MANHATTAN, Kan. ā Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman and select players met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday as the Wildcats prepare for their Big 12 home opener against Texas Tech. 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. The Wildcats and Red Raiders kick off at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be shown on FS1.
Watch: Chris Klieman | Jaylen Pickle | Elijah Sullivan | Noah Johnson | Skylar Thompson
Listen: Wildcat Uncut
CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
āGood afternoon. We have a big week ahead, Fort Riley Day and fun to be back home celebrating our military and Fort Riley. We have a really good opponent coming in in Texas Tech. I have tons of respect for Matt Wells, not only a great football coach but becoming a really good friend of mine. You can tell through two games some of the things Matt wants to do are being done. Theyāre playing really, really fast, putting up a lot of points. I know heās going to get the job done there, so I know, for us, itās going to be a big task. They have a tremendous offense, the ability to score from anywhere with a lot of people that can beat you. Defensively, theyāre going to be really aggressive. They have great athletes with good size and speed. So, we have our hands full this week coming up with a gameplan on both sides of the ball, being able to move on from last week quickly. We put that to rest yesterday, had a good practice last night and will get back to our normal weekly grind this afternoon with a padded practice. Big week ahead for our guys.ā
On how quarterback Skylar Thompson has grown...
āWell for starters, he has a great competitive spirit. He competes his tail off and hates to lose. He studies the game and wants to learn more, doesnāt feel like he has it figured out. He knows he can continue to improve. Everybody knows he has a really accurate arm and throws the ball really well. Heās done some things with his legs over the past year plus with some things Coach (Courtney) Messingham and his staff have designed that I think really emphasize his strength of running, not only on the perimeter with the option stuff, but running inside stuff off of our power sweep. He continues to improve, continues to challenge himself, because he knows he can be better. I didnāt know where he was at with those milestones, but well earned.ā
On the defense generating interceptions...
āWithout question, on Saturday it was the difference to be able to create the four takeaways plus we stopped them once on fourth down and blocked a punt, so it was almost like six takeaways. We have to be able to do that. We have to be able to be an opportunistic defense. Those tipped balls sometimes go incomplete. We need to find a way to catch those. Some of the overthrows like the last one with Jahron McPherson, find a way to catch those. Being able to strip the ball with a big hit like Jahron did was big, but I am pleased with the defensive staff. They emphasize it during the week, and the kids are making some plays. We have to continue to improve across the board on defense, but I liked how we progressed as that game went on.ā
On missing players from the OU game being back for this week...
āNot many, maybe two. Maybe one or two because they caught it on the back end of it, so Iām guessing one or two. I didnāt get that fully yet from Mindy (Hoffman) and Matt (Thomason). Nobody has come back yet to practice. Nobody was back there yesterday, so we have to work with the guys who were at OU. Knock on wood, we didnāt lose anybody on Sunday. Everybody on the trip is still available. I donāt have the exact numbers. Hopeful weāll get a couple back, but weāre not getting a substantial amount of numbers back, no.ā
On the contributions of offensive lineman Christian Duffie, defensive back Jahron McPherson and defensive end Khalid Duke...
āDuffie was slated to be a starter, and I thought he had a really good summer and fall camp. We need Duffie to be an exceptional player for us. Duffie played well. I think heās going to continue to play better. Heās a young player thatās not had a ton of experience, so Iām looking forward to seeing how he progresses throughout the year. Khalid Duke is a very special talent, and I think a lot of people saw that. He makes the interior guys better because he can rush the passer. He makes Wyatt (Hubert) better because he can rush the passer. He plays the run really well. Heās about 25 pounds heavier than what he was last year. In the secondary, McPherson is a playmaker. Weāve moved him around. He started at nickel last year. We had him at fall camp at free safety, but because of issues of COVID, he had to play strong safety. Heās going to continue to move around for us. Heās an impact guy on and off the field. Iām really happy for him because his hard work has paid off.ā
On how the team impacted OU quarterback Spencer Rattler...
