POP-TARTS BOWL: KANSAS STATE VS NC STATE

December 3, 2023

Chris Klieman

Camping World Stadium

Kansas State Wildcats

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are looking forward to having you, Coach, this is your first Florida Bowl trip as I understand it, certainly your first Pop-Tarts trip for K-State; if you can open us with an opening statement. Your first Florida Bowl trips.

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Thank you so much, and happy to be on the call with everyone. Can't tell you how excited we are at K-State Football to get an invitation and accept our bid to the Pop Tarts Bowl.

It's going to be fun to go down to Orlando with our football team. I know K-State Nation is going to travel in droves to Orlando and celebrate a great game for our first Bowl game down in Florida.

I can't thank Steve Hogan enough and his crew for inviting us, and I know our players are really excited about this opportunity, our families and staff are excited about it. I know our fan base is, and we'll start getting to work right away and getting our preparations for a really about North Carolina State team.

I've got a ton of respect for Coach Doeren, known him for a while, and know they are a terrific team and should be a heck of a game here in late December.

Q. I'm presuming Avery Johnson is going to start at quarterback in the Bowl game. What kind of unique opportunity is that for you guys to peak into the future with him and for him to get that experience?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Yeah, Avery will be the guy, and you're right, it kind of is a finish of the 2023 season with all the great seniors that are going to play in this Bowl game.

And then it also is the springboard to the 2024 season with Avery at the helm, and we have got a lot of skilled guys that have been really productive for us and he is going to get that opportunity to be the guy behind center.

I know that I know Coach Klein is really excited to come up with a game plan for Avery, and Avery has earned this opportunity. He's waited for this opportunity. He's played good football when we asked him to earlier this year but now it's his show.

Q. Do you know when you might have any opt-outs or when you might hear anything on that front before the Bowl game?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: You know, we've kind of met with a lot of our players last week, and I think everybody is really excited about playing one more time together in this Bowl game.

So I don't have an answer right now as far as that, but I know that we have so many seniors that want another opportunity to play with their brothers, so I'm confident we'll have a great showing and have most, if not all, of our seniors participating.

Q. Curious about backup quarterback-wise, with Jake and Adrian in the portal, you're kind of left with Jacob and I know that his status is kind of up in the air and is that looking at guys on the roster that have played quarterback or how is that -- what's kind of the process with that?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Yeah, we haven't really dove into that. We're pretty confident that Jacob will be the backup, and he's going to be a really good football player here. He ran our scout team this year and I'm excited for Jacob to have that opportunity to work with Coach Klein and be that backup guy.

Then we have a couple of guys that used to be quarterbacks, whether it on our roster or in high school, so we'll have a good plan for that.

Q. You give me some early impressions on North Carolina State, you mentioned you got a lot of respect for Dave, but what kind of jumps out to you about them at this early stage?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: I can't tell you because I've been on the road all week and we just found out we are playing them. But I've watched Dave's teams in the past and they are always really physical. They always play really good defense, and they have always had really good skill kids on offense in the games that I've seen them play.

They are so well-coached, and so I know that people in Orlando are going to be excited about this matchup because it's two really good football teams and two really good programs that are continuing to rise up in the minds of the ACC and into the Big 12.

So I think it's going to be just a great game.

Q. How crazy is this time of year? You're dealing with trying to figure out who is coming back senior-wise, you're dealing with transfers, preparing for the Bowl game. How stressful is this for you and your staff?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Well, it's what college football is. You know, everybody has to adapt and adjust, whether you're stressed by it, frustrated by it, excited by it. It's just what it is and it's not just a handful of institutions that are going through it. It's everybody at all levels. It doesn't matter if you're Division III, Division II. I've talked to my friends at FCS, the Power Five, there's coaches changing jobs back-and-forth.

This is the landscape of what we are in in college football and so what excites me is getting these guys together, our team back together on Monday with Coach Tru and our strength coach while we're on the road recruiting and starting that buildup for that Bowl game.

But yeah, there's a lot of crazy things going on in college athletics right now.

Q. I know we're talking about the Bowl game now but I wonder if you can touch on the conversations that let up to Will's decision to enter into the transfer portal and what he means to you and to this program?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Yeah, I'm going to keep a lot of those in privacy out of my respect for Will. But I'm excited about Will's future, whether that's at the NFL next year or at another school. I don't know what he's going to decide to do, and I'll kind of leave it at that.

There's nothing wrong at all with my relationship with Will Howard. It's very strong. I love the kid. We shared an awful lot this week when I get an opportunity. I've got nothing but respect for him, and appreciate what he's done for K-State and what he's done for me and my family, and I believe it's reciprocated what I've done for Will and his family. Nothing but admiration for him.

One thing I know, I want the best for Will Howard.

Q. What's your favorite flavor of Pop-Tart?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Oh, boy. Probably chocolate fudge.

Q. Eat a lot of those growing up?

CHRIS KLIEMAN: I probably did. I can tell you right now, I don't have any in the house right now and probably haven't for a few years since Colby went to college. But we had a lot of Pop-Tarts when kids were little in there and have enjoyed an awful lot of them. There's probably not many flavors I don't like because I've had a lot growing up as a kid.

THE MODERATOR: We can fix that for you and get you some fudge Pop-Tarts here in short order.

CHRIS KLIEMAN: Have an ability to get some.

THE MODERATOR: We know a guy. Do we have any questions for Coach from the room? We appreciate your time and thank you for your patience and we look forward to hosting you down here in Orlando in a couple weeks. Safe travels on the road and happy holidays.