Kansas State Wildcats College Football Pregame Quote, 10/27/2020

It’s always good to win a rivalry game. That was great for our kids and our kids in the program and kids from Kansas. Our team played really hard, and like I said, it was a great win. One thing that Coach has stressed ‚Äì and we have stressed as a staff ‚Äì is the importance in understanding that every win is a great win. Every week, we need to prepare ourselves to be able to celebrate in the locker room. Pay the price on Sunday and Monday and throughout the week and continue to stack the days. I feel like offensively, defensively and on special teams we continue to get better week after week. In the Big 12, we’re going to have to keep doing that. We’re playing a lot of young guys defensively and offensively. As you put more young guys out on the field, they have a chance to make mistakes. But the great thing is that we’re not seeing as many mistakes as we had in week one. That’s refreshing as a staff, so we’re going to have to continue this progression. This week will be important because we’ll face a tough opponent at (their) home. Those guys have played extremely hard throughout the season. They’ve lost some close games. They’re playing some young guys as well. It will be a big challenge for us as we roll into this week.

On the big plays made by the defense:

Coaches always say you get what you emphasize. We’ve talked about attacking the ball in the air. We’ve talked about creating turnovers throughout the season, and that’s something that, since we’ve been here, it’s something as a staff that we’ve continued to stress and emphasize. So, it’s good to see when guys go get the football, but the ability to get it into the end zone is another step. It’s exciting to see defensive backs like AJ (Parker) and Justin (Gardner) and those guys have the opportunity to score with the football because that’s something on defense that we stress. It’s our position and our job to get the ball back to the offense and to put it in scoring position as best as we can. Not a lot of defensive guys have that ability, so we’re excited when we have the opportunity to put it in the end zone as defensive backs.

On the emphasis put on special teams:

Each one of our coaches has an assignment on special teams, and everyone is involved. I think the players see that and recognize it. With special teams, you have one chance to be special. We have some units out there, specifically the punt return unit, and make big plays for our team. As we go through the season, seeing that these games are going to continue to be close, we feel like that’s our edge is us making plays on special teams to give our team an opportunity to win.

On guys like Byron Pringle and Tyler Lockett taking care of business in the NFL:

They all dream of one day playing in the NFL. If they can see that the path can lead from Kansas State to the NFL, I think that’s encouraging not only for recruits but for current players. It’s great to see guys that have sat in the same seats that you sit in who are performing and having success in the NFL. Our guys get into it and are proud, so I think it’s a great thing all around for our program.

On the differences he’s seen from school to school in terms of special teams:

I’ve been blessed to be on quite a few staffs that have put emphasis on special teams. But here at Kansas State, the fact that we’ve had so much success over the years on special teams, it’s a little bit different. Other staff recognizes the importance that special teams is a third of the game. Our players take great pride in it. They understand it. Our coaches, as well, understand the great responsibility and great history of special teams here at K-State. It kind of feeds off itself. Our coaches and players take a great deal of pride in being successful in special teams. As we’ve seen throughout this season, it’s a big part of the game and has allowed us to be successful so far.

On Stanton Weber’s work with special teams:

Stanton does the behind-the-scenes work. He’s a former player who’s been on this team and a part of the success on special teams. We couldn’t do many of the things we do without Stanton’s work behind the scenes. He does a great job of digging out tips, helping us as coaches to find things to give to our players, coming up with a plan and critiquing opponents and scouting opponents. That’s been a big-time importance for us as we’ve gone throughout the season.

On the players from other areas being here since summer conditioning:

Most of our team has been in the area. The ones who chose to stay in the area during the lockdown, they hung in here. We couldn’t meet with them or see them, but then there were others who did go home. We’re just happy to have them back and locked in for the rest of the season.

On the coaches needing to help younger guys hang in there during this tough season:

I think that question would be true for our entire team. This has been a different season. Week to week, and day to day even, there are challenges our players face in terms of the COVID testing continually and then the close contacts. There’s a certain sense that you’re always on edge because you just don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I think our players and our coaches and our support staff have done a great job of circling the wagons in that way. Dealing with issues that have surrounded with anxiety and being supportive of each other. We have a team that works hard on and off the field. We have a team that’s locked in on doing the things to prepare to be successful, so the time we were away, these guys were working. If I couldn’t lift Coach (Chris) Dawson’s weights, I had to lift milk cartons. If I couldn’t run on the football field, I had to go to the park. We did a good job, I think as a staff, of staying connected to them. They did a good job of remaining connected to each other. So, I don’t think we had as many issues as you would think, but there was and still is a level of anxiety that our players have to deal with. It’s been good to see them week to week lock into what’s going on on the football field. It’s been a next-man-up mentality. With all that’s going on, I’m proud of where our team has grown to be.

On if it has been tougher for kids who have had to quarantine whose families are further away:

There have been a couple of guys who have had to follow down that path. There’s a high level of anxiety and even depression when you have to isolate yourself from your teammates. I think our support staff have done a great job of staying connected to those players however we can in terms of Zoom and in terms of getting on the phone checking on guys just to make sure they’re ok. Our guys have withstood quite a bit in that way, and I’m talking to the players who have had to isolate for whatever reason. Guys here in Manhattan who didn’t grow up in Kansas who grew up in Georgia and Texas and other different places around the country, I think we’ve done a great job as a team of embracing those players and supporting them throughout whatever difficulties they’ve had to go through.

