Posted By: USD 475 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes finished 5 of 7 for 33 yards on two drives in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans in the preseason opener for both teams. Houston’s Deshaun Watson, who’s coming back from a torn ACL, was used sparingly. He threw only one pass _ a 4-yard completion to wide receiver Bruce Ellington _ during a five-play drive to midfield that featured four handoffs to running back Lamar Miller.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State Director of Athletics Gene Taylor announced today that legendary head football coach Bill Snyder has agreed to a new five-year contract, securing the services of the 2011 and 2012 national and Big 12 coach of the year through the 2022 season.

The contract increases Snyder’s compensation to $3.45 million for the 2018 season, which will then increase by $300,000 in both 2019 and 2020. The new deal, approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors, includes a salary renegotiation clause after the completion of the 2020 season.

“It has been a pleasure watching our football program up close over the past year and seeing one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football continue to positively impact student-athletes while also producing winning seasons on a yearly basis,” said Taylor. “With this new contract, we felt that it was important to recognize his commitment to our football program, and we look forward to his continued leadership.”

Over the past nine years, Snyder has led K-State to 73 victories – an average of 8.1 wins per year – advanced to eight-straight bowl games, won a conference championship in 2012 and finished fourth or better in the ultra-competitive Big 12 Conference in five of the last seven seasons. The Wildcats’ eight-year bowl streak is tied for 13th in the nation and third in the Big 12.

Kansas State under Snyder has been a model of consistency, and that hasn’t changed in his second tenure. From 2009-17, only 11 FBS programs had the same head coach but only four – K-State, Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma State – have totaled at least six wins in all nine seasons.

Furthermore, Snyder became just the 26th coach in the history of college football to reach 200 career wins and only the sixth to do so while coaching at the same school for his entire career as he hit the mark against Kansas in 2016.

Holding 171 more victories than any other coach in K-State history, Snyder ranks first in the FBS in wins among coaches at their current schools (210) and second in total wins among active coaches. Additionally, his 123 conference wins rank second all-time in Big 8/12 history to Nebraska’s Tom Osborne (153).

Named the 32nd head football coach at K-State on Nov. 30, 1988, and again as the 34th on Nov. 24, 2008, Snyder has amassed a 210-110-1 (.656) record during his tenure with the Wildcats, including a 123-84-1 (.593) mark in Big 8/12 games. His 210 victories are over five times the man in second place on K-State’s all-time coaching victories list and rank 20th in FBS history. Additionally, he is the 14th person in FBS history to be a head coach for at least 25 years at one school and never coach at another.

“My entire family and I have been so very grateful for the genuine, caring and loyal support K-Staters have provided our coaches, staff, families and young people on a yearly basis,” Snyder said. “And, as I have stated so often we came to Kansas State because of the people, stayed because of the people and returned because of the people, and that remains unchanged. We have continued to make daily improvement as a football program, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue and will do so as long as I am healthy and feel that I am having a positive impact on our university, community and football program and the young men that are involved. I appreciate so very much the leadership of President Myers and Gene Taylor, in addition to all past administrators and staff, and their commitment to our football program. And I am grateful for the exceptional players, coaches, support staff, student body, faculty, community and fans across the nation for all they have meant to our program and University.”

 

KENNY LANNOU
Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications and Public Relations | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics, in partnership with Learfield Licensing, has launched “Powercat Perks,” a mobile application designed to reward fans for attendance at home K-State Athletics events, merchandise purchases at the K-State Super Store, concessions purchases and more.

Fans will have the opportunity to earn credits that can be redeemed within the app for rewards including K-State Super Store gift cards and other K-State branded merchandise, complimentary game tickets, unique experiences and other items.

“As we continue to seek opportunities to improve upon The Best Fan Experience in the Big 12, it is important to reward loyalty shown by our great fans, and to also engage with K-Staters by leveraging technology like their mobile devices and our full-stadium wi-fi network,” shared Scott Garrett, K-State Executive Associate Athletics Director/External Operations.  “We look forward to launching this pilot program with Learfield Licensing and the K-State Super Store and implementing a growth plan to include a robust menu of point-earning opportunities and redemption rewards moving forward.”

Once a fan’s ticket has been scanned at the gate, they may scan their ticket barcode within the Powercat Perks app to be rewarded with anywhere from 10 to 50 points, depending on the event.  Fans registered on the app and who utilize mobile tickets will see attendance points automatically added to their Powercat Perks profile within 24 hours of a contest they have attended.  Concessions purchases throughout the stadium will be rewarded with a scannable QR code, while fans making purchases at any of the K-State Super Store locations within Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Bramlage Coliseum and other venues, as well as the K-State Super Store location on McCall Road in Manhattan, can scan a barcode from their receipt to earn 1 point per dollar spent.

“The K-State Super Store team is excited about another year of partnership with K-State Athletics including collaborating on the launch of the new Powercat Perks program,” said Kyra Dreiling, K-State Super Store Director of Retail Operations.  “The program will be a great addition to our mission of providing fan’s the ultimate experience by rewarding fans with prizes earned from every purchase.”

Powercat Perks was developed in partnership with customer data and engagement platform SessionM, which fuels loyalty programs for some of the world’s most innovative enterprise brands. By leveraging behavioral and transactional data in real time, SessionM enables K-State Athletics to deliver personalized experiences and incentives based on individuals’ unique characteristics.  The Powercat Perks program will allow K-State and its partners to deploy special bonus point opportunities for attending special events, purchasing specific items on game days, entering keywords displayed on the videoboard or in radio broadcasts, or visiting sponsored locations throughout the year.

“This has been an amazing developmental journey with K-State and many thanks to them in coordinating all the various vendors and departments required to create this robust mobile app,” says Ben Emmons, vice president of marketing at Learfield Licensing Partners. “Their success and full adoption as the