MANHATTAN, Kan. ā Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman and select assistant coaches met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday as the Wildcats are in the midst of their second of three bye weeks this season. A complete transcript of Kliemanās press conference ā which was also streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ ā and players are posted below.
Watch: Chris Klieman | Van Malone | Buddy Wyatt | Collin Klein | Brian Anderson
Listen: Wildcats Uncut
Next action for Kansas State is Saturday, October 24, when the Wildcats host Kansas for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Kickoff inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium is set for 11 a.m., and the game will be shown on FS1.
CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
āGood afternoon everybody. We were excited about the great win we had on Saturday, an extremely great team win on the road in a really tough environment. It was really hot down there. We played a ton of guys on the trip, I think we played more than 60 of our 70 players, so everybody had an impact on the game. All three phases had an impact on it. Weāre improving, but thereās still a long way to go. Weāre excited about the progress weāre making. The open week comes for us at a good time. Some guys are beat up and banged up, and other guys just havenāt practiced for so long that we need to have really good, sharp practices with those players. We have to get recovered, those guys who have played a bunch. We just need to continue to push the program forward and continue to improve in all three areas.ā
On what changed throughout last week in terms of Skylar Thompsonās injury...
āMore information, more than anything. Throughout the week, they were trying to gain as much information, visit with doctors and have a bunch of different appointments. At the end of the week, it became evident that the most positive thing for him long term was to shut him down and have surgery. Weāre always looking for the best interest with all the student-athletes. That was the case late in the week. We had conversations with Skylar and a couple of texts with his dad. I know that Coach (Collin) Klein visited with his dad. Itās just something I thought needed to be done, and I think Skylar was at peace at the end of the week.ā
On the exact injury Skylar Thompson suffered...
āIām not going to get into that right now. It was an upper body injury. I have not seen him. I had a couple of texts with him. Iām hoping to see him today or tomorrow. We were off yesterday, and I havenāt had a chance to visit with the doctors other than Mindy (Hoffman) saying he was doing well, but I need to visit with him here this week.ā
On dealing with a quarterback injury while at North Dakota State helping now...
āCarson (Wentz) was Eastonās (Stick) best coach. We had a really good coach in Randy Hedberg, but Carson was with him every day helping with the game plan, helping him understand the schemes, and I challenged Skylar to do the same. I know he will with Will Howard, as well as Coach (Collin) Klein. The other thing is that we challenged everyone on the team to raise your level of play. Itās never going to be and never will be about one player. Itās about everybody rising up and raising your level of play. It doesnāt matter if itās the offensive line, defensive line or a specialist. When you lose players, other positions have to step up.ā
On AJ Parker shining in the nickel position...
āIn our scheme, he definitely is. Heās very comfortable playing nickel with the things weāre doing, whether itās zone concept, man concept or combination of man and zone concepts. Heās really comfortable seeing that middle of the field. Iāve been really pleased with his play. He had a great interception at a critical time that really turned the game in my mind. It got it to a two-score game for almost the entire second half, but just read the quarterbackās eyes and baited the QB and made a pick and a great return with some really good blocks. AJ is playing at a really high level.ā
On the wide receiver position...
āA couple of them just werenāt able to go on Saturday for a variety of reasons. I think tightness in hamstrings, groins, whatever. We went with the guys who were available. I was proud of the way those guys played. Obviously, itās not long term with those injuries, but we took the guys we thought were going to play and a few of them couldnāt. Thatās football, too. Thatās not the first time, and itās not the last time thatās happened at any position. Thatās why you prepare a bunch of guys to have an opportunity to step up when your number is called. A kid like D.J. Render did a great job. He hadnāt played that much football in a long time, and D.J. did a great job.ā
On what quarterback Will Howard will work on during the bye week...
