ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q: What did you see from Spencer Shrader that made you want to sign him?

TOUB: “Every year we rate all the kickers coming out. A lot like (Harrison) Butker, he (Spencer Shrader) was our number one guy coming out, we had him number one on our list. He was a guy obviously we targeted, we looked at and we liked him early and then he was on the practice squad, so we took a shot and got him. We’re happy we got him. He’s got a strong leg. We haven’t seen a lot of him but in practice, he’s looked really good.”

Q: On kickers seeming to have more powerful legs nowadays.

TOUB: “I mean the guys are so much – we’ve had this conversation before. I mean the guys are – they’re powerful. The leg strength is really off the charts so it’s not unusual – I mean the guys have to be able to kick a 50-yarder now to be considered an NFL kicker. Then, it comes down to accuracy after that, obviously consistently with the pressure and weather and wind. All those things come into play.”

Q: Do you agree that every yard matters?

TOUB: “Very much so. The last two games – I mean for us, winning field position, that’s the number one thing that we try to do. The last two games, we haven’t won the field position battle. That’s something that you know obviously we’re striving to get on the right track.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, a little uncharted waters for this year, (we’re) a little disappointed in last week. Listen, we’ve put it all to bed and flushed it away and now onto another good football team. They don’t get any easier and I know what their (the Carolina Panthers) record says, but (the) quarterback’s (Panthers QB Bryce Young) playing really good and (the) running back’s (Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard) a good player. I think these young guys on the outside are getting a lot of confidence so that’s what we’re getting prepared for. With that, I’ll open it up (to questions).”

Q:&nbsp;Are you satisfied with what you’re getting from your pass rush?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Look, the numbers say that you wouldn’t be. Now, I don’t measure everything on sacks, you know that. That particular quarterback (Bills QB Josh Allen) and a bunch of these quarterbacks we’ve played, we’ve had to play a certain way and sometimes you’re not getting four and five guys turned loose. I think you guys (the media) know what I’m saying, and it makes it hard. This guy makes one guy miss and we’re off point (and) he can – like he did on that fourth down play. We’re hoping to crank it up and get the so-called numbers where we want them or at least get the hits, the pressures, getting the quarterback off his spot, those are the things that we need to get better at.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from the recent success of the Carolina Panthers?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Listen, they’re playing confident. Listen, they can be a scary bunch when you have a bunch of young guys that have a lot of confidence – they’re coming off a bye week, I’m sure (Head Coach) Andy’s (Reid) talked about all of that. We’re in tune to it, our eyes are open, (and) nobody’s overlooking this particular unit that we’re going against. All we handle is the defense, right? I think this quarterback (Panthers QB Bryce Young) feels really good about what he’s doing. I think they’re doing really good things with him. If we don’t go out there and play our best football, that won’t be good. Any team in this league can make you look bad.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you get your defense to ramp up during November and December football to prepare for a playoff push?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Well, one of the things (that) we try to do is simplify at times. I think sometimes when you simplify, you play faster. There’s been a little bit of that direction this week. We’re always going to be multiple because we believe in putting pressure on the team that we’re playing, but if everybody can just be on point and just stay in their lane, do their job – we talk about that all the time. When we play our best is when the unit chemistry is like that (meshed hands together), not anybody trying to do their own thing. We haven’t had a lot of that this year so if we can get back to that and not make those mental errors, I think we’ll be okay.”

NAGY:&nbsp;“He (Noah Gray) really has. He’s been somebody that – since I’ve got here, I’ve really taken on to what he’s done as far as the details, his practice habits, his in-game adjustments (and) his making plays when given a chance. You see what he did last week in Buffalo, he made some nice plays. He’s Mr. Consistent, I think it’s very valuable and he’s probably one of the more underrated and underappreciated guys – from outside of this building – when you look at what he does.”

Q: How do you see your running back rotation working with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt when Isiah Pacheco returns?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s a good problem – I don’t see it as a problem, I used that word, but for him (Isiah Pacheco) to be able to get back into the mix – I always start off with, number one, who he is a football player. What he does for our offense is great stuff. I mean, he’s growing as a young kid (and) as a young football player in this offense but then you also take his personality, his demeanor, his fire, his energy (and) you throw that into the mix with Kareem (Hunt) and the other guys, it does nothing but help you. Whenever that is, whether it’s this week or next week, you know, he just brings positivity and I’m just happy for him to be able to get back.”

Q: How do you approach building on the final touchdown drive for this week and the rest of the season?

