MANHATTAN, Kan. ā 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 morningās contest against Washington State inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Kleinās press conference ā which was streamed live on ESPN+ ā are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Kleinās press conference is below.
COLLIN KLEIN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statementā¦
āHappy Labor Day, everybody. after being able to go through the film, I was very, very pleased with the effort from the ballgame. Iām proud of how they competed from start to finish in all three phases. A lot of little things that can still get cleaned up from an eye-discipline standpoint in the secondary on defense. Offensively, I thought our targeting was pretty good. I thought our third-down protection plan was good. We made a couple mistakes as a staff, putting ourselves in not the best situation, but our guys did a great job of battling and giving us a chance to get the ball off. As far as the plan to win, the turnover margin, we didn't hit our goals from putting the ball on the ground and not creating two. Special teams, we won the difference makers 9-2 and had over 100 yards in hidden yardage. Situational football was 100% on both sides ā third down, red zone, etc. Then, we won the fourth quarter, 14-0. So, a really, really good place to start. I think the little things didn't catch us when we made those mistakes. We have to get them shored up. We have a big week ahead of us. Watching Washington State yesterday, I thought they played incredibly hard. I think they're extremely physical. That was a physical ballgame from start to finish, both sides of the ball. I think their two defensive ends are very, very good. I think their quarterback is dangerous and makes plays and is incredibly tough. We have to have a good prep this week to have a good week.ā
On the first practice of the week on Monday morningā¦
āIt was good. I thought our guys had a very business mindset, business mentality, and came in, got their bodies moving. Theyāre in the weight room right now, and the musicās cranked up. So, they're fired up.ā
On the play of the offensive line in week oneā¦
āThe first group had no MAās (missed assignments), which was really, really good. I think there was a clean understanding of what we were trying to get accomplished. It wasn't perfect, but we were trying to do the right thing. So, I thought that was really, really good from that group. I thought there were a couple missed fundamental fits early in that first possession, but I think they really settled after that first surge. I thought they played well.ā
On what the defense did well and not wellā¦
āI think you could tell really sucking the air out of some of those fits in the run game. I thought we tackled well. I thought when they had some space at the second and third level, I think Koy Beasley had a couple of big-time tackles and fits that if he doesn't make, it turns into a bigger play. I thought those were really, really good things. I thought the intensity up front, they didn't give us a chance to rush the passer very much. The average time a ball out of his hand was 2.2 seconds, and the two times it was over that, one of them was a strip sack. So, that was intentional on their part, but I think the defensive line, Wendell Gregory played a really good game, even though he didn't have a sack-flash play, he played a really, really good game. Jordan Allen, same thing. So, I think that was really good to see.ā
On when he turns the page to the next weekā¦
āIt has to happen just that night. You get to enjoy it right afterwards, and then Sunday you have to restart the cycle, and it's 0-0 again.ā
On what his ideal non-conference schedule would beā¦
āIt's been a little bit of a moving target at times as far as strength of schedule and gross wins. Whoever we play, it doesn't matter to me. Our guys will be ready to play, and we'll put the ball down.ā
On how it went calling plays from the sideline for the first timeā¦
āI think it went pretty according to plan. There were a couple times calling plays, whether it was communicating about penalties, communicating with the officials with some clock stuff, that took a second to kind of get used to. One time they messed up the play clock and set it to 25 and ran it under the time, and then trying to keep the engine moving with the play calling while doing some of the organization stuff. I think just getting used to that was good to kind of experience and get used to. Credit our staff ā and I probably should have said this, too, right off the bat ā I thought our staff did a great job of detailing out our processes together for ourselves. I thought they did a really, really good job communicating it to our players so that they knew what they were trying to accomplish when they got out there. So, more according to plan than not, probably just getting used to new things.ā
On if he processes the mistakes of a game first immediately after a gameā¦
āNo, absolutely. I try to be as fact based as possible in those moments. It's easy to let emotion flower things up when they're good and overcloud things when they're not. Trying to walk the middle of, āHey, these are the facts. This is what actually happened. I'm going to shoot it to you straight.ā There's good and bad, always, with that. As long as that's our focus, I think that creates a consistent process and approach.ā
On his assessment of Avery Johnson after watching filmā¦
āLike I said after the game, I think it lined up with what I felt in the moment and what I felt talking to him on the sideline. He was seeing everything, was 100% with our protection checks on third down, and did a really, really good job managing that part of the game. I thought his leadership and presence and consistency with the guys around him was really, really good through the entire course of the game. I thought there was a level of decisiveness and competitive edge that was really great just to see him cut it loose and compete.ā