āEverything. Throwing to receivers, understanding our run game and how we can get us in the best call based on whatever front they may be in, or running it away from pressure. I know Coach (Collin) Klein wants to get back to the fundamentals and technique, footwork and arm slot kinds of things. When you get thrust into a role like he did against Texas Tech and then ultimately against TCU, a lot of times youāre just focused on whatās the game plan. What are the adjustments and stuff? We need, collectively as a football team, to do a lot better and work on our fundamentals and techniques at all positions. For us, that will be a focal point this week.ā
On if Skylar Thompson will come back next season...
āI have not talked to him about it at all, so Iām not sure. Weāll have a conversation like we will with every senior, and thatās something we know has to happen sooner rather than later in some spots. Once again, weāre just getting into an open week. Weāve had no time, and now thatās something weāll look at, not just with Skylar but a number of players in general. Whatās our thought? Whatās the young manās thought? Will we have concrete conversations with every senior on the team this week? No, because thatās not fair to them. Some of them need to see where theyāre at degree wise. Some of them need to see where theyāre at in regards to playing at the next level. Thereās so many variables to it. How many games will we play? I know Baylor and Oklahoma State lost a game, so hopefully that will be scheduled again. We could be in the same boat. But in time, we will.ā
On establishing playmakers at the wide receiver position...
āI think itās going to open up for the receivers because of what Briley (Moore) and Deuce (Vaughn) are doing. Weāre really attacking the middle of the field, so to speak, with those two players in particular. The outside is going to become more and more open. It happened already a little bit against TCU. TCU is a really tough opponent to answer that question on, because they glue up everybody. They doubled Briley sometimes. They doubled Deuce sometimes. They were over the top. Thereās no easy throws against TCU no matter what position you play. Moving forward, we really believe that more and more attention will come to Briley and Deuce, so we have to a great job these next couple of weeks of establishing and getting some good plays to our outside guys.ā
On what the defense did best against TCU...
āWith exception to the touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, we tackled really well. They got a couple of jet sweeps on that drive that we didnāt tackle well. We played a lot of zone coverage, which allowed more eyes on the football. We were able to make open field tackles, and we did not allow the explosive play. They had a couple of runs in that late drive that were explosive plays, but throughout the first half and most of the third quarter we didnāt give them a freebie and we made life tough on their quarterback. He had beaten people with a 50-yard run or a 40-yard run. He had a big run against us last year, and we were able to corral him and get some good shots on him that made it more difficult on those guys. Collectively, at all three levels of the defense, we played well. We can play better at all three levels, but it was really complimentary football on defense. The d-line, linebackers and secondary all did their job.ā
On the tackling this season...
āItās been better. It wasnāt good the first week. It wasnāt good the first half against Oklahoma. From that time on, itās been much better. It is really difficult. In 2020, nothing is going to surprise me in college football. Wins, losses and everything else in between with how the game is played, the crispness and all those things. You just donāt have enough practice time. Even though people will say weāre going into game five and have had plenty of practice time. Weāve had dozens and dozens of kids who have been out 15 to 25 days and missed all that practice time. People think itās a great time for you to get fresh. Yeah, a Briley Moore or Drew Wiley, just to throw two names out there, that have played every snap because we donāt have a lot of backups. If we did, theyāve been out with COVID or a close contact, those guys donāt need as much this week. All the other players that have missed some time, and thatās upwards of three-plus weeks. Football is a hard sport to play when you just practice it one time. Itās like playing golf. You donāt just pick up your sticks and go shoot 75. At least I donāt, maybe some guys do. Football is no different. Iām going to go out there and play three technique or play left tackle and try to block somebody after not doing it for three weeks. Thatās hard, so thatās why we have to get back to the basics.ā
On losing Skylar Thompsonās leadership...