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ: What did you see from Spencer Shrader that made you want to sign him?TOUB: “Every year we rate all the kickers coming out. A lot like (Harrison) Butker, he (Spencer Shrader) was our number one guy coming out, we had him number one on our list. He was a guy obviously we targeted, we looked at and we liked him early and then he was on the practice squad, so we took a shot and got him. We’re happy we got him. He’s got a strong leg. We haven’t seen a lot of him but in practice, he’s looked really good.”Q: On kickers seeming to have more powerful legs nowadays.TOUB: “I mean the guys are so much – we’ve had this conversation before. I mean the guys are – they’re powerful. The leg strength is really off the charts so it’s not unusual – I mean the guys have to be able to kick a 50-yarder now to be considered an NFL kicker. Then, it comes down to accuracy after that, obviously consistently with the pressure and weather and wind. All those things come into play.”Q: Do you agree that every yard matters?TOUB: “Very much so. The last two games – I mean for us, winning field position, that’s the number one thing that we try to do. The last two games, we haven’t won the field position battle. That’s something that you know obviously we’re striving to get on the right track.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, a little uncharted waters for this year, (we’re) a little disappointed in last week. Listen, we’ve put it all to bed and flushed it away and now onto another good football team. They don’t get any easier and I know what their (the Carolina Panthers) record says, but (the) quarterback’s (Panthers QB Bryce Young) playing really good and (the) running back’s (Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard) a good player. I think these young guys on the outside are getting a lot of confidence so that’s what we’re getting prepared for. With that, I’ll open it up (to questions).”Q:&nbsp;Are you satisfied with what you’re getting from your pass rush?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Look, the numbers say that you wouldn’t be. Now, I don’t measure everything on sacks, you know that. That particular quarterback (Bills QB Josh Allen) and a bunch of these quarterbacks we’ve played, we’ve had to play a certain way and sometimes you’re not getting four and five guys turned loose. I think you guys (the media) know what I’m saying, and it makes it hard. This guy makes one guy miss and we’re off point (and) he can – like he did on that fourth down play. We’re hoping to crank it up and get the so-called numbers where we want them or at least get the hits, the pressures, getting the quarterback off his spot, those are the things that we need to get better at.”Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from the recent success of the Carolina Panthers?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Listen, they’re playing confident. Listen, they can be a scary bunch when you have a bunch of young guys that have a lot of confidence – they’re coming off a bye week, I’m sure (Head Coach) Andy’s (Reid) talked about all of that. We’re in tune to it, our eyes are open, (and) nobody’s overlooking this particular unit that we’re going against. All we handle is the defense, right? I think this quarterback (Panthers QB Bryce Young) feels really good about what he’s doing. I think they’re doing really good things with him. If we don’t go out there and play our best football, that won’t be good. Any team in this league can make you look bad.”Q:&nbsp;How do you get your defense to ramp up during November and December football to prepare for a playoff push?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Well, one of the things (that) we try to do is simplify at times. I think sometimes when you simplify, you play faster. There’s been a little bit of that direction this week. We’re always going to be multiple because we believe in putting pressure on the team that we’re playing, but if everybody can just be on point and just stay in their lane, do their job – we talk about that all the time. When we play our best is when the unit chemistry is like that (meshed hands together), not anybody trying to do their own thing. We haven’t had a lot of that this year so if we can get back to that and not make those mental errors, I think we’ll be okay.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ: On the evolution of Noah Gray.NAGY:&nbsp;“He (Noah Gray) really has. He’s been somebody that – since I’ve got here, I’ve really taken on to what he’s done as far as the details, his practice habits, his in-game adjustments (and) his making plays when given a chance. You see what he did last week in Buffalo, he made some nice plays. He’s Mr. Consistent, I think it’s very valuable and he’s probably one of the more underrated and underappreciated guys – from outside of this building – when you look at what he does.”Q: How do you see your running back rotation working with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt when Isiah Pacheco returns?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s a good problem – I don’t see it as a problem, I used that word, but for him (Isiah Pacheco) to be able to get back into the mix – I always start off with, number one, who he is a football player. What he does for our offense is great stuff. I mean, he’s growing as a young kid (and) as a young football player in this offense but then you also take his personality, his demeanor, his fire, his energy (and) you throw that into the mix with Kareem (Hunt) and the other guys, it does nothing but help you. Whenever that is, whether it’s this week or next week, you know, he just brings positivity and I’m just happy for him to be able to get back.”Q: How do you approach building on the final touchdown drive for this week and the rest of the season?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-21-24

With heavy hearts and deep love, we remember Sheila Lorraine Heart, who passed peacefully on November 3rd, joining her beloved husband of 40 years, Cecil Heart, and her sons Carl, Cecil Jr. (Buddy), and Rodney in the embrace of heaven. 

Sheila was born on March 8th, 1940, in Flint, Michigan, one of eight siblings. Her life was a testament to faith, love, and unwavering compassion. For 40 years, Sheila shared a beautiful life with Cecil until his passing in 2004. In the years that followed, she filled her days with the things that brought her joy: her faith, her family, her cherished church, and the friends who became family. Known for her devotion to the Bible, she found comfort and wisdom in its words, which she loved to listen to. 

Sheila’s home was always filled with the warmth of family dinners, the beauty of spring flowers she adored, and the laughter of little children she cared for as a devoted babysitter, foster mom, and grandmother to many. Sheila was a loving mother to six children and delighted in being surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She held Bible studies in her home, where her love for her faith and community shone brightly. Her generous heart extended beyond her family; she welcomed countless children into her life, becoming a second mother or grandmother to those who needed one. 

Sheila is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Sandra &amp; Mike Hollenback of Gillette, WY and Lisa &amp; Duane McGowen of Junction City, KS, her son Thomas Heart of Gillette, WY, 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and numerous others who lovingly called her “Mom” or “Grandma.” She was deeply loved, and her legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew her. 

Her kindness, warmth, and unshakable faith will be cherished always. Sheila is now at peace, forever with Jesus, surrounded by the family she so dearly missed. C

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732220510393.jpeg" alt="Sheila Lorraine Heart" />
 <figcaption>Sheila Lorraine Heart</figcaption>
 </figure>With heavy hearts and deep love, we remember Sheila Lorraine Heart, who passed peacefully on November 3rd, joining her beloved husband of 40 years, Cecil Heart, and her sons Carl, Cecil Jr. (Buddy), and Rodney in the embrace of heaven. Sheila was born on March 8th, 1940, in Flint, Michigan, one of eight siblings. Her life was a testament to faith, love, and unwavering compassion. For 40 years, Sheila shared a beautiful life with Cecil until his passing in 2004. In the years that followed, she filled her days with the things that brought her joy: her faith, her family, her cherished church, and the friends who became family. Known for her devotion to the Bible, she found comfort and wisdom in its words, which she loved to listen to. Sheila’s home was always filled with the warmth of family dinners, the beauty of spring flowers she adored, and the laughter of little children she cared for as a devoted babysitter, foster mom, and grandmother to many. Sheila was a loving mother to six children and delighted in being surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She held Bible studies in her home, where her love for her faith and community shone brightly. Her generous heart extended beyond her family; she welcomed countless children into her life, becoming a second mother or grandmother to those who needed one. Sheila is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Sandra &amp; Mike Hollenback of Gillette, WY and Lisa &amp; Duane McGowen of Junction City, KS, her son Thomas Heart of Gillette, WY, 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and numerous others who lovingly called her “Mom” or “Grandma.” She was deeply loved, and her legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew her. Her kindness, warmth, and unshakable faith will be cherished always. Sheila is now at peace, forever with Jesus, surrounded by the family she so dearly missed. C

Sheila Lorraine Heart

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, everybody will go today for practice, as far as the injuries go. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Panthers. They’re playing real good football right now and (they’re) well coached and they have good players. They’re playing – like I said, they’re coming off two good wins there. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”

Q: How much do you foresee Isiah Pacheco playing on Sunday if he plays?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll see on both those two – Charles (Omenihu) and him (Isiah Pacheco). (We’ll) kind of go through the practice and see where we’re at this week and we’ll go from there. We’ll just have to see. (It’s) a day-by-day type (of) thing.”

Q: Do you sense it’s easier to reach the guys about the details or urgency after a loss?

REID:&nbsp;“I think – listen, I think the guys have been receptive all the way through so I wouldn’t say that. We’ve got a couple (of) things (that) we obviously have to fix so (we’ll) keep working on those.”

