Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright so, I really don’t have any injuries for you. I think we came out of the game halfway decent, but I’ll get – the guys are just kind of coming in, so we’ll get all that taken care of here later in the afternoon. As far as the game goes, listen, the win was fantastic to get. We’ve got places that we’ve got to work on and make sure we get covered. The positive was that they didn’t score in the second half and we – for the most part – hunkered down defensively and then offensively, we’ve got to clean up a few things. We didn’t score as often in the red zone as we wanted to – penalties, a missed shot there – a couple of those things that don’t happen very often that happened down in there. We’re normally accurate with the throws and so on, so we’ve got to clean a little bit of that up but again, playing a good football team. They’ve got – both of their fronts are strong and we were tested in a couple (of) spots and it’ll help us grow is what it’ll help us do, particularly at that tackle position. We were young at the left tackle spot. We’ll keep getting better as we go and experience some of these things. I think Wanya (Morris) will end up being okay when it’s all said and done here as far as his leg goes and then he was able to come back in and play. Kingsley (Suamataia) will learn from what he had there and keep getting better. Then, likewise on the right side (right tackle), we’ll keep growing there. Then, from a defensive standpoint, they’ve got a good offensive line (and) they were physical (with) their run game. They got that going a little bit and teams hadn’t been able to do that quite as well as what they had rolling there early so we can learn from that and get better in that spot too. Again, I’m glad we came out with the win. I thought it was a heck of a play there at the end. We overloaded one side – it probably wouldn’t have mattered who they had in there blocking but we were able to get that overload, and we got off on the ball. I mean, if you wanted to pick on one thing there to say was a great job, Justin Reid, on the outside, is the fastest guy in the NFL on his get off on these field goals. Teams take and look at that and make sure that they take care of him first which allowed the inside three there to really come off and get an explosive. You saw (Derrick) Nnadi kind of went down and they weren’t quite sure how to handle that so there ended up being a separation and we were able to get through the cracks there. That was a spectacular way to end it. I’m not sure I’ve ever had that experience in my career with a walk-off blocked field goal, so it made it exciting but I’d rather us really focus in on taking care of business in the other part of the game and get that sinched up. My hat goes off to (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Toub for spending the time to make sure those things all fit together and for the players just executing and never giving up. Like I told you last night – or yesterday afternoon – that the thing that has impressed me with this team is (that) they don’t get down and they’re not that – that’s not what they are. They battle through stuff and if somebody’s not doing well, they try to pick them up and do well in their area. It’s worked to this point, but we’ve just got to keep getting better and growing as we go. With that, (the) time’s yours.”

Q:&nbsp;From a depth perspective, has there been any consideration to bring in Donovan Smith or another veteran as your two young left tackles develop?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, that’s (General Manager Brett) Veach’s area. He looks at everything so I’m not going to say no, but what we do as coaches – and we overemphasize – we’re going to focus in on these kids that are here and they’re getting better. I know it’s hard to see at times but there’s progress being made and we’re going to be okay as we go forward.”

Q:&nbsp;With a young player like Kingsley Suamataia, how much mental coaching does it take to make sure his confidence is up?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s all part of it, that’s all part of coaching. I’d probably say it’s the same way in your business. If you’re not confident, you’re probably not going to talk very well.”

Q:&nbsp;On the little things being practiced and emphasized to block a field goal.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, the details of it become important. The players want that. They want you to detail it up for them. It helps them even more be able to show what their talents are and then as a result of that, hopefully you win a game or two. (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave (Toub) spends a lot of time on that right there. You guys (the media) watch all that, so you know that there’s an emphasis put on special teams and the details of it. We needed it (laughter) yesterday. That was a big play for us.”

Q:&nbsp;Is there a focus going forward on trying to incorporate Kareem Hunt more in the passing game?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well we think touches for him (Kareem Hunt) end up being important, whether he’s carrying it or – he’s a good football player so you want to have him have an opportunity to show off those talents. He’s always been a good receiver. We weren’t getting as much out of the run game as we wanted to, so we started throwing it a little bit more and he became an important part of that.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you try to manage the workload for these guys and make sure they get enough rest after two physical games?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s not as much the maybe the physical part as it is the time in between games. That’s what you’re managing. Then, it comes down to how the guys are feeling because of the short week. That’s the way we did it last week. This is a normal week so it’s not going to be quite like that. It’ll be a normal week of practice, but you know Matt (Derrick), in this league, every game is physical. I mean, the parity in this league is crazy right now. You just check out some of these scores and you go, ‘Jeez, it’s nuts.’ There’s – any given Sunday. It's no more important than that is right now in this league. You better be on you’re a-game every week.”

Q: Are there any updates on Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I think they’re (Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster) all close. I’d probably tell you JuJu (Smith-Schuster is) closer than the other two, but I would tell you that – we might have them out there, we’ll just see how it goes here today and tomorrow. They’re very close, all three of them.”

Q: How do you explain how you have been able to remain undefeated and get to this point?

REID:&nbsp;“Yesterday, that was probably the epitome of it, coming down to that last second deal – literally – a block. We’ve been given opportunities and we’ve taken advantage of them and then we’ve made a few opportunities ourselves with some good plays. You’d probably say that they outplayed us yesterday and then they end up not winning the game. You see that throughout the league, I mean you just saw the Lions game last night, five turnovers, five interceptions or whatever it was and they find a way to win the game. You give credit to your locker room and your coaches, just for being mentally tough and sticking with it.”

Q: What is needed for Xavier Worthy and Patrick Mahomes to get the right connection on the deep passes?