āAbsolutely, and thatās why heās still going to be around us a bunch. He can still be a great leader, just like Justin Hughes was last year. Thereās so many guys he can fall back on and talk to that have been in his shoes that had their season taken away that quickly. Heās not the first or last, unfortunately. This is part of the game, but I know it will make him hungrier. It will make him appreciate, not that he hasnāt, but it will make him appreciate the game more. It makes everyone thatās in his position think, āWow, this can be taken away.ā We want him to be a great example to the young players like Justin Hughes last year was. Donāt take any opportunity that you have to play for granted. Our other guys, captains and leaders, need to step up because Skylar was a great voice for the team. Noah Johnson is going to become a bigger voice. Briley Moore is going to become a bigger voice. Harry Trotter and Chabastin Taylor have to become bigger voices on offense. Defense, we have a lot of guys that talk. But on offense, it was usually Skylar and then some auxiliary players. Those auxiliary players I mentioned are going to have to come to the forefront.ā
On if heās reached out to Coach Miles at KU...
āNo, I have not. I donāt have any contact information. I probably could get it. I wish him well, just like all of us wish everybody well thatās gone through this crazy illness. We also talked about it in a team meeting yesterday. COVID is not over with by any means. Weāre still going to practice this week. Weāre not going to give our guys Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. I just want to make sure theyāre in the safest environment in Manhattan, the safest environment with Kansas State football. I understand that we could have a test on Wednesday and two coaches could be gone. I could be gone. I know the guys are following the protocols and doing things the right way, just like Iām sure Les was. You just donāt know with this disease. It can happen to anybody. We are just hammering every day the social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and all the things that you can do to prevent this. Itās far from over.ā
On which receivers to lean on moving forward...
āI think itās all of them. We have a number of guys who can make plays. The last thing I want to do is put pressure on one kid or another. Thatās part of the thing I donāt like with college football right now is these kids putting so much pressure on themselves. Then they hear in the media that a coach is putting added pressure on them. We need everybody to step up. Thatās across the board, not just the receivers. The o-line, running backs picking things up, the tight ends. We need everybody to raise their level of play on offense.ā
On the offensive flow at TCU with Will Howard at quarterback...
āNo matter who played quarterback, that was going to be a defensive struggle. Both teams had really good game plans on defense. I think both teams are playing at a high level on defense. You just watch over the years, itās just tough to move on that great defense. It was one of those games. Itās all about matchups. There are matchups where you get into a 57-54 score. Early on in that game, I knew it was not going to be one of those matchups.ā
On if there is more normalcy in practices now...
āWe have to attack it the same way because so many guys havenāt practiced for so long or were back last Wednesday and Thursday after being off for three weeks. We had a guy back for Texas Tech that the first time I had seen him in 14 days was on game day. Thatās the world weāre living in, so we have to practice not as long as we would be in fall camp, but we have to have that same mindset with the guys who havenāt had the repetitions the other guys have had. We have to catch them up so we can continue to play more guys, because with the lack of practice time and lack of time on the field, guys are getting injured more, unfortunately. Thatās the reality, so we have to have multiple guys ready to play multiple positions.ā
On Will Howard being ready for this opportunity...
āHe was excited for the opportunity. We knew when we recruited the young man that he had the āitā factor. We didnāt think it would be this year, but you never know when your opportunity does arise. Prepare every week like youāre going to play, and I know he did that. Thatās probably one of the reasons he had success against Texas Tech was his preparation was so critical. That gave him an opportunity to be successful when Skylar (Thompson) went down. Iām sure he was a little nervous, but you wouldnāt have known it. I talked to Noah (Johnson) and some of the offensive guys. They said he had total command of the huddle and was confident in the huddle. Thatās what we knew we were going to get with Will and were expecting, because he has that āitā factor. There are certain guys you just know handle the stage really well, and heās one of those guys.ā
VAN MALONE, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/CORNERBACKS
On recruiting Deuce Vaughn...
