Thank you to K-State Athletics Communications for providing the following quotes from Tuesday's Kansas State press conference.
Videos provided by Grant Flanders and Matt Hall.
CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
“Good afternoon everybody. (It) was obviously a really exciting day on Saturday. (We) got the guys together for the first time yesterday and kind of reviewed and talked about the game, a lot of the positive things. We talked about some of the things we need to continue to improve upon. We really flipped the page pretty quickly because we have a big game this week against KU. They’re playing really well and with a lot of confidence. I thought our guys had a really good practice yesterday; it was our first workout since the game. We got through the game relatively good from a health standpoint other than Eric Gallon, who will be lost to the season with a knee injury. It was unfortunate that we lost Eric because he was playing well and increasing his role. Our thoughts are with Eric moving forward.”
On paying attention on the process…
“You hope that the process is beginning to be ingrained into those guys, but you’re always reminding them about why we’ve had success. I think success is defined by each day just getting better and not worrying about Saturday. We can’t worry about Saturday today or on Thursday. We have to handle it each day. That’s kind of been the whole message throughout the entire season. Even when we had a couple losses in a row, I felt we were improving as a football team. That’s all you can ask for is just continuing to get better on a daily basis.”
On the importance of the Sunflower Showdown…
“I know it’s a big game, obviously, with the Governor’s Cup, the trophy game and those things, and I think those things are neat. They’re part of college football, the rivalries. I think those are great. But once again, we can’t get caught up in all that. We have to get caught up with making sure that we come up with great game plans this week and that the guys understand the details of the plan, don’t get ahead of ourselves and make sure we have a great week of prep.”
On recruiting implications of the Sunflower Showdown…
“I think all of our games in the Big 12, because of proximity with all the recruiting areas, have an impact, without question. This one’s really no different. They recruit a lot of the same areas, whether it is local or out of state as we do. So, every week it’s impactful.”
On the status of Jordon Brown…
“He didn’t practice yesterday, but we envision him practicing some today and should be ready to roll full speed by Wednesday.”
On how to prepare for Kansas’ offense with a new coordinator and if he sets aside the other games...
“Well, I don’t think you set them totally aside. Yes, you have to see how it’s differently called in those last two games, without question, but they’ve also had a lot of the same formations, probably a lot of the same terminology for a number of weeks. So, we have to look at the whole body and then maybe focus in - Scottie (Hazelton) would - on how it’s called. Maybe it’s a little different. We’re just kind of digging into that. I know this - the level of confidence that those guys are playing with, obviously they bought in quickly to the change. I think the quarterback, (Carter) Stanley, and all the skill kids are playing really, really well and playing with a lot of confidence.”
On if they’ve faced an offense like Kansas’...
“Probably not. Everybody is unique in their own way in the offenses that we have played. Everybody knows there’s tremendous offenses in this league. I think KU’s just really solid in their balance right now. They get into a lot more personnel groups than a lot of the Big 12 teams we’ve played so far. They can pack it in with a couple of tight ends and a couple wide receivers, or they can spread you out in four-wide. Obviously, the running back (Pooka Williams) can do so many things in and out of the back field, and they hand him jet sweeps and stuff. I know they’re continuing to put more of their offense in. So, I think we’ll see some unique things or different things that we haven’t seen so far this year. (I’m) really impressed with their offense right now.”
On how he has handled rivalry games in the past…
“Well, the kids knew about them. The players did, that’s the biggest thing. You always try to focus on that game, the next one on the schedule. If it’s the rivalry game, great. I’ve been told by a number of people - I’ll give you the name - Gus Bradley. Gus played at North Dakota State and Gus has been a long-time coach in the NFL. He always told me, ‘Don’t put too much emphasis on one game, because what are you going to do the other 10 weeks of the year?’ Or 11 weeks of the year? Or, for him, 15 or 16 (weeks). So, it is important, I’m not downplaying that, but you better just attack each day and attack what we have in front of us, which is to try to learn the game plan each day.”
On the importance of limiting turnovers…
“Turnovers are, obviously, really important and we’ve been fortunate that Skylar (Thompson) has done a really good job taking care of the football. Explosive plays are another big factor. We were a little bit more even this week. Even though Oklahoma had a number of explosive plays, we had a number of them ourselves. The field position and time of possession game - to a lot of people it’s not important, (but) to our whole offense it is because of us methodically moving the football down and being able to run the football with a degree of success. It takes time off the clock and keeps a prolific offense off the field.”