REID:&nbsp;“They’ve (Xavier Worthy and Patrick Mahomes) had a couple of them, we just have to keep it a little bit more consistent, Nick (Jacobs). They’ll keep working on it. They spend time working on it and we’ll just keep it going. Those things, they’ll come eventually here as we go with a little bit more consistency.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Q: On the fourth down attempt in the first half and at the end of the game.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesNovember 11, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright so, I really don’t have any injuries for you. I think we came out of the game halfway decent, but I’ll get – the guys are just kind of coming in, so we’ll get all that taken care of here later in the afternoon. As far as the game goes, listen, the win was fantastic to get. We’ve got places that we’ve got to work on and make sure we get covered. The positive was that they didn’t score in the second half and we – for the most part – hunkered down defensively and then offensively, we’ve got to clean up a few things. We didn’t score as often in the red zone as we wanted to – penalties, a missed shot there – a couple of those things that don’t happen very often that happened down in there. We’re normally accurate with the throws and so on, so we’ve got to clean a little bit of that up but again, playing a good football team. They’ve got – both of their fronts are strong and we were tested in a couple (of) spots and it’ll help us grow is what it’ll help us do, particularly at that tackle position. We were young at the left tackle spot. We’ll keep getting better as we go and experience some of these things. I think Wanya (Morris) will end up being okay when it’s all said and done here as far as his leg goes and then he was able to come back in and play. Kingsley (Suamataia) will learn from what he had there and keep getting better. Then, likewise on the right side (right tackle), we’ll keep growing there. Then, from a defensive standpoint, they’ve got a good offensive line (and) they were physical (with) their run game. They got that going a little bit and teams hadn’t been able to do that quite as well as what they had rolling there early so we can learn from that and get better in that spot too. Again, I’m glad we came out with the win. I thought it was a heck of a play there at the end. We overloaded one side – it probably wouldn’t have mattered who they had in there blocking but we were able to get that overload, and we got off on the ball. I mean, if you wanted to pick on one thing there to say was a great job, Justin Reid, on the outside, is the fastest guy in the NFL on his get off on these field goals. Teams take and look at that and make sure that they take care of him first which allowed the inside three there to really come off and get an explosive. You saw (Derrick) Nnadi kind of went down and they weren’t quite sure how to handle that so there ended up being a separation and we were able to get through the cracks there. That was a spectacular way to end it. I’m not sure I’ve ever had that experience in my career with a walk-off blocked field goal, so it made it exciting but I’d rather us really focus in on taking care of business in the other part of the game and get that sinched up. My hat goes off to (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Toub for spending the time to make sure those things all fit together and for the players just executing and never giving up. Like I told you last night – or yesterday afternoon – that the thing that has impressed me with this team is (that) they don’t get down and they’re not that – that’s not what they are. They battle through stuff and if somebody’s not doing well, they try to pick them up and do well in their area. It’s worked to this point, but we’ve just got to keep getting better and growing as we go. With that, (the) time’s yours.”Q:&nbsp;From a depth perspective, has there been any consideration to bring in Donovan Smith or another veteran as your two young left tackles develop?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, that’s (General Manager Brett) Veach’s area. He looks at everything so I’m not going to say no, but what we do as coaches – and we overemphasize – we’re going to focus in on these kids that are here and they’re getting better. I know it’s hard to see at times but there’s progress being made and we’re going to be okay as we go forward.”Q:&nbsp;With a young player like Kingsley Suamataia, how much mental coaching does it take to make sure his confidence is up?REID:&nbsp;“That’s all part of it, that’s all part of coaching. I’d probably say it’s the same way in your business. If you’re not confident, you’re probably not going to talk very well.”Q:&nbsp;On the little things being practiced and emphasized to block a field goal.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, the details of it become important. The players want that. They want you to detail it up for them. It helps them even more be able to show what their talents are and then as a result of that, hopefully you win a game or two. (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave (Toub) spends a lot of time on that right there. You guys (the media) watch all that, so you know that there’s an emphasis put on special teams and the details of it. We needed it (laughter) yesterday. That was a big play for us.”Q:&nbsp;Is there a focus going forward on trying to incorporate Kareem Hunt more in the passing game?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well we think touches for him (Kareem Hunt) end up being important, whether he’s carrying it or – he’s a good football player so you want to have him have an opportunity to show off those talents. He’s always been a good receiver. We weren’t getting as much out of the run game as we wanted to, so we started throwing it a little bit more and he became an important part of that.”Q:&nbsp;How do you try to manage the workload for these guys and make sure they get enough rest after two physical games?REID:&nbsp;“It’s not as much the maybe the physical part as it is the time in between games. That’s what you’re managing. Then, it comes down to how the guys are feeling because of the short week. That’s the way we did it last week. This is a normal week so it’s not going to be quite like that. It’ll be a normal week of practice, but you know Matt (Derrick), in this league, every game is physical. I mean, the parity in this league is crazy right now. You just check out some of these scores and you go, ‘Jeez, it’s nuts.’ There’s – any given Sunday. It's no more important than that is right now in this league. You better be on you’re a-game every week.”Q: Are there any updates on Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I think they’re (Charles Omenihu, Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster) all close. I’d probably tell you JuJu (Smith-Schuster is) closer than the other two, but I would tell you that – we might have them out there, we’ll just see how it goes here today and tomorrow. They’re very close, all three of them.”Q: How do you explain how you have been able to remain undefeated and get to this point?REID:&nbsp;“Yesterday, that was probably the epitome of it, coming down to that last second deal – literally – a block. We’ve been given opportunities and we’ve taken advantage of them and then we’ve made a few opportunities ourselves with some good plays. You’d probably say that they outplayed us yesterday and then they end up not winning the game. You see that throughout the league, I mean you just saw the Lions game last night, five turnovers, five interceptions or whatever it was and they find a way to win the game. You give credit to your locker room and your coaches, just for being mentally tough and sticking with it.”Q: What is needed for Xavier Worthy and Patrick Mahomes to get the right connection on the deep passes?REID:&nbsp;“They’ve (Xavier Worthy and Patrick Mahomes) had a couple of them, we just have to keep it a little bit more consistent, Nick (Jacobs). They’ll keep working on it. They spend time working on it and we’ll just keep it going. Those things, they’ll come eventually here as we go with a little bit more consistency.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Q: On the fourth down attempt in the first half and at the end of the game.

Chiefs Quotes: 11-11-24

nr/rv/rv&nbsp;Arizona State at&nbsp;19/20/19&nbsp;K-State

Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)

TV: ESPN (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/12ee0ec5-04b5-4b2d-b91a-c9e2ff1cbc6e" target="_blank">watch</a>)

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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 106 or 199, 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;Coming off its second bye week of the season, 19th-ranked Kansas State begins its final three-game stretch of the regular season by hosting new Big 12 member Arizona State inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday night, will be shown nationally on ESPN with Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sidelines) on the call.

2)&nbsp;Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 11th career start as he has thrown for 1,892 yards and 17 TDs on 153-of-251 aim while adding 391 rushing yards and four scores. He is one of only six players in the country and the only Big 12 quarterback with at least 1,875 passing yards and 375 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 995 yards and five touchdowns on 162 carries to go along with 17 receptions for 213 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 12th nationally by averaging 110.6 rushing yards per game, while he is ninth in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (134.2). He is looking to become the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

4)&nbsp;Kansas State has eight players with 30 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 69 tackles are tied for seventh in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 9.5 TFLs and 8.0 sacks, the latter ranking 11th 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-16 field goals, including a 51-yarder with 1:42 left to give the Wildcats a 29-27 win over Kansas. Simon McClannan ranks fourth in the Big 12 by averaging 41.6 yards per punt this season, while his 12 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 310 total return yards.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS212&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 16th 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 is looking to become the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

• K-State is looking to rebound from a 24-19 loss at Houston prior to its second bye week of the season. The Wildcats led the Cougars, 19-10, but two fourth-quarter touchdowns by UH proved to be the difference.

• The Wildcats entered the game at Houston off 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 will be just the second home game for the Wildcats in a span of 49 days. K-State hosted Oklahoma State on September 28 and Kansas on October 26, while during that time the Wildcats had three road games and two byes.

• This weekend's game against ASU is the first of two-straight home games and the final two home contests of the year.

• Home games have been kind to K-State over the last three years as the Cats have 15 victories, tied for the 16th 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 is 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 13th 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 60.2% (74-49), trailing only Oklahoma State (62.1%; 77-47).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 41-20 (67.2%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-29 (5.32%) on the road.

• K-State checks in at No. 20 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 as the Wildcats have been ranked in all 12 AP polls this year.

• It is the first time K-State has 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. 19 in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25 of 2024, marking the 13th-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 118-39 career record, as his 75.2% 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 plus-2 on the year to rank 52nd.

• 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. 18 Colorado and No. 25 Tulane).

• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 18-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 103.17% capacity.

• K-State enters this week's matchup ranking 19th nationally by averaging 208.3 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are seventh in the country by averaging 5.8 rushing yards per carry.

• K-State's school record for average yards per rush is 5.27 yards in 2016.

• The average is driven by 66 rushes of at least 10 yards to rank seventh in the nation, while K-State's 20 rushing plays of 20 or more yards this season are tied for 11th in the country.

• The Cats have rushed for at least 200 yards in six games this year, the most in the Big 12. The Wildcats have already equaled last year's regular-season total, which was the most since doing so in eight regular-season games in 2016.

ONE OF ONLY TWO• Four K-State players have had at least 20 rushing attempts and each average at least 5.4 yards per carry.

• Headlining that group is Dylan Edwards, DJ Giddens and Avery Johnson at 6.8, 6.1 and 5.4 yards per rush, respectively. K-State is one of just two Power 4 programs to have three active players to average at least 5.4 yards on at least 50 attempts (Notre Dame: Jadarian Price, Jeremiyah Love, Riley Leonard).

• Giddens and Johnson are the only Power 4 teammates to each record 22 or more rushes of at least 10 yards.TOTAL OFFENSE• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 29 of the last 36 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.

• During that stretch, the Cats held a 10-game streak against Big 12 foes with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history.TWENTY-EIGHT IS GREAT• K-State has scored at least 28 or more points in 15 of its last 17 games, its most over a 17-game stretch since doing so nine times over the final 11 games of 2007 and each of the first six games of 2008.RED ZONE SUCCESS• The 2024 season is a continuation of red-zone success under Chris Klieman, as the Wildcats rank first among active Big 12 programs by scoring on 90.8% (257-of-283) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019 with 192 touchdowns (67.8%).

• Last season, the Cats ranked second nationally by finding paydirt on 78.5% of their red-zone possessions (51-of-65), and they narrowly finished behind Oregon State by 0.11%. K-State would have led the nation last year had the Cats not been in the red zone when taking a knee to close out the Pop-Tarts Bowl win.

• K-State enters play this week ranked ninth nationally and third in the Big 12 in red zone scoring at 93.8% (30-of-32) with one of those failed attempts being a kneel down at the end of the West Virginia game.RED ZONE THREATS• Kansas State's tight end unit has combined for 10 touchdown receptions this year, tied for the most in the nation.

• The 10 touchdowns have come from four different players in Will Anciaux and Garrett Oakley with three apiece, while Brayden Loftin and Will Swanson each have two.OFFENSIVE LINE STEPPING UP• Although the offensive line lost four starters from a year, the current group is stepping up. In addition to its rushing rankings, K-State also ranks in the top 25 nationally in fewest sacks allowed (21st; 1.11 per game) and fewest tackles for loss allowed (20th; 4.00 per game).

• Despite limited starts at K-State entering the season, the current starting unit is experienced overall as the six players that have made start this year have combined for 118 starts and 8,260 career offensive snaps. The leaders in those departments are on the left side in tackle Easton Kilty (46 starts, 2,877 snaps) and guard Hadley Panzer (35 starts, 2,281 snaps).A GREAT START• Quarterback Avery Johnson has started 10 career games under center with the Wildcats going 8-2 those games. Included in those victories are three wins over ranked teams – No. 19 NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl in addition to No. 20 Arizona and No. 20 Oklahoma State this season – and a win at Colorado, which checks in at No. 20 in the most recent College Football Playoff Top 25.

• Johnson is the fifth K-State quarterback since 1990 to lead his team to victory at least eight times in his first 10 starts and the first since Collin Klein over the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The others are Johnathan Beasley (1999), Michael Bishop (1997), Brian Kavanagh (1996) and Matt Miller (1995).BY AIR AND GROUND• Quarterback Avery Johnson was the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2023, and he's putting that on display during his true sophomore season as he is one of only six quarterbacks nationally and the only Big 12 player with at least 1,875 rushing yards and 375 passing yards.

• If he were to stay at his current averages, Johnson would end the season as just the 18th quarterback in Big 12 history and just the second K-State quarterback ever with at least 2,700 passing yards and 550 rushing yards. The other Wildcat to hit those marks was Michael Bishop in 1998.MULTIPLE TDs• Avery Johnson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two others in K-State's 42-20 victory over No. 20 Oklahoma State en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• He was the first K-State signal caller to have at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a conference game since Collin Klein at West Virginia in 2012.

• A product of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson has been responsible for 21 touchdowns this season as he needs three to tie for 10th in school history for a single season.

MULTIPLE 1,000-YARD SEASONS• Running back DJ Giddens has 995 rushing yards this season as he eyes his second-straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

Cats Begin Season's Stretch Run by Hosting Arizona State

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q: When you got Peyton Hendershot, did you have your eye on having him contribute on special teams?

TOUB: “Yeah, he (Peyton Hendershot) was a good player in Dallas. I talk to (Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John) Fassel down there and he called me immediately as soon as we traded for him, and he said, ‘You got my guy.’ He does a good job. He can run and he does a good job, he’s real physical. He understands, he has good instincts, and he helped us in that game. He was able to step in on a short – you know obviously when he (Jared Wiley) got hurt – he got (called up) on a short notice and was able to be a three-phase player for us in that game so it helped.”

Q: What did you see on Mecole Hardman’s 30-yard return?

TOUB: “It was a good job by him (Mecole Hardman). You know we blocked it up pretty good, we doubled down the gunners, we had six guys in the box. We got a good punt, he set it up really well and bounced it out to the wall. Once we got to the wall, he was able to use his speed and get out. Unfortunately, that’s where he got hit and landed on his shoulder, but he was able to come back in the game and he toughed it out and came back. It says a lot about him.”

Q: What’s the scouting report on the Broncos?

TOUB: “Ah man, they are really good and I’m not just – I mean this is real. They are probably (a) top five unit right now. You know as it speaks – as it is right now, statistically. You put on the tape, and it got our attention right away. They fly around, the (Broncos) returner (Marvin) Mims is probably the best guy we’ve faced all year. (Broncos) Punter Riley Dixon moves the ball well. (Broncos) Kicker (Wil) Lutz is doing a great job. I mean, (they’re) well coached. (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben Kotwica is probably the – you know I have a lot of respect for him, I think he is one of the best coaches in the league. We’ve got our hands full. They’re built to dominate on special teams. They’ve got a few of our ex-players too. They’ve got (Broncos CB) Tremon Smith and – (Broncos FB Michael) Burton. I can’t forget about Burton, I mean shoot, he’s a great player.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Listen, we got a – it’s a quick week coming off a Monday night game, hopefully we get plenty of rest and get ready to play on Sunday. (It’s) nice to have a noon time game with a little sunlight out so we’re looking forward to that – AFC West Divisional Game so we’re pretty fired up about that. With that, I’ll open it up.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you feel Joshua Williams did with the added snaps?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“(Joshua Williams did a) solid job. We have some things we have to work on. I think if you asked all the guys – I don’t know, maybe you’ve spoken to them. Listen, the most important thing is we won the game. Nobody felt good about the way it ended defensively. The last thing we want to do is put the offense back out there, go to overtime – the whole thing, so that part was disappointing. Quite frankly, we need to get better there because in the last three games – I mean the other two games were two possessions, it’s a little bit different, but this one stung a little bit and we hope to improve there. Getting back to the original question, I thought Josh (Joshua Williams) was solid. There’s some things we have to get better (at), and we’ll see where we go from here.”

