Chris Klieman explains why there is no quarterback controversy at Kansas State ... yet
Chris Klieman needs better play from his quarterback.
But that doesn’t mean Kansas State’s football coach is thinking about starting anyone other than Adrian Martinez at the QB position. At least not yet.
“Adrian is going to be to the one,” Klieman said on Tuesday. “He’s going to be the unquestioned one right now.”
The Wildcats are sticking with Martinez even after the Nebraska transfer has gotten off to a slow start with his new team. Martinez has played in three games with the Wildcats and has thrown for a combined total of 304 yards and one touchdown. He has been better as a rusher, totaling 150 yards and two scores.
But he hasn’t been good enough to guide K-State to an undefeated record.
K-State suffered a stunning 17-10 home loss to Tulane on Saturday that left some booing the ineffective offense, as well as wondering if the Wildcats might be better off pivoting to backup quarterback Will Howard.
Perhaps that will happen at some point this season. But Klieman remains confident in Martinez going into K-State’s Big 12 opener against Oklahoma.
“He’s got a world of ability and we all know it and he knows it and the players know it,” Klieman said. “We just have to trust in what we’ve seen for the seven-plus weeks we have watched it in practice and let it rip, because he has got all the talent.”
Still, Klieman would like to see Martinez play with a different mindset when he takes the field against the Sooners.
Martinez was known as a gunslinger when he started at quarterback for the Huskers. He amassed nearly 11,000 yards of total offense at Nebraska and produced many memorable highlights. That is why Klieman wanted him to transfer to K-State for his final season of college football.
But he also turned the ball over far too often at Nebraska. That is something he hasn’t done a single time in a purple uniform, but it seems as though he is playing so conservatively that his playmaking ability has dropped to zero right along with his turnover potential.
Instead of throwing the ball down field to speedy receivers Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles, he has mostly opted for checkdowns. That is why he is averaging just 4.66 yards per attempt.
To put it simply: He is being too cautious.
“I would say without question,” Klieman said. “(Offensive coordinator Collin Klein) and I had a long meeting about that and discussed it with Adrian. He would agree that he’s got to cut it loose and rip it, and if a mistake is made, a mistake is made. But be aggressive in what you see and what you believe.
“We’ve seen that in fall camp and now we’ve just got to see it on a Saturday. I know it’s there. I know that he can do it.”
The Wildcats will need his best effort if they hope to pull off a road upset against Oklahoma.
Message received.
“I’m continuing to find myself in this offense,” Martinez said. “I feel like I’ve continued to grow more comfortable and I think more of that will emerge as time comes. Having an aggressive mindset is good and something that our offense and our team collectively has gotten into this week.”
Martinez said he appreciated the fact that Klein and Klieman were willing to have a heart-to-heart conversation with him following a dreadful showing against Tulane.
He knows what he needs to do when he starts his next game as K-State’s quarterback.
“After going back and watching tape and moving forward, I think that expectation is pretty clear,” Martinez said. “I need to know when to be more aggressive and when not to be.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 3:13 PM.