Chris Klieman vows to fix this problem on Kansas State’s defense before Army game
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas State allowed 354 yards and five long TD drives in narrow win vs. UND.
- Coach Chris Klieman vows to improve defensive eye discipline before Army game.
- Army's triple-option offense poses unique challenge after K-State's poor showing.
Chris Klieman is the type of football coach who takes pride in a good defense.
Not only did he used to line up as a defensive back at Northern Iowa, he also served as a defensive coordinator at North Dakota State. He’s a head coach now, but his roots are on that side of the ball. Few things make him happier than when Kansas State forces a punt or creates a turnover.
For that reason, the box score from K-State’s 38-35 victory over North Dakota was nightmare fuel for his brain. The Fighting Hawks gained 354 yards on the Wildcats and mounted five different touchdown drives that spanned at least 70 yards. K-State found a way to win in the final moments, but nobody was championing the defense afterward.
Klieman was particularly unhappy.
“Our eye discipline was awful,” Klieman said. “Our guys eyes were in the backfield when they’re supposed to be on the tight end, on the wide out or on the motion. It was terrible.”
Those mistakes were hard for Klieman to accept, because he said he spent the entire week leading up to the game talking about them “ad nauseum” with defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. Watching a FCS opponent pile up points against the K-State defense was an excruciating experience.
So much so, that he made a promise to K-State fans about the defense.
“I will fix it,” he said.
That goal could be easier said than done with an opponent like Army next on the schedule. Even though the Black Knights are coming off an embarrassing effort of their own (an overtime loss to Tarleton State) they still run one of the most exotic offenses in all of college football — the triple-option.
K-State hasn’t faced a triple-option offense since the 2019 Liberty Bowl when the Wildcats lost to Navy in Memphis.
Six different Army players saw carries against Tarleton State, and they combined to rush for 280 yards. Army quarterback Dewayne Coleman led the Black Knights with 100 rushing yards, while running back Hayden Reed added 88 yards.
The didn’t have much success through the air, but they moved the ball efficiently on the ground.
How will K-State handle Army’s version of the run-oriented offense?
One thing is for sure, Klieman isn’t going to tolerate anymore silly mistakes from his defense.
“The guys who are going to have eye discipline are the ones are going to play,” Klieman said. “That’s a huge, huge concern for us, and it’s something I’m talking to the defensive staff about. We’ll have 11 guys out there that we all trust. In this system, if you don’t have eye discipline it’s going to be a really long day for you.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Chris Klieman vows to fix this problem on Kansas State’s defense before Army game."