Rapid Recap: Kansas State injury report sounds promising

ENJOYING A GREAT WIN FOR KANSAS STATE

I’m sure most have seen it but Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman really emoted after the final first down of the game that gave the Wildcats the 10-9 victory in Ames over Iowa State. He rattled off several fist pumps and bear-hugged K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor.

When asked about why his response was that powerful, he simply answered that it was due to the magnitude of the win for Kansas State. He is from Iowa, knows how tough it is to win in Jack Trice Stadium, respects the heck out of Matt Campbell and is aware of how good the Cyclones are at night.

They hadn’t lost a home night game in five seasons. That’s how dangerous they are in that setting. And K-State did it by overcoming a lot of in-game adversity. They lost Khalid Duke. They lost Deuce Vaughn. Nate Matlack barely played. Felix Anudike-Uzomah missed a portion of the game.

Kansas State still found a way. It was worth celebrating in that fashion. It’s tough to win in the Big 12. It’s harder to win on the road. It’s even more difficult to do it at night, and it’s a heck of a lot more challenging when you’re without some of your best guys.

Klieman noted that folks were calling it an ugly win, and it probably was, but those ugly ones count, too.

BEST FOOTBALL

K-State believes their best football is ahead of them. Klieman shared that detail when discussing his team with the media during the bye week. They are undefeated in the league after three games, have overcome adversity, been without guys and keep finding enough to resolve to claw out wins.

Adrian Martinez continues to get better. The offense continues to be better as well, but they are just missing on minor things and details that make a large difference. They feel like they are closer and closer to being a much better unit on that side of the ball.

They can be a lot more dangerous.

Klieman also admitted that his Kansas State team this season plays harder than any team he has ever been associated with, and that will go a long way the rest of the year if it continues. He believes that is happening because of how focused they are and that they have set out on a mission. They love each other, too, and don’t want to let each other down.

The K-State roster stays in the fight. They’re mature. They’re grown. They’re older. They’re experienced. Once some of the errors are cleaned up more and more in all three phases, they feel like they’ll be playing their best football.

K-STATE INJURY REPORT

As KSO has shared the last couple days, everyone that is banged up is expected to be on the field when Kansas State plays TCU in Fort Worth after the bye week. They all just need a bit of rest and recovery, and that makes the bye week that much more convenient.

The only exception may be Khalid Duke, according to Klieman. His status may be up in the air a bit. But none of the ailments and injuries are considered long-term.

Interestingly, the K-State head coach also mentioned that RJ Garcia has been dealing with an injury and has been hobbled as well. It is very possible that is what has kept him from seeing the field as much as everyone expected.

HAYES’ POSITION MOVE

One of the best players for the Wildcats this season has been safety Josh Hayes. And remember, he didn’t even play in the season opener due to an illness. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week based on his performance versus Iowa State. It was well deserved.

Klieman reflected on his past with Hayes. He has known him for nearly a decade. He recruited him when he was still employed in Fargo and then coached him for multiple seasons at North Dakota State before leaving for Manhattan.

He recruited him again when he entered the transfer portal the first time, only for Hayes to pick Virginia and be closer to family. However, his time in Charlottesville was not a success and he chose to transfer to Kansas State.

Because of that, Klieman actually conducted several in-home visits with Hayes and his family and has gotten to know them very well through those experiences. That kind of history has helped him appreciate coaching Hayes more and more.

Hayes even moved from cornerback to safety after a few spring ball practices. They felt it would be a great move for K-State, but Klieman and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman also recognized it was better for Hayes’ NFL future, too.

BEST GAME

Despite the unbelievable and remarkable plays that were executed by Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez, Klieman believes his best game of the season was actually on Saturday night in Ames versus Iowa State.

He made so many right decisions, he got the Wildcats out of bad plays and into good ones and he managed a perfect game for K-State according to his head coach. Martinez has also made clutch plays in critical moments and taken care of the ball.

The passing game continues to grow under his leadership as well.