On the play of Skylar Thompson the last couple weeks…
“Just comfort level, continuing to learn more about the offense, continuing to have conversations with Coach (Courtney) Mess (Messingham) and Coach (Collin) Klein about the things that they’re seeing, the things that he’s seeing. I’ve asked him to have more input on the things that he’s watching during the week of things that he really likes. Mess is really good about, ‘Hey, I want to know what you would like on 3rd and medium. I’d like to know what you like on a 1st and 10 in the play-action game. What are things that you see because you’re out there. You’re the one that’s going through it on a play-by-play basis.’ So, I just think he’s continuing to get more comfortable, and we’re talking about seven games into this tenure that he has in our offense.”
On his first impression of Skylar Thompson and what made him think they could work well together…
“One, he’s a great competitor. He wants to be great. He wants to be challenged. He’s a football junkie. He loves the nuances, the X’s and O’s and those things. He works extremely hard at his craft, whether that’s mentally or physically, he works extremely hard. I’m glad it paid off for him on Saturday. I know he feels he can continue to get better.”
On finding a rhythm for the offense…
“Running the football, obviously, is the big key and us not having negative plays. We did not have as many minus-2, minus-3 plays where you get into a 2nd and extra long, or you have a good, then on second down you have a poor play and you’re back to 3rd and long . We were pretty good on 3rd and medium-to-long last week. That’s a testament to Skylar (Thompson) seeing the field so well. We were able to open up some things in the passing game simply because we were able to rush the football. That’s paramount to our success in the offense we’re running. Whether it’s inside run, which we were able to pop a few, as well as the perimeter run.”
On if they have asked any positions to do something incredibly different than the previous staff...
“No idea from the previous staff. All of our guys, we talk all the time on Sundays when we come back in after a win after or a loss, ‘What more we can get out of each position?’ We go around the room of who’s guys played really well, who’s guys are coming along that are understanding our schemes better, who’s playing faster. That’s the thing that we kept harping on this week is, we’re learning more about the systems. Is it perfect? No it’s not. It’s a long ways away, but we’re playing faster. I thought that’s what I’ve seen, big picture, over the last three weeks is we’re playing faster, not only in practice, but now it’s translating over to some Saturdays too.”
On if the players were focused for this week yesterday or still thinking about the win…
“A little bit of both. (We) had a meeting with the captains, and they were moved on. It was a great, great victory, but they were moved on. I know that they echoed a lot of that in the locker room. We always have a team meeting on Monday, go through some of our awards, and then flip the page and say, ‘Ok, here’s this week’s goals and objectives of what we need to do to be successful. Now let’s go execute on Monday. Let’s learn the small details on Monday so that we can hone in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.’ Like I said, I thought we had a really focused group out there yesterday. (It) probably helped that there was some snow in the air and it was a cool night, but it wasn’t windy, so it was actually pretty pleasant out there. Some of the guys probably hadn’t ever seen snow. I don’t think Josh Youngblood had seen much snow before in the past. It was a good practice and the guys focused on the new game plan, because each week we have to come up with some new things, offensively and defensively, to give our guys a chance to be successful.”
On the Oklahoma game will be a turning point for the offensive line…
“I hope so. I know we have a lot of good football players there. You guys know we have a lot of good football players there, but I also caution our guys just like I do every week. What you did in the previous game has no bearing on the next game. You can’t compare scores, and you can’t say, ‘Well, we ran the football well this week. That means we’re going to next week.’ It doesn’t work that way. This game is too hard. There’s too good of coaches. There’s too good of players. Each week is a brand new week in this league.”
On if he has crossed paths much with Kansas head coach Les Miles…
“None other than when he was hired at KU and I was hired here, we had a couple interactions at some different functions that we were at. I had good conversations, although quick, I had good conversations. (I) obviously have tons of respect for Les in the profession with his longevity and how well he’s done and his sustained success. I think all of us can see what he’s done in a short period of time at the University of Kansas which has been really productive and really good.”
On the passing ability of Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley…
“One, is he’s got a grasp of the offense. You can tell in the last two weeks he’s understood a lot of things really well and the ball comes out on time. I’ve seen Texas try to pressure him. He knows where he’s going with the football, the pressure doesn’t get there because he knows how to get the ball out. He sees coverages really well. He sees match ups really well. I think he throws the deep ball extremely well, and we’ve seen that against a lot of people where there’s people right on guys. They’re electric at wide receiver, now. They have some great players at wide receiver. It’s not just, ‘Well, you have to stop just one guy.’ There’s a bunch of guys that can beat you at wide receiver. He’s distributing the ball to all of them. As you watch him, especially early in the season and then as he’s come on late in the season, I think he has a real good connection with a number of guys at receiver, and he is throwing the ball well.”