āWell, I think it was a family recruiting when it comes to Deuce. But, you know, when you walk in as a recruiter youāre always concerned with the measurements of a young man. Well, Deuce, initially, he does not fit the measurements of the prototypical running back. Although, here at Kansas State, weāve had some that donāt fit others and theyāve been really successful. So I knew Iād have to convince Coach (Brian) Anderson that no matter if this guy looked like a little kid, he played like a man. Fortunately, it worked out. I got a hypnotist and Coach Anderson agreed, and here we are.ā
On Texas schools not recruiting Deuce Vaughn...
āWell, like I said, he is a phenomenal player. He was in high school, but when you concern yourself with the metrics, the size, and the things youāre accustomed to as a player or recruiting a player, then sometimes you miss out on guys like Deuce. Weāre extremely fortunate that we didnāt because, not only is he a really good football player, but heās a great teammate and he always operates with outstanding character and integrity. So, across the board, weāre excited that we took advantage of being able to recruit him.ā
On the play of Ekow Boye-Doeā¦
āOne of things that Ekow and I actually had a conversation in ā I guess we could call this fall camp ā everything is different but there was a time period in some other places considered a fall camp. He and I had a conversation, and I told him that he was getting better and he just needed to stay on the path to continue to improve. So when it came up where he had to start the game, I donāt think he was concerned and neither were we as coaches. It was different than maybe what we had planned. He has worked hard and he continues to work hard. Just like we talked about Deuce Vaughn, sometimes here in COVID, youāre surprised. Things happen, people uncover that you might not have planned on it. In a strange sort of way, this has been a good period for a lot of people. Honestly, we challenged our players on our team, when we get locked out, go away and work on yourself, work on the things that you know will help you when you come back. Itās the teams that did that, itās the players that did that, and Ekow, right now, is showing to be one of those players.ā
On AJ Parker at nickelback ā¦
āHeās a guy with a lot of experience. When youāve played a lot of football, when youāve seen a lot of pictures, then it doesnāt really matter what position back there, you can fit in. Thatās what AJ has shown. You can fit in and have success. Heās played nickel before in his career, so itās an easy transition. I talked to the cornerbacks about it all the time ā the fact that AJ understands the trouble that a corner would have when a nickel doesnāt sit in a curl, heās always in the curl. Things like that, because heās had experience at different positions, kind of gives him an insight and gives him an edge to be able to play that position.ā
On how proud he is of his cornerbacksā¦
āIāve always been proud of the way they work. When you work as hard as they do, when you work as hard as AJ does in terms of film study, in terms of preparing himself, and Ekow, a guy who has not seen a lot of playing time but to continue to fight, to continue to come to work every day and not know when your name will be called. I have great pride in that because those are the things we preach as coaches. Thatās what the program is built upon. Itās built upon continuing to work, itās built upon no matter what the score is. So, to see those guys have success, to see them perform at the level that they are right now, it gives me extreme pride. But, they also understand that weāre not there, theyāre not there. So, weāll have to continue to work every day because, at those positions, youāre one play away from, āGet them out of there.āā
On the play of Justin Gardnerā¦
āI think his size is definitely a factor that we like from a defensive staff point of view. But again, the young man works hard. They all do. I think thatās a big key is the amount of effort and energy they put into preparation each week. The challenge that we have this week is that we donāt have an opponent, so this week the opponent is us. And, really, itās always that but this week the opponent is us. So the challenge is how can we use this week, these few days, to get ourselves rested up but get ourselves mentally prepared to charge on the rest of the way.ā
On working with Joe Klanderman as defensive coordinator ā¦
āItās been great. Really nothing has changed. Joe is who heās been. Heās a detailed-oriented guy, he works hard, he relates well with the players, he relates well with the coaches in the staff room. So, thereās really been no change. I think Joe has done a great job of leading and coordinating the plan. I continue to look to him to grow in that position. So, it hasnāt been a change, itās been exactly what we thought it would be.ā
On the instant impact of Justin Gardnerā¦