Q: What’s the potential for Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco in the same backfield?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll (laughs) – we’ll find a way. Both of them (Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt) are good players so we’ll find a way to get both of them in (the game) - if and when that takes place - but that’s a good problem to have.”

Q: How’s Isiah Pacheco been? Have you had to keep him back for his own good?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he’s (Isiah Pacheco) a sparkplug now, emotionally. He’s something that – he’s worked his tail off to get to the point that he’s at now, so we’ve got to keep an eye on him that way. He would have played three weeks ago if he had his choice (laughs). That’s sometimes how it goes. I appreciate that though, that mentality. That’s what’s helped him, like I said, get to this point.”

Q: How did Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco look in practice last week?

REID:&nbsp;“Both of them (Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu) took all of the scout team reps so they did a nice job and I thought (they) got some productive work.”

Q: Anything stand out to you defensively about the Panthers?

REID:&nbsp;“So offensively, they obviously have a good running back (Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard) and a good quarterback (Panthers QB Bryce Young), he’s playing good football right now – (a) wide receiver, 17 (Panthers WR Xavier Legette) is a heck of a player and they have a very good offensive line. So, they’re moving the football the last couple of games very well. Defensively, it starts with their front. They’ve got a good defensive front. Their linebackers fly around, we know one of them from Denver – (Panthers LB Josey) Jewell. He knows that defense and he’s the one that’s kind of hitting things up there from that standpoint. Then, their secondary, they have two good corners and two good safeties. They just got 20 (Panthers S Jordan Fuller) back so he’s – they have a lot of trust in him and he’s a good football player.”

Q: On the inconsistency with the deep balls from Patrick Mahomes to Xavier Worthy.

REID:&nbsp;“There are things that – little things – here and there. It could be him (Patrick Mahomes), it could be not being able to see it, just worries the way the defense is playing it, whether it’s a possible pressure situation there. It’s been a variety of things. It will happen, it’ll click here. He sure had a nice game though. He was positive in that last game.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp; What lesson did the young guys learn on Sunday and after watching film on the game?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, the guys – listen our attitude is great. Those guys have been – they want to get better. They want to learn. It’s always been that way since they’ve been here. That game (against a) good football team – gives you that experience. You take it and you learn from it, and you move on. I mean, I’m not going to go – I can’t go through everything there but as far as that but they’re receptive to it. The best part is they’ll go try it so that’s a – that’s the important part.”

Q: The Bills were successful playing you in man coverage. Does that play into your game planning this week or will you more so look at what the Panthers have been doing?

REID:&nbsp;“Probably a combination. We’re trying to focus in on them (Panthers), that’s where it’s happening and then they’re improving as they go along. They’re coming off a bye week so you know they’re going to be fresh and ready to go and so we try to hone in – they’ve got good coordinators there. The schemes are sound and you have to make sure you spend the time exhausting yourself on that and then the techniques and fundamentals of their players so you get – you’re right there.”

Q:&nbsp; On Hollywood Brown’s status.

REID:&nbsp;“Making very good progress. I can’t tell you a time when he’ll (Hollywood Brown) be back but he’s another one that’s excited to get back out here and get going. I appreciate the way he’s approached this whole thing.”

Q:&nbsp; Do you know anything about Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales?

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t really know him (Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales), but I know where he’s come from. I’ve had a chance to meet him and talk to him and that at the owner meetings – sharp guy. I think he’s doing a heck of a job down there. It looks like the guys believe in what he’s saying. They’re playing hard.”

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Quotes

Q:&nbsp;What did you see that you guys need to improve upon going forward?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There’s just – I think, a couple plays here and there kind of changed the momentum of the game. If you look at the throw to Xavier (Worthy) down the sideline, or even the throw in the second – in the third quarter on second down where I hit Trav (Travis Kelce), I could’ve probably hit Noah (Gray) if I just wait on the progression. (It’s) just little plays like that are what make the difference in a big game and so (it’s) just stuff that you have to go back, look at, learn from and try to get better at.”

Q:&nbsp;On if the mindset changes after a loss.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just having – like you said, a sense of urgency from the beginning of the games. I feel like offensively we can be better in the way we start and the way we play throughout the entire game because you can tell whenever a lot of times in the fourth quarter when we need to score, we go right down the field and score. If we can play the entire football game like that, it won’t put us in these situations where (we’re) in one-score games at the very end.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you think it’s easier to get everyone’s attention where there’s a consequence like a loss?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, we have a lot of veterans, so they know what we need to do, but obviously a loss kind of heightens everybody’s attention to detail. I think that’d be the biggest thing, but at the same time, we know it’s a long season. You lose a football game here and there, but you try to learn from that and try to be better the next week.”

Q:&nbsp;What is it about Noah Gray that allows him to have one of the highest catch percentages in the league?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“He (Noah Gray) does everything the right way. He’s learned a ton from Trav (Travis Kelce) and so he knows how to kind of work within the rules of the offense and get himself open. He’s just a guy that’s going to be in the right spot so as a quarterback you know if you’re going to give him the football, he’s going to make the play happen. He’s not going to talk a lot. He’s going to come in – he’s going to come to work, do his job, but at the same time, those are the guys you want on your team because you know that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”

Q:&nbsp;What are your expectations for Isiah Pacheco when he comes back?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you said it. I think it’s going to be us trying to hold him (Isiah Pacheco) back because he’s a guy that wants to be out there as much as possible and he wants to play, but at the same time he wants to win. He knows the long-term goal that we have. Our goal is to get him back as quickly as possible but at the best time for him and his body so that we can have him for the long haul. Whenever that is, I know he’ll be ready, and he’ll be that energizer bunny that everybody loves to see.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you like about Tyquan Thornton’s potential?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, in season (I) haven’t watched a ton of film on him (Tyquan Thornton) but just from the highlights that I have seen – I mean, (he has) a ton of big-play ability. Someone that has a big frame – I didn’t realize how tall he was until he got in the building. I’m excited to see him on the practice field working and I’m sure guys like Carson (Wentz) and them will give him chances downfield and we’ll get to see that speed. (He has) a lot of talent (and) a lot of ability and I think it will be good to get him worked in within the offense and see what he can do.”