On what the Kansas game means for Jax Dineen…
“We were happy to get Jax in the recruiting process. We thought he had a chance to help us as a true freshman. He’s done a nice job. He played a little bit more last week, and we continue to get him more and more involved in the plan. I'm know that it was probably not easy for the Dineen family to see somebody go to Manhattan. But, in the same respect, Jax loves it here He’s a great fit here, and he has a lot of good buddies here. He’s embraced being a Wildcat, and he loves being a Wildcat. I’m excited to see him, not only this week, but as he continues on his career.”
On Kansas’ defensive front seven…
“They have a bunch of them. I like their front seven. They have a bunch of veterans on the defensive line. They’re long. They’re really athletic. They cover ground. They’re strong, and they get off blocks. For us to focus on one guy, I think they have a bunch of guys who are really good up there.”
On how pleased he’s been with Offensive Coordinator Courtney Messingham…
“I’ve been around Mess my whole life. I just love the guy because he’s a competitor, and he’s a great play caller. I’ve seen it, not just in the last three years, but I’ve followed his career when I wasn’t with him. He doesn't ride the roller coaster. He has a plan. He sticks to the plan. He’s really good in the staff room because he wants input from all coaches, and not a lot of guys will really take that. Sometime they ask for the input, will he use it? I was, obviously, really happy for Mess because once we had some things going in the run game, it’s a lot easier to call plays. If you can run the football, it opens a lot of things up. If you struggle to run the football, a lot of people could call it, and it just doesn’t work if you can’t find a way to get the run game going.”
On if Khalid Duke replaces Eric Gallon on the third down jet package…
“We have to look at that and see. That was a significant role based on trying to find a guy that we could spy Jalen Hurts. Whether it was Eric or Khalid, they can both play a little bit until (Eric) got hurt. I think each week will be a little bit different. We’re not to the third-down stuff yet with our game planning, so we’ll see how that goes as the week goes on.”
On the emphasis on performing well on special teams…
“I think you always have to place great emphasis on special teams. It’s the same thing with anything else - you can’t put too much emphasis on it one week. You better have a sustained amount of excellence on teams. In all of our wins, special teams have been a big, big factor. This past week, we get the fumble recovery on the pooch kick. Devin Anctil has a couple of big-time punts against. Blake (Lynch) was on point. We made some takes against a great returner. This week’s no different. We have to be able to flip the field position with our kicker and punter, and we need to find a way to make an explosive play on returns, especially to get a short field for our offense. I think that’s critical.”
On a three-running back formation and its effectiveness in the offense…
“(It) always has been a part of this offense, dating back to our time at NDSU. It’s obviously more effective when we had Jordon (Brown) because now you have Jordon, James (Gilbert) and Harry (Trotter) that are experienced, older guys. When you can have three tailbacks back there, you don’t know which way it’s going. We’re scratching the surface on a lot of things that we can do out of that formation. Does it mean it’s a big part of this game plan? I don’t know. You’ll have to talk to Coach (Courtney) Mess (Messingham) on Thursday. We look at things and see if it’s a fit, and if it is, we’ll roll some things out with it. We haven’t seen it every week. We’ve seen it some weeks, and part of that has been, obviously, the injury factor to Jordon.”
On Harry Trotter’s impact in the run game despite limited carries…
“Harry is a team guy and wants to do anything he can to help us win. When Jordon (Brown) came back, that was going to limit some of his opportunities, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to play and win. We’re trying to incorporate him into a few more special teams because he’s a really good football player. He’s a team guy. I told the guys, that’s why we won the game and that’s why we’re having some success. It’s all about the name on the front of the jersey. It’s all about the team. It’s all about us embracing the offense, defense, special teams, and our scout team was really good last week. Our offensive and defensive scouts gave us a great look, and that’s hard to do when you’re not in the mix. I think Harry is a great representation of, ‘Hey, if this is my role, I’m going to own the role. I’m going to embrace the role, and I’m going to dominate the role.’ So, I hope a lot of the young guys can learn from a Harry Trotter.”
On the Oklahoma win impacting recruiting…
“I think it’s still a body of work. I don’t want it to be one game. Obviously, that game was a big game and a big win, but it’s still your overall body of work.”
On if there were any lessons learned from a big win earlier this year at Mississippi State...
“Part of it was a bye week, too, in there. We’ve talked about the rhythm of playing football. It’s something we visited about with the captains. Do you learn something about that? Do you learn something after losing a couple in a row? You’re never as bad as you think you are. You’re probably never as good as you think you are, either. Once again, it kind of goes back full circle to the first conversation we’re having here - you better attack each day in your preparation, because if you don’t prepare Monday through Friday, you don’t have an opportunity to be successful Saturday.”