Q:&nbsp;When you look at where you guys are now, what traits stand out to you about how you’re finding all these different ways to win and what is it that drives that?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The head coach drives it first, then the quarterback, then hopefully the defense is factored in there somewhere. It’s funny, you ask the question, and I don’t know, maybe this is a fault, I don’t know but I get – I’m kind of like so here (motions hands to indicate being focused) that sometimes I’m unaware that we’re winning games like we’re winning them because all I’m really concerned about is not letting them score points to give our team a chance to win. We’ve found ways, ahead, behind, overtime, field goals, touchdowns and that’s – I think it’s a credit to the guys in the locker room – the character of those guys.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you see out of Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“When are we going to get one that’s not so good (laughter)? Boy, for a rookie, he (Broncos QB Bo Nix) has a command. I watched – I went back and watched the first game he played in and was – I thought he – (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) had him doing things that sometimes you say, ‘Do you have a rookie do it in the first game that he plays?’ But yet, there he is doing it. I just think he’s gotten better every week. He looks more comfortable. You guys (the media) see it. It’s another athletic quarterback and I think those guys are always headaches because there’s certain things you can and can’t do because you’re afraid that he’s going to make you look bad with his feet and he can do that. I think he’s getting – listen, the guy can throw the football, there’s no doubt about that. They have themselves a good one.”

Q: What are some of the keys to the success on third down and what is the importance of converting on third down?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very important. Probably just staying ahead of the sticks first (and) second down and it always goes to that. (That’s) kind of the commonsense answer but then also there’s been some stuff with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) using his legs. Conceptionally, if something’s not there I think he does a good job of ‘eyes down and then how can I make something happen with my feet.’ Then, (it’s) almost like you see whether it’s first, second or third down, he also now entices the defense that they’ve got to stop him and now he does a good job of still kind of playing that ‘go, throw or go’ type (of) deal with the line of scrimmage where you either go and run, you throw it or all of a sudden they think you’re going to do that then he runs and gets a first down. It’s a combination of all of that but I’ll go back to the start. First and second down, staying ahead of that – the sticks and then eliminating the penalties.”

Q: How have you guys been able to be so adaptable despite all the injuries this season?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Probably the mentality that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid has. No matter who it is – I say this and I mean it, he doesn’t care and we don’t care. Whoever’s out there, we put it on us that we’ve got to stay together, we’ve got to do what’s best for the players – whoever it is. We believe in those guys (and) we hope (that) they believe in us and then let’s go stay positive and make things happen and guys have done that. They’ve been able to step in, some guys have had prior history that we know with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Kareem (Hunt) but there’s other guys too that are going to have to step up. They feel the belief and Coach Reid has the belief in his players and coaches. We all feel that and it’s something that just organically grows.”

Q: Does it feel like you have so many different ways to win now? Is that something that has come from your ability to adjust with injuries?

Chiefs Coordinator QuotesNovember 7, 2024ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ: When you got Peyton Hendershot, did you have your eye on having him contribute on special teams?TOUB: “Yeah, he (Peyton Hendershot) was a good player in Dallas. I talk to (Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John) Fassel down there and he called me immediately as soon as we traded for him, and he said, ‘You got my guy.’ He does a good job. He can run and he does a good job, he’s real physical. He understands, he has good instincts, and he helped us in that game. He was able to step in on a short – you know obviously when he (Jared Wiley) got hurt – he got (called up) on a short notice and was able to be a three-phase player for us in that game so it helped.”Q: What did you see on Mecole Hardman’s 30-yard return?TOUB: “It was a good job by him (Mecole Hardman). You know we blocked it up pretty good, we doubled down the gunners, we had six guys in the box. We got a good punt, he set it up really well and bounced it out to the wall. Once we got to the wall, he was able to use his speed and get out. Unfortunately, that’s where he got hit and landed on his shoulder, but he was able to come back in the game and he toughed it out and came back. It says a lot about him.”Q: What’s the scouting report on the Broncos?TOUB: “Ah man, they are really good and I’m not just – I mean this is real. They are probably (a) top five unit right now. You know as it speaks – as it is right now, statistically. You put on the tape, and it got our attention right away. They fly around, the (Broncos) returner (Marvin) Mims is probably the best guy we’ve faced all year. (Broncos) Punter Riley Dixon moves the ball well. (Broncos) Kicker (Wil) Lutz is doing a great job. I mean, (they’re) well coached. (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben Kotwica is probably the – you know I have a lot of respect for him, I think he is one of the best coaches in the league. We’ve got our hands full. They’re built to dominate on special teams. They’ve got a few of our ex-players too. They’ve got (Broncos CB) Tremon Smith and – (Broncos FB Michael) Burton. I can’t forget about Burton, I mean shoot, he’s a great player.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Listen, we got a – it’s a quick week coming off a Monday night game, hopefully we get plenty of rest and get ready to play on Sunday. (It’s) nice to have a noon time game with a little sunlight out so we’re looking forward to that – AFC West Divisional Game so we’re pretty fired up about that. With that, I’ll open it up.”Q:&nbsp;How do you feel Joshua Williams did with the added snaps?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“(Joshua Williams did a) solid job. We have some things we have to work on. I think if you asked all the guys – I don’t know, maybe you’ve spoken to them. Listen, the most important thing is we won the game. Nobody felt good about the way it ended defensively. The last thing we want to do is put the offense back out there, go to overtime – the whole thing, so that part was disappointing. Quite frankly, we need to get better there because in the last three games – I mean the other two games were two possessions, it’s a little bit different, but this one stung a little bit and we hope to improve there. Getting back to the original question, I thought Josh (Joshua Williams) was solid. There’s some things we have to get better (at), and we’ll see where we go from here.”Q:&nbsp;When you look at where you guys are now, what traits stand out to you about how you’re finding all these different ways to win and what is it that drives that?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The head coach drives it first, then the quarterback, then hopefully the defense is factored in there somewhere. It’s funny, you ask the question, and I don’t know, maybe this is a fault, I don’t know but I get – I’m kind of like so here (motions hands to indicate being focused) that sometimes I’m unaware that we’re winning games like we’re winning them because all I’m really concerned about is not letting them score points to give our team a chance to win. We’ve found ways, ahead, behind, overtime, field goals, touchdowns and that’s – I think it’s a credit to the guys in the locker room – the character of those guys.”Q:&nbsp;What do you see out of Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“When are we going to get one that’s not so good (laughter)? Boy, for a rookie, he (Broncos QB Bo Nix) has a command. I watched – I went back and watched the first game he played in and was – I thought he – (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) had him doing things that sometimes you say, ‘Do you have a rookie do it in the first game that he plays?’ But yet, there he is doing it. I just think he’s gotten better every week. He looks more comfortable. You guys (the media) see it. It’s another athletic quarterback and I think those guys are always headaches because there’s certain things you can and can’t do because you’re afraid that he’s going to make you look bad with his feet and he can do that. I think he’s getting – listen, the guy can throw the football, there’s no doubt about that. They have themselves a good one.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ: What are some of the keys to the success on third down and what is the importance of converting on third down?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very important. Probably just staying ahead of the sticks first (and) second down and it always goes to that. (That’s) kind of the commonsense answer but then also there’s been some stuff with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) using his legs. Conceptionally, if something’s not there I think he does a good job of ‘eyes down and then how can I make something happen with my feet.’ Then, (it’s) almost like you see whether it’s first, second or third down, he also now entices the defense that they’ve got to stop him and now he does a good job of still kind of playing that ‘go, throw or go’ type (of) deal with the line of scrimmage where you either go and run, you throw it or all of a sudden they think you’re going to do that then he runs and gets a first down. It’s a combination of all of that but I’ll go back to the start. First and second down, staying ahead of that – the sticks and then eliminating the penalties.”Q: How have you guys been able to be so adaptable despite all the injuries this season?NAGY:&nbsp;“Probably the mentality that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid has. No matter who it is – I say this and I mean it, he doesn’t care and we don’t care. Whoever’s out there, we put it on us that we’ve got to stay together, we’ve got to do what’s best for the players – whoever it is. We believe in those guys (and) we hope (that) they believe in us and then let’s go stay positive and make things happen and guys have done that. They’ve been able to step in, some guys have had prior history that we know with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Kareem (Hunt) but there’s other guys too that are going to have to step up. They feel the belief and Coach Reid has the belief in his players and coaches. We all feel that and it’s something that just organically grows.”Q: Does it feel like you have so many different ways to win now? Is that something that has come from your ability to adjust with injuries?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-8-24