āWhen we recruited Justin and some of the other guys, Kiondre (Thomas) who hadnāt played yet, but thatās exactly what the deal was is that we needed those guys to come in and be a part of the rotation early. When things happen with injuries and situations that weāre in right now, we donāt know the timing of it all. So, itās been great to see Justin step in, to see Ekow (Boye-Doe) step in. Of course, Ekow has been on this campus much longer than Justin. Again, we donāt know the timing, so what I always tell my guys is, āItās not your job to direct the bike, itās your job to keep pedaling. When your name is called, you have to be ready to go.ā Thatās what those guys have done.ā
On his confidence in Will Howardā¦
āItās kind of funny ā Iāve heard coach say this a couple of times, that from a defensive standpoint, our defensive players, we have not had a second thought. I would say that from the offensive perspective those guys didnāt have a second thought when Ekow (Boye-Doe) had to go into the game or when Justin (Gardner) had to go in the game. I think thatās the culture of our team. We all recognize, from a coaches and players standpoint, that the next guy has to step in. We donāt have the time or the energy to bother ourselves with who is in there. I think Will is definitely a capable player. Skylar (Thompson) is and has been our team leader, but one of the things I said to Skylar early on in this situation is that you have to be his biggest cheerleader. You have to be the first one to pick him up, and you donāt have time to worry about yourself. You have to make sure youāre there for him, and I think Skylar has done that. Iām very confident in Will, but there is also a challenge in the rest of the offense that we shouldnāt make this hard for Will. You have to play better in different positions along the offensive unit to compensate for his inexperience. Defensively, we have to give him the ball. We have to give him more opportunities so that he can settle in. So, weāre not going to put it on Will, weāre going to put it on ourselves to play better so that we can give him more opportunities to come into his own.ā
BUDDY WYATT, DEFENSIVE ENDS
On the improvement in the pass rush...
āWeāre getting better as far as applying pressure to the quarterback. The first week, obviously, we didnāt do a lot of things well the first week. But I do think Khalid (Duke) being in the mix ā he didnāt play in the first game, we didnāt have him available in the first ballgame ā being back, he helps the rotation. He brings a little bit more speed to the position. So, heās one of the reasons. And then also weāve been able to find a rotation, a lineup that we can get some speed on the inside to help us generate a little bit more pass rush. I think guys have just continued to emerge, if itās Bronson Massie, or if itās Kirmari Gainous or Felix Anudike. Theyāve all been doing a really good job ā Spencer Trussell ā we have more guys and we can keep them fresh. So, weāre rotating a little bit more throughout the game. Then on third downs, we try to put the speed group out there and also in two minute situations or in the fourth quarter when we need to. Try to keep them fresh so theyāll be ready to go at that time.ā
On Wyatt Hubert...
āI think Wyatt is having a good year. Obviously his expectations, along with everybody else's is really, really huge. But I told him the other day, I said, āWyatt, youāre having an impact on the game in ways you donāt even realize and that other people donāt even realize,ā because people, they have to pay a lot of attention to him because heās a really good football player. Obviously, heās also kind of a perfectionist, so he wants to do everything right. As a coach, you love that in your players. I just try to tell him heās just has to relax and continue to play, donāt press. With the emergence of some other guys along that front, youāre going to get more opportunities in one-on-ones and things like that. Then, your time is coming. As long as you continue to believe in what youāre doing and what weāre doing, then weāll be fine.ā
On the defensive lineās ability to maintain their rush lanes...
āWe were better in this ballgame than we were against Oklahoma or against Texas Tech. We put some emphasis on them. Some of the quarterbacks in this league present dual problems. They have good arms and theyāre also really good athletes. We really try to get our guys to understand where their fit is on that quarterback, whether youāre rushing from the inside or rushing from the outside. We donāt ever want to get pushed past the quarterback or get too high on the quarterback. We want to make sure that we maintain leverage on him, try to keep the cup, and kind of have a team mentality when it comes to pash rushing. Just be in your spot, and youāll get an easy sack if youāre just where youāre supposed to be. Weāre starting to understand that a little bit more. A couple of times we got what we call selfish rushes where we got too high on top the quarterback and he escaped, but for the most part we were pleased with how we handled (TCU quarterback Max) Duggan. Heās a very good quarterback, and heās very good with his legs as well.ā
On Bronson Massie...