āAll the credit goes to the defensive line, Coach (Buddy) Wyatt and Coach Tui (Mike Tuiasosopo). We were able to rush four and put him in some uncomfortable situations. Our coverage was better as the game went on. The kids were starting to recognize some of the routes and be a little tighter in the coverage. All the credit goes to the defensive linemen and the d-line coaches because we didnāt have to bring five or six. When we did, he made us pay. We were able to rush four and get a lot of hits on him and get some critical sacks late.ā
On how far the offense has come in terms of creating big plays...
āWe had a bunch of big plays on Saturday, and weād like to continue that. We needed the explosive play on Saturday because we were struggling to sustain drives against a very fast and aggressive Oklahoma defense. We have a number of playmakers, which is exciting for Coach (Courtney) Messingham and the offensive staff. Weāre able to get the ball in a number of peoplesā hands. We know that we need to continue to be able to bounce the ball around and get it to different people, but just utilizing the players we have, guys being in the system a little bit, just understanding the concepts, schemes and what coaches are looking for, and then Skylar (Thompson) realizing the matchups. Thatās what football has kind of become as far as when you spread people out. Whatās the matchup? Is it a linebacker on a running back? Is it a linebacker on a wide receiver? Is it a safety on a tight end? If Skylar continues to progress and play like he did on Saturday and he sees those matchups, itās really difficult. We had Deuce Vaughn one-on-one with a linebacker and made a big play. We had Keyon Mozee one-on-one with a linebacker, and it was a big play. Those things kind of happen by design, as well.ā
On getting the ball to Deuce Vaughn but not overloading him...
āWe donāt worry about overloading him. Heās a very intelligent young man. He understands the game of football. We also know that we have a number of other guys and are going to have a running back by committee. We were down a couple of guys. Everyone could see that on Saturday in the running back spot, as well. I was happy for Jacardia (Wright) to at least get a carry. Heās starting to come along. We have a couple of younger guys. We have our older guys not with us right now that we hope to get back, just banged up a little bit. So, we need to continue to push more things on all those guys based a little big on availability but also based on their skill sets.ā
On Skylar Thompsonās play in the biggest moments...
āHeās a guy that plays really well when heās confident. We get him some early throws that has success, and then he kind of feeds off that. He sees the field much better now than when we first got here, but thatās a credit to him. Heās really spent the time with Coach (Collin) Klein and Coach (Courtney) Messingham learning our system and getting more comfortable and confident with changing a play, changing a protection, finding those matchups like we talked about before. Iām excited for him. He got through this last game even though people saw him limping around. He got through that game pretty well. If heās a healthy player, which he is right now, I think he can do some really special things. We have to continue to keep him protected and keep him away from some of those hits. But Iām excited about what heās done and what heās going to continue to do.ā
On the progress after the Arkansas State game...
āThey did a great job, and it canāt just be one game. It has to be sustained. We need to do this for the long haul. Thatās the challenge we made to our guys. We didnāt play well in week one, and you lose. We played well and played hard in week two and had an opportunity to win. We need to practice, prepare and do things right off the field. We need to do everything we did the previous two weeks and maybe even amp it up a little bit to give ourselves a chance to be successful on Saturday. Does it mean youāre going to win? No, but youāre going to have a much better shot when you stack those great days, not only on the field but as importantly off the field.ā
On defensive tackle Jaylen Pickle...
āI was excited because Jaylen missed the first game. He was a guy we were looking forward to. We had a lot of good players at the defensive line position last year, so he didnāt get an opportunity. This year is going to be a big year for him, and he missed the first game. I thought he did some really good things against Oklahoma. He has great length, and he was able to deflect the pass early in the game. Eli (Elijah Sullivan) had the interception. He did some really good things in the run game. Heās going to benefit from a number of those players we talked about earlier as exceptional pass rushers. So, he needs to continue to work on his game, but I see big improvement from him.ā
On how to get better on third downs...