On his responsibilities with a different title this year:

I’ve had the opportunity to be and coach at a lot of different places. As an assistant coach, you don’t get to see many of the things a head coach has to deal with. I think the head coach does that on purpose so you can focus on the details and details of your job, your specific group. I’ve had the opportunity to see some of the things Coach Klieman deals with on a day-to-day basis as a head coach. That’s why I keep my hair cut short so that you don’t see the gray hairs as they grow. It’s been a lot of fun because having the opportunity to meet with players, having the opportunity to help him coordinate and plan for the things that are the big picture things for our team. That has been a great learning process for me. I thank him all the time for giving me this opportunity because it has been a great learning process. I say it all the time ‚Äì I think our coaches say it, and our players say it: It’s my job to make Coach Klieman the best coach in the country. I think the rest of the staff feels the same way. I would say the same thing about Joe Klanderman. It’s my job to help him be the best defensive coordinator he can be. Our players, as they have great care and concern for all our coaches, but especially Coach Klieman specifically, they say the same thing. They do what they do so that everyone will know that we have the best coach in the country.

On if Van Malone would like to be a head coach someday:

Of course, and he will.

On the interception-return touchdown by Justin Gardner:

I normally can predict the future. It was a play where we had Justin off in zone coverage. We stress in zone coverage that you have the ability to see a lot of things, which you don’t when we’re playing man to man. Justin was off in zone coverage and was able to see the play develop. When you’re in that position and get to see the play develop, it’s important that, as a defensive back especially, you take advantage of the opportunity to make a play. He saw it develop. He saw the running back start to ease out of the backfield to set up a screen play. At that point, he understands that there’s an offensive lineman coming out to block him to ensure the back escapes freely, so he knew he had to beat the block of that offensive lineman. From there, it’s about catching the ball and taking the 15 steps he had to take to get to the end zone. It’s a measure of Justin’s improvement in the defense, understanding the play and taking a good look at his keys, and then attacking the opportunity to intercept the ball.

On the progression of Justin Gardner and Ekow Boye-Doe:

I always say they work extremely hard. They’ve worked themselves into this position. As their coach, I’m excited. I’m not only excited for them. Yes, they play probably the most, but there’s other guys in that room ‚Äì from Tee Denson to Cam Key to Kiondre Thomas ‚Äì those guys work just as hard. Those guys, in my opinion, are coming together as a group. Ekow and Justin happen to be the guys out on the field and happen to really be doing a good job of making plays. I’m excited about the fact that when we put others in the game, the drop off of play is very minimal. I’m excited for that, for now and for into the future.

On West Virginia starting quarterback Jarret Doege against K-State last year:

Him coming into the game last year was a difference. The thing that’s really impressive about him is he’s a competitive kid as you watch him. Into this season, he’s definitely improved and that is the thing that makes them go. He has a pretty good arm. He’s active with his feet and doesn’t get sacked much. He’ll be a challenge for us, but speaking to last year, it did throw us a little bit. At this point, from what we’ve seen so far, he’ll be an extreme challenge for us.

On what stands out about West Virginia’s offense:

They have really good offensive linemen. They play together well as a group. The running backs, both guys that play a lot right now, are powerful and strong runners. They have good speed. You’ve seen them have a few breakaway runs. We’ll have to do a good job of wrapping up and tackling those guys well. The receiving corps will probably be amongst the best we’ll play, but you say that week after week in the Big 12. They have guys who are explosive. They use them in different places on the field, but when they get the ball in their hands, you have to do a good job of defending the perimeter well as well as vertically defending them because they have the ability to stretch the field. From the skill position standpoint, it will be a challenge for us. Defensively, those are the things we’ll continue to harp on to our players as we go throughout the week.

On Justin Gardner’s recruitment:

To do the things we want to do defensively, you need to have good corners. You have to have guys with the ability to play man to man, and honestly that starts with length and speed. Those are the things that immediately drew us to Justin is the fact that he’s a taller corner and the fact that he has pretty good athletic ability and can run. Those are the things that you see just in the numbers, but then when you have the opportunity to be around him and see what makes him tick, understand how hard he works to be the best player he can be, you’re even more intrigued. He doesn’t talk a lot. In recruiting when you deal with players who will tell you that they’re the best thing since sliced bread, sometimes that can be a turnoff but sometimes it can be intriguing and inviting for a coach even. That’s not who he is or who he’s been. He’s a kid who goes to work every day, who plays hard and is a good teammate. Those are the things we really needed in that room. I’m excited to have him here. I’m looking forward to watching him continue to progress in this defense and progress as a player.

On the 50-yard, game-winning touchdown by West Virginia last year:

You have to let the past be the past. That’s what my players would tell me. As we look back to make sure we don’t commit the same errors or make the same mistakes, I think we have a much more mature football team and a much more mature secondary. That was part of the learning process. You would hope that you don’t learn things and lose a game in the process, but when you move a year ahead later, you’re excited to have the opportunity to learn from certain things on the field. No, it won’t be on loop. Besides, we have a lot of other mistakes we need to get corrected, but I think that play was definitely one that we’ve learned from.

On if AJ Parker will be available this weekend:

He is continuing to progress. We got good news the other day, so we are with the medical staff just continuing to keep him going through the process. It kills him to miss a rep. We look for us to continue to get good news. He’s progressing and getting better day after day, so we’ll just see on Saturday.