K-State Previews Tulane Contest at Weekly Press Conference
Sep 14, 2026 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Collin Klein and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday morning's contest against Tulane inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. 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 player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klein's press conference is below.
COLLIN KLEIN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good morning, everybody. After being able to watch the film and digest some things, I think a lot of comments after the game lined up even after being able to see it. I'm proud of the effort, proud of how the guys competed. I thought, defensively, there was really, really good effort there. I thought there were again some key tackles in some tough situations. They got a really, really athletic quarterback on the ground that kept points off the board early. I thought there were two momentum plays – you go back and you look off the turnover, the fourth-down stop, huge, huge momentum plays in the ballgame. The blocked field goal, huge momentum play the ballgame, and then that first three-and-out out of half, I thought those are not only good plays but really, really important timing in the flow of the game. It was a really, really good thing that we got a lot of different guys producing, a lot of different producers up front. Once you dive in, though, you're able to see there's room for improvement and some of the secondary coverage exchanges and opportunities to, again, keep improving and get better, which I thought their mindset coming out of the half was to finish the deal, and they were motivated to do that. So, I thought that mindset coming out of the half was really, really good on defense. Offensively, I thought our mindset coming out of the half was really, really good. We were frustrated with ourselves, angered with ourselves how we left the field in the first half as we were starting to get some traction in the second quarter. I thought that response was really, really good. The story of the game on that side of the ball was being able to stay on the field on third down, which was really, really positive. We were able to wear them down and establish the run game very, very successfully down the stretch. Again, had a lot of different guys do some really, really nice things. Special teams, big, big punt return was big. We won the special teams difference makers 4-2, so that was very, very positive and things to build on there."
On only suiting up two quarterbacks…
"Dillon (Duff) is day-to-day. He's made some really, really good progress. Blake (Barnett) got dinged up during his time in week one during the game. Nothing season related, but he'll probably be a little bit longer. Taking it day to day. Obviously, we have some plans for how we'll take care of everything, but I do think we got two guys that we feel very, very good about and are going to compete and attack and have the same mindset moving forward."
On skill players blocking for each other…
"We call it EMAW 10. It's a club that our guys will be able to get into, and they get rewarded for what they put on tape in a game. So, we look, we highlight, we reward those 10 other guys working for whatever ball carrier – run, pass, however it ends up going – for those guys, and they're buying into that. It's even grown from week one to week two, and I know those habits will take root. You look at even on Rodney (Fields Jr.)'s first run out of the half, you look at what Josh Manning did on that safety, how Rodney set him up, that sprung him. You look at Linkon Cure tracking the play down, trying to get involved. Avery (Johnson) was running down trying to get involved. That type of mindset mentality is so valuable."
On Avery Johnson's performance so far…
"I've been really pleased with Avery. No one is going to be harder on him than me, and no one's going to see how high his ceiling is than us in this building. I think he is really, really growing and doing some really, really nice things. We're not in that game in the position we were at the end of the first half without Avery Johnson and the plays that he made to keep us in that game on third down, getting the ball out of his hands, extending plays with his legs, how he was competing and leading on the sideline, all of those things. It's the life of a quarterback. A couple of plays can really, really put a tainting on a really, really good effort of almost 300 yards of production, 67% completions, and three touchdowns, and great leadership and competitive stamina through all the ups and the downs, which I was incredibly proud of him for. All that being said, I think the exciting part is while that is all really, really true and good things, there are things out there for him. He knows that and we know that. Even some of the things that will increase our efficiency from a passing-game standpoint, his efficiency and productivity individually, from an eye-discipline standpoint, not outsmarting himself. Sometimes he's thinking two and three steps ahead instead of just letting it happen and kind of taking it as it comes to be able to take some easy ones and take what the defense is giving them in a certain coverage and not pressing too much. That will increase his efficiency and get the ball distributed even at a higher clip than it is. What I've been most proud about and excited about is his hunger to learn and get better. From a guy that is going to have a chance to probably break every record this place has ever had and competing and making the plays that he's making, to be able to have that type of hunger and mindset is really exciting for his future and our future."
On what Gabe Powers brings to the defense…
"There's a mentality. His football IQ is elite. His processing speed is elite. His communication is elite. It's not even him making plays and getting himself in a position to make plays, but he gets everybody else and makes a lot of things right around him as well. Then the mentality, I mean, he went up and stuck that thing right at the line of scrimmage, and it didn't get an inch. I couldn't be more proud of him. I didn't know him as well, having him transferred in when I wasn't here. I have really enjoyed and respected how hard he works, how much he cares for our program, and to see that translate on the field is not surprising."
