Why Chris Klieman isn’t worried about Kansas State’s recent struggles after bye weeks
Coach Chris Klieman thinks his Kansas State football team is getting a week off at an ideal time.
He thinks that way because K-State is 4-1 this season, and now the Wildcats get a chance to rest before they embark on a pivotal stretch of games against Colorado, West Virginia and Kansas.
“The open week, for us, comes at a really good time,” Klieman said. “We had talked early in the season that we’d have four weeks of camp and then five weeks of games and then we’d get a break and then we’d have four weeks of games.
“So this is a really good time. We’ve got a lot of guys banged up and some older players that just kind of need a break.”
Timing isn’t everything when it comes to open weeks, though.
Klieman has made similar comments in the past, but the Wildcats have rarely been able to capitalize when they have been blessed with extra rest and time to prepare for games.
K-State owns a 1-4 record when it is coming off a bye week during the Klieman era, excluding the pandemic-shortened season of 2020.
Here is a rundown of those five games:
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26-13 loss at Oklahoma State (2019)
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24-17 win over TCU (2019)
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33-20 loss to Iowa State (2021)
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38-28 loss at TCU (2022)
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29-21 loss at Oklahoma State (2023)
Klieman knows how to get his team to respond after a loss, as the Wildcats haven’t lost consecutive games since the 2021 season. But he has struggled to press the right buttons after idle weeks.
Why does K-State have a losing record in those situations?
It’s hard to say. But Klieman does handle practices differently than a typical week. He likes to use open weeks as opportunities to work with developmental players and rest starters before they shift back into a normal routine.
Klieman doesn’t plan on changing his formula over the next two weeks as K-State prepares for a late-night road game against Colorado on Oct. 12.
“We could come and practice this weekend, but I really don’t want to do that,” Klieman said. “The biggest thing is the time off the guys get on a Friday and Saturday. You have got to give it to them. You have got to get them away from from the facility and get them away from coaches.
“Part of that is your injuries. Part of it is who you’re playing. I don’t get caught up in that any more than I don’t get caught up in last week when you say, ‘You guys haven’t lost two games in a row in a while.’ That doesn’t mean anything. In my opinion, you better play really well that week coming off of a loss. Just like if you have a bye week, you better play your best football, home or away.”