Q:&nbsp;Did the early interception and touchdown mess up the plan that you guys had to start the game?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Not necessarily. Interceptions are always kind of a bump in the road because you don’t want to have those, but at the same time, I think (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does a good job of going back to it (and) going back to the way we want to go about a game. I mean, obviously with them (the Buffalo Bills) scoring from the interception, you have to try to find ways to get back in the end zone and you have to keep the game close, keep it tied or whatever that is. I don’t think it does much. I mean, I know for me, it’s just you (have to) keep firing. You don’t want to throw interceptions, but at the end of the day once they happen, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just learn from it and try to be better the next time.”

Q:&nbsp;On the play calls during the game.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I mean, for sure. Obviously, we didn’t run a ton of plays this last game, so with the interception kind of stalling out that drive quickly and then kind of how the flow of the game was, we probably threw the ball more than we might have wanted to from the beginning of the game. I thought (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) did a good job of getting the run game back going as the game went on which opened up other things as well. I think more than anything, just having the offensive line that we have and those three guys (Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney) in the middle running downhill is hard for defenses to account for. If we can run the ball downhill it opens up everything else. I think Kareem (Hunt) and all of those guys do a great job of doing that. You kind of have to play the flow of the game. You can talk about it on the sideline, but all of us have full belief on whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) calls we’re going to go out there and execute.”

Q:&nbsp;What type of challenges do the Carolina Panthers present?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off – great defensive coordinator. I played against him (Panthers Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero) when he was in Denver. (He’s) very smart, very intelligent and he kind of gets his guys in the right position. They have a lot of talented players. I think you’ve seen that these last few weeks is that they play hard and they’re playing better football as the season goes on. It will be a great challenge for us going there to play them. They’re coming off two wins and a bye (week) so they’re going to be hungry. It will be a great opportunity for us to go out there and try to find a way to get a win.”

Q:&nbsp;On the missed deep throws to Xavier Worthy.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you’ve seen it as the season’s gone on that he’s (Xavier Worthy) playing faster. He has more confidences about me being on the same pages as him. I can sit here and we can practice it all we want but until we start doing it in the game, there’s nothing much more that I can really say about it, but I’m excited for it. I believe it’s going to start happening and once it starts happening, the offense is going to really take off.”

Q:&nbsp;Has each play been a little bit different?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, they’re all different type of plays. Some of them he’s (Xavier Worthy) the first read, some of them it’s kind of an alert type (of) read. I think more than anything when you look at the film, you see him getting open, you see him utilizing his speed. Then, now it’s about me making the throws where he can score touchdowns. If we score those touchdowns, like I said, it changes the entire ball game.”

Q:&nbsp;As a leader, how do you help the rookies ramp up to the playoff standard?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“This is kind of the point where you have got to start taking off. You have to kind of start building – you want to do it all season long but it’s a long season. As we kind of get to this back stretch you want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs. As you get close to Thanksgiving and everything like that, you want to start showing progression and stuff that we’ve worked on throughout the year. I feel like we’re close to doing that, but we want to keep building and keep getting better so we’re playing our best football at the end of the season.”