On the offensive line's play against Washington State…
"I was very, very excited for the strides that we're making. I think we settled in and got better as the game went. I thought we made some big strides in pass protection. I thought there were some deep shots that we were able to take, and protection really, really held up well. I thought they did some really nice things. Then, I thought the steadiness of their approach, their mentality, the attack really, really carried through the course of the ball game. Charlie Adams continues to make really, really good strides and play with more confidence. Dylan (Villarouel) same thing. I think his strides have been very good, and Ryan Howard did a very, very nice job game one to game two. It was nice to get Tanner (Morley) out there a little bit more as well and him keep progressing well, but it's like I said after the game, you'll probably get tired of me saying it, but we are truly a work in progress. That's the exciting part, and that's what they're excited about, and I'm proud of them."
On how good Darien Whitaker Jr. can be…
"I told you. I'm excited. Again, Travis Bates, he got in there and got a sack. Elijah Hill got a sack. Darien Whitaker's in there affecting the quarterback. Jordan Allen was affecting the quarterback all day long. Like I tell you, when you're standing back there and you got that type of effect on the flow and the rhythm and the timing of your offense as a passer, it changes things. So, we're very, very fortunate to be able to have a lot of different guys that can do that. I think Darian's ceiling is extremely high. The great part about what he's doing is he is attacking it and getting better, and that's a great thing for him and it's a great thing for our program."
On EMAW 10 and the benefits of the club…
"It's not open to the public, if that's what you're asking. Members only. For the first time that you make it into the club, you get a T-shirt. Third time, you get shorts. Five times, you get a hoodie. Ten times, I think it's dinner on the offensive staff. So, there's layers to. There's a logo for it and everything that we do for the guys. It's a mindset, it's a mentality, and we have collectively a lot of fun with it."
On what he would have done differently in the first half…
"It's always good to have those opportunities, as painful as they are, when it doesn't cost you. Thankfully, that one didn't. When you're not quite across the 50, there's seven seconds left, you have two timeouts. Looking back, we were 20 to 25 yards from the kick line at that moment in time. I didn't think in that moment that we could get there in one play to then kick a field goal. So then I'm thinking, 'Okay, how do we get in range enough to at least take a shot at the end zone with time expiring,' that way you're not holding the ball and that you're hoping is a relatively safe situation. It wasn't. Looking back, I think I probably would have worked the field, try to get about 15 to 18 yards in five or six seconds, I had more time than I felt. We could have legitimately attacked the kick line to have a higher percent chance of points is probably what I would have done."
On kicking the field goal after the first long drive…
"I was trying to get it to 4th and 2 or less. We didn't really get anything on it, and after that, I felt like, 'Hey, let's take the points. It's the first drive of the game, and keep playing ball. It's early. We had points, I feel good about Luis (Rodriguez), and let's keep playing.'"
On going for it on fourth down on the first interception of the game…
"Into the wind, 4th and 8, right in the middle of no man's land. So, we weren't even close to the kick line for where we felt going that direction. Not in the place where we were later in the game that I feel really, really good about our punt and our ability to pin people deep, but risk versus reward at that place of the field, not maybe quite as advantageous, right? So, we're 4th and less than 10. I didn't like the play after I saw it, but I believe in our guys to get it when we do decide to go. So, that was kind of how that progressed."
On what has made Tulane a difficult opponent…
"They're extremely well coached. They have a very sound defensive scheme that has been there now for a little while with two different coaches and done a really, really nice job. I think they tackle well. I think they do things from an alignment and a leverage standpoint that make things difficult. They've had a good quarterback last time we played them. Obviously, a big-time player. They've been able to recruit and attract very, very good talent that can run, and they can run on both sides of the ball. They're going to be physical, and I'm excited."
On his first impressions of Darien Whitaker Jr…
"We met at the airport. I actually wasn't able to go to his house from a timing standpoint. You could tell he just had a really good spirit, bright countenance about him. He had a lot of energy, a lot of positive energy. You could tell, and obviously had seen his tape, so I was able to kind of piece tape with frame and length to kind of project what kind of player that he could be. Then I could also see, when we were with Taylor (Braet) and JP (Jordan Peterson), the relationship and the bond that he had already built here, and that he really cared about Kansas State. He cared about this program. He cared about this place, and that got me really excited, too. He fits in a lot of areas, there's alignment there, and I think that's important for both sides. So, it was a good visit."