Wheat foods get caught in a crossfire of fad diets and misinformation ranging from low-carb diets like Atkins to pushes for gluten-free foods following Wheat Belly. Luckily, producers have a powerful ally to combat these negative trends - the Wheat Foods Council, the industry organization that works to fuel demand for U.S. wheat, set the record straight on enriched wheat foods and bring in expert voices to consumer-influencing conversations.&nbsp;

Tim O’Connor, president of the Wheat Foods Council, recently sat down with Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations, for an episode of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast to discuss how the organization is targeting “wheat influencers” to redefine wheat foods in the public eye.

“We work to increase demand for the 50 percent of wheat that’s produced in the U.S. that’s not exported,” O’Connor said. “It stays here in this marketplace, and we have to deal with the challenges and the opportunities that the U.S. marketplace presents us.”

The Wheat Foods Council is an industry-wide partnership dedicated to increasing domestic wheat foods consumption through nutrition information, research, education and promotional programs. The Council has a unique membership, comprised of the entire wheat value chain, including state wheat commissions supported by wheat checkoff dollars.&nbsp;

“Here we have everybody from the growers, the state wheat commissions, the millers, the bakers, the ingredient suppliers, the life science companies. Everyone in the value chain can participate in the Wheat Foods Council,” O’Connor said. “Because the world looks different to a wheat grower than it does to a miller or a baker. When we can blend all of those points of view together to understand the challenges each sees, we can find a solution that’s a win-win for everyone.”&nbsp;

O’Connor and Harries discussed how the Council currently has two major priorities for their work - tackling misperceptions about enriched wheat foods and leveraging influencers in the fitness and culinary sectors to reshape public perception.

Enriched wheat flour is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. This enrichment has provided major health benefits to consumers and represents the majority of wheat foods products produced in the United States. Still, enriched wheat flour is largely misunderstood or misrepresented in nutritional information online.&nbsp;

“You can find thousands of articles on wonderful things about whole wheat,” O’Connor said. “But once you start looking for information on enriched wheat flour, it starts to get pretty negative very fast.”&nbsp;

Addressing this misperception, along with the larger challenge of combatting low-carb fad diets, requires a very strategic approach. But the Wheat Foods Council is up to the challenge, as they work to turn those messages around by working with groups that influence consumers - chefs and fitness professionals. Targeting these influencers offers more credibility than a seeming echo chamber of the wheat industry positively promoting their products. Plus, it is also more financially efficient because the organization can work with influencers who reach millions of people.&nbsp;

The first group that the Wheat Foods Council targets is fitness professionals, including nutritionists and others who educate consumers about exercise, nutrition, weight loss, weight management and other related topics. Altogether, there are more than 300,000 of these professionals, who collectively reach several million consumers every day. The organization started by conducting surveys to better understand what information these groups gave consumers, finding that they promoted a lot of fad diets and misinformation.&nbsp;

“The majority of who they see are people who are overweight and out of shape and have decided to do something about it,” O’Connor said. “And the first thing they would do would be put them on a low-carb diet because they believed strongly that this was the way to manage and lose weight.”

In addition to fitness professionals, the Wheat Foods Council also decided to target the chefs who set the menus at major restaurant chains or work at food product companies. This includes chefs that set the menus at “industry institutional theaters” like college campuses, corporate campuses, sports venues and other places where people go every day and eat what is on the menu.&nbsp;

The approach to reach these influential groups is similar - meeting these folks where they are and providing them with information on the nutritional value of wheat foods and how this ingredient can help meet consumer wants.

For fitness professionals, the Wheat Foods Council conducts webinars that provide continuing educational credits, pulling in experts like Nancy Clark, an Olympian turned sports nutritionist, and Dr. Brett Carver, a wheat breeder at Oklahoma State University. For chefs and other decision-makers, the Council brings these experts to custom educational programs at places like the Culinary Institute of America. For both audiences, the Council also brings its expertise to industry conferences and provides educational material influencers can use on their social media channels.&nbsp;

“We’ve had tremendous success in getting high-volume restaurant chains and high-volume food manufacturers coming to our events and going home with a whole different perspective on how to use wheat foods,” O’Connor said. “They feed millions of people every day. We want them to see wheat foods as something that they want to consume, something that they value rather than buy into many of the trends that have vilified wheat foods.”

This work requires a strategic approach and complex conversations, but at the end of the day, the Wheat Foods Council is providing simple and straightforward answers to consumer questions like: Is this good for me and my family? Do I want to serve this and eat this and feed it to my kids, or is this something I want to stay away from?