On Washington Stateās defensive success against the run against Washingtonā¦
āI think it's a really, really good front at the first and the second level. They do a handful of things and have a deep package from how they fit things and different things they will do up front with twists and games. Then you saw how hard they played. I mean, there was four or five-plus red hats around the football darn near every time. So, going to be a challenge for us.ā
On what he told his 50-60 family members that were attendance after the winā¦
āI just told them thank you. I just told them thank you for coming and supporting Shalin and I and our team and all that they've done for us and our family our whole life. So, just thank you.ā
On stepping back and reflecting on his first game as head coachā¦
āYeah, a little bit, but again, part of the process of it for us was planning out, visualizing exactly how everything was going to go and being very detailed through that. It was it was fun, and we enjoyed playing, coming together.ā
On if he remembers Ryan Howard stepping into the building for the first time in 2019ā¦
āAbsolutely. He's grown a lot since then. He was absolutely tremendous and just an unbelievable young man, and you could tell that even at that point. He has an incredible family, and Iām just so proud that he's able to step up and contribute and help lead our football team.ā
On the performance of Ryan Howardā¦
āIām not surprised at all. I had really, really good confidence in what he was going to do and his ability to play. His effort level is absolutely tremendous. His preparation is good, and good things happen when those two things are in place.ā
On what heās learned about Ryan Howardās growth as a playerā¦
āI donāt think Iāve learned anything new. It's been fun watching his growth progression, and that consistency of work through the growth and his body changing. Going from a young kid to his size and length in high school, and then now even the last couple years, being able to work as hard as he has from a movement skill standpoint, a footwork standpoint, and be able to develop himself into a really fine player.ā
On his assessment of second- and third-string players Saturdayā¦
āI think there was a lot of bright spots through all of it. The biggest overarching theme was just how much they enjoyed competing and getting their opportunity and how they attacked it. When you look at Monterrio (Elston Jr.) and how hard he ran the football. You look at Ashton Moore having two big tackles there down the stretch, and you could really go on. But just seeing those guys with all the work that they've put in, a lot of them younger, those first-game snaps are important, and you remember those forever. So, being able to get those guys some really, really good time and reps was really good, and I appreciate how they competed and finished the ball game.ā
On reflecting on the experience of his first game as head coachā¦
āItās probably tough to answer just because, again, what has helped build that mentality in myself and our team and our program is truly the next thing right in front of you. That's the mentality, that's the mindset, and Iām just so proud of our players for getting off to a good start, but we got to put our head down. Just like I told them this morning, it's 0-0 today, and we got to go.ā
On the injury status of linebacker Mekhi Masonā¦
āI don't think it's going to be as bad as what was maybe initially thought. So, very, very positive on that front.ā
On integrating Tanner Morley into the offensive line coming back from injuryā¦
āIt will be a progression. I think the good piece is the last two and a half weeks for him, there's been some really consistent good strides with no setbacks, and I think we just got to keep that moving forward that way. What that means from a rep standpoint, we'll kind of take it as it goes. I was very, very pleased with Charlie Adams and what he did and how his progression has been since he's gotten here and the swag he had before the game and excitement. So, I don't know exactly how the reps are going to work out. I think having another healthy O-lineman is a really good thing for us right now. So, we're excited about that.ā
On if the full-padded spring practices paid off in week oneā¦
āI know it did. There's a lot of little things that we do need to tighten up that are very, very normal for a first-game type situation. But, credit to our guys because of how hard we've gone and for how long we've gone, there were less of those first-game moments out there for a lot of new guys on the roster, an entirely new staff and all of those things. Credit to them for how their work is paying off.ā
On the team watching the light show at the end of the third quarterā¦
āI was looking down at my card, so I didn't really notice because I was trying to finish the game. I thought it was great and I hope they did enjoy it. I think we had a holding penalty the first snap right after that, so maybe we enjoyed it a little bit too much. But, I thought they were fine and focused the whole game.ā
On he felt with Coach Kleiman opening the doorsā¦
āIt was special. Thereās so much I could say, and it's hard, and I've tried to say it as best I can in as many different ways. But, I just think there's so much that I owe him from a development standpoint and from a relationship standpoint. What he did for me on and off the field during our time together, I just can't thank him enough. Howe everything has worked out ā and Iāve said it the whole time ā is very not normal in this crazy world and profession.ā
On how he thinks Coach Kleiman should be rememberedā¦