On what he admires most about Darien Whitaker Jr…
"Courage. I mean, that's a big step in betting on yourself and getting out of your comfort zone. It's an incredible story, an incredible young man, and the sky's the limit for him."
On how Joe Jackson is taking on a new role this season…
"Well, I don't know what you mean by taking a step back. I think he's absolutely crushing it, and he's a vital, vital main on our team and on our offense. He didn't take the first snap, but that's the only thing. He's been extremely productive in the run game, the pass game. He is running with a ton of violence, and I love every second of it because there's an edge to him and a mentality that even continues to grow, which is absolutely outstanding. The unselfishness of the entire room, and Coach (Cory) Patterson, and Coach (Scott) Ohara, and what they're doing with those guys, making sure they're ready to play. They're all hungry when they get the opportunity to carry the football. They do it with violence and hunger. So he's an integral main, main role for what we're doing."
On how much he is still learning…
"I think it's definitely a kind of a model of what's the framework that we want to work from? I even talked to Coach Kleiman a couple days before because you're trying to weigh kick range, wind, weather, time in game, analytics, possession time, all of those things. I talked to Coach Kleiman, I was like, 'Coach, how did you work through all this forever?' And he's was like, 'I'm just going tell you, you got to trust your gut.' I think that's a big piece of it. There is a framework that we're going to work from, and that I believe in, that I think is going to be very, very advantageous for sustained success and production, but there's going to be moments that we have to go with what we believe is right in that moment with factors that we believe in."
On updates on offensive lineman Oliver Miller and cornerback Donovan McIntosh…
"Very, very positive on both fronts. It is still bit a little gray on when it could materialize for Donovan, but hopefully sooner than later. I know he's chomping at the bit."
On what impresses him the most about Tulane running back Jaylin Lucas…
"You can tell there is athleticism, there are instincts when he carries the football. Those guys, again, have good movement skills, they are competitive and they expect to win."
On Brandon White on punt returns…
"We have great confidence in him or we wouldn't put him back there. I know the one, the wind was swirling really, really good and it kind of carried on him a little bit. He understands that we can't put the ball on the ground, and those are costly plays if heaven forbid we don't recover those, that could be very, very painful. We believe in him to make the play. He's working incredibly hard to keep improving and keep working on that skill, but he's a weapon, and we believe in him."
On if the 2022 Tulane loss is still in the back of his mind…
"No doubt."
COLLIN KLEIN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"Good morning, everybody. After being able to watch the film and digest some things, I think a lot of comments after the game lined up even after being able to see it. I'm proud of the effort, proud of how the guys competed. I thought, defensively, there was really, really good effort there. I thought there were again some key tackles in some tough situations. They got a really, really athletic quarterback on the ground that kept points off the board early. I thought there were two momentum plays – you go back and you look off the turnover, the fourth-down stop, huge, huge momentum plays in the ballgame. The blocked field goal, huge momentum play the ballgame, and then that first three-and-out out of half, I thought those are not only good plays but really, really important timing in the flow of the game. It was a really, really good thing that we got a lot of different guys producing, a lot of different producers up front. Once you dive in, though, you're able to see there's room for improvement and some of the secondary coverage exchanges and opportunities to, again, keep improving and get better, which I thought their mindset coming out of the half was to finish the deal, and they were motivated to do that. So, I thought that mindset coming out of the half was really, really good on defense. Offensively, I thought our mindset coming out of the half was really, really good. We were frustrated with ourselves, angered with ourselves how we left the field in the first half as we were starting to get some traction in the second quarter. I thought that response was really, really good. The story of the game on that side of the ball was being able to stay on the field on third down, which was really, really positive. We were able to wear them down and establish the run game very, very successfully down the stretch. Again, had a lot of different guys do some really, really nice things. Special teams, big, big punt return was big. We won the special teams difference makers 4-2, so that was very, very positive and things to build on there."
On only suiting up two quarterbacks…
"Dillon (Duff) is day-to-day. He's made some really, really good progress. Blake (Barnett) got dinged up during his time in week one during the game. Nothing season related, but he'll probably be a little bit longer. Taking it day to day. Obviously, we have some plans for how we'll take care of everything, but I do think we got two guys that we feel very, very good about and are going to compete and attack and have the same mindset moving forward."
