He Said, We Say: Klieman talks before Mississippi State trip
Let's dive into Kansas State coach Chris Klieman's weekly press conference in He Said, We Say.
In this piece I'll provide paraphrased answers from Klieman (with a full transcript posted later) and thoughts on what his answers mean.
Question: On needing long scoring drives ...
He Said: We'd take the explosive plays for touchdowns, too. If we have the opportunity to get explosives plays, we'll take them, as it will be hard to get sustained drives against a defense of their caliber. We have to do a good job of mixing things up and handling the environment.
We Say: Interesting question, as all of last week's touchdown drives were more of the six-play variety than long drives, outside of the one long scoring drive for the reserves, but Klieman absolutely is right in suggesting chunk plays will be huge on Saturday.
Question: On changing gears for Miss St...
He Said: It's the same thing we've talked about before in here; we don't worry about Saturday on Tuesday. I think the reason we've had success the first two weeks is not looking ahead. We've stayed on task, and that's what we're trying to build here.
We Say: Klieman sincerely didn't sound any more worked up or excited here than he typically does. He is making it feel, for whatever it's worth, like a regular Tuesday.
Question: On MSU RB Kylin HIll ...
He Said: He's a great player. He's fun to watch, hopefully he's not fun to watch Saturday (live). He's tremendous. He breaks tackles and beats you with speed. He does everything. He's going to be a focal point of what we're doing on defense to slow him down.
We Say: Hill, of course, ripped through K-State for more than 200 yards last season on limited carries, and Klieman - and the Wildcats - would be wise to make him the No. 1 priority on Saturday.
Question: On Van Malone being at MSU last year and Isaiah Zuber being there from K-State ...
He Said: Van can talk about the environment, what it was like in the locker room before the played K-State. He knows some personnel. With Isaiah, it would be the personnel for him, as he didn't practice with us in the spring.
We Say: Klieman has brought up Malone being at MSU at least three times, I can think of, since Monday. I think it's something he believes is going to matter, and it might be an underrated note on this game.
Question: On last year's K-State vs. Miss St. game ...
He Said: K-State had an excellent opportunity early on and didn't capitalize. Their quarterback made a lot of plays with his arm and feet. It's a game we are watching, but things have changed, and we aren't putting all of our emphasis on that. We're looking more at their first two games.
We Say: Wise, of course, to focus more on this year's bunch than last year's. K-State is a totally different team from top to bottom. Things to learn, for sure, but it's not as valuable as this year's film.
Question: On MSU QBs impacting K-State's prep ...
He Said: Klieman says it won't impact their prep at all, which makes perfect sense. None of them have played enough at Mississippi State to give a great sense of how the offense changes around them, and Klieman assumes the formula will be similar for all QBs.
We Say: The three options at QB are different, for sure, and K-State knows that. But none have proven early this season to be so unique, or a big enough difference maker, to totally shift the Wildcats' focus based on who is at QB.
Question: On Wyatt Hubert ...
He Said: We are hopeful he can play; he didn't go in practice yesterday.
We Say: If we were to guess, I'd say it's slightly more likely Hubert plays Saturday than it is he doesn't.
Question: On the young backfield players (Holcombe, Wright, Ervin) ...
He Said: Every snap John gets is great for him from an experience standpoint. Seeing those pictures, all of those looks help John, immensely. With the running backs, we wanted to get them carries, not pass block. We hope that experience will make them better in the near future or the distant future.
We Say: Klieman does everything on purpose, it's fair to say at this point, and I like the idea of valuing every snap in a game, like Bowling Green, to the point you can use it to develop the roster further.
Question: On Cody Fletcher and Johnathan Durham ...
He Said: Durham will be for so, Cody, we'll find out on Wednesday. He will be limited today. I'll know more about him Wednesday or Thursday. I don't have a set policy (on how much practice is required). It's different for different players based on experience and game plan, plus the position you play.
We Say: My guess is Fletcher won't be available this weekend, but it doesn't sound as if it's been ruled out by any stretch. I'd be surprised, however, if he plays.
Question: On not having encountered difficulty before this game...
He Said: I'm counting on those guys rising up and raising their level of play, and challenging the guys who haven't played at this level yet. They have to show them it's no different than going ones vs. ones in August when tempers are flaring. It will be a different atmosphere, for sure, but I'm excited about it, and our captains are doing a great job with it.
We Say: There will be a moment, likely early, when it becomes very apparent the game on Saturday will not go like it has the past two weeks. Like Klieman said, the key is convincing your team games like Saturday, those environments, are "normal." That's what he's trying to stress, obviously, and if he's successful in doing that the Wildcats should have an opportunity for the upset.
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