Q:&nbsp;How much do you think that first half against the Bills can be momentum for Xavier Worthy for the rest of the season beyond the deep ball threat?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think more than anything is you just saw the confidence that he (Xavier Worthy) was playing with which you could tell that he has more confidence within himself and what he can do within the offense. Whenever he’s playing confident and not thinking, he’s playing fast and it’s hard for people to account for how fast he is so I’m excited for him. I thought that was a good jump off point. We have to keep him more involved in the offense throughout the second half, but at the same time, I think that’s going to help the offense go.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you find it harder for you to be more patient with your tackles struggling?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesNovember 20, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, everybody will go today for practice, as far as the injuries go. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Panthers. They’re playing real good football right now and (they’re) well coached and they have good players. They’re playing – like I said, they’re coming off two good wins there. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”Q: How much do you foresee Isiah Pacheco playing on Sunday if he plays?REID:&nbsp;“We’ll see on both those two – Charles (Omenihu) and him (Isiah Pacheco). (We’ll) kind of go through the practice and see where we’re at this week and we’ll go from there. We’ll just have to see. (It’s) a day-by-day type (of) thing.”Q: Do you sense it’s easier to reach the guys about the details or urgency after a loss?REID:&nbsp;“I think – listen, I think the guys have been receptive all the way through so I wouldn’t say that. We’ve got a couple (of) things (that) we obviously have to fix so (we’ll) keep working on those.”Q: What’s the potential for Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco in the same backfield?REID:&nbsp;“We’ll (laughs) – we’ll find a way. Both of them (Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt) are good players so we’ll find a way to get both of them in (the game) - if and when that takes place - but that’s a good problem to have.”Q: How’s Isiah Pacheco been? Have you had to keep him back for his own good?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he’s (Isiah Pacheco) a sparkplug now, emotionally. He’s something that – he’s worked his tail off to get to the point that he’s at now, so we’ve got to keep an eye on him that way. He would have played three weeks ago if he had his choice (laughs). That’s sometimes how it goes. I appreciate that though, that mentality. That’s what’s helped him, like I said, get to this point.”Q: How did Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco look in practice last week?REID:&nbsp;“Both of them (Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu) took all of the scout team reps so they did a nice job and I thought (they) got some productive work.”Q: Anything stand out to you defensively about the Panthers?REID:&nbsp;“So offensively, they obviously have a good running back (Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard) and a good quarterback (Panthers QB Bryce Young), he’s playing good football right now – (a) wide receiver, 17 (Panthers WR Xavier Legette) is a heck of a player and they have a very good offensive line. So, they’re moving the football the last couple of games very well. Defensively, it starts with their front. They’ve got a good defensive front. Their linebackers fly around, we know one of them from Denver – (Panthers LB Josey) Jewell. He knows that defense and he’s the one that’s kind of hitting things up there from that standpoint. Then, their secondary, they have two good corners and two good safeties. They just got 20 (Panthers S Jordan Fuller) back so he’s – they have a lot of trust in him and he’s a good football player.”Q: On the inconsistency with the deep balls from Patrick Mahomes to Xavier Worthy.REID:&nbsp;“There are things that – little things – here and there. It could be him (Patrick Mahomes), it could be not being able to see it, just worries the way the defense is playing it, whether it’s a possible pressure situation there. It’s been a variety of things. It will happen, it’ll click here. He sure had a nice game though. He was positive in that last game.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Q:&nbsp; What lesson did the young guys learn on Sunday and after watching film on the game?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, the guys – listen our attitude is great. Those guys have been – they want to get better. They want to learn. It’s always been that way since they’ve been here. That game (against a) good football team – gives you that experience. You take it and you learn from it, and you move on. I mean, I’m not going to go – I can’t go through everything there but as far as that but they’re receptive to it. The best part is they’ll go try it so that’s a – that’s the important part.”Q: The Bills were successful playing you in man coverage. Does that play into your game planning this week or will you more so look at what the Panthers have been doing?REID:&nbsp;“Probably a combination. We’re trying to focus in on them (Panthers), that’s where it’s happening and then they’re improving as they go along. They’re coming off a bye week so you know they’re going to be fresh and ready to go and so we try to hone in – they’ve got good coordinators there. The schemes are sound and you have to make sure you spend the time exhausting yourself on that and then the techniques and fundamentals of their players so you get – you’re right there.”Q:&nbsp; On Hollywood Brown’s status.REID:&nbsp;“Making very good progress. I can’t tell you a time when he’ll (Hollywood Brown) be back but he’s another one that’s excited to get back out here and get going. I appreciate the way he’s approached this whole thing.”Q:&nbsp; Do you know anything about Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales?REID:&nbsp;“I don’t really know him (Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales), but I know where he’s come from. I’ve had a chance to meet him and talk to him and that at the owner meetings – sharp guy. I think he’s doing a heck of a job down there. It looks like the guys believe in what he’s saying. They’re playing hard.”Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes QuotesNovember 20, 2024QB PATRICK MAHOMESQ:&nbsp;What did you see that you guys need to improve upon going forward?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There’s just – I think, a couple plays here and there kind of changed the momentum of the game. If you look at the throw to Xavier (Worthy) down the sideline, or even the throw in the second – in the third quarter on second down where I hit Trav (Travis Kelce), I could’ve probably hit Noah (Gray) if I just wait on the progression. (It’s) just little plays like that are what make the difference in a big game and so (it’s) just stuff that you have to go back, look at, learn from and try to get better at.”Q:&nbsp;On if the mindset changes after a loss.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just having – like you said, a sense of urgency from the beginning of the games. I feel like offensively we can be better in the way we start and the way we play throughout the entire game because you can tell whenever a lot of times in the fourth quarter when we need to score, we go right down the field and score. If we can play the entire football game like that, it won’t put us in these situations where (we’re) in one-score games at the very end.”Q:&nbsp;Do you think it’s easier to get everyone’s attention where there’s a consequence like a loss?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, we have a lot of veterans, so they know what we need to do, but obviously a loss kind of heightens everybody’s attention to detail. I think that’d be the biggest thing, but at the same time, we know it’s a long season. You lose a football game here and there, but you try to learn from that and try to be better the next week.”Q:&nbsp;What is it about Noah Gray that allows him to have one of the highest catch percentages in the league?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“He (Noah Gray) does everything the right way. He’s learned a ton from Trav (Travis Kelce) and so he knows how to kind of work within the rules of the offense and get himself open. He’s just a guy that’s going to be in the right spot so as a quarterback you know if you’re going to give him the football, he’s going to make the play happen. He’s not going to talk a lot. He’s going to come in – he’s going to come to work, do his job, but at the same time, those are the guys you want on your team because you know that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”Q:&nbsp;What are your expectations for Isiah Pacheco when he comes back?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you said it. I think it’s going to be us trying to hold him (Isiah Pacheco) back because he’s a guy that wants to be out there as much as possible and he wants to play, but at the same time he wants to win. He knows the long-term goal that we have. Our goal is to get him back as quickly as possible but at the best time for him and his body so that we can have him for the long haul. Whenever that is, I know he’ll be ready, and he’ll be that energizer bunny that everybody loves to see.”Q:&nbsp;What do you like about Tyquan Thornton’s potential?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, in season (I) haven’t watched a ton of film on him (Tyquan Thornton) but just from the highlights that I have seen – I mean, (he has) a ton of big-play ability. Someone that has a big frame – I didn’t realize how tall he was until he got in the building. I’m excited to see him on the practice field working and I’m sure guys like Carson (Wentz) and them will give him chances downfield and we’ll get to see that speed. (He has) a lot of talent (and) a lot of ability and I think it will be good to get him worked in within the offense and see what he can do.”Q:&nbsp;Did the early interception and touchdown mess up the plan that you guys had to start the game?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Not necessarily. Interceptions are always kind of a bump in the road because you don’t want to have those, but at the same time, I think (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does a good job of going back to it (and) going back to the way we want to go about a game. I mean, obviously with them (the Buffalo Bills) scoring from the interception, you have to try to find ways to get back in the end zone and you have to keep the game close, keep it tied or whatever that is. I don’t think it does much. I mean, I know for me, it’s just you (have to) keep firing. You don’t want to throw interceptions, but at the end of the day once they happen, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just learn from it and try to be better the next time.”Q:&nbsp;On the play calls during the game.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I mean, for sure. Obviously, we didn’t run a ton of plays this last game, so with the interception kind of stalling out that drive quickly and then kind of how the flow of the game was, we probably threw the ball more than we might have wanted to from the beginning of the game. I thought (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) did a good job of getting the run game back going as the game went on which opened up other things as well. I think more than anything, just having the offensive line that we have and those three guys (Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney) in the middle running downhill is hard for defenses to account for. If we can run the ball downhill it opens up everything else. I think Kareem (Hunt) and all of those guys do a great job of doing that. You kind of have to play the flow of the game. You can talk about it on the sideline, but all of us have full belief on whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) calls we’re going to go out there and execute.”Q:&nbsp;What type of challenges do the Carolina Panthers present?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off – great defensive coordinator. I played against him (Panthers Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero) when he was in Denver. (He’s) very smart, very intelligent and he kind of gets his guys in the right position. They have a lot of talented players. I think you’ve seen that these last few weeks is that they play hard and they’re playing better football as the season goes on. It will be a great challenge for us going there to play them. They’re coming off two wins and a bye (week) so they’re going to be hungry. It will be a great opportunity for us to go out there and try to find a way to get a win.”Q:&nbsp;On the missed deep throws to Xavier Worthy.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you’ve seen it as the season’s gone on that he’s (Xavier Worthy) playing faster. He has more confidences about me being on the same pages as him. I can sit here and we can practice it all we want but until we start doing it in the game, there’s nothing much more that I can really say about it, but I’m excited for it. I believe it’s going to start happening and once it starts happening, the offense is going to really take off.”Q:&nbsp;Has each play been a little bit different?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, they’re all different type of plays. Some of them he’s (Xavier Worthy) the first read, some of them it’s kind of an alert type (of) read. I think more than anything when you look at the film, you see him getting open, you see him utilizing his speed. Then, now it’s about me making the throws where he can score touchdowns. If we score those touchdowns, like I said, it changes the entire ball game.”Q:&nbsp;As a leader, how do you help the rookies ramp up to the playoff standard?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“This is kind of the point where you have got to start taking off. You have to kind of start building – you want to do it all season long but it’s a long season. As we kind of get to this back stretch you want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs. As you get close to Thanksgiving and everything like that, you want to start showing progression and stuff that we’ve worked on throughout the year. I feel like we’re close to doing that, but we want to keep building and keep getting better so we’re playing our best football at the end of the season.”Q:&nbsp;How much do you think that first half against the Bills can be momentum for Xavier Worthy for the rest of the season beyond the deep ball threat?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think more than anything is you just saw the confidence that he (Xavier Worthy) was playing with which you could tell that he has more confidence within himself and what he can do within the offense. Whenever he’s playing confident and not thinking, he’s playing fast and it’s hard for people to account for how fast he is so I’m excited for him. I thought that was a good jump off point. We have to keep him more involved in the offense throughout the second half, but at the same time, I think that’s going to help the offense go.”Q:&nbsp;Do you find it harder for you to be more patient with your tackles struggling?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-20-24

