MANHATTAN - Collin Klein’s first real test as Kansas State’s head coach didn’t come with much panic attached, but it did offer a clear window into how he plans to handle the biggest in-game calls.
A few days before his debut, Klein reached out to former Wildcats coach Chris Klieman and asked for advice on the little details that shape those decisions: kicking range, wind, weather, game clock, analytics and possession time. Klieman’s message 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."
Two weeks into the season, that approach is starting to show. After a lopsided Week 1 win over Nicholls, there wasn’t much to scrutinize. Against Washington State in a 34-7 victory, though, Klein had a few choices that were at least worth a second look.
The first came after Kansas State put together an 18-play march that burned nearly nine minutes off the opening quarter. Faced with a 4th and almost two yards, Klein went with the safer play and took a 31-yard field goal. He wanted the third-down snap to create a little more room, but once it didn’t, he chose to take the points and move on.
Later, on the next possession, the Wildcats faced a 4th and 8 while driving into the wind. A 48-yard field goal would have been the alternative, but Klein decided to go for it. The result was Avery Johnson’s first interception of the night, on a call Klein said he questioned himself about almost immediately.
"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 most debatable moment came just before halftime. With 37 seconds left, Kansas State started at its own 10, then Rodney Fields broke off an 11-yard run. After a defensive pass interference call moved the Wildcats to their own 48 with seven seconds remaining, Klein saw a chance to squeeze out a little more before the break.
He said he thought Kansas State was still 20 or 25 yards away from field-goal range, and he didn’t believe one snap would get them there in seven seconds. So the idea became a quick pass to pick up a few yards and possibly set up a Hail Mary.
Instead, Johnson threw a quick out route that was jumped, intercepted and taken 50 yards for Washington State’s only touchdown of 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."
Still, none of those choices changed the outcome. Kansas State rolled to its second straight win, and Klein got something else out of the night too: a live look at the way he’ll handle pressure, risk and timing in the moments that matter most.
For now, those were the first in-game calls people could really debate. They almost certainly 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.
In Other News...
Rodney Fields Is Forcing A Kansas State Backfield Decision
Rodney Fields has gone from portal addition to one of the more interesting pieces in Kansas States offense in a hurry. The Oklahoma State transfer has topped 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the Wildcats, including a 105-yard outing with a touchdown against Washington State, and Collin Klein has rewarded that surge by naming him the starting running back over senior Joe Jackson. Fields now leads the team in carries, which says plenty about how quickly he has earned the staffs trust.
For Kansas State, the bigger question is not just what Fields has done, but how long the Wildcats will ride the current arrangement in the backfield. Any shift at running back tends to ripple through the offense, and the added attention around the recent game was a reminder that the programs future remains in view too, with top quarterback recruit Titus Huard in attendance. Fields has made the decision for Klein simpler in the short term, but the way the rest of the backfield settles in is still a storyline worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Already Has A QB Concern Collin Klein Cant Ignore
With Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth standing as the only healthy quarterbacks available, Kansas State is already living a little closer to the edge than it would like this early in the season. Sophomore Dillon Duff and junior Blake Barnett are both sidelined with injuries, and head coach Collin Klein is having to think through a depth-chart problem that most teams hope never becomes urgent.
Johnson has been the stabilizing force in the room, starting 28 consecutive games and giving the Wildcats the kind of durability every staff covets. But with Duff day-to-day and Barnett expected to miss several weeks, Klein is considering an emergency quarterback designation if the injury situation gets any worse, a reminder that even a stable position can feel precarious when the numbers are this thin. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Fast Start Now Faces The Test Fans Care About
Collin Kleins first season in charge has given Kansas State exactly the kind of early lift fans hoped to see. The Wildcats are 2-0 with wins over Nicholls and Washington State, and the strong opening has been enough to earn a few votes in both the AP and Coaches polls, a sign that the program is getting at least some national attention without quite breaking into the Top 25 yet.
The real question now is whether that promising start can hold up once the schedule offers more chances to impress. Kansas State still needs more wins to build a ranking case, and the next stretch brings games against Tulane and Cincinnati, the sort of tests that will say a lot more about where this team stands than the first two victories did. [Read more 🡒]