Read all of Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman's comments from Monday's Big 12 Coaches Teleconference.

Question: On Chabastin Taylor…

Klieman: He played really well on Saturday. He’s gotten better and better as the season has gone along. He battled some leg injuries early on in the season that probably limited him a little bit. He’s another one of those guys that made the most of his opportunity. Obviously he’s a really physical player and has really good hands.”

Question: On Jahron McPherson…

Klieman: He’s done a really good job playing our nickel spot. He’s an exceptional tackler and is really good in man coverage against slot receivers, because he’s really physical and he runs exceptionally well. I think, as the season has gone along, he’s probably grown as much as anybody, if not more, from a understanding of the system we have and how it benefits him. And, he’s playing at a really high level.

Question: On ties to the state of Iowa…

Klieman: I’ve been familiar with Iowa State for years and years. Obviously, Mess was an OC there. We have a lot of friends still in the central part of Iowa. Probably throughout the week it’s one of those things you’re excited to play a school you are familiar with, but once it kicks off on Saturday it’s just another one.

Question: On injuries to Malik Knowles and Walter Neil…

Klieman: I saw them both yesterday. I think they are maybe both better than what was originally thought. We’ll still see how they progress here early in the week. I don’t think you can rule either one of them out, I think they have a pretty good opportunity to play barring any setbacks and continuous improvement as the week goes on.

Question: On Nick Lenners…

Klieman: I think Nick has had a really good year. Obviously, Nick missed the entire spring ball, so that really limited him as far as learning our offense and how Mess wants to handle the tight ends, but I’ve been really impressed with Nick. He’s a really good football player that I think is going to have his best seasons and best play in front of him, hopefully as well in the next couple of games. I’m excited about his future, because as each game has gone on he’s felt more and more comfortable playing the tight end and how Mess wants it run.

Question: On meeting with the team today…

Klieman: Unusual because it’s senior week and we have to do all we can to have these seniors go out the right way. A lot of that has to be taken care of by the underclassmen preparing really well all week and having an opportunity to be successful. It doesn’t mean you will be, but you have to have a great week of preparation. The fact we don’t have school this week I think allows the guys the opportunity to not only catch up in some of the class work, but more importantly catch up on getting their bodies right and spending some extra time in the training room or doing something to make sure physically they are ready to go on Saturday. We’ll obviously be smart with how much hitting and practice time we’ll have.

Question: On Brock Purdy…

Klieman: He’s a fun guy to watch on film. He just makes so many plays and is playing with great confidence. He has a lot of weapons out there, but he utilizes them all. He utilizes their backs, their tight ends, their wide receivers… He doesn’t panic under pressure. He buys himself some time. He’s an extremely accurate player. He’s a really fun kid to watch on film, I don’t know if I’ll have as much fun watching him live, but I think he’s a terrific football player.

Question: Are Brock Purdy and Skylar Thompson similar?

Klieman: I don’t know Brock in that manner, seeing Skylar every day. But I think we have so many exceptional quarterbacks in this league, and I think you throw Skylar and Brock right into that mix. They are leading their football teams, and everybody around them is better because of what those guys are able to do for their teams.