āBoom is having a really good year. Boom is really, his preparation and the way he practices has improved, everything has improved. Again, I attribute everything to competition. Our room is better. We have more athletes in that room right now than weāve had. Weāve always had some really good players in Reggie (Walker) and Kyle (Ball), very experienced, just really good, smart, hard-nosed football players. The kids that we have now are that but they also have some really gifted physically as far as their speed and with their quick twitch and things like that.ā
On Felix Anudike playing on the inside and the edge...
āRight now weāre using Felix because he came in as a true freshman as an unknown to us, but what he showed us right away is that he has some really good pass rush ability. So we wanted to get him on the field in pass rush situations. Heās young, heās still learning our scheme and everything, so we wanted to find a package where we can get him on the field. We moved him inside because we felt he can help us there. Heās very long. He has really good athleticism, he can run and he plays extremely hard. For a freshman, thatās pretty uncommon. Weāre excited about his future and where he goes. I know Tui (Mike Tuiasosopo) is probably licking his lips as well because Tui likes him as well. Right now heās a defensive end, but you never know. Weāve all been around football a long time ā a kid comes in as a 230-pound freshman and leaves as a 300-pound senior, so you never know what his body is going to do and what are needs are going to be. We do know this ā heās going to be a very good football player here at Kansas State for a long time.ā
On Kirmari Gainous getting in shape...
āI think so. Kirmari is a really smart football player, really instinctive football player. He had to miss some time and getting him back in shape was an issue early. Kirmari gives us the ability to play him inside and play him outside. Inside, he gives us some flexibility, which really helps us. If weāre down a defensive end, we can play him outside. If we need some help inside, we can move him inside. Heās a flexible guy, and heās really intelligent. Weāre really pleased with the way heās progressing and what heās doing for us at this time.ā
On the changes at the defensive end spot since week one...
āI think our preparation, number one. Coaches, players and everybody included. We didnāt prepare the way we should have for that ballgame. Our players didnāt and as coaches our job is to get them to do that. I think our preparation is the biggest thing. Understanding that youāre not just going to be able to walk out there and get a victory. You have to prepare to win each and every day. Thatās our motto in the defensive end room is preparing daily with a purpose and every day we try to get better at something. We want to get better at something every day. So, I think preparation is, to answer your question, the thing Iām seeing different.
COLLIN KLEIN, QUARTERBACKS
On Will Howard...
āHeās done a tremendous job. I think for the phase heās in, heās extremely far along. Heās managed the huddle and managed a lot of the things weāre doing extremely smoothly and in a very mature manner. Heās made plays. Itās a hard situation for him, too, with no spring practice and a limited number of snaps, but heās competing his butt off and preparing his butt off. Weāre just working to improve every day.ā
On if Skylar Thompson playing the best ball of his career and the adjustment after losing him...
āI know Skylar had gotten better. He did some nice things and made some improvements over the first few weeks. His pocket presence this year compared to last year, and even as the season was going along this year, was really improving. He was making some throws down the field under duress and being accurate and being able to bring that post across the field and doing some great things. It was a heartbreaking deal. Theyāre different players. Itās not fair to put either one in the other shoes, but the offense is one where if everyone does their job, thereās the ability to spread the football around and get a lot of peoplesā hands on it and try to create some space and make things happen. We think the offense has done that with both those guys.ā
On his conversations with Skylar Thompson since the injury...
āJust making sure heās doing ok and on the road to recovery really. I canāt even put into words the heartbreak for what heās gone through with the injury. I pray for him every day and talk to him pretty much every day. My heart is with him and all of our hearts are with him.ā
On the possibility of Skylar Thompson returning next season...