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.

Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.

Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”

Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.

Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.

“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”

The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”

Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.

Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.

Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.

Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.

Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.

“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.

Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.

She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.

Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.

The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.

Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.

Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.

Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.

After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.

Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.

Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732127765713.png" alt="Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732121539335.png" alt="Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail " />
 <figcaption>Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail </figcaption>
 </figure>Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">While Joe Biden continues his apology tour for calling a murderer an illegal… I am here on the floor today with my colleagues, apologizing to Laken Riley’s family and fighting to make sure this can never happen again. Just like so many other unvetted illegal aliens living in… <a href="https://t.co/6YbsUpPJAi">pic.twitter.com/6YbsUpPJAi</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1768313953912856895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.-----------ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

Illegal immigrant sentenced for killing nursing student Laken Riley

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.

On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.

The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. 

During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.

Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.

Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

SW Kan. teen attempted to strike officer during investigation

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) don’t really have any injury updates for you. We’ll just have to see about (Isiah) Pacheco as the week goes on here (and Charles) Omenihu as the week goes on. As far as the film study of the game – the review, (I) feel similar to what I felt after the game. There were some good things that took place but there were some things that we need to work on, especially when you’re playing a good team like that where every series is an important series whether you’re on the offensive side or the defensive side. Any mistakes can get magnified tenfold because of that, and you’ve got to make sure that you’re sharp and – whether it’s assignments or execution and we can do better in that area. We can do better as coaches of making sure (that) our guys can be put in positions to do better and to maybe back off a little bit on certain things that we’ve been doing to help the players out so that they can play a little bit faster. So anyways, in general, that’s what I would tell you on both sides of the ball. I’d tell you on the special teams side I thought we did some good things, in particular with Spencer (Shrader) and his kicking. I was proud of the kid (for) stepping in. That’s a tough environment to step into and he did well with what we asked him to. Anyways, with that, (the) time’s yours.”

Q: You mentioned wanting to look on that Xavier Worthy catch on the sideline. Do you feel any differently after looking at it? Patrick Mahomes said if he would’ve seen him earlier that it is a walk-in touchdown.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, if Pat (Patrick Mahomes) could have seen him earlier then that’s part of it but once you’re there, he (Xavier Worthy) could have dragged his foot to keep it in. He’ll be able to chalk that one up to experience but again, what Pat told you is true and so that combination – those are the little things, though. You talk about seven points there against a good football team, so we’ve got to make sure (that) we take care of business on both ends there.”

Q: You said you wanted to back off some things to help your players. Can you give an example of what you were talking about there?

REID:&nbsp;“Maybe it’s motions or shifts or that type of thing on the offensive side. (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags – I haven’t gone through it with him yet. They’re little things but sometimes little things can add up.”

Q:&nbsp;When you’re playing against a guy like Bills QB Josh Allen on that fourth-and-two, what’s the balance with your defensive linemen between trying to go make a play and trying to stay in your lane to make sure he can’t scramble?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s a tough thing to do. I mean, especially when you’re right there. Listen, this was not an effort problem on either side of the ball, it was just an execution part. You want to try to stay in your lanes. Sometimes when it extends that long, that’s a tough thing to do. I mean, the guy’s (Bills QB Josh Allen) moving around (laughter) and all of a sudden, those lanes become skewed just a little bit. Listen, I appreciate the effort on it. The guy made a great play, and we’ll go back and learn from the thing and see what we can do better on that.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Buffalo in their ability to cover DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce?

REID:&nbsp;“Well they bracketed (Travis) Kelce up in certain situations. DeAndre (Hopkins) – they did it – they tried to do it in certain situations, but again, we can work through that part. They’re not the only two on the field. The other guys have opportunities when that happens.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s the level of frustration or disappointment that comes with the defensive line not being able to get as much pressure as they have in the past?

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t have the numbers for you right in front of myself. Last night probably wasn’t as much as we’d like there but the other games, I thought we had done pretty well with that as far as at least hurries for the quarterback. I was pretty happy with that.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you guys go about trying to get the players to build off scoring drives like the final one to Noah Gray going ahead here?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s a – that was one of the positives and that’s something that I can help giving my guys an opportunity to be able to do those things. I might have been a little too conservative early on, but this is what we’re capable of doing and it’s important that we get it down to where we can do that consistently.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you hope the rookies take away from being in an environment like Buffalo and being in that game?

REID:&nbsp;“You have to dig in, man. These things – these should hurt. You spend a lot of time and preparation for these games and effort and so you have to reach inside as coaches and players, not just players here. You have to figure out the problems and then work to solve them. I know I have that kind of locker room, and so I know the guys will do that. I know the coaches will do that too, but you can’t just say everything’s going to be okay. That’s not how this works. You have to dig in and it has to be – there has to be some – you have to check the ego at the door and do some self-evaluation there.”

Q: On Kingsley Suamataia being inactive against the Bills.

REID:&nbsp;“Kingsley (Suamataia) will be ok. It’s just – sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward and that’s what we felt we needed to do there. We’ll go from there and just see how things work out here as he continues to work forward.”

Q: Do you have any plans to bring in a veteran and how did you feel about Wanya Morris’ performance?

