd and 8, we're running a 12-yard curl route, and we get seven and a half. If there's one of those that you could pick all across that film. It's not about ifs and buts because that's not productive for anybody. That's not reality, that's not life, and that sure as heck ain't football. We have to get those things improved and focus on those little things to get the movement and the outcome and to play winning football in tight games when the game is on the line. That's going to be our mission and message this week.
On the health status of the quarterback room…
"It's crazy, I'll be honest with you. Avery (Johnson) is day-to-day. A lot of it that's going to depend on how fast this recovery process goes, and because of that, it's day-to-day. He's working hard at it and doing everything that he can. Some of that is going to be out of his control in this deal. So, just kind of seeing how that progresses, we're monitoring it, obviously, very closely, and our doctors and trainers have done a nice job of protecting him and detailing this thing so we do the right and best thing for him for sure. The rest of the room, obviously, Jacob (Knuth) is still battling. He tweaked his ankle a little bit. So, we'll kind of see how that progresses through the week. I think the other two are making good progress. We'll know a little bit more on Wednesday on one of them, but I think good outlooks on the other two."
On his decision on the 4th and 12 play…
"We talked about all three options in that moment. On the 4th-down situation, it was a sequencing call. We're trying to see, 'Hey, what can we get out of it? What are our options?' The analytics said it was 3rd and 8 or less, it was a go. If it was 3rd and 8 to 12, it was go or field goal. Just with the field position potential of, 'Hey, if you punt it, there is a chance that you're only giving up 10 to 15 yards of field position at that point.' I felt like we needed points to put ourselves in a position to, again, get over the hump in that game. So, we talked about all three. That was kind of how that landed."
On what Luis Rodriguez's field goal line was at Arizona State…
"It was the 35-yard line."
On what needs to happen before Avery Johnson is cleared to play…
"I can't get into that too much without talking about his personal privacy and all that kind of stuff. But, like I said, they're doing a great job and are on top of it and it's just how fast he comes back through this deal."
On what Avery Johnson does during practice while he is injured…
"He's able to take mental reps. He was tremendous on the sideline and coaching those guys and encouraging them kind of through the course of things. He's able to be mobile. He's able to throw it and run around a little bit. So, just trying to get him well."
On who will start at quarterback on Saturday…
"I told Gene (Taylor) this morning. I said, 'This is the second week in a row – and not very many times does this happen in your career – that I don't know exactly who's going to take the first snap on Saturday.' That's where we're at."
On the most frustrating part of the losses this season…
"I think just the consistency factor. It's not any one position. It's not any one guy. It's just a collective mentality to perform to our capabilities consistently together in those critical moments. We're not doing that. You look at each one of those three games, and we're not doing the little things that make the biggest differences. That's what I told the guys today. The things that create consistency, it's not a magic play, it's not a magic scheme. There's no magic wand for that. It is the mental fortitude and the choice that you make of how you approach every single thing that you do every single day. We have to make that choice at a higher percentage, collectively, in those moments to make it go, and that's part of the growth process."
On punter Simon McClannan…
"He's done a great job. He's worked at his craft. He's been very consistent in punting the football. So, I'm not surprised from what we've seen at practice. Every Wednesday and Thursday, he's crushing the ball and putting it right where he wants it. So, I'm not surprised at that at all."
On him coaching through quarterback injury situations in the past…
"So, I think that was 2017. That was a tough year, right? We had a string of injuries there right about the fourth game. After the Vanderbilt and Texas game, it started to happen to Jesse (Ertz). It's a next-man-up mentality. We got to build everything around the situation as best you can. I think 2015 was even a crazier year, to be honest with you. We had a lot of dominoes kind of just fall, very unfortunately. But that's football. It's the game, and it's truly about how we respond and how we deal with it. We got to do a better job."