āA couple things; one, continue to do a good job in protection. Try to avoid third and long because thatās when the defense has an advantage. See whatās working best. Weāre still learning our personnel, and I like the guys we have. What are some different things we can do with Joshua Youngblood, Phillip Brooks and the bigger guys on the outside like Chabastin Taylor and Malik Knowles to the backs like Deuce (Vaughn) and Keyon (Mozee)? Just continuing to learn what those guys can understand, as well as getting those guys in position to make plays on third down. But without question, we have to improve our third down efficiency. We have to be better on first and second down to get manageable third downs.ā
On wide receiver Joshua Youngblood...
āHeās getting better. Heās improving all the time, another kid that missed the first game. Thatās hard, guys. We have a number of kids who have played one game, whether itās the first or second and missed all of spring and summer. Itās going to be a work in progress. Youāre going to see some really good things at times, and youāre going to see some things that we know we have to improve on. Weāre working on those things everyday, and the kids are working on those things everyday. Continuity is a big part of football. Itās really difficult when you donāt have guys on a daily basis practicing.ā
On the depth on the defensive line and the play of defensive end Kirmari Gainous...
āKirmari is a guy that we need to continue to challenge and work with to be able to be a multi-position guy. He needs to be able to play outside and inside. I thought Kirmari made some really good plays for us on Saturday and made an impact. We had so many defensive linemen that made an impact in that game. Heās one of them. Now can we ramp up his role? Part of that is on Kirmari. Can he understand two spots, not just the d-end spot but the d-tackle spot. Iām excited about what weāve seen from Kirmari on a limited basis.ā
On having to mix and match in the secondary...
āWeāll keep throwing things up on the wall and seeing where they stick. Guys are going to be bouncing around again. At practice, you see guys playing two or three different spots. You may settle in by the end of the week, but itās a work in progress, and we have some young, young players that are getting better, and weāre still trying to figure out a right spot for them. Weāre early in the season, and I hate to say that in October. Weāre early in the season, so weāre going to continue moving pieces around until we find guys that fit the positions best and that gel the best.ā
On the freedom to try new things this year under the circumstances...
āIt wasnāt a lot of fun when we were down 35-14 and trying to mix and match at the same time. That is a good point, and we talk about it a lot. You also need to get good at something and get a player comfortable and good at something. Weāre struggling with that a little bit on offense and defense in trying to do not necessarily too much. Weāre not doing too much, but when we have a guy learning two spots, it becomes too much for that player. We do need to simplify offensively and defensively, and thatās hard to do against high-powered offenses and against blitz-happy defenses, whatever it may be. So, thereās kind of a happy medium in there that we need to continue to design stuff to get certain players the ball and stuff defensively to get guys in the best positions. It still comes down to those practice reps. Thatās the thing thatās so tough because we went into a game with guys maybe practicing only 30, 40 or at most 50 plays and those guys are playing 70 in a game. They had never even practiced that many plays at that position. Itās something weāre aware of. We constantly talk about it as a staff. In this pandemic, these are difficult times.ā
On why he wants to utilize running back by committee...
āBecause there are things right now that guys do better than other guys. Some guys catch the ball better. Some protect better. Some guys run between the tackles. Some run outside. Some guys can handle more. Weāre also in a situation where all those guys in that position have been out at some point. So, letās throw that pandemic word out there again. Letās put all our eggs in one kidās basket, and all the sudden that kid goes down on Wednesday or Friday, now we have to find a way to get all those reps to somebody when we couldāve split those reps up. Really, thatās at every position for us. Weāre trying to get the reps evenly distributed, so that when something does happen and a guy goes down, we canāt say that kid has only had 10 snaps and now weāre playing him 50.ā
On putting a big win behind them in order to get focused on Texas Tech...