REID:&nbsp;“I actually thought Wanya (Morris) got a little bit better this week. He’s been doing that for the most part every week, but the injury stepped in on it last week for a while. I felt like he did some good things for a young guy, he improved and will continue to improve with reps there. Then, as far as a veteran player goes, (General Manager Brett) Veach is always keeping his eyes open so he would be the one that heads that up and he’s – obviously, he birddogs all that.”

Q: Do you think there is less pressure since you and the team are no longer undefeated?

HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) don’t really have any injury updates for you. We’ll just have to see about (Isiah) Pacheco as the week goes on here (and Charles) Omenihu as the week goes on. As far as the film study of the game – the review, (I) feel similar to what I felt after the game. There were some good things that took place but there were some things that we need to work on, especially when you’re playing a good team like that where every series is an important series whether you’re on the offensive side or the defensive side. Any mistakes can get magnified tenfold because of that, and you’ve got to make sure that you’re sharp and – whether it’s assignments or execution and we can do better in that area. We can do better as coaches of making sure (that) our guys can be put in positions to do better and to maybe back off a little bit on certain things that we’ve been doing to help the players out so that they can play a little bit faster. So anyways, in general, that’s what I would tell you on both sides of the ball. I’d tell you on the special teams side I thought we did some good things, in particular with Spencer (Shrader) and his kicking. I was proud of the kid (for) stepping in. That’s a tough environment to step into and he did well with what we asked him to. Anyways, with that, (the) time’s yours.”Q: You mentioned wanting to look on that Xavier Worthy catch on the sideline. Do you feel any differently after looking at it? Patrick Mahomes said if he would’ve seen him earlier that it is a walk-in touchdown.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, if Pat (Patrick Mahomes) could have seen him earlier then that’s part of it but once you’re there, he (Xavier Worthy) could have dragged his foot to keep it in. He’ll be able to chalk that one up to experience but again, what Pat told you is true and so that combination – those are the little things, though. You talk about seven points there against a good football team, so we’ve got to make sure (that) we take care of business on both ends there.”Q: You said you wanted to back off some things to help your players. Can you give an example of what you were talking about there?REID:&nbsp;“Maybe it’s motions or shifts or that type of thing on the offensive side. (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags – I haven’t gone through it with him yet. They’re little things but sometimes little things can add up.”Q:&nbsp;When you’re playing against a guy like Bills QB Josh Allen on that fourth-and-two, what’s the balance with your defensive linemen between trying to go make a play and trying to stay in your lane to make sure he can’t scramble?REID:&nbsp;“It’s a tough thing to do. I mean, especially when you’re right there. Listen, this was not an effort problem on either side of the ball, it was just an execution part. You want to try to stay in your lanes. Sometimes when it extends that long, that’s a tough thing to do. I mean, the guy’s (Bills QB Josh Allen) moving around (laughter) and all of a sudden, those lanes become skewed just a little bit. Listen, I appreciate the effort on it. The guy made a great play, and we’ll go back and learn from the thing and see what we can do better on that.”Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Buffalo in their ability to cover DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce?REID:&nbsp;“Well they bracketed (Travis) Kelce up in certain situations. DeAndre (Hopkins) – they did it – they tried to do it in certain situations, but again, we can work through that part. They’re not the only two on the field. The other guys have opportunities when that happens.”Q:&nbsp;What’s the level of frustration or disappointment that comes with the defensive line not being able to get as much pressure as they have in the past?REID:&nbsp;“I don’t have the numbers for you right in front of myself. Last night probably wasn’t as much as we’d like there but the other games, I thought we had done pretty well with that as far as at least hurries for the quarterback. I was pretty happy with that.”Q:&nbsp;How do you guys go about trying to get the players to build off scoring drives like the final one to Noah Gray going ahead here?REID:&nbsp;“That’s a – that was one of the positives and that’s something that I can help giving my guys an opportunity to be able to do those things. I might have been a little too conservative early on, but this is what we’re capable of doing and it’s important that we get it down to where we can do that consistently.”Q:&nbsp;What do you hope the rookies take away from being in an environment like Buffalo and being in that game?REID:&nbsp;“You have to dig in, man. These things – these should hurt. You spend a lot of time and preparation for these games and effort and so you have to reach inside as coaches and players, not just players here. You have to figure out the problems and then work to solve them. I know I have that kind of locker room, and so I know the guys will do that. I know the coaches will do that too, but you can’t just say everything’s going to be okay. That’s not how this works. You have to dig in and it has to be – there has to be some – you have to check the ego at the door and do some self-evaluation there.”Q: On Kingsley Suamataia being inactive against the Bills.REID:&nbsp;“Kingsley (Suamataia) will be ok. It’s just – sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward and that’s what we felt we needed to do there. We’ll go from there and just see how things work out here as he continues to work forward.”Q: Do you have any plans to bring in a veteran and how did you feel about Wanya Morris’ performance?REID:&nbsp;“I actually thought Wanya (Morris) got a little bit better this week. He’s been doing that for the most part every week, but the injury stepped in on it last week for a while. I felt like he did some good things for a young guy, he improved and will continue to improve with reps there. Then, as far as a veteran player goes, (General Manager Brett) Veach is always keeping his eyes open so he would be the one that heads that up and he’s – obviously, he birddogs all that.”Q: Do you think there is less pressure since you and the team are no longer undefeated?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-18-24

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23756&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-18-2024/4923" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-18-2024/4924" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview K-State’s Senior Night contest against Cincinnati inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23756&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-18-2024/4923" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-18-2024/4924" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview K-State’s Senior Night contest against Cincinnati inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…

K-State Previews Home Finale During Weekly Press Conference

Game 11 Cincinnati at&nbsp;16/rv/25&nbsp;K-State Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024 Kickoff: 7 p.m. Location: Manhattan, Kan. Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) Series: Cincinnati Leads, 4-2

TV: ESPN2 (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/6e648000-62a3-45c4-8f60-26aeeba2d92c" target="_blank">watch</a>) Brian Custer (Play-by-Play) Rod Gilmore (Analyst) Lauren Sisler (Sidelines)

Radio: K-State Sports Network;&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/watch" target="_blank">Listen</a>) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 160 or 198, and on the SiriusXM App

<a href="https://tunein.com/radio/Big-12-Radio-s329464/" target="_blank">Big 12 Radio on TuneIn</a>

X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo

THE TOP 51)&nbsp;Looking to rebound from consecutive losses for the first time since the final two regular-season games of 2021, Kansas State hosts Cincinnati on Senior Night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday night, will be shown nationally on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sidelines) on the call.