On Oliver Miller helping out at tight end…
"He's filling a gap, and he's doing a heck of a job for us. But, like I told you, I've got that 73 implanted in my brain. We're not going to touch that now. This is just a temporary filler. He's a great teammate. His football IQ is off the charts. I mean, to be able to get us through what we've gone through. Even in the second quarter, there's two starters that are getting evaluated in that second quarter, and even the ability, what he has done for our offense to be able to work through the situation at tight end that we've worked through, there's not very many true freshmen in the country that going to do that. "
On the athleticism and production of wide receiver Derrick Salley Jr…
"He's getting better every week. At his size, his ball skills, and the way he's attacking the football in the air has improved drastically. He's got a really high ceiling. There's things in his route running, route discipline and timing that he will continue to grow in and make better. So, I'm extremely excited for him and just how hard he's working. His work ethic and him getting to the point that he is now, that's where it's happening for him."
On Dillon Duff playing quarterback…
"Like I said, it was down the stretch, middle of last week before we were making sure it was safe to put him in the game. So, some of that was that piece. This week, I think time is finally coming around with him and both Blake (Barnett), that I think they're both going to be able to get a lot of reps this week. One day at a time."
On he sees from Colorado on film…
"They do a lot of different things schematically on both sides of the football. Both coordinators are very creative and do a lot. They have talent. They've got guys that can run on both sides of the ball. Their D-tackles are extremely twitchy and fire off the football. They're a talented football team."
On throwing the ball more in the two road losses…
"The first one, we were probably five or eight off of our ish target. That came about from three-two minute drills. That definitely impacted that one, for sure. This last one, it was our inability to run the football. There were reasons for it. Credit Arizona State, they did a nice job and there's some things that they did that made it difficult and was good planning on their part, and also our quarterback situation and a slew of other things. But, the bottom line is we had to rely more on the quick passing game, a lot of spacing-type concepts, and a lot more RPO than if we were running it how we would have want to, it probably wouldn't have happened."
On his confidence elect to receive to start the Arizona State game…
"That was our approach all week – Jacob's approach, all of our guys, their approach behind him. We were fired up and ready to get after it and believed that was a good decision. It paid off."
On his instincts to work through analytics against a feel…
"It's a balance, and I've not followed them every time this whole year. You have to build a framework for your gut to work. So, some of that is not like. 'Okay, how do you feel at this moment?' Because there's a lot of things that are in your world at that moment that can fray you that way. As soon as you cross the 40, you're looking at that potential field position flip of only 10 to 15 yards. So, as soon as you get across that 40 – and that's been relatively consistent for us if you look at our fourth-down track record – as soon as you get across the 40, now you're in real decision time. So, time and score, time of the game, first half, second half, all those things weigh. Like I said, it impacted the game. We didn't do it, so it affected us in a negative way, and that's something that I got to own."
On his message to the guys this week…
"The character in our locker room, the teammate, the person, and who these guys are is metal. I love competing with and will go to war with and put that ball down against anybody. That's my mindset and that's their mindset. But, again, my message was very simple. Everybody wants to win the game. Everybody's hurting that we lost the game. Everybody is going to try to point to this play, that play, this call, that call, this player, that player, and all of this stuff, that, yes, those are real, however it's not productive. You can't think like that when you're in the war, when you're in the fight, when you're in this room. Everybody has to do their job and focus on the fundamental things that make their job better and that make it go. You need 11 guys to do that on the exact same play, and you need to do it 70 times a game. That's what then gets the flow, and the momentum. That's what makes it come to life, and any focus on any other thing is absolutely unproductive. That's been the mindset. That's from us as a staff, from me to the staff of how we do our business, from staff to players, from players to player. We've got to focus on getting better. We can nitpick the three losses that we've had and the two we're close, and you can nitpick them to death. At the end of the day, we have to focus on those things that are actually going to get us better, and do it Monday through Thursday, so that we can do it in our sleep when the pressure is on, or you lose a lead, or you're down or whatever happens, collectively together. And that's what we're going to do."
On what happened with special teams penalties…
"We were in that exact same formation twice before. There was no discussion or warning when they threw the flag, which was tough. We're going to get clarification, because, obviously, there's a miscommunication somewhere as far as what exactly the rule is. It has everything to do with who's in an ineligible number, where are they lined up, where do they shift to, and are they on the line or not. It's complicated."
On injury update on Garrett Oakley…
"Garrett practiced today. If everything proceeds as it should, should be good to go."
On if he went to Colorado, Colorado State or Denver Broncos games while growing up in Colorado …
"My first college game was Colorado State. I was not far from Loveland. My dad actually grew up in Boulder. A lot of family all through the Front Range, but he was more of a Colorado State fan."