āRight now, itās about him getting healthy and us finishing this season strong. Weāll cross that bridge when we get there down the road.ā
On how much of the playbook Will Howard understands...
āHeās done a tremendous job. Heās a cerebral player and has studied his butt off. I donāt think, operationally, that anything is off the table. More than anything, itās just about getting experience with the live bullets and the speed of the game and the speed of the decision making and all those types of things. That just comes with time and experience. Itās not a ānot knowing itā kind of thing. Itās just getting used to the speed of the game. He got better throughout the game on Saturday. Heāll get better this week and every week beyond.ā
On a couple of Will Howardās passes being wobbly...
āWhen you start thinking a lot or processing the speed of things, you start to aim the ball instead of just letting it rip. Your feet die and you donāt get your weight transferred and things behind it, so itās a chain reaction. Itās part of just working it and drilling it. The more he plays, heāll do just fine.ā
On what they saw from Will Howard in the recruiting process...
āIt goes back to when we started recruiting him. It starts with how he carries himself and his demeanor. Heās a winner. What he was able to do in high school and carry that team as far as theyāve been in a long time and the way he did it with humility is tremendous. Heās come in here in a such a short time with limited reps and experience through the spring and has been able to earn everything heās gotten. Thatās a big part of it and earning the trust of his teammates has been really impressive. He knows, and we know that itās a long journey. Heās done some great things and is doing tremendous. I couldnāt be more pleased, but thereās a lot on the table that heās hungry and excited for that we need to all strive to improve.ā
On the value of Nick Ast...
āInvaluable. Nick does a tremendous job. Thereās probably not a guy in our program thatās worked harder. Heās been throwing balls after practice since he got here three or four years ago. To see him improvement now from where he was when he came in is a credit to him. What heās earned and worked for, and having a guy thatās been in a program for this amount of time and put in the work. Heaven forbid that anything happens for him to be able to step up is big.ā
On Nick Ast and the transition on the depth chart...
āEveryone in our room and everyone in our building is competitive and wants to get on the field. You wouldnāt want it any other way. At the same time, the team is more important than any of us. The program is more important, so whoever earns it and does the best, itās our job as coaches to provide that competition and make the best decision with the work theyāve done on the practice field. He understands that, has worked hard and is ready. You never know how it goes and when the door opens for you, you better be ready to walk through there, not thinking about when or how it should.ā
On whatās special about Will Howard...
āEvery player you coach is a little bit different. Willās maturity at such a young age and his calm poise is impressive. To go in there the past two games in some of the situations heās been in, he hasnāt wavered. Heās been calm and poised, and itās been impressive.ā
On Jaren Lewis...
āHe is getting more reps in practice in that three spot. Itās a day-to-day, week-to-week deal. Itās competitive every day, and we try to keep it that way. As of now, one and two are pretty established. Weāre taking it every day and week to week.ā
BRIAN ANDERSON, RUNNING BACKS
On what he saw from Deuce Vaughn when evaluating his high school film...
āWell, when I first saw him on tape, I looked at his size first. I was concerned a little bit. I didnāt know what the guys would think about him. So, I was pretty close to not showing his video. But as I watched it, I saw a guy who could make all the runs ā short-yardage, home runs ā and catch the ball out of the backfield. So when I brought it to the table to show the guys, what was my biggest concern is what they thought about his size. When they watched it, they really liked what they saw. Then, we pushed it on to Coach Klieman, and he wanted to offer right away.ā
On if there is anything that Deuce Vaughn has done that has surprised him...
āWell, I think there has been some short-yardage runs where he was able to get some tough yards. We had a 3rd and 2 against TCU the other day, and he was able to get three yards out of it. He had a swing pass against Texas Tech. A guy made contact behind the first-down line, and he was able to push forward to get the first down. So, his lower-body strength has been very surprising and very pleasing.ā
On if any of the other offensive coaches were concerned about his size as a recruit...