2)&nbsp;Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 12th career start as he has thrown for 2,150 yards and 17 TDs on 177-of-291 aim while adding 412 rushing yards and five scores. He is one of only six players in the country and the only Big 12 quarterback with at least 2,000 passing yards and 400 rushing yards. He is one passing TD shy of tying the K-State sophomore record and entering the overall top-10 list.

3)&nbsp;Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries to go along with 18 receptions for 219 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 12th nationally by averaging 112.8 rushing yards per game, while he is eighth in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (134.7). He is the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

4)&nbsp;Kansas State has eight players with 35 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 71 tackles are tied for 12th in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 9.5 TFLs and 8.0 sacks, the latter ranking 12th in the nation. Five Wildcats have carded an interception this season in Marques Sigle (3), VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Jack Fabris and Keenan Garber.

5)&nbsp;Chris Tennant has been true on 14-of-17 field goals, including a 51-yarder with 1:42 left to give the Wildcats a 29-27 win over Kansas. Tennant ranks in the top 10 in school history in eight career categories. Simon McClannan ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 13 punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line are tied for fifth in the Big 12. Dylan Edwards ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 336 total return yards.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS217&nbsp;– Opponents' lost yardage on K-State's 25 sacks this season, which ranks seventh the nation and tops in the Big 12.

143&nbsp;– Big 12 victories by K-State since the conference's inception in 1996, the most among active programs.

15&nbsp;– Home wins by the Wildcats since the beginning of 2022, tied for 19th in the country and ranked first in the Big 12.

13&nbsp;– Consecutive CFP polls in which the Wildcats have been ranked, tied for fifth in the nation.

4&nbsp;– DJ Giddens became the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons

• K-State is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses as the Wildcats dropped a 24-14 decision to Arizona State last week, which came on the heels of a 24-19 loss at Houston prior to its second bye week of the season.

• The Wildcats entered the game at Houston on a four-game winning streak, capped by a dramatic 29-27 dramatic win over Kansas – its 16th-straight win over the Jayhawks – as linebacker Austin Romaine forced a fumble on defense before Chris Tennant nailed a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left for the two-point win.

• The defense settled in and held the Jayhawks scoreless in their final four drives with the Romaine forced fumble and Brendan Mott recovery leading to the game-winning drive.

• Saturday's contest serves as the first time this season the Wildcats will have consecutive home games and marks the final home game of the season.

• After going 6-1 at home last year, the Wildcats are 4-1 inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season. They are looking for one or fewer home losses in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2011 (1) and 2012 (0).

• Home games have been kind to K-State over the last three years as the Cats have 15 victories, tied for the 19th most home wins in the nation over that span. That figure is also the most among active Big 12 teams.

• With its sixth victory of the year at West Virginia, Kansas State will be playing in the postseason for a fourth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 years.

• Entering the year, K-State was one of just 16 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 12 times in the previous 14 years.

• K-State has a total of 229 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.

• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (237), TCU (235) and Utah (232).

• Over the last 15 seasons – including 2024 – the Wildcats have won at least seven games on 13 occasions.

• K-State entered the 2024 season riding a streak of three-straight years of at least eight wins, its longest since 2011 (10), 2012 (11), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9), and the Wildcats need one more victory to extend the current streak to four-straight years.

• Entering the season, K-State was the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the previous three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.

• K-State has 34 wins since 2021, which is tied for 15th nationally and first among active Big 12 teams.

• Kansas State has totaled 143 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.

• The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.7% (74-50), trailing only Oklahoma State (62.1%; 77-47).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 41-21 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-29 (5.32%) on the road.

• K-State fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 this week as the Wildcats were ranked in the previous 12 polls.

• It was the first time K-State had been ranked in the first 12 AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.

• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 243 occasions since 1993, the most among active Big 12 teams and ranked 22nd nationally.

• Kansas State was ranked No. 16 in this week's College Football Playoff Top 25, marking the 14th-straight time the Cats were ranked in the CFP Top 25. That figure is tied for the fifth-longest active streak.

• K-State is only playing four opponents from last year’s schedule – Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State – in 2024.

• It is the fewest amount of carryover opponents from one year to the next since only three rematches from 1918 to 1919.

• Additionally, half of the Wildcats’ schedule is against teams in which they have not faced in at least 10 years, if ever. Those are UT Martin (First Meeting), Arizona (1978), BYU (1997), Colorado (2010), Arizona State (2002) and Cincinnati (1996).

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 118-40 career record, as his 74.7% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 18 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 career victories.

• Klieman, who is 46-26 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.

• Kansas State ranked in the top 10 nationally in turnover margin each of the last two years as the Wildcats finished eighth in 2022 and fifth in 2023, which marked the first time in the top 10 in consecutive seasons since 2011 (9th) and 2012 (3rd).

• After sitting at minus-2 in turnover margin and ranking 93rd in the nation entering the Oklahoma State game, the Wildcats are now even on the year and ranked 65th.

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 135 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).

• K-State has recorded four non-offensive scores this season, its most since also recording four in 2020.

• The four non-offensive TDs this year are: a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned for a score by Colby McCalister, a 60-yard rumble return by Jack Fabris at Tulane, a 71-yard punt return by Dylan Edwards against Arizona, and a 43-yard interception return by Marques Sigle at West Virginia.

• Kansas State is 3-1 in one-possession games this season, with all three of its wins being in comeback fashion.

• The Wildcats' three wins this season when trailing in the fourth quarter are the most since 2017.

• K-State trailed Kansas, 27-26, until Chris Tennant's 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left sparked a K-State win.

• K-State trailed 28-24 at Colorado before the game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass from Avery Johnson to Jayce Brown with 2:14 left.

• In Week 2 at Tulane, K-State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit to take a 34-27 win, which included a Dylan Edwards touchdown run and a Jack Fabris fumble return to erase a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

• Of K-State's three one-possession victories this year, two were on the road against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 16 Colorado and No. 20 Tulane).

• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 19-consecutive sellouts dating back to the beginning of 2022.

• Kansas State is one of only three schools in the nation to rank in the top 20 of percentage of capacity filled each of the last 10 seasons, joining Ohio State and Oklahoma.

• So far this year, K-State ranks 10th nationally by filling its stadium to 103.29% capacity.

• K-State enters this week's matchup ranking 18th nationally by averaging 202.9 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are seventh in the country by averaging 5.8 rushing yards per carry.