As he was speaking, the Pac-12 did the same. Before Klieman could even pass the microphone to his players, the college football landscape had changed dramatically. That's life for a coach in 2020.
Klieman smiled when he finally got to answer his first question about football in Tuesday's press conference, because believe it or not, the Wildcats have been back at practice for over a week.
With a new non-conference opponent to break down, plenty of interviews and (feel free to read this next part in your best Wyatt Thompson voice) K-State football back in Manhattan, here are a few scribbles from the first week of fall camp.
Getting to Know Arkansas State
K-State announced on Wednesday that their only non-conference opponent of the season will be Arkansas State out of the Sun Belt.
The first meeting in 40 years between the programs will challenge the Wildcats in more ways than one. With only a month before kickoff, time to prepare will be at a premium.
And disciples of SP+ should consider this: an eight-win Arkansas State team finished the 2019 season ranked higher than Big 12 foes West Virginia and Kansas.
Coming off their ninth-consecutive bowl game and a victory over FIU in the 2019 Camelia Bowl, Arkansas State is an experienced football team that should be ready to go in September.
Blake Anderson brought much needed stability to a program that had been something of a proving ground for coaches (Hugh Freeze in 2011, Gus Malzahn in 2012, Bryan Harsin in 2013) when he arrived in 2014. Anderson's return after losing his wife to cancer last season was one of the most powerful examples of resilience in football and in life you will ever see.
On the field in 2020, Arkansas State returns 13 starters, but the guys who are coming back in Jonesboro are key pieces – eight of the team's returnees were All-Sun Belt a season ago.
Alabama transfer Layne Hatcher will look to hold on to the starting job at quarterback after a breakout campaign in relief of the injured Logan Bonner, who's also back in the fold this season.
For a young K-State offensive line, stopping Kansas City native and all-conference defensive end William-Bradley King will be the first step to keeping Skylar Thompson upright in the opener.
Pulse of the Program
The first press conference of camp is usually a time for coaches to spotlight a few guys who stepped up in the summer and speak about any offseason headlines.
Chris Klieman barely had time to cover everything that took place over the weekend when he spoke to the media on a Tuesday Zoom call about his players and their approach to the season.
"They all want to stay safe. They want to do it the right way. They want to make sure that we have great protocols in place with testing, social distancing and masks," Klieman said. "They want to play, and they want to compete. Especially these seniors that only have so many opportunities, it's pretty special when you're going into your senior year."
Two of those seniors spoke to the media after their head coach, as linebacker Justin Hughes and quarterback Skylar Thompson reflected on a challenging offseason around the program.
For Hughes especially, who battled through a season-ending injury that cost him all of 2019, the first week of practice has been full of mixed emotions.
"Sadness that I missed last year, just thinking about all the time that I missed. Happiness being out there with my teammates laughing and playing ball again," he said. "Am I going to go out there, tank it and get hurt again? Those are the kind of emotions that go through your head. Our trainers have done a good job helping me, just mentally, going out there and being able to play."
Thompson also reflected on the uncertainty that has defined much of the offseason, but the senior couldn't have been clearer in his desire to return to college football.
"Just give me a football and let's go play," Thompson said. "I'm ready to go. I'm having fun. It's been so fun to get the ball back in my hands and go and compete with my teammates."
Messingham and Klanderman Talk Players to Watch
By the time Courtney Messingham and Joe Klanderman met with the media on Wednesday, questions for the coordinators shifted to a focus on football.
Both coaches took the opportunity to spotlight players who have impressed during an offseason when behind-the-scenes development has never been more important.
Messingham talked about junior wide receiver Chabastin Taylor as a player whose 183 career receiving yards could be deceptive, given how he has looked in camp this month.
"He's maybe one you wouldn't know as much about," Messingham said. "He finished up strong last season and he's continued to grow. He's a young man who's worked hard in the offseason, unfortunately an extended offseason, but he's continued to grow and get stronger."
For Klanderman, that player could be junior defensive tackle Eli Huggins. The Georgia native saw action in six games last season, but his first-year defensive coordinator is buying stock now.
"Couldn't be more impressed with what Eli Huggins has done, a name that probably didn't get thrown around a whole bunch," Klanderman said. "He's been very good throughout camp."
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