āWe better put it behind us in a hurry, or we arenāt going to be ready on Saturday. What you did today is great, but it pales in comparison to what you can do the next day. Now, we have to move on, and I think our guys did a nice job of that on Monday. But thatās been kind of our mantra for the last year plus is stack great days and donāt worry about yesterday. Worry about today and letās win this dang day. Weāre going to try to do that today. Yeah, itās a concern, but sometimes when you lose a game, you get beat twice because you worry about that one on Tuesday and Wednesday, and our kids didnāt do that. They went to the focus of Oklahoma. Now Oklahoma is in the rear view mirror, and we have to focus on Texas Tech. Iām confident in our leaders with coaches and with players that weāll have a good week of preparation to get ready for this opportunity.ā
On wide receiver Malik Knowles...
āHeās doing well. We know he can be better. He knows he can be better. He knows he can be more of an impact, and weāll continue to find ways to get him the football. Last year, we were really beat up at that position all year long. This year, when you throw the running backs in there and you throw Briley Moore in there, we have more bodies to throw the ball around to. Everybody is going to have their day, and thatās part of the team concept that we keep trying to preach is itās not about me. Itās about the team, and how can we help the team win? If that means he catches one ball, but has three great blocks and decoys two guys out so that Deuce (Vaughn) can get one-on-one, if thatās what heās going to have to for us to win, thatās what Malik is ok doing. Everybody wants the football, but everybody wants to win. The locker room is a lot more fun when you win no matter who catches the football as opposed to if you lose.ā
On penalties and setting goals for limiting the penalties...
āWe donāt want to have any pre-snap penalties, and that needs to get cleaned up. A holding, a pass interference, those things are going to happen. But the pre-snap penalties, without question, we have to improve upon.ā
On moving AJ Parker and Jahron McPherson around in the secondary...
āYeah, it put more on their plate. Theyāve seen more football and probably can handle more of a game plan. We are trying to find the best spots for the best guys that are available, and for the younger players, eliminate some of the learning and some of the things that can go into a detailed game plan. Those two kids have played the most football, so those were two easy moves at the time. I donāt know if weāll stay that way throughout the long haul. Obviously, everything depends on the availability of guys, but I thought both those two played exceptionally well for not playing the position other than on Saturday.ā
On if there is a big difference in switching between the two safety positions...
āNot a big difference for Jahron McPherson. You see the field differently from the strong (safety) to the free (safety), but the guys that are really good in our system could play both safety and the nickel spot. The really good corners could play both corner and the nickel spots. The more we can have guys do that, and thatās what weāre trying to do right now is that we have young guys playing different spots all the time to try to find the best spot for those guys so they can help us and be an impact when their time is called.ā
JAYLEN PICKLE, SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE TACKLE
On the emotions he felt on Saturdayā¦
āThere was a lot of emotions. I just felt like it was good, it felt good. It felt amazing actually to be out there with all my brothers, especially coming away with a win, and especially against a top-tier team like we played.ā
On the impact him and Khalid Duke had against Oklahomaā¦
āKhalid had a crazy impact. He played really well for us against OU on Saturday. I donāt know about myself, I played decent I suppose. Obviously, I feel like everyone on the field had an impact. I feel like I had just another role.ā
On moving on after the highs and lows of week one and week two...
āEvery day is a different day. Youāve got to win every single day and then build on everyday and every win, and build on every loss too because there is always something new to learn.ā
On what the defense did better against Oklahomaā¦
āThatās a good question. I feel like we attacked better preparing for Oklahoma. I feel like everybodyās mindset was completely different. I feel like we just attacked everything that was thrown at us the whole week. Obviously, we had a lot of adversity with people being out and everything, and I feel like we attacked that very well and our mindsets were just different.ā
On the energy he brought to the gameā¦
āIt was more just my first time out there, pretty much my first time really playing and it was against OU, a great school and great team. I just tried to play the best I could and play with the best energy I could to help my team win.ā
On playing through any nerves...
