MANHATTAN - Collin Klein’s first real test as Kansas State’s head coach didn’t just come with a win. It came with a few choices that told you a lot about how he’s wired.
Before taking the job, Klein called former Wildcats coach Chris Klieman for guidance on the stuff that keeps a head coach up at night: when to trust field-goal range, how much wind and weather matter, what the game clock says, and how analytics and possession time should shape decisions on fourth down. Klieman’s answer was straightforward.
Trust your gut.
"That's a big piece of it, and that's the framework that we're gonna work from, and I believe in," Klein said. "I think that's going to be very advantageous for sustained success and production. There's gonna be moments that we gotta go with what we believe that is right in that moment and with the factors we believe in."
Through two weeks, that approach has already shown up in real time. Kansas State rolled past Nicholls in Week 1, so there wasn’t much to dissect there. Against Washington State, though, the Wildcats’ 34-7 win included a few calls that were fair game for discussion.
The first came after Kansas State put together an 18-play drive that burned nearly nine minutes in the opening quarter. Facing 4th and almost two yards, Klein chose to send out the field-goal unit for a 31-yard attempt rather than chase the first down. He wanted the third-down play to get a little more yardage than it did, and on the opening drive he decided taking the points was the better move.
Soon after, he swung the other way. On the next possession, Kansas State faced 4th and 8 while moving toward the far end of the field and into the wind.
A field goal would have been 48 yards, but Klein went for it. That decision led to Avery Johnson’s first interception of the day on a play call Klein later said he didn’t love once he saw it.
"I feel really good about our punt and our ability to pin people deep, but risk-versus-reward at that place on the field, it was maybe not as advantageous," Klein said after two nights to sleep on it. "It was fourth and less than 10. I didn't like the play after I saw it; I believe in our guys to get it when we do decide to go."
The call that stood out most came just before halftime. With 37 seconds left and the ball at their own 10, Rodney Fields broke off an 11-yard run, and Kansas State tried to push for points before the break. A defensive pass interference penalty moved the Wildcats to their own 48 with seven seconds left, setting up a possible quick strike, a long field goal try, or even a shot at the end zone.
Klein said he believed Kansas State was still 20 or 25 yards from field-goal range and didn’t think that could be reached in one play with only seven seconds left. His thinking was to steal a few more yards with a quick pass and create a chance for a Hail Mary. Instead, Johnson’s quick out-route was jumped, intercepted and returned 50 yards for a touchdown - the only points Washington State scored in the game.
"Looking back, I think I probably would've worked the field and tried to get about 15-to-18 yards in five or six seconds, which maybe could have given us a chance," Klein said. "I had a little more time than I felt, and I could've been a little more aggressive to try to attack, or we could have legitimately attacked the kick line to have a higher chance of points is probably what I would've done differently."
Even so, none of those decisions cost Kansas State in the final tally. The Wildcats controlled the game, picked up their second straight victory and gave a glimpse of how their first-year head coach handles pressure moments.
Those calls were the first in-game decisions worth debating for Klein. They won’t be the last.
Kansas State hosts Tulane on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
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