On going back to Colorado as a head coach…
"It will be great that there will be a lot of family there. The focus is about our team and our guys and doing everything we can to make sure that we make the progress and do the things necessary to win the game."
On running back Joe Jackson running the Wildcat…
"On the first play, obviously he needed a second to collect himself and got dinged a little bit too. That is that world that is real. It was in the second quarter, maybe the third or fourth possession, we were trying to do some of that."
COLLIN KLEIN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good morning. Reviewing the game yesterday and being able to go through it, it was just not doing things to the level that they need to be done, not playing winning football, and a lot of little things across the board that are really getting after us and costing us. Starting with the offense, I was extremely proud of Jacob (Knuth) and the effort that he put out there. He attacked it while not even being fully healthy from the jump and his competitive nature and leadership that he exuded through the ballgame. You could tell even as the game went, he tweaked his ankle a couple times, once in the second (quarter), once in the third (quarter), and you could see he was battling through it. Again, I just respect the heck out of the effort that he gave our program and his teammates. We knew it was going to be about, offensively, winning the line of scrimmage. We did not do that. Not being able to get the run game going was critical to taking pressure off of other phases and other things. We weren't able to do that. It put us in 3rd and 7-plus six times. We were not good in that field zone. We were 1-for-3 in three for two-and-three. So, when we got into some manageable stick situations, we weren't able to stay on the field. Two-for-three touchdowns in the red zone was better. We just didn't get down there. We weren't able to create explosive plays in the passing game. Some of that was a little bit of how that game plan was built. Some of it was a couple of shots that we did take that didn't pan out, and we weren't able to hit on. They were in Cover 0 three times – two on 3rd down, one on 4th down. We had some chances to hit them in the chin, and we not being able to take advantage of those situations was costly. At the end of the day, when that game is at one possession, we were unable to get that drive on some short fields that we needed to get to that two-score lead and put it away.
"From a 4th-down standpoint, obviously, there were two big decisions. Anytime you make game-management decisions like that, they're going to have a big impact on the ball game, whether they work or they don't. We were 0-for-2 in those. We weren't able to get those to work. The first one on 4th and 12, we're inside the 40-yard line. We're not quite to the kick line. We're in the range where it's either field goal or go and have to make a tough decision. I always believe in our guys and our chance to be successful. We weren't able to get it done, and obviously it affected the ball game. The 4th and 3, you're down to score across midfield. I had a feeling they were going to bring zero pressure, and we weren't able to execute and operate there at that moment in time.
"Defensively, I thought we did a better job of controlling the line of scrimmage. They had 147 yards rushing and 106 of those came on six plays. Our second- and third-level fits on every one of those plays, there's something in our control that we have to do better to get that ball down. Other than those six plays, I thought we did a decent job of controlling the line of scrimmage, but we can't let that happen. You look at explosives in the passing game – there were 103 yards on go routes – one-on-one go routes – and we get half of those 50-50 balls, or you take one or two of those away, all of a sudden, it makes a difference. Some of those same things are biting us, and we have to do little things a lot better to be able to minimize those explosive plays and those big things that are happening.
"Special teams-wise, we were close to popping a couple returns to be able to make some impact plays in the ball game. We got to get that short to be able to get us a short field or get a score. We're making progress in some of those areas. We haven't been able to capitalize or get one over the hump there. I thought we did a good job flipping the field at times and winning the field position with over 50 yards of hidden yardage in the course of the ball game from a special-teams standpoint, which I was proud of the guys of their effort there.
"Bottom line, overall, collectively, not where we want to be, but we are where we are. I told the guys this morning, our commitment to doing little things well in your job, in your role, at your position is what makes these inches come to pass. It's on 3rd and 8, we're running a 12-yard curl route, and we get seven and a half. If there's one of those that you could pick all across that film. It's not about ifs and buts because that's not productive for anybody. That's not reality, that's not life, and that sure as heck ain't football. We have to get those things improved and focus on those little things to get the movement and the outcome and to play winning football in tight games when the game is on the line. That's going to be our mission and message this week.