āI donāt think I really felt nervous. I felt I was prepared for that. You know how like sometimes you get butterflies in your stomach, I never really felt like I got those. Maybe it was just because I thought I prepared well.ā
On the increase in confidence when Skylar Thompson makes big playsā¦
āYeah, all three of the phases. If special teams is playing with confidence, it gives the offense and defense good confidence. If the offense like Skylar and them are playing, they gave us incredible confidence. I felt like through the coin flip, I never thought that we would lose. I always thought we had that confidence. Then when the offense started getting good, we definitely felt like we were in there the whole time.ā
On the point in the game where they felt they had the winā¦
āThere were points throughout the whole game, obviously. I feel like whenever we had blocked that punt, it completely changed the game, and then that fourth down stop. Those two were just huge for us.ā
On creating turnovers...
āTurnovers going into every game is big for the defense. We obviously donāt score, so we wanted to give the ball back to the offense and get off the field. So, turnovers were big for us. I feel like we executed pretty well on turnovers.ā
ELIJAH SULLIVAN, SENIOR LINEBACKER
On the play of Jahron McPherson and Khalid Duke...
āKhalid, heās a force off that edge. With him gaining those 20-30 pounds that he did over the summer, over the course of the quarantine that we had, it allowed him to be a lot stronger, a lot more stout, and he kept his feet as well too. So, thatās the biggest thing. On the back end with Jahron, he made some great plays. He had the big hit, forced the fumble and caught the pick that ended the game. Jahron and Khalid made some great plays throughout the game that ultimately contributed to our win too. So, itās great having those two guys back.ā
On forcing multiple turnovers...
āWe just went into it trying to give them different looks from what we previously did, even last year when we played them. Giving them those different looks. You know (Spencer) Rattler, heās a good quarterback, but with him being a younger guy and us giving him those different looks, I feel like it rattled him throughout the game, which allowed us to come up with those picks. And even on mine, shoutout to J-Pick (Jaylen Pickle). Heās the one who got his hand on the ball and got it tipped up in the air. So, hats off to him as well.ā
On when they felt like they had Oklahoma on the ropes ...
āI thought from the start of the game we started out well, even though we did have some mistakes here and there. The d-line was getting after him (Spencer Rattler), making him move around in the pocket a little bit, making him scramble and what not. Having him move out of the pocket to where he wasnāt so comfortable sitting back there going through his different reads and progressions. I felt like that was the start for him that we did well on that. We just came up with a couple picks, a couple deflections, too, so just getting him off his spot and not letting him sit back there and be comfortable. ā
On the week of practice while missing some players in the secondary...
āIt just gets you a different guy to communicate to, and thatās what weāve been working on throughout the whole time weāve been back. Just being able to communicate as a defense as a whole no matter whoās back there. We have had a lot of guys move around, as you know, Jahron (McPherson) was back there at strong safety this week. But the biggest thing is communication no matter whoās out there. Youāve always have to be communicating through different reads and formation sets that we get and different play calls that we have. It wasnāt that hard for me and Justin (Hughes). Justin is a smart guy. He can read things pretty quickly, and then we can talk about them later after the play or on the sideline. The next time it comes up, be able to call out different checks with the safeties, nickels and whatnot as the play goes on.ā
On the upcoming match-up with Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman...
āWith them playing 70-80 snaps a game, youāre going to have some things like that, but as a defense it would be great to get some picks from him and rattle him like we did last week with Spencer Rattler. Itās always great to get picks, so just knowing he has five lets us see what kind of progressions he had or where he messed up on those so we can capitalize on that and any other plays we see that can help us out in different coverages we have.ā
On quarterback Skylar Thompson...
āCoach Klieman has challenged us to be better leaders, more vocal leaders. Stepping up as a voice for the younger guys on the team. Sometimes it just takes a little more help to come along in the spot you are as a senior, but the leadership heās taken on and taking certain guys under his wing and being able to stay even keeled in different situations where weāre up or down like we had last week. He did a great job last week of getting everybody to come back and get a win on the offensive side of the ball and staying in the fight, and thatās the biggest thing. If the leaders are out, that makes things that much harder. With Skylar, he keeps things even keeled. Having a leader that never gets too emotional, gets too high or too low, Skylar is even keeled. Thatās the biggest thing Iāve seen over the last year and the last game we played in.ā
On Skylar Thompsonās performances in big games...
