[Live-Stream] Kansas State vs Arkansas State NCAA College Football 2020

Chris Klieman began his Tuesday press conference like countless other college football coaches across the country, and it still felt surreal.

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From BYU playing Navy in an empty stadium to seeing “ACC” painted on the field in South Bend, the 2020 college football season has found big and small ways to remind us of just how different it’s going to be.

But it was something else Klieman said on Tuesday that stood out, a familiar refrain since his very first team meeting in Manhattan, that’s taken on a whole new meaning this season.

“When you leave the facility, you know who you’re around, you protect yourself and you protect the team. Keep your bubble small,” he said. “If we continue to do those things on a daily basis and continue to stack those great days, we can get to Saturday, and how great it’s going to be to play a game.”

Here are a few other quotes and observations from Tuesday’s press conference:

Preparing for the Red Wolves

Compared to most non-conference opponents, the Wildcats have had limited time to prepare for an Arkansas State team that was added to their schedule in August.

The Red Wolves opened their season on Saturday with a 37-24 loss to Memphis and offered a look at what K-State can expect in the season opener at 11 a.m. on FOX.

New game time announced for Arkansas State

11am | BSFS

On FOX

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— K-State Football (@KStateFB) September 9, 2020

One big wrinkle for Arkansas State is a two-quarterback system with Logan Bonner and Alabama transfer Layne Hatcher. The QB timeshare was consistent against Memphis, with Hatcher playing every third series, regardless of game flow or which player had the hot hand.

“I do expect both guys to play on Saturday,” Klieman said. “I think the thing that’s hard for us to replicate is their speed. If we can get lined up, we have a chance. Well, come on, it’s not that hard to get lined up. But the nature of their offense is to make sure you cannot get lined up quickly.”

Tempo was also on Justin Hughes’ mind on Tuesday, comparing Arkansas State to a Big 12 opponent the Wildcats face every year.

“The up-tempo [offense] is comparable to Texas Tech, which is like full force ahead in terms of speed and getting lined up,” Hughes said. “You’ve just got to get set before you know what you’re doing, and I’ve got to get everybody aligned, calling out the defense and letting everybody know what they got.”

Last Ride for Skylar Thompson

On his first completion of the season against Arkansas State, there’s a good chance Skylar Thompson will make a little bit of history.

The senior QB needs just seven yards to move past Michael Bishop into No. 9 all-time on the K-State career passing yards list and has a legitimate shot to rise as high as No. 6 this season.

When he spoke about beginning his senior season under center for the Wildcats, Thompson was thinking more about family than the record books.

“I’ve been playing this game since I was in third grade. This game has taught me a ton and this game means a ton to me… From what I’ve been through in my life, it’s always been my rock,” he said. “My family has tried to drill into my head, just cherish every moment. Especially with the situation we have now, it could be over at any given point in time.”