On the health status of the quarterback room…
"It's crazy, I'll be honest with you. Avery (Johnson) is day-to-day. A lot of it that's going to depend on how fast this recovery process goes, and because of that, it's day-to-day. He's working hard at it and doing everything that he can. Some of that is going to be out of his control in this deal. So, just kind of seeing how that progresses, we're monitoring it, obviously, very closely, and our doctors and trainers have done a nice job of protecting him and detailing this thing so we do the right and best thing for him for sure. The rest of the room, obviously, Jacob (Knuth) is still battling. He tweaked his ankle a little bit. So, we'll kind of see how that progresses through the week. I think the other two are making good progress. We'll know a little bit more on Wednesday on one of them, but I think good outlooks on the other two."
On his decision on the 4th and 12 play…
"We talked about all three options in that moment. On the 4th-down situation, it was a sequencing call. We're trying to see, 'Hey, what can we get out of it? What are our options?' The analytics said it was 3rd and 8 or less, it was a go. If it was 3rd and 8 to 12, it was go or field goal. Just with the field position potential of, 'Hey, if you punt it, there is a chance that you're only giving up 10 to 15 yards of field position at that point.' I felt like we needed points to put ourselves in a position to, again, get over the hump in that game. So, we talked about all three. That was kind of how that landed."
On what Luis Rodriguez's field goal line was at Arizona State…
"It was the 35-yard line."
On what needs to happen before Avery Johnson is cleared to play…
"I can't get into that too much without talking about his personal privacy and all that kind of stuff. But, like I said, they're doing a great job and are on top of it and it's just how fast he comes back through this deal."
On what Avery Johnson does during practice while he is injured…
"He's able to take mental reps. He was tremendous on the sideline and coaching those guys and encouraging them kind of through the course of things. He's able to be mobile. He's able to throw it and run around a little bit. So, just trying to get him well."
On who will start at quarterback on Saturday…
"I told Gene (Taylor) this morning. I said, 'This is the second week in a row – and not very many times does this happen in your career – that I don't know exactly who's going to take the first snap on Saturday.' That's where we're at."
On the most frustrating part of the losses this season…
"I think just the consistency factor. It's not any one position. It's not any one guy. It's just a collective mentality to perform to our capabilities consistently together in those critical moments. We're not doing that. You look at each one of those three games, and we're not doing the little things that make the biggest differences. That's what I told the guys today. The things that create consistency, it's not a magic play, it's not a magic scheme. There's no magic wand for that. It is the mental fortitude and the choice that you make of how you approach every single thing that you do every single day. We have to make that choice at a higher percentage, collectively, in those moments to make it go, and that's part of the growth process."
On punter Simon McClannan…
"He's done a great job. He's worked at his craft. He's been very consistent in punting the football. So, I'm not surprised from what we've seen at practice. Every Wednesday and Thursday, he's crushing the ball and putting it right where he wants it. So, I'm not surprised at that at all."
On him coaching through quarterback injury situations in the past…
"So, I think that was 2017. That was a tough year, right? We had a string of injuries there right about the fourth game. After the Vanderbilt and Texas game, it started to happen to Jesse (Ertz). It's a next-man-up mentality. We got to build everything around the situation as best you can. I think 2015 was even a crazier year, to be honest with you. We had a lot of dominoes kind of just fall, very unfortunately. But that's football. It's the game, and it's truly about how we respond and how we deal with it. We got to do a better job."
On Oliver Miller helping out at tight end…
"He's filling a gap, and he's doing a heck of a job for us. But, like I told you, I've got that 73 implanted in my brain. We're not going to touch that now. This is just a temporary filler. He's a great teammate. His football IQ is off the charts. I mean, to be able to get us through what we've gone through. Even in the second quarter, there's two starters that are getting evaluated in that second quarter, and even the ability, what he has done for our offense to be able to work through the situation at tight end that we've worked through, there's not very many true freshmen in the country that going to do that. "
On the athleticism and production of wide receiver Derrick Salley Jr…
"He's getting better every week. At his size, his ball skills, and the way he's attacking the football in the air has improved drastically. He's got a really high ceiling. There's things in his route running, route discipline and timing that he will continue to grow in and make better. So, I'm extremely excited for him and just how hard he's working. His work ethic and him getting to the point that he is now, that's where it's happening for him."