āThe (2017) Iowa State game was a big game for us and went down to the wire. That game, he showed me something and from that point, heās been doing his thing. Heās a gamer. In big games, he rises to the occasion. He comes out and helps us get wins, but that Iowa State game and the last play where he was able to move around and get around with his scramble was a big play.ā
On defensive back Ekow Boye-Doe...
āHats off to Ekow. Iām glad he made that play. He broke on the ball and got a good stop. It just shows the mentality of our defense. No matter who comes in, everybody has to do their job and play up to par. With Ekow being able to step in and do his job and do it well, that shows the defensive mentality that we have. Next player up, you have to go out there, do your job and have fun and do the best you can.ā
On how he played better in week two...
āThereās a couple things on my end that I need to get better with just looking at the film. Overall, I did pretty well, but thereās always room for improvement, whether itās Arkansas State, Oklahoma or any other team we play. Thereās always room for improvement.ā
NOAH JOHNSON, SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On the improvements the offensive line made...
āI think there is still a lot we need to improve on. Obviously we can play a lot better than we did, but I think by the second half, we really started gelling together. Our communication was there despite it being on the road and a tough atmosphere. We played with a lot more finish and competitiveness. I think at the end of the day, we didnāt play our best game, but we made plays when we needed to to win the game. I think it started with a good two weeks of practice. We really were challenged by everyone on the team. We have to be better than we were against Arkansas State. I think everyone along the offensive line took those two weeks of practice as a great opportunity to get better and work on their craft. We still have a long way to go. Iām excited to see where we go.ā
On coming back from his injury against Arkansas State...
āGetting hurt always sucks, especially when it was something like my elbow because I tried to go back in and just couldnāt do it. At the same time, during that game, it also put Ben Adler in a different position that he wasnāt as prepared for. I tried to lock in and help him out as best I could. Hayden Gillum even got a chance against Arkansas State and did a great job. For me it was just trying to get my elbow right and using that motivation that I didnāt get a full opportunity against Arkansas State, so I wanted to play well against Oklahoma and be ready to go. Using that motivation pushed me a little extra.ā
On the moment things turned around for the offensive lineā¦
āProbably that first angle route that Deuce (Vaughn) took almost to the house, and then we QB sneaked it in. I think itās just making those big plays and kind of chipping away and getting the defense to load the box a little bit less because they have to respect all the playmakers we have on the outside and for us getting that confidence rolling. I think thatās a big part in our room. The more confidence you have, the easier it is to play. As the game wore on, the more confident we got in each other and in the game plan and our playmakers and in Skylar (Thompson). We just kept finishing, and thatās the most important thing. We finished one play at a time every single play until the fourth quarter, and thatās the result you get when you have that type of mentality.ā
On Christian Duffieā¦
āDuff played awesome. Duff played really good, and I know how much missing the Arkansas State game killed him because I know how hard he worked this summer to be in a position to really make an impact this year. I couldnāt be more proud of him.ā
On the improvement he saw after watching the filmā¦
āObviously we got on a bit of a roll in the second half. We also saw in the first half, even in that first quarter, our first drive was a three-and-out and in each three plays of that first drive, one of us had a bust. If we get that corrected, then all three of those plays had an opportunity to do a lot more than what they did. That was a theme we saw from watching film in the first half, and even in the second half, is that there is still some lack of execution stuff that we have to take upon ourselves and we have to correct. Once we get that corrected and keep playing hard and finishing, we are going to be able to take what we did in the second half, where we got everything going and got all our things corrected, and start scoring points. If we can do that from the jump, we are going to be in a lot better spot and not have to make 21 point comebacks.ā
On Deuce Vaughnās touchdown run in the fourth quarterā¦