On skill players blocking for each other…
"We call it EMAW 10. It's a club that our guys will be able to get into, and they get rewarded for what they put on tape in a game. So, we look, we highlight, we reward those 10 other guys working for whatever ball carrier – run, pass, however it ends up going – for those guys, and they're buying into that. It's even grown from week one to week two, and I know those habits will take root. You look at even on Rodney (Fields Jr.)'s first run out of the half, you look at what Josh Manning did on that safety, how Rodney set him up, that sprung him. You look at Linkon Cure tracking the play down, trying to get involved. Avery (Johnson) was running down trying to get involved. That type of mindset mentality is so valuable."
On Avery Johnson's performance so far…
"I've been really pleased with Avery. No one is going to be harder on him than me, and no one's going to see how high his ceiling is than us in this building. I think he is really, really growing and doing some really, really nice things. We're not in that game in the position we were at the end of the first half without Avery Johnson and the plays that he made to keep us in that game on third down, getting the ball out of his hands, extending plays with his legs, how he was competing and leading on the sideline, all of those things. It's the life of a quarterback. A couple of plays can really, really put a tainting on a really, really good effort of almost 300 yards of production, 67% completions, and three touchdowns, and great leadership and competitive stamina through all the ups and the downs, which I was incredibly proud of him for. All that being said, I think the exciting part is while that is all really, really true and good things, there are things out there for him. He knows that and we know that. Even some of the things that will increase our efficiency from a passing-game standpoint, his efficiency and productivity individually, from an eye-discipline standpoint, not outsmarting himself. Sometimes he's thinking two and three steps ahead instead of just letting it happen and kind of taking it as it comes to be able to take some easy ones and take what the defense is giving them in a certain coverage and not pressing too much. That will increase his efficiency and get the ball distributed even at a higher clip than it is. What I've been most proud about and excited about is his hunger to learn and get better. From a guy that is going to have a chance to probably break every record this place has ever had and competing and making the plays that he's making, to be able to have that type of hunger and mindset is really exciting for his future and our future."
On what Gabe Powers brings to the defense…
"There's a mentality. His football IQ is elite. His processing speed is elite. His communication is elite. It's not even him making plays and getting himself in a position to make plays, but he gets everybody else and makes a lot of things right around him as well. Then the mentality, I mean, he went up and stuck that thing right at the line of scrimmage, and it didn't get an inch. I couldn't be more proud of him. I didn't know him as well, having him transferred in when I wasn't here. I have really enjoyed and respected how hard he works, how much he cares for our program, and to see that translate on the field is not surprising."
On the offensive line's play against Washington State…
"I was very, very excited for the strides that we're making. I think we settled in and got better as the game went. I thought we made some big strides in pass protection. I thought there were some deep shots that we were able to take, and protection really, really held up well. I thought they did some really nice things. Then, I thought the steadiness of their approach, their mentality, the attack really, really carried through the course of the ball game. Charlie Adams continues to make really, really good strides and play with more confidence. Dylan (Villarouel) same thing. I think his strides have been very good, and Ryan Howard did a very, very nice job game one to game two. It was nice to get Tanner (Morley) out there a little bit more as well and him keep progressing well, but it's like I said after the game, you'll probably get tired of me saying it, but we are truly a work in progress. That's the exciting part, and that's what they're excited about, and I'm proud of them."
On how good Darien Whitaker Jr. can be…
"I told you. I'm excited. Again, Travis Bates, he got in there and got a sack. Elijah Hill got a sack. Darien Whitaker's in there affecting the quarterback. Jordan Allen was affecting the quarterback all day long. Like I tell you, when you're standing back there and you got that type of effect on the flow and the rhythm and the timing of your offense as a passer, it changes things. So, we're very, very fortunate to be able to have a lot of different guys that can do that. I think Darian's ceiling is extremely high. The great part about what he's doing is he is attacking it and getting better, and that's a great thing for him and it's a great thing for our program."
On EMAW 10 and the benefits of the club…
"It's not open to the public, if that's what you're asking. Members only. For the first time that you make it into the club, you get a T-shirt. Third time, you get shorts. Five times, you get a hoodie. Ten times, I think it's dinner on the offensive staff. So, there's layers to. There's a logo for it and everything that we do for the guys. It's a mindset, it's a mentality, and we have collectively a lot of fun with it."
On what he would have done differently in the first half…
"It's always good to have those opportunities, as painful as they are, when it doesn't cost you. Thankfully, that one didn't. When you're not quite across the 50, there's seven seconds left, you have two timeouts. Looking back, we were 20 to 25 yards from the kick line at that moment in time. I didn't think in that moment that we could get there in one play to then kick a field goal. So then I'm thinking, 'Okay, how do we get in range enough to at least take a shot at the end zone with time expiring,' that way you're not holding the ball and that you're hoping is a relatively safe situation. It wasn't. Looking back, I think I probably would have worked the field, try to get about 15 to 18 yards in five or six seconds, I had more time than I felt. We could have legitimately attacked the kick line to have a higher percent chance of points is probably what I would have done."
