From The Couch – Chris Klieman Breaks Down After The Utah Game
My apologies for the tardiness of this “From The Couch” column. I was in Branson for a family gathering over the weekend and am in the middle of preparing to host a big family Thankgiving. Some of you have asked where my column is, so that is why it was tardy. Also, if it seems I am rambling a bit here, I was trying to quickly put my thoughts together, and it has ended up that I have a lot to say.
Utah beat K-State 51-47 Saturday in one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. K-State ran for 472 yards against the Utah defense, led by Joe Jackson’s 293 yards, which broke Darren Sproles’ K-State single-game record. Running back Antonio Martin rushed for 89 yards, and quarterback Avery Johnson rushed for 72. I don’t remember seeing so many long touchdown runs during the course of a game. K-State had rushing touchdowns of 37, 66, 80, and 24 yards. They also had a 73-yard touchdown called back on a bogus holding call on Lincoln Cure. In the end, K-State’s defense couldn’t hold the Utah offense when it counted, and the Utes came out on top.
Despite the offensive shootout, the story of the game was the plethora of questionable calls throughout the course of the game. I’m normally not one to blame officiating for a loss, but, at the very least, the officials were incompetent, and at the worst, they were in on the fix. K-State was penalized 10 times for 75 yards, and Utah had five penalties for 30 yards. I already mentioned the holding call on Cure, but two other questionable calls likely lost K-State the ballgame.
K-State took a 47-35 lead with seven minutes left in the game and went for a two-point conversion to try and take a 14-point lead. Avery Johnson passed to Lincoln Cure in the end zone. The defender clearly interfered with the pass. In fact, the referee standing right in front of both players threw a penalty flag for defensive pass interference. The defender intercepted the pass and returned it for two points. We all thought the play was coming back and that K-State would get another chance. Instead, the referees said there was no penalty and picked up the flag! HUH? There was really never any explanation for this. It was an obvious pass interference call. The ref closest to the play threw the flag, yet they picked it up. Completely ridiculous. Instead of K-State taking a 14-point lead, Utah cut the lead to 10 points. This play clearly affected how the rest of the game played out.
Despite the debacle of the two-point conversion, K-State still had a good chance to win the game. Still ahead by 10 points with four minutes left in the game, K-State’s defense held Utah on a 4th and 1, but K-State was called for an illegal substitution as two defensive players jogged off the field. I’ve seen this play many times this season in both K-State games and other games. When one side substitutes, the other side can also substitute. The refs didn’t allow the K-State players to get off the field before allowing Utah to snap the ball. I still don’t understand why K-State was called for too many men on the field, or even if it was the correct call. If K-State gets the ball back at that point, they likely win the game by running clock. Utah wouldn’t have had enough time left for two possessions. Instead, Utah scored a touchdown on the drive. Utah’s defense then held K-State to a three-and-out and a punt and scored the winning touchdown on their next drive.
It was a frustrating loss because of the questionable officiating, but K-State put forth a great effort. The running game we have all been hoping for all season returned, but the defense just couldn’t get a stop when it counted. I wanted to hear what head coach Chris Klieman said in the post-game press conference about the game, especially the officiating, and perhaps explain some of what happened. What we got instead was a bizarre mental breakdown from Klieman in which he appeared to take a shot at K-State fans for being too critical of him, his players, and his coaching staff.
“Heartbroken for the kids and for the loss, but it’s one of the greatest efforts I’ve been a part of, one of the greatest efforts I’ve been a part of as coach… We’re down so many players, and I know a lot of people thought we’d come down here and lay down and that maybe the kids had cast it in — because I’ve heard it enough, I’ve heard that I’ve cast it in, I’ve heard the player have cast it in, we need new leadership here, new player, new coaches and I’m tired of it. I’ve given my freaking life to this place for seven years, given everything for seven years and I’m frustrated like everyone else, but I love those kids. I’d go to battle with those kids any day.”…Head coach Chris Klieman, post-game
JM: Whoa. Where is all of this coming from? Who is Klieman hearing this from? Fans on social media? K-State boosters? His athletic director?
“That’s a top-10 team in the country, one of the best offenses in the country, one of the best defenses in
the country; that we rushed for 472 yards against, because we told the guys [the offense] that we were going to commit to running the football and we told the guys to buy in and believe in it, we are running the football against these guys [Utah] because nobody’s tried it like we’re going to try it. Kids don’t buy into it if they’ve given in. They don’t buy into it if they’re halfway out the door. Our kids bought into it and we stuffed it down their throat the entire game running the football; and we lost and I’m crushed because of it.”…Chris Klieman, post-game
JM: Klieman was holding back tears and very emotional and then said this…
“I’m more upset with…..”…Chris Klieman, post-game
JM: Klieman sighed, paused, and broke down crying for about 30 seconds. Athletic director Gene Taylor came up to the table to hug and console him, and told him, “don’t worry, we have your back.”
He never finished his sentence. I am curious as to what he was going to say. You’re more upset with what?
“Questions?”…Chris Klieman, post-game
JM: Klieman got himself together to listen to a reporter’s question about the officiating. He sniffled through the question before saying…
“It is what it is. I’m not going to comment on the officiating.”
JM: This press conference by Klieman has become one of the most talked-about pressers in K-State history. The timing of his comments seems odd, since he decided to do this after a loss that dropped K-State’s record to 5-6 on the season. He feels he deserves respect and that he should not be criticized. Need I remind him that his team was the Vegas favorite to win the Big 12 this season?
JM: Watch and decide for yourself. I think both are terrible calls by the officials.
JM: Reggie is correct!
JM: What am I missing here? “In a world that wants to win?” Don’t you play sports to win? Don’t I pay thousands of dollars every year to watch my team win? People are liking and retweeting this take that says winning isn’t very important. Why?
JM: Exactly. Scott Frost, the job jumper with no loyalty to any school he coaches at, says nobody wants to win more than the coaches and players.
Does Chris Klieman care more than I do that he and his team win? Probably. Does he care more than I do that K-State wins? That’s not the vibe I get. I write articles about what Klieman says in press conferences. He talks a lot about himself and his love for his players. He rarely thanks K-State fans, and when he does, it seems forced. I hate to be “Bill Snyder guy,” but Coach Snyder wrote letters to the fans thanking them for their support and even apologizing if they had a disappointing season. It seems like there is not the same love for K-State fans from this coach.
I went back and watched the video of the post-game presser. Klieman didn’t specifically call out the fans, even though a lot of people interpreted it that way. He could have been talking about high-profile boosters, as far as I know. It would be nice to get clarification, but it looks like we won’t ever get it because nobody has asked him. I don’t know where he is hearing the negative feedback from. Regardless, he chose to address this right off the bat after the game. He should have made the Mark Mangino “dollar signs” speech instead, taken the fine, and left it at that. Then everyone would be behind him, instead of fracturing the fan base as he has.
I think this coach needs to block out the noise and grow a little thicker skin. I like Chris Klieman and believe he is a good coach, but now he has me questioning whether he is the right fit for K-State. K-State football has been the top-ranked football team in the country in the past, and fans rightfully have high expectations of the program. It has been done in the past, and it can be done in the future. The question is whether Chris Klieman is the right man to take K-State to those great heights again.
2 thoughts on “From The Couch – Chris Klieman Breaks Down After The Utah Game”
Fantastic article Joe. Appreciate how you handle the football game outcome. I am still angry, but will hope to win Saturday. Seniors deserve it.
Thank you!