āIt was well blocked. We got lucky and quick counted them and saw that they were stemming in and out of their fronts. We got them off guard. Josh Rivas made an awesome play and climbed up to his safety and got him blocked. I think you can tell if you just give Deuce a little bit of space, heās going to make something happen. It was a good play.ā
On the communication within the offensive lineā¦
āCommunication is so important between an offensive line and the offense as a whole, and for the first half of that OU game, I was not up to par with my role as what I needed to do communicating. I let the crowd noise get to me a little bit. The biggest thing is the trust between us to sometimes not have to verbalize the communication but to know everyone is on the same page. Sometimes things happen so fast and late in the snap count that youāre not going to get everything communicated and fixed. Everyone just needs to know this is what we are seeing, these are the rules. The more we play together, the more we experience hostile environments, the more we experience different looks of defenses, the better it is going to get. We are going to keep working on it every day in practice. We just have to keep improving on it.ā
On the crowd noiseā¦
āI have never played in front of 80,000 or 90,000 [people]. But before I played in front of 20,000, that was still a lot more than a game at Garden City or something like that. It was a little bit louder than that, but it was cool. For me, it doesnāt really matter how many people we play in front of because the people that matter to me are the people on the sideline and in our program and family that gets to come to the game. Fans are a nice added bonus, but thatās not something I play for or something Iām motivated by.ā
SKYLAR THOMPSON, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On his game going to the next level this season...
āThere is a lot that goes into that. My o-line is doing a great job of blocking for me, my receivers are making plays for me, my running backs are making plays for me. There are so many things that go into that ā coach getting us good plays ā and it just comes down to me executing and trusting my preparation and my teammates. Thereās just so much that goes into that stuff. After week 1, there were three or four plays that I wish I could have back with being a couple inches off on some throws. Going into the Oklahoma game, it was just about focusing on one play at a time and understanding that itās not going to be perfect. There are throws that may miss or may get dropped or may get tipped or I may get sacked. There are so many things that are just part of the game. Having a short-term memory and clearing it out whenever something really good or really bad happens is a big thing for me. Understanding in our offense that we take pride in winning the turnover margin. Taking care of the football, seeing the front of my throws, understanding the defense ā who is the placeholders in situations ā and being able to protect the football is a big part of our game plan and football team.ā
On what makes him a dangerous quarterback...
āI can do both. I can beat you with my feet, I can extend plays when things break down, I can distribute the ball in a lot of different ways, and it makes our offense versatile and hard to defend because we can do so much with our quarterback run game and scramble and drop-back play action. Thereās so many different aspects to our offense that fit my ability and my skill set. The coaches do an unbelievable job of putting me in situations to execute, and I have a lot of fun. I love this game of football, and Iām just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get to make plays, have fun, and win football games.ā
On incorporating bigger plays on a regular basis...
āYou look back at those big plays, and they're not really down the field throws other than the (Keyon) Mozee play, which was a busted coverage. The big play to Deuce (Vaughn) was an option route to the backfield and throwing it for seven yards and him going 70. I think the big thing for us is understanding that we have players that can make plays and extend plays, and we can go downfield and we have guys who can turn a seven-yard or five-yard throw into a 80-yard touchdown or whatever the case may be. I think it's big for us and our offense to continue to find ways to put pressure on defenses and take what they're giving us. There are so many different aspects going into a game where teams are prepping for us and trying to take away what we're good at or whatever the case may be. We have to understand and digest that and take what the defense gives us. If itās big plays or a 15-play drive, thatās what we have to do to score touchdowns.ā
On seeing the improvement of the offensive line...