Each piece of education is a well-executed play from the Wheat Foods Council’s strategic playbook - driving demand for U.S. wheat and bringing a positive image of wheat back to the American dinner table. And it would not be possible without the support of the entire wheat industry, down to the individual wheat producer who pays into their state checkoff each harvest.&nbsp;

“This work is important to growers; it builds a more vibrant, dynamic marketplace for the wheat that they grow,” O’Connor said. “They need to know that the money they’re putting into these check-off programs is being utilized to advance the work of the Wheat Foods Council along with the other organizations that work on international marketing and policy work on behalf of the industry.”&nbsp;

Listen to the full conversation with Tim O’Connor and all other episodes of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast at&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0011d2jphxPNdKTDdCn_c_CbrS9wKsQxLFyN0ZVEXrDFeDmKXpb0jr2aC4s3G6_tWL7L0t7fYo8Gnumz_QFwHhDLZhPpxCXvF9kzlp1WFkZirok1ZnRZ3v1Xqf2CUCgJKJFgYDDT0wCOQHvdRJcJa5G9txToVvyd0Wi_-2eP_nUKQ6acec41LT7YxUMVm5ew6CBvf68fYecAeCO8yRZ7f70hV8vb8W8VpJr&amp;c=uUX4qQHKbNmldAB21k1K5dosQEqjQglVGIDfKLPEdJHIZqVrxcthhw==&amp;ch=UcOlSdcDYa3CIvupr9AOtKC9dMb7Laj-GJlwwiYBrbDDw8YtB_A2mw==" target="_blank">wheatsonyourmind.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730973797337.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>JULIA DEBES Kansas WheatWheat foods get caught in a crossfire of fad diets and misinformation ranging from low-carb diets like Atkins to pushes for gluten-free foods following Wheat Belly. Luckily, producers have a powerful ally to combat these negative trends - the Wheat Foods Council, the industry organization that works to fuel demand for U.S. wheat, set the record straight on enriched wheat foods and bring in expert voices to consumer-influencing conversations.&nbsp;Tim O’Connor, president of the Wheat Foods Council, recently sat down with Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations, for an episode of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast to discuss how the organization is targeting “wheat influencers” to redefine wheat foods in the public eye.“We work to increase demand for the 50 percent of wheat that’s produced in the U.S. that’s not exported,” O’Connor said. “It stays here in this marketplace, and we have to deal with the challenges and the opportunities that the U.S. marketplace presents us.”The Wheat Foods Council is an industry-wide partnership dedicated to increasing domestic wheat foods consumption through nutrition information, research, education and promotional programs. The Council has a unique membership, comprised of the entire wheat value chain, including state wheat commissions supported by wheat checkoff dollars.&nbsp;“Here we have everybody from the growers, the state wheat commissions, the millers, the bakers, the ingredient suppliers, the life science companies. Everyone in the value chain can participate in the Wheat Foods Council,” O’Connor said. “Because the world looks different to a wheat grower than it does to a miller or a baker. When we can blend all of those points of view together to understand the challenges each sees, we can find a solution that’s a win-win for everyone.”&nbsp;O’Connor and Harries discussed how the Council currently has two major priorities for their work - tackling misperceptions about enriched wheat foods and leveraging influencers in the fitness and culinary sectors to reshape public perception.Enriched wheat flour is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. This enrichment has provided major health benefits to consumers and represents the majority of wheat foods products produced in the United States. Still, enriched wheat flour is largely misunderstood or misrepresented in nutritional information online.&nbsp;“You can find thousands of articles on wonderful things about whole wheat,” O’Connor said. “But once you start looking for information on enriched wheat flour, it starts to get pretty negative very fast.”&nbsp;Addressing this misperception, along with the larger challenge of combatting low-carb fad diets, requires a very strategic approach. But the Wheat Foods Council is up to the challenge, as they work to turn those messages around by working with groups that influence consumers - chefs and fitness professionals. Targeting these influencers offers more credibility than a seeming echo chamber of the wheat industry positively promoting their products. Plus, it is also more financially efficient because the organization can work with influencers who reach millions of people.&nbsp;The first group that the Wheat Foods Council targets is fitness professionals, including nutritionists and others who educate consumers about exercise, nutrition, weight loss, weight management and other related topics. Altogether, there are more than 300,000 of these professionals, who collectively reach several million consumers every day. The organization started by conducting surveys to better understand what information these groups gave consumers, finding that they promoted a lot of fad diets and misinformation.&nbsp;“The majority of who they see are people who are overweight and out of shape and have decided to do something about it,” O’Connor said. “And the first thing they would do would be put them on a low-carb diet because they believed strongly that this was the way to manage and lose weight.”In addition to fitness professionals, the Wheat Foods Council also decided to target the chefs who set the menus at major restaurant chains or work at food product companies. This includes chefs that set the menus at “industry institutional theaters” like college campuses, corporate campuses, sports venues and other places where people go every day and eat what is on the menu.&nbsp;The approach to reach these influential groups is similar - meeting these folks where they are and providing them with information on the nutritional value of wheat foods and how this ingredient can help meet consumer wants.For fitness professionals, the Wheat Foods Council conducts webinars that provide continuing educational credits, pulling in experts like Nancy Clark, an Olympian turned sports nutritionist, and Dr. Brett Carver, a wheat breeder at Oklahoma State University. For chefs and other decision-makers, the Council brings these experts to custom educational programs at places like the Culinary Institute of America. For both audiences, the Council also brings its expertise to industry conferences and provides educational material influencers can use on their social media channels.&nbsp;“We’ve had tremendous success in getting high-volume restaurant chains and high-volume food manufacturers coming to our events and going home with a whole different perspective on how to use wheat foods,” O’Connor said. “They feed millions of people every day. We want them to see wheat foods as something that they want to consume, something that they value rather than buy into many of the trends that have vilified wheat foods.”This work requires a strategic approach and complex conversations, but at the end of the day, the Wheat Foods Council is providing simple and straightforward answers to consumer questions like: Is this good for me and my family? Do I want to serve this and eat this and feed it to my kids, or is this something I want to stay away from?Each piece of education is a well-executed play from the Wheat Foods Council’s strategic playbook - driving demand for U.S. wheat and bringing a positive image of wheat back to the American dinner table. And it would not be possible without the support of the entire wheat industry, down to the individual wheat producer who pays into their state checkoff each harvest.&nbsp;“This work is important to growers; it builds a more vibrant, dynamic marketplace for the wheat that they grow,” O’Connor said. “They need to know that the money they’re putting into these check-off programs is being utilized to advance the work of the Wheat Foods Council along with the other organizations that work on international marketing and policy work on behalf of the industry.”&nbsp;Listen to the full conversation with Tim O’Connor and all other episodes of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast at&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0011d2jphxPNdKTDdCn_c_CbrS9wKsQxLFyN0ZVEXrDFeDmKXpb0jr2aC4s3G6_tWL7L0t7fYo8Gnumz_QFwHhDLZhPpxCXvF9kzlp1WFkZirok1ZnRZ3v1Xqf2CUCgJKJFgYDDT0wCOQHvdRJcJa5G9txToVvyd0Wi_-2eP_nUKQ6acec41LT7YxUMVm5ew6CBvf68fYecAeCO8yRZ7f70hV8vb8W8VpJr&amp;c=uUX4qQHKbNmldAB21k1K5dosQEqjQglVGIDfKLPEdJHIZqVrxcthhw==&amp;ch=UcOlSdcDYa3CIvupr9AOtKC9dMb7Laj-GJlwwiYBrbDDw8YtB_A2mw==" target="_blank">wheatsonyourmind.com</a>.

Wheat Scoop: Redefining Wheat Foods in the Public Eye

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the guys that won’t go (practice) today, JuJu (Smith-Schuster) won’t but (he’s) making good progress, (he’s) just a little bit away. Then, Turk (Tershawn Wharton) won’t go today but it is good. He had a knee contusion and so we’re just letting it rest today. Everybody else will be out there and working. Again, we look forward to the challenge of playing Denver. We know they’re a good football team (and) they’re very well coached in all the phases. (Broncos Offensive Coordinator) Joe (Lombardi) does a good job with the offense along with (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) and (Broncos Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) on defense. (He’s) been a head coach, he’s a great football coach (and he) has a tremendous scheme there. Then, (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben (Kotwica) works with the special teams and does a nice job there and they’ve got good players. Like I said, they’re playing well (and) they’re executing well in all three phases so anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”

Q: With Patrick Mahomes, is there any expectations as far as managing the ankle that you need to back off a little this week?

