Collin Klein has been waiting on this night since last December, and now the countdown is over. His first game as Kansas State’s head coach comes today against Nicholls at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
For Klein, the debut carries plenty of emotion. He knows the building, he knows the fan base, and he knows what it means to step back into Manhattan after two years away from the program he once starred for as a quarterback. Still, he’s trying to keep the focus where he wants it.
"It's definitely a lot for sure," Klein said. "I remember running out that tunnel for the first time against North Texas as a true freshman, and that's what I want for every one of our players.
This is their first time at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This is not, any part of it, about me - it's about our players, and that's what gets me so excited about that moment for them."
Klein’s place in Kansas State history is already secure. As a senior, he guided the Wildcats to an 11-2 record, spent time with the team ranked No. 1 in the country, and finished that season as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
When his playing career in the professional ranks never took off, he moved into coaching and joined the K-State staff in 2014. He climbed the ladder there and eventually became offensive coordinator under Chris Klieman.
His departure came only after Texas A & M offered him the offensive coordinator job, a post he held for two seasons before the chance to return to Manhattan opened up when Klieman stepped down after a disappointing 6-6 season.
Now Klein takes over a Kansas State team that was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12, though plenty around the program see the Wildcats as a possible sleeper. That push to prove the doubters wrong starts tonight, with Klein leading the sideline for the first time.
In Other News...
Kansas State Already Has A Troubling O-Line Problem Before Week 1
Kansas States offensive line is already under strain before the season opener, and the depth chart keeps getting thinner by the day. The Wildcats announced that left tackle John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick are done for the year, while freshman Oliver Miller will miss the first few weeks and left guard Tanner Morley is listed day-to-day. It is not the kind of news any staff wants to absorb in late August, especially when the front five is supposed to be the foundation for settling an offense early.
The ripple effect goes beyond the left side, too, with Donovan McIntosh, Dillon Duff and Max Lovett all carrying injury statuses heading into the game against Nicholls. For Kansas State, the concern is no longer just about who starts in Week 1, but whether the Wildcats can keep enough bodies available to protect their quarterback and get through the early part of the schedule without improvising too much up front. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Betting Big On A Risky Blindside Plan
With both John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick sidelined by injury, Kansas State is turning to sophomore Ryan Howard to hold down the left tackle spot heading into the upcoming season. It is a significant ask for a player still early in his college career, but the move also shows how much trust Collin Klein and the staff are placing in Howards development.
Howard arrives with the kind of pedigree that makes the gamble easier to understand, since he was once regarded as one of the top offensive tackle prospects. Now the challenge is far less about projection and much more about protection, because he will be responsible for guarding Avery Johnsons blind side and helping steady an offensive line that has already taken a hit before the season even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Have Found Its Austin Romaine Replacement
An offseason storyline inside Kansas States linebacker room has been the search for a reliable next man up, and Mekhi Mason has pushed his way to the front of that conversation. The senior transfer from Louisiana Tech arrived with plenty of experience, having started 11 games last year and earned second-team All-Conference USA honors, and he backed that up with a strong spring and training camp that earned him a starting job.
First-year coach Collin Klein has been encouraged enough by what he has seen to highlight Masons physicality and instincts, even drawing a comparison to former K-State standout Arthur Brown. For a defense trying to replace production and keep its identity intact, Masons rise gives the Wildcats a proven, mature option at a spot where they needed one. [Read more 🡒]