āJust like I said, many times they're a young group that didnāt have a lot of experience coming into the season. I knew that they're talented, really good football players and theyāre just going to get better as the season goes and the more reps they get. You could feel in that game that they were starting to click and starting to get some continuity and getting confidence. I think that's an awesome feeling for me both feeling and seeing that. Those guys are out there playing hard, having fun, smiling, and laughing. You know you can tell they're comfortable and they're not uptight and nervous. I think that's the biggest thing that really impresses me about these guys, and I just have a lot of fun playing with them. They take care of me, and when I get knocked down or get hit, theyāre the first guys there to pick me up and apologize for letting me get hit like that, but they donāt have to apologize. Letās understand that itās part of it. It just goes to show how much they care about me, and I care about those guys and still have a lot of fun. Theyāre just going to continue to get better, and I'm looking forward to seeing that happen and to be a part of it.ā
On his biggest improvement from last seasonā¦
āI think itās understanding my pocket presence and understanding where my protection is at. Being able to step up and not get flustered, and then get out of there too quickly when I feel pressure and being able to step into throws when I'm about to get hit. It was a big leap for me and something I focused on a lot of this offseason. So far, I felt like Iāve done a good job of that. There was one throw to Malik (Knowles) this past game where I hung in there in the pocket and threw behind him a little bit. If I would have a more accurate throw, we wouldāve had a touchdown. Luckily, the next play we threw a touchdown to Chabastin (Taylor). There are still areas I want to get better at and improve on.ā
On being on the same page with receivers with a limited offseasonā¦
āWe're on a great page right now. We never made an excuse that the lack of time we've been able to spend together is a reason for us not to be clicking. That's not an excuse for us, and it hasn't been and never will be. Weāve done a great job of meeting, watching film, getting extra throws after practice, and we can do everything we can right now to be prepared and ready to go on Saturdays. I have a lot of confidence in our receiving corps. We have a lot of depth. We have seven or eight guys that can get in there and make plays. They all understand their role, and they understand that there's only one football to go around. I have to focus on my role and my route and trust the progression, trust my progression, trust the o-line because those guys are doing a great job. I love playing with them because, like we saw this weekend, we have guys that can make big plays. As a quarterback, that gives me a lot of confidence and makes my job easy.ā
On when he knew he had a knack for playing in big gamesā¦
āI knew that when I was in fourth grade playing in the championship game of basketball. I played for a team called Legacy and we are playing the Defenders, who were from Kansas. We were playing in the championship game of a tournament one weekend, and I had a game-winning or game-tying shot to go into overtime and played a really good game. I always knew I was a competitive kid. I used to cry when my sister beat me in checkers when I was three years old. Thatās how I've been my whole life. I remember that basketball game. I love big games and the opportunity to prove myself. Throughout my career, I've always looked forward to big games. In high school, that was always playing Staley. Staley was always our archrival that always came down to one play that decided the game, and we always were fortunate to come out and get a win in those situations. I was able to, most of the time, make a play that decided the game. I have always been a very competitive person. When I'm being doubted or people are questioning me or not believing in me, that's when I'm at my best. That was kind of the situation this past weekend, and itās just an opportunity to prove myself and to prove myself to my family and the people in my circle that I know believe in me. Thatās who I do it for, itās not anything outside of that, it doesn't matter. I love big games, I love the spotlight and having that pressure where no one expects us to win. That was my message to the football team before the game this weekend. Iām speaking for a hundred other guys who feel the same way. Thatās why we came to K-State. Thatās why youāre a K-State Wildcat to have opportunities to be the underdog and to win games like that.ā
On his role models growing upā¦
āThat person for me was Michael Jordan. Obviously, I never got to watch him play, but he had a movie called āCome Fly With Meā that was his story through high school and his whole career that I literally watched on repeat as a kid. Thatās who I wanted to be. I wanted to be Michael Jordan. I would go down to my basement and tape a free throw line and try to jump from the free throw all day and be like Michael Jordan or hit the game-winning shot. That's who I looked up to and have always looked up to. When that documentary came out during quarantine, it just solidified to me even more why I look up to him and why I want to be like Michael Jordan. I think his demeanor and the way he carries himself behind the scenes and the way that he works and leads just opened my eyes so much during that documentary. Heās not a football player, but definitely Michael Jordan.ā