Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the Wildcats’ upcoming game against Oklahoma State on Friday.
Below is a transcript of select quotes from each coordinator, along with the video of their press conference.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR COLLIN KLEIN
On scoring a touchdown on the opening drive the first four games: “I’ve really appreciated how this group is prepared. Every game they’ve come with it with a good mindset, had the right mentality, made some big plays and been able to cash in. We have to make sure that continues.”
On if he scripts the opening drive each game: “It’s a feel thing. There will be some things that I’ll want to pair with others because field position changes, gains will change, all that stuff. I kind of know what I want to put in some of those, but it’ll be kind of a feel thing.”
On what he sees from the Oklahoma State defense: “I think No. 30 (linebacker Collin Oliver) is a really good player. He’s a really, really good pass rusher, twitchy, great bend. We’ve got to know where he’s at most of the time. Then I think we’re going to have to be ready for some of their adjustments and things as they continue to build their new style of defense for them. That’s something that we got to be on our toes. Fortunately, we’ve had a lot of experience against these type of structures here the last couple of years. So, we just got to be ready and handle what they give us.”
On if he anticipates OSU defense used the off week to put in new schemes: “Absolutely. Absolutely. I know a couple of those guys, and they’re extremely well-coached. They’re going to respond, and we got to be ready to go.”
On if the UCF game was the best response to physical play: “It was definitely a point of emphasis, for sure, and something that’s got to continue because I know we’re capable of that every week. That is something that we’re looking to obviously be consistent in for sure. I was very proud of them in that way, for sure.”
On how much a part of the offense that tight end Garrett Oakley can be: “He will be. He moves really, really well. He’s got good ball skills. I think we missed him on the one-by a little bit, but he’ll be able to make some plays for us for sure.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOE KLANDERMAN
On the skill players on Oklahoma State’s offense: “They’ve got skilled guys. They got a really talented group of receivers. I think their backs are good. They’re always going to be good up front. I think the tight ends are tough kids. So, talent is not the issue at any position that they have. It’s just putting it together, and that’s what makes them scary because I hope they put it together the week after they play us.”
On Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II: “Yeah, he’s a good player. He’s taller than what we’re used to seeing, especially around here. We don’t deal with those tall backs. But, he runs hard. He is going to look for the contact sometimes. You watch a couple of those early games in the season, he had opportunities to make guys miss, and instead of doing that, he’d run right through people. I think he’s a tough runner that is going to be hard to knock backwards, but that’s going to be the game.”
On reminding the players that they are close to playing really good defense: “You bet, and it was the same in Missouri. There were a lot of negative plays and a lot of things that we did really well, and then there’s a couple that we manufacture our own problems a little bit. A couple of things that if you did them 10 times, they wouldn’t have turned out the way that they turned out, but they turned out that way. So, those things happen. I think the more experienced we get, the more comfortable guys can just take a breath. I think one of the big breakthroughs that we had in our game against Central Florida was we pressed really hard. Certain individuals were pressing really hard to be perfect. I think just trying to stress to those guys that it ain’t going to be perfect. It isn’t always going to work out just the way that we rep it. It isn’t always going to work out just the way that it is. You have to apply your rules and principles, and sometimes they get you. If they end up getting a first down, it isn’t the end of the world. You don’t have to throw your day in. It’s just you have to go line up and play the next play. I think we did a better job of that against Central Florida than we did the previous three weeks.”
On if he feels like the defense is being close to where he wants to be: “I do. I think we did the right thing. We made some lineup shuffles by us flipping Kobe Savage and VJ Payne around in the back end was the right thing to do. Obviously losing Deuce (Daniel) Green is a thing. He was an alpha communicator, a guy that’s going to be right 99% of the time. I think this week has been really helpful for Austin Romaine to get him more comfortable in his role – which is a big one – and to get some other guys some looks at some of that stuff. Don’t be surprised to see some more guys getting some opportunities that we took a good hard look at this week that we’re going to see how they do on Friday.”
On the loss of Asa Newsom at linebacker: “He really rounded out our two too deep, and he was developing. He took his lumps, too, in the Missouri game, in particular, but he was getting better each week, and we could see that. We always had kind of thought that. That’s the way it is when you’re a developmental program. We kind of thought by mid-October that he’d be hitting his stride and we’d be very comfortable with him in there. I think he was on course to do that. So, that hurts, and that probably is going to strain some more guys, Jacob Clifton in particular, who’s just one of our smartest football players that certainly has the ability to play all three linebacker spots. He’s having to do that a little bit. So, it puts a little bit more on some guys’ plates because we’re thin and young in there.”
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