On kicking the field goal after the first long drive…
"I was trying to get it to 4th and 2 or less. We didn't really get anything on it, and after that, I felt like, 'Hey, let's take the points. It's the first drive of the game, and keep playing ball. It's early. We had points, I feel good about Luis (Rodriguez), and let's keep playing.'"
On going for it on fourth down on the first interception of the game…
"Into the wind, 4th and 8, right in the middle of no man's land. So, we weren't even close to the kick line for where we felt going that direction. Not in the place where we were later in the game that I feel really, really good about our punt and our ability to pin people deep, but risk versus reward at that place of the field, not maybe quite as advantageous, right? So, we're 4th and less than 10. I didn't like the play after I saw it, but I believe in our guys to get it when we do decide to go. So, that was kind of how that progressed."
On what has made Tulane a difficult opponent…
"They're extremely well coached. They have a very sound defensive scheme that has been there now for a little while with two different coaches and done a really, really nice job. I think they tackle well. I think they do things from an alignment and a leverage standpoint that make things difficult. They've had a good quarterback last time we played them. Obviously, a big-time player. They've been able to recruit and attract very, very good talent that can run, and they can run on both sides of the ball. They're going to be physical, and I'm excited."
On his first impressions of Darien Whitaker Jr…
"We met at the airport. I actually wasn't able to go to his house from a timing standpoint. You could tell he just had a really good spirit, bright countenance about him. He had a lot of energy, a lot of positive energy. You could tell, and obviously had seen his tape, so I was able to kind of piece tape with frame and length to kind of project what kind of player that he could be. Then I could also see, when we were with Taylor (Braet) and JP (Jordan Peterson), the relationship and the bond that he had already built here, and that he really cared about Kansas State. He cared about this program. He cared about this place, and that got me really excited, too. He fits in a lot of areas, there's alignment there, and I think that's important for both sides. So, it was a good visit."
On what he admires most about Darien Whitaker Jr…
"Courage. I mean, that's a big step in betting on yourself and getting out of your comfort zone. It's an incredible story, an incredible young man, and the sky's the limit for him."
On how Joe Jackson is taking on a new role this season…
"Well, I don't know what you mean by taking a step back. I think he's absolutely crushing it, and he's a vital, vital main on our team and on our offense. He didn't take the first snap, but that's the only thing. He's been extremely productive in the run game, the pass game. He is running with a ton of violence, and I love every second of it because there's an edge to him and a mentality that even continues to grow, which is absolutely outstanding. The unselfishness of the entire room, and Coach (Cory) Patterson, and Coach (Scott) Ohara, and what they're doing with those guys, making sure they're ready to play. They're all hungry when they get the opportunity to carry the football. They do it with violence and hunger. So he's an integral main, main role for what we're doing."
On how much he is still learning…
"I think it's definitely a kind of a model of what's the framework that we want to work from? I even talked to Coach Kleiman a couple days before because you're trying to weigh kick range, wind, weather, time in game, analytics, possession time, all of those things. I talked to Coach Kleiman, I was like, 'Coach, how did you work through all this forever?' And he's was like, 'I'm just going tell you, you got to trust your gut.' I think that's a big piece of it. There is a framework that we're going to work from, and that I believe in, that I think is going to be very, very advantageous for sustained success and production, but there's going to be moments that we have to go with what we believe is right in that moment with factors that we believe in."
On updates on offensive lineman Oliver Miller and cornerback Donovan McIntosh…
"Very, very positive on both fronts. It is still bit a little gray on when it could materialize for Donovan, but hopefully sooner than later. I know he's chomping at the bit."
On what impresses him the most about Tulane running back Jaylin Lucas…
"You can tell there is athleticism, there are instincts when he carries the football. Those guys, again, have good movement skills, they are competitive and they expect to win."
On Brandon White on punt returns…
"We have great confidence in him or we wouldn't put him back there. I know the one, the wind was swirling really, really good and it kind of carried on him a little bit. He understands that we can't put the ball on the ground, and those are costly plays if heaven forbid we don't recover those, that could be very, very painful. We believe in him to make the play. He's working incredibly hard to keep improving and keep working on that skill, but he's a weapon, and we believe in him."
On if the 2022 Tulane loss is still in the back of his mind…
"No doubt."
– 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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