Three Things K-State Coach Chris Klieman Said ahead of Oklahoma State’s Trip to Manhattan

The last time the Cowboys made the trip to the Little Apple, it didn’t go so well for them.

Oklahoma State lost to Kansas State 48-0 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 2022 before the Cowboys bounced back and beat K-State 29-21 last season in Stillwater. Well, the Pokes are headed back to Manhattan this week in a game that was important before, but it’s particularly important now that both presumed Big 12 title contenders lost last weekend.

Now in his sixth season at Kansas State, Chris Klieman met with reporters Monday to preview the game. Here are three things that stood out.

1. High Praise for OSU’s Offense Despite Recent Struggles

Not many could have predicted OSU’s offensive struggles to this point, but Klieman still sees what the Cowboys are capable of.

OSU entered the year with a veteran offensive line and the returning Doak Walker winner at running back, but Ollie Gordon has mustered just 258 yards on 73 carries this season as opposing teams have loaded up the box in attempt to take him out of games.

Klieman spoke Monday at the pick-your-poison approach teams are taking against the Cowboys. If you load up the box, you run the risk of having to defend OSU’s talent at wide receiver in single coverage. If the Cowboys can exploit that, you might have to pull guys out of the box to help, which should open up more room for Gordon. Thus far, most have gone with the fill-the-box approach.

“I think a lot of people are saying, ‘Do not let Ollie Gordon beat you,’ so you gotta put everybody up there,” Klieman said. “And when you do that against a team as talented and as veteran as those guys are — and especially as well-coached they are, and the quarterback’s been there a long time, or been in college football, I should say, a long time. I think (Kansas State co-offensive coordinator Matt) Wells recruited him back at Tech.

“You see these looks, and they’re like, ‘OK, we can’t block all these guys here. Let’s see how you do in one-on-one coverage against really good wide receivers.’ And the (Brennan) Presley kid has been there a long time, too. He’s a really good player, and they’re using him, they’re using some of their other wideouts with size that they’re just winning those one-on-one matchups. When you have those kids who are winning those one-on-one matchups, sooner or later you’re gonna say, ‘OK, let’s get all these guys out of the box and try to defend those.’ And they’re gonna say, ‘OK, do what you gotta do. We’re now gonna pump Ollie at you all day long.'”

2. OSU’s Defense ‘A Little Different’ Than Last Year

Although some blemishes in OSU’s offense were highlighted Saturday, the Cowboy defense seemingly took another step in the right direction.

Despite being on the field for more than 42 minutes, OSU’s D held the Utes to 22 points. That performance built upon a strong defensive outing against Tulsa the week before.

Utah finished Saturday’s game with 249 rushing yards, but that included a 62-yard run and a 48-yard run in the midst of the 81 plays Utah ran. Take away those two instances, and OSU’s defense held the Utes to 139 yards and 50 rushing attempts — 2.8 yards a carry.

“A little different this year from last year,” Klieman said. “They’re really good. I know they lost the (Collin) Oliver kid for a little while. I don’t know what his status is, but you’ve known about that kid for two or three years in the league. I don’t see a spot where they’re young, inexperienced. They’ve got a lot of older guys. They’re playing really fast.

“I thought they did a really good job against a terrific Utah team. I know that they bled a little bit on some runs, but they stuffed them when they had to and gave themselves an opportunity to win. They get after the passer, and they tackle really well. They strike you on defense.”

3. ‘Cats Down a Tight End

The Wildcats will be without an excellent tight end when the Cowboys come to town.

Brayden Loftin was injured in Provo, and Klieman said it’ll be a few weeks before he returns. Loftin is a 6-foot-5, 237-pound sophomore who is the Wildcats’ second-leading receiver this season with 81 yards and two touchdowns on six catches. For the season, Loftin has graded out as the Kansas State offense’s second-best player, according to Pro Football Focus, with a season grade of 75.7.

“Loftin will be out for a few weeks,” Klieman said. “Lower-body injury — it’s not season-ending, which is positive. But, no, Brayden won’t be playing for a few weeks.”