āWell, you obviously have concerns about protections and those sort of things, but his play-making ability was the overwhelming factor in that.ā
On the limit of touches given to Deuce Vaughn...
āI think we can get up to 20 (touches) either by carries or catching the ball. I think as the game goes, I donāt worry about a pitch count with him. If heās running hot, you have to feed him like any other back. The thing thatās really nice is you donāt have to take him out on passing downs because of his pass-catching catching skills out of the backfield. So, I think if you can get him five or six catches and get him 17 or 18 carries per game, thatās pretty good.ā
On Jacardia Wright earning more playing time...
āI think itās a day-by-day process. Heās still developing. The thing about running backs is, when you have a guy like Deuce (Vaughn) who can take a handoff and possibly hit a home run, catch a ball out of the backfield and possibly hit a home run, itās hard to take those guys off the field right now. So, for Jacardia, weāre going to practice this week and heās going to get a lot of reps. So heās still in his development, but heās come along. The thing about him is, and I keep telling him, āI need you to be a different kind of back than Deuce. Youāre 200-some pounds. We look at you as more of a pounder. Donāt worry about trying to hit home runs on the outside. If you can run between the tackles and be consistent doing those things, thatās going to help us in the long run.āā
On the trajectory of Keyon Mozee...
āIām very pleased with him. When a guy runs a 10.5 100 meters, he threatens a lot of people. Heās continuing to develop. Weāre going to use him more in the passing game and get him and Deuce (Vaughn) on the field at the same time because theyāre both threats catching the ball out of the backfield or running some type of jet sweep or something like that. So, heās continuing to develop, and Iām very pleased with where heās at right now.ā
On Deuce Vaughn and Keyon Mozee on the field at the same time...
āYes, as we go, as the workload gets more, and as the game flow goes kind of dictates some of that stuff and where weāre at in the game. So, I think you could see more of that as the season goes on.ā
On having so many players in the backfield playing well...
āItās a great problem to have. I looked at a couple of things this morning as far as where Deuce (Vaughn) is lining up on the field. Now, where is (Keyon) Mozee lining up on the field. Now, where is Harry (Trotter) lining up on the field. Now, you add Jacardia (Wright) into the picture. When you have the opportunity to get that many guys on the field at different spots, it just helps your offense because now people can put their focus maybe on Deuce. A couple times on Saturday, they had him double teamed with a defensive end and a linebacker. Well, it opened up some things for other guys. When you can move guys around and use their skill set, it just helps your offense as a whole.ā
On trying to not become predictable by personnel...
āThatās one of the things I look at during the week as we move Deuce (Vaughn) around, where is he lining up at the most? So, I try to put him in spots or maybe change that position out with a (Keyon) Mozee or a Harry (Trotter), and put those guys in that spot and put Deuce in a different spot and run the same play. That way people canāt say, āWell, heās always in the slot doing this,ā or, āHeās in the backfield when the backās away, heās doing this.ā So I try to move him around a little bit so people canāt get a handle on where heās at and what plays weāre running.ā
On the little things that Harry Trotter does well...
āWell, Harry is a workaholic. The thing that he brings to the table for us, he can do a little bit of everything. He had one of the best cut blocks on Saturday that Iāve seen in football in a long time. Phillip Brooks had an end-around and Harry came out and cut the guy down. It was textbook. So, his play is great leadership for our room. What I mean by that is he goes about his business every single day. He doesnāt say two words, he just wants to get better. He sent me a text this morning ā āCoach, what do I need to do this week to get better?ā Heās always looking to get better. So, his maturity, his knowledge of the offense, him continuing to help our room and help our younger guys out, heās always there for Deuce (Vaughn) to help him out if he see something on the field that Deuce didnāt see. So, his leadership is invaluable.ā