REID:&nbsp;“No, we won’t have to back off, but he (Patrick Mahomes) manages it. He stays on top of all that.”

Q: Kingsley Suamataia played a couple of snaps on the first drive. What was happening on that?

REID:&nbsp;“So, our called player was 64 (Wanya Morris) so then we could sub Kingsley (Suamataia) out. When we put Mike (Caliendo) in and Mike could come in – you have to sub the guy out – the called player. So, to do what we were trying to do you had to make that move but I mean, it shows you the trust that we have in Kingsley too, because we came in and threw the ball. It didn’t matter what the play was. We have two good young guys. They’re getting better as we go.”

Q: Is it easier to have Wanya Morris eligible based on his limited receiving skills that we’ve seen? Is that a part of the equation as well?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah. I mean, you know – we’re not – yeah. Listen, they both can catch so yeah, they both (Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia) can catch.”

Q: What are the timetables for Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco in terms of returning to practice?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re taking it week-by-week, day-by-day, that whole deal. I mean, we’ve got to work through the doctors on that so – and the checkups there. They’re both (Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco) doing great, they’re both making progress. JuJu (Smith-Schuster) the same way so we’re getting close.”

REID:&nbsp;“Eh, I don’t think so. No.”

Q: What do you think has enabled you guys to keep moving forward and stay undefeated?

REID:&nbsp;“These games have been close. A lot of them. So, I’m proud of the guys for playing for four quarters and hanging together for that time but – so I’d probably tell you that. We can get better in all the different spots, me included. We’re just all kind of working in the same direction right now and that’s important to see if we can improve as we go.”

Q: Does it seem to you that it’s been a variety of different ways to win?

REID:&nbsp;“Different things have shown up at important times. I’d tell you, yes and guys have stepped up and really all three phases have been involved in that. So, I’d tell you yes.”

Q: Are there key ingredients to the successful third downs over the past few weeks?

REID:&nbsp;“First of all, (Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) does a great job supplying the plays on that and the guys buy in and believe in it. You’ve got an offensive line that’s doing a nice job protecting and a quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) that’s a real good player (laughs). Then, the receivers and (Travis) Kelce and Noah (Gray) have done a great job with their execution there – and staying alive. So, if there was a breakdown here or there or they did a great job in coverage, the guys stay alive and are able to get themselves open. It starts with Matt and what he’s put together for them.”

Q: What stands out about your three-interior offensive lineman?

REID:&nbsp;“Well they’re (Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney) all best buddies, they’re always together. They’re good players and they work at it. They’ve played together long enough where they kind of know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and cover up the weakness with each other’s strengths. Again, these challenges that we had – and this week won’t be any different. Their (Denver Broncos) inside guys are great, so it’ll be another big challenge for those inside three to execute. Just like last week was, that was a big challenge. They’re good friends, they spend a lot of time together, they study, they’re smart guys.”

Q: On Xavier Worthy’s development.

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) doing a good job. You know he just had that luck of stepping out of bounds there but what a great route. That was an adjustment he made to even put himself in that position off of the route but he’s doing a good job. He didn’t have his number dialed up as much as he did the weeks in the past. I mean, most of the stuff ended up going to (Travis) Kelce and 8 (DeAndre Hopkins) so that – but there will be weeks that his number is called a lot more, that’s just how it goes in these games.

Q: What adjustment did Xavier Worthy make on that route?

REID:&nbsp;“They clouded that side, and he (Xavier Worthy) adjusted back outside and was able to escape where you can get yourself forced wide. He was able to keep himself in bounds and escape that corner and force him wider than the play normally brings you to. I thought he did a great job on that part and then just – you know, he’ll learn from that – young guy, he’ll learn from it. You won’t see him step out of bounds very often, that’s not going to – but it was good, it was good. He can take some positive out of it and then he can take something he can learn from out of it too.”

Q: How much of DeAndre Hopkins’ early success is due to the way he thinks about football in the same way that Patrick Mahomes does?

REID:&nbsp;“I mean they’re both (Patrick Mahomes and DeAndre Hopkins) football guys. I’m not sure they turn it off for a long period of time, if at all. He studies like crazy. I mean we have him in a bunch of different spots so just for him to be able to pick it up like he has and be able to get out of the huddle and get lined up has been a plus and then know the routes that are coming to him. He and Pat do a ton of talking and they – you see this with good receivers, good quarterbacks, they’ve got a feel for one another in their games, and you say receivers are quarterback friendly, well some of it’s just body language and seeing the same space together and being able to work in that.”

Q: What do expect from a team coached by Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton?

REID:&nbsp;“Well first of all, he’s (Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton) a great football coach and a heck of an offensive mind. He’s got a young quarterback there that you can just see him developing every week, the kid gets better and better. He knows how to do all that and he does it as well as anybody in this league. They’re improving, their defense is playing out of their minds, they’re one of the top defenses in the National Football League in a bunch of categories. He’s got a good staff that he’s hired and he’s leading it the right way.”

Q: Is there something that you find more satisfying about a longer drive that ends in a touchdown?

REID:&nbsp;“I just like touchdowns (laughter). I don’t grade them - I mean as long as we can get in there. I think probably for the fans it’s the long ones, you know, the long bombs are all good. For us, we – it’s so hard to score in this league, you just want to get in the end zone whatever way is working for you.”

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It’s doing good. Obviously, when you have a little bit of a roll, it’s a little bit sore, but I’m able to move around and I look forward to getting out at practice and seeing how I can push it as the week goes on.”

Q:&nbsp;After a Monday night game, does treatment begin right away?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean, you can only do so much. Obviously, it was pretty late but getting some stuff in the training room right after the game and then getting some stuff to take home – you throw it on there (the ankle) – stuff that you can do overnight that you put on there to kind of reduce swelling and stuff like that. You come in early (Tuesday) morning – it was a long day yesterday of watching film and then getting treatment and doing some rehab type stuff and prepare yourself for a short week and a practice today.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you remember anything right when you hurt your ankle or was it just a blur?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I was going to run so at the last second I saw him (Samaje Perine) open and just tried to get the ball out before I got past that line of scrimmage there. It snagged on me a little bit and with the previous injury, it just sent a sharp pain down my leg. I mean, you just (have to) get the ball in the end zone – third and goal – we were able to score a touchdown in a big moment and kind of once the pain went away, I was able to get back out there and play again.”

Q:&nbsp;You didn’t necessarily feel it before you let go of the ball, right?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“You definitely feel it, but you’re more focused on the actual throw at that time, so just trying to get the ball off as fast as possible and then get away from anyone else that wants to hit me.”