On Dillon Duff playing quarterback…
"Like I said, it was down the stretch, middle of last week before we were making sure it was safe to put him in the game. So, some of that was that piece. This week, I think time is finally coming around with him and both Blake (Barnett), that I think they're both going to be able to get a lot of reps this week. One day at a time."
On he sees from Colorado on film…
"They do a lot of different things schematically on both sides of the football. Both coordinators are very creative and do a lot. They have talent. They've got guys that can run on both sides of the ball. Their D-tackles are extremely twitchy and fire off the football. They're a talented football team."
On throwing the ball more in the two road losses…
"The first one, we were probably five or eight off of our ish target. That came about from three-two minute drills. That definitely impacted that one, for sure. This last one, it was our inability to run the football. There were reasons for it. Credit Arizona State, they did a nice job and there's some things that they did that made it difficult and was good planning on their part, and also our quarterback situation and a slew of other things. But, the bottom line is we had to rely more on the quick passing game, a lot of spacing-type concepts, and a lot more RPO than if we were running it how we would have want to, it probably wouldn't have happened."
On his confidence elect to receive to start the Arizona State game…
"That was our approach all week – Jacob's approach, all of our guys, their approach behind him. We were fired up and ready to get after it and believed that was a good decision. It paid off."
On his instincts to work through analytics against a feel…
"It's a balance, and I've not followed them every time this whole year. You have to build a framework for your gut to work. So, some of that is not like. 'Okay, how do you feel at this moment?' Because there's a lot of things that are in your world at that moment that can fray you that way. As soon as you cross the 40, you're looking at that potential field position flip of only 10 to 15 yards. So, as soon as you get across that 40 – and that's been relatively consistent for us if you look at our fourth-down track record – as soon as you get across the 40, now you're in real decision time. So, time and score, time of the game, first half, second half, all those things weigh. Like I said, it impacted the game. We didn't do it, so it affected us in a negative way, and that's something that I got to own."
On his message to the guys this week…
"The character in our locker room, the teammate, the person, and who these guys are is metal. I love competing with and will go to war with and put that ball down against anybody. That's my mindset and that's their mindset. But, again, my message was very simple. Everybody wants to win the game. Everybody's hurting that we lost the game. Everybody is going to try to point to this play, that play, this call, that call, this player, that player, and all of this stuff, that, yes, those are real, however it's not productive. You can't think like that when you're in the war, when you're in the fight, when you're in this room. Everybody has to do their job and focus on the fundamental things that make their job better and that make it go. You need 11 guys to do that on the exact same play, and you need to do it 70 times a game. That's what then gets the flow, and the momentum. That's what makes it come to life, and any focus on any other thing is absolutely unproductive. That's been the mindset. That's from us as a staff, from me to the staff of how we do our business, from staff to players, from players to player. We've got to focus on getting better. We can nitpick the three losses that we've had and the two we're close, and you can nitpick them to death. At the end of the day, we have to focus on those things that are actually going to get us better, and do it Monday through Thursday, so that we can do it in our sleep when the pressure is on, or you lose a lead, or you're down or whatever happens, collectively together. And that's what we're going to do."
On what happened with special teams penalties…
"We were in that exact same formation twice before. There was no discussion or warning when they threw the flag, which was tough. We're going to get clarification, because, obviously, there's a miscommunication somewhere as far as what exactly the rule is. It has everything to do with who's in an ineligible number, where are they lined up, where do they shift to, and are they on the line or not. It's complicated."
On injury update on Garrett Oakley…
"Garrett practiced today. If everything proceeds as it should, should be good to go."
On if he went to Colorado, Colorado State or Denver Broncos games while growing up in Colorado …
"My first college game was Colorado State. I was not far from Loveland. My dad actually grew up in Boulder. A lot of family all through the Front Range, but he was more of a Colorado State fan."
On going back to Colorado as a head coach…
"It will be great that there will be a lot of family there. The focus is about our team and our guys and doing everything we can to make sure that we make the progress and do the things necessary to win the game."
On running back Joe Jackson running the Wildcat…
"On the first play, obviously he needed a second to collect himself and got dinged a little bit too. That is that world that is real. It was in the second quarter, maybe the third or fourth possession, we were trying to do some of that."
– k-statesports.com –
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.
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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