On what he liked from the defense in the win over Oklahoma…
“That we limited them to field goals. You’re not going to stop that offense. That offense is phenomenal. I think we had a great third quarter. They only had a couple possessions and didn’t do much in the third quarter. So that was really key, but the other things were first drive, limiting them to three. A couple other times, limiting them to a field goal. That was really important. We played better on defense. We know we have to continue to play better for us to be successful, but I know the guys are seeing it as they watch film over the last few weeks that we are getting better, but we still have a long way to go to get where we want to be on defense.”
BLAISE GAMMON, SENIOR TIGHT END
On the Sunflower Showdown…
“I think it means so much. It’s a fun rivalry. We are excited for the game, so we are excited to attack this week of prep and get ready for the game.”
On both teams coming off victories...
“I think it was going to be a very big game anyways. Obviously, we are looking to win every week so it was great that we handled our business with OU, and KU is a team who is playing well. They played Texas really well and just beat Texas Tech, but we are excited and looking forward to a great week of practice and get ready for Saturday.”
On what he sees on film of Kansas…
“I think they are playing really well. They play hard on defense and fly around. They have a lot of talented guys, and then, obviously, their offense has been getting after it the last couple weeks. Carter (Stanley) has been playing really well, and they have position players who are making plays too.”
TREY DISHON, SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
On how much he is looking forward to Saturday…
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s my senior year and it’s KU, playing at their place for the last time.”
On what it would mean to get bowl eligibility this Saturday…
“It’s big. Everyone is looking at that, but I know one thing we are looking at is taking it one game at a time. It might sound cliché, but I think that’s how we got the win against Oklahoma was preparing one day at a time, and then Saturdays take care of themselves. ”
On moving past the Oklahoma game and onto Kansas…
“It was tough, but it’s over now. It was a good Saturday and Sunday of looking back on how we played and how we competed against OU, but it’s the Sunflower Showdown now. We are really getting guys into this one day at a time, so we can compete on Saturday.”
SCOTT FRANTZ, SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On the offense against Oklahoma…
“I don’t know if it’s anything we did different. We run the same plays. It’s not like we have a different playbook week in and week out. I think it just came down to everyone doing their jobs. I feel like everyone did their jobs well on Saturday. Skylar (Thompson) did his job. The offensive line did their job. The running backs did their job. When everyone is on the same page doing their job and doing it efficiently, you see games like that happen.”
On what the Kansas game means being from Lawrence…
“This game means a lot to me. We try to treat every game the same, but I’d be lying to you if I told you that this game doesn't mean a little more to me. Being from Lawrence, I have a bunch of buddies on that KU football team. I can’t wait to see them and can’t wait to compete against them. I’m going home for the last time, and it means a lot.”
SKYLAR THOMPSON, JUNIOR QUARTERBACK
On how big this week is…
“It’s huge, huge for many different reasons. Coming off of a big win, it’s important that we put last week behind us and focus on this week ahead. I thought we did that yesterday. We had a great start to practice for the week. We got outside in the weather, and (Joshua) Youngblood out there in the snow for the first time ever, so that was pretty funny to watch. But I could tell our focus was there. You could tell people put last weekend behind us and are getting ready for KU. KU is a good football team. They’ve shown a lot of good flashes this year. We have to be ready to go play. We know it’s going to be a dog fight. They are going to be fired up to play us, and we are going to be fired up to play them. I think it’s going to be an exciting game on both sides, and I’m just looking forward to getting out there and competing.”
On if he thinks he is coming into his own…
“Yeah, I’ve felt like I’ve made a lot of growth for sure. Just getting a lot better for four quarters, taking what the defense has given me, not trying to force things, taking care of the football and throwing away the ball if I need to. Putting our team in good situations, I think, is the most important thing, and that’s my role. I think that I’ve made a lot of good strides and growth the past couple weeks. but there is still stuff I left out there on the field as well. So, there is still room for improvement always. I just have to continue to grow and get better. The little detailed things I need to focus on and just get ready to go play this week.”
DENZEL GOOLSBY, SENIOR SAFETY
On the Kansas offense…
“For us, we know that KU is the type of team where we know they are going to give us their best shot. You look at the Texas game and how close they played Texas, and you look at early on in the OU game. So you combine that kind of team with a rivalry game, that they have explosive players and they are going to try to get them the ball. We just have to make sure we play very disciplined. Last time we were there, they did some things that we hadn’t really seen before. So now, having a new offensive coordinator, I’m sure they are going to try to put some things on film that maybe we haven’t seen this year yet. So, we are just going to be ready and play really disciplined.”
Defending run-pass options...
“Anytime they have a two-way go, it’s huge. I think for us, it’s trying to maximize leverage and where we’re at on the field and try to take away two things at once. So alignments are going to be huge for us, and also eye discipline because they have those RPO’s where if the run game is not there, you can just pull and give it to a receiver. So them having such a talented receiving group is going to bring a challenge for us, but we are excited.”
