MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Athletics) – Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to the Wildcats’ season opener on Saturday against SEMO. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.
COLLIN KLEIN, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the mentality of trying to 50 points per game…
“There’s more of a mentality type of thing more than anything. As long as you get one more than the other team, that’s the ultimate goal. Just from a mindset and offensively understanding that that is our job and role, that was kind of where that came from.”
On his feelings of the quarterback room…
“I think the exciting thing is they’re all continuing to get better. I think Will (Howard) has done a great job. Watching his maturation process the last year, and even everything he went through last year, from preparing, learning from Adrian (Martinez), competing, being in a backup role, and then obviously, the team calling his number, him being more than ready and going out and playing the way he did. Kind of watch that perspective trickle down now and him being able to be on the other side of that and get back to the younger part of the room has been really fun to see. How they’ve all competed and how they’ve all gotten better, it starts with him. I’ll tell you what, it’s been a really, really, really good competition for that number two spot. Avery (Johnson) and Jake (Rubley) both – like I told you guys last time, and I wasn’t meaning anything by it – both have played really well, had good camps. At the end of the day, naming a set depth chart is not really even how I feel – and Coach Klieman feels – is the way to do that. We’re going to have all three of those guys ready to play. We’re going to do whatever and ultimately focus on scoring as many points as we can, and obviously doing what’s in the best interest of the players. Trying to predict too many things, that’s an exercise of futility. I think both Jake and Avery will be ready to go. Who goes in the game first, Coach Klieman and I will probably talk tomorrow after we finish this week of practice and see where we’re at and how to manage it. But, you know, I’m excited to see all three of those guys, hopefully, see some action.”
On how he’s improved as an offensive coordinator…
“I think, obviously, experience just like from a player’s standpoint. Those reps are valuable. The situations. I think being able to know and understand, have better foresight of where to spend some time and what’s important, and then maybe what’s not going to be quite as important, even for myself as I prepare. I feel like I’m learning again this year, too and that’s a healthy thing as well.”
On how plays will look without Deuce Vaughn…
“Any time you have a player like that, there’s no doubt that it dictates a lot of things, it helps us make decisions and it helps things move forward. But, again, I think there’s a huge opportunity to step up for a lot of guys. I think what excites me – as I’ve said – I think we had a lot of balanced production last year, even with as dynamic as Deuce was. I think there’ll be, again, an opportunity for a lot of contributors to help pick up that slack.”
On Avery Johnson’s progression through camp…
“It’s a credit to him. It’s an absolute credit to him. He’s worked himself and earned it. He’s got an outstanding football IQ and knack for the game, what’s going on around him conceptually, what and why you’re doing what you’re doing at his age is off the charts. Then, how he’s been able to apply that to a new environment and a new system, obviously at a higher level of football than he’s played before, it’s pretty special.”
JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On his eagerness to see new pieces of the defense…
“It’s going to be an interesting deal, and it’s going to be a work in progress for several weeks, I would guess. We’ve got an interesting mixture of guys that have played a lot of football and I feel really comfortable with, and other guys are going to have pretty big key roles, probably bigger as time goes on that we haven’t seen yet or don’t know very much about. Seeing all those guys respond to the lights is going to be big thing.”
On Asa Newsom’s position on the depth chart…
“Well for starters, he’s physically very mature and very ready. He came in as a kid that had weight, he had length, he was really well-developed body wise, and had good body control, unusual body control for a young guy. When you couple that with the fact he’s got a really high IQ. He’s being taught some things that he’s never heard before, believe me, but he’s got a great capacity for learning. When he makes mistakes, he rarely makes repeated mistakes. I think that as that continues to build and his experience and amount of snaps continues to grow, he’s just going to get better and better. He’ll be a big, big factor toward the end of the year.”
On trying to get ahead early against SEMO to try to play younger players…
“I’m not banking on that at all. We haven’t talked about that at all. You bet, SEMO’s a good football team, in particular offensively. They are explosive on offense. They put up yards and points on people. Coaching at that level, I just know how they’re going to approach this game, when they get a chance to play a Power 5 opponent. So, not something that we’ve really even discussed as a staff at all.”
On how Austin Moore is progressing…
“As much as a machine can progress. He’s uploading the new software, and he continues on. He’s incredible. Talk about one of the steadiest guys I have ever been around. He doesn’t have a bad day, doesn’t have a bad period, he just continues to go. I think he really gives a lot of strength. You talk about Asa Newsom, some of those guys – Austin Romaine, some of the younger linebackers –just the steadying presence of Austin is phenomenal for them.”
On how defense can go from good to great…
“I’m hoping that we become a much better tackling team. I thought we tackled well at the first part of last year, and I thought at the end of the season that wasn’t the case. You look at the Alabama game and you look at some of the later games, we weren’t a good tackling team. I think that really put us in some advantageous third downs early in the season, and at the end of the year, it was a whole bunch more 3rd and 2s, 3rd and 1s that could have easily been 3rd and 7s and 3rd and 8s. With young guys, that concerns me. That’s something that we don’t do a lot of live stuff with. That’s not a Coach’s philosophy. We’ll do it occasionally. We’ll do it a couple of times, but it’s not like we’re doing it every day. Just the speed of the game, I think those guys just have to trust that they’re good football players and they were brought here for a reason, some of those guys that haven’t done it. I’m certain that will improve as the year goes on.”