āWell, two things. I think first, and what would be most important to him, is he was the same person of high character and integrity every single day, no matter what. That's what he would care about the most. The second is champion. He won this league and carried on a standard of excellence, like you said, no one else thought could. Heās incredible.ā
On how many hours of sleep he calls a good night of sleepā¦
āProbably five and a half or six would be alright. No Taco Bell though. Iām not there yet.ā
On how much you talk football with his father-in-law, K-State Ring of Honor linebacker Gary Spaniā¦
āNot a ton just because the schedules are so busy, and that's not the most important thing when we're together. It's kids, family, life, faith, all the above. As you know, there's a lot of great topics we talk about before it gets to some of the football stuff. He's been around it, obviously, his whole life, played it at the highest level, and has very, very accurate assessments and perceptions in a very short order. So, I appreciate hearing them when we get a chance to get there.ā
On if heās capable of doing the amount of pushups that Willie Wildcat had to do during the Nicholls gameā¦
āI think it was 394. Willie had a little too much fun this summer it sounded like. That would kill me. If I had to do that in three hours, that would put me under.ā
On his take on the overall performance of the special teamsā¦
āYou look at the attention to detail on all 11 guys on all the units. They knew what they were trying to accomplish. They knew what they were trying to do. Did we do it perfectly at every one? No. There's plenty of opportunity for growth, but the level of strain, the level of focus, and intentionality in those units was tremendous. Being able to, obviously, get the punt return and put points on the board, you pin a ball inside the 10 for field position, and then there's a lot of hidden yards, and you make their punter nervous because there were a couple that were close. So, that was a good thing as well.ā
On his routine when defense was on the fieldā¦
āI tried to blast through the film from the last series. So, I get the iPad, I switch over to the defensive side, so I'm hearing everything that's going on and what's happening and what they're talking about. Blasting through the film offensively to see if there was anything that I had a question about or didn't know what front it was or didn't know what happened away from whatever I was looking at. Just to get it in my head. Once I get that done, I went over if there was something to visit with Avery (Johnson) about or visit with running back about or tight ends or whatever. Then get that done, and then be involved with some of the process and follow the game management and what JP (Jordan Peterson) was doing on the other side just to stay on top of what was going on over there. Then flip back to the offense once the transition either happened or special teams went on. I got with Coach (Mike) Schmidt and Coach (Sean) Gleeson to talk about a couple of thoughts of where I was going and where I was headed next, what I was thinking, and then any feedback that way will take us where we need to go.ā
On what he saw from Brandon White that made him think he should be a returnerā¦
āYou could tell really, really good short-area quickness. He caught the ball, for the most part, well through training camp. We rotated a lot of different guys back there, and (he) had a natural feel for it. I think our guys get really excited because of how Coach (Stanton) Weber sells it, and the history of this place, and how important we make it that they're excited to get a shot and take it.ā
On Washington State quarterback Caden Pinnickā¦
āI think he's incredibly tough. That was a physical game yesterday afternoon just watching it on TV. He stood in there at times and made some big-time plays throwing the ball, getting hit under duress, and how he put the offense on his back and a couple of those drives to put the game in contest there early in the second half. I think he's a really, really good football player, and we have to have a good plan for him.ā
On if they prepare for injured Washington State wide receiver Tony Freemanā¦
āWe have to prepare for him. He's that good of a player. He can really, really run and is very dynamic. So, I hope he's okay for his sake and his season. So, we'll have to be ready for him.ā
On what he sees from Washington Stateās offenseā¦
āYou can definitely see he (Kirby Moore) has his fingerprints on it for sure. Theyāre building from the structure and things that heās done and done very, very well and won a lot of games with. So, thereās history there.ā
On the distribution between the three running backs on Saturdayā¦
āI wanted all three to be able to get in a rhythm, to be able to get some snaps and carries under their belt. Did not really have it planned out to get, āHey, this many carries here, this many carries there,ā because I want them attacking. I want us to call plays with an attacking mindset. However it works out for the team, great. They all took their opportunities well and did some good things, and then there's some learning opportunities as well. So, it was a good effort by all three.ā
On how Blake Barnett and Jacob Knuth handled the offenseā¦
āI was proud of both of them. I thought Blake, even from where heās come from a pocket presence standpoint over the course of camp, and a couple of those third-down throws of staying calm, staying poised, having a good base in the pocket, letting the scheme develop, and finding a receiver and keeping us on the field was really, really good to see in game for his growth and development. I was proud of Jacob of how he managed things down the stretch late in the game. We were trying to take the air out of it a little bit and thought he ran really, really hard and managed things and with those young guys in there really well.ā
On what happened after Jay Harrisā fumbleā¦