Q:&nbsp;What were the days like at training camp when you would work on long drives and how much do you think that correlates with what you guys have done this year?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, 100 percent. (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid prepares us for those moments. He prepares us to be in those long drives. We do long drive drill like every day, and it sucks. I mean, it’s the best way to say it, but at the same time, it prepares you to be ready for those moments in the game. I think you’ve seen this year and in previous years, it seems like we play our best football in the fourth quarter and it’s because we’ve been preparing ourselves all year long to play our best football then. Games in the NFL are such close margins that every game seems like it goes down to that – to the very end and I feel like we’re the best prepared team in those situations.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you describe the exhaustion after those drills at training camp in St. Joseph?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I don’t want to act like it’s the hardest for me, but I know they’re hard for a lot of the guys like the receivers, the tight ends, the o-line, d-line, DBs (defensive backs). I know I’m kind of the motivator. I’m like (I’ve) got to push the guys through the finish line, but there’s not – (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) doesn’t let you sub out. He makes you go for 15, 18 plays, whatever it is in a row – you might have a water break in there, here and there, but it’s for moments like this last game and it’s proven. We’ve been able to play great football in fourth quarters and (in the) end of seasons over these last few years and I believe that’s a big reason why.”

Q:&nbsp;How is the process going as you head into the third week of playing with DeAndre Hopkins?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“You just continue to get him (DeAndre Hopkins) more and more comfortable within the offense. Obviously, he had a big game this last game, but we continue to give him more and more opportunities to make plays. We move him around and let him do what he’s special at and that’s catching the football, winning one-on-one matchups and getting open in zone coverage. It’s just going to help the entire offense, not only for him, but helping other guys get open as well. Obviously, with the big game that he had this last game, I’m sure they’ll be more eyes on him this week which will in turn help other guys get open.”

Q:&nbsp;Head Coach Andy Reid complimented Xavier Worthy on the adjustment he made even though he stepped out of bounds. How have you seen him progress as a rookie?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“He does a lot of great things. Like you said, on that play, he (Xavier Worthy) kind of had more of an in-cut type route. They (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) went to a coverage that they hadn’t played a lot with kind of a (cover) two invert with the safety kind of playing in the middle there. I looked down the middle of the field because that’s kind of my guy I look to and then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Xavier down the sideline making that adjustment. I tried to get him the ball as quickly as possible. Obviously, you’re half an inch from scoring a touchdown or whatever it is, maybe even less than that. I mean, he’ll learn from that, but I thought he did a great job on that play in general of recognizing the coverage and getting into the right spot. Regardless of stats and whatever it is, the threat of him and over the top is getting a lot of other guys open. That gets lost in the swing of things is that you don’t see the big catches down field, but I promise you the defenses are respecting his speed and that’s helping getting guys like DeAndre (Hopkins) and Trav (Travis Kelce) open kind of in that medium range.”

Q:&nbsp;Are you seeing any signs that Xavier Worthy can have a similar jump in production like Rashee Rice did last year?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Rashee’s (Rice) season was special last year, and a lot (of that) came (from) that we needed him to step up and have that role in the offense. Obviously, we’ve gotten guys in here that take off that pressure of having one guy make all those big plays, but I think you’ll continue to see big games from him (Xavier Worthy). You’ve seen it in certain moments throughout the season – the big plays. You’ve seen certain plays where he’s caught the ball and scored touchdowns. I think his role will get bigger and bigger within the offense, but I think we’re probably more well-rounded as an offense in general, so he won’t (have) – maybe not as big of the numbers and stats that Rashee had last year.”

Q: How much are you learning about DeAndre Hopkins as far as how he sees coverages and routes the way that you see them?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I mean, a lot of that comes with reps but you can tell by the way he (DeAndre Hopkins) talks and the way he does stuff on the football field that he has a good feel for getting himself open, being in the right spot at the right time. There’s certain things that we do in our offense – even at the end of the game, that’s not what we we’re really taught to do is kind of look right there but I kind of just try to get him to do it so we can get a few more yards, get that first down and that’s stuff that we’ll learn and we’ll learn from this next time. He does a great job at getting himself open and being in the right spot at the right time and as we get more and more reps, that will continue to get better.”

Q:&nbsp;Was that second-and-two on the second drive of the first quarter a true RPO to DeAndre Hopkins?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“That was a true RPO (run-pass option). The safety came down pretty aggressively and I was able to hit him (DeAndre Hopkins) and then if you watch, we kind of ran some of the similar type runs later in the game and that safety stayed back. Having that threat, not only (do) you get the one completion for a big gain, but it helps the run game out as well and it’s keeping defenses honest about how they are going to attack playing against us.”

Q:&nbsp;On what contributes to the long drives and the success on third downs.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off, having manageable third downs. We are running the ball so well and getting in these third-and-shorts, third-and-mediums, where I can throw the ball underneath and we can still get first downs without trying to force it with these third-and-long situations, so I think that contributes to a lot of the success. I think a good planning with Nagy (Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy) and all the different coaches and having a great third down scheme, having answers versus all (of) the coverages the defenses play. Obviously, I feel like we get a lot of different coverages than they might play in a week before but we’ve kind of seen some of them now, so we know and they let me know if we do get some coverages that have previously worked on us, where to go with the football and I’m able to get the ball out and guys are getting first downs.”

Q:&nbsp;What about the way the Broncos defense is playing right now poses the biggest challenge for the offense?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“They are very well coached. They play extremely hard, and they have great football players. That’s what it takes on great defenses is they have an understanding for the scheme that we run. Coach Joseph (Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) has played against us a lot – as a head coach, as a defensive coordinator – so he knows how to take away some of the stuff that we are really good at. They have great – Surtain (Broncos Cornerback Pat Surtain II) might be the best corner in the NFL, so you have a guy that can take away some guys because he’s that good of a player, that high caliber of a player. Then the whole entire team, they play together as a team, they play hard, they don’t let you have anything easy, so some of those drives, even in the game we won (during the 2023 season), we got down the football field, but they didn’t give up touchdowns. They forced us into turnovers, they forced us into field goals, and they played the long game, so it’s about us executing like you said these long drives and finding ways to get in the end zone and know it’s going to take perfection on every single drive in order to do that.”

Q:&nbsp;Are you excited to play a noon game on Sunday?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I’m excited for it because my kids are going to get to come. All of these night games are awesome, and they are primetime, but the kids don’t get to go to a lot of those because it’s past bedtime or if they do, they have to leave early, so I’ll be able to have the kids at the game. They will get to have a great experience at (GEHA Field) at Arrowhead (Stadium) and hopefully we can wake up and have a good game. It’s going to be a great challenge for us though. We’re just going to take our best football against a division opponent, but hopefully you get in there and get a win and you’re able to watch football the rest of the day.”

Q:&nbsp;Would you point to something beyond the stats that accounts for why you guys are undefeated?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it’s just – we’re a really good football team. Whatever it takes that day, guys are going to step up and make the play – if it’s defense, if it’s offense, if it’s special teams and each individual in those situations, they’re going to step up and make that play whenever their number is called that day. None of us are about stats here, we’re about wins. We’ve kind of dealt – we’ve went seasons where we have had great stats and not won the Super Bowl and the seasons like last year whenever you don’t necessarily have the great stats, but you win the Super Bowl still feel way better. Just to be able to go in each and every week knowing that it’s going to take – whatever it takes, we’re going to find a way to win the football game. It comes with experience, and it comes with a great culture that we’ve built here.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like this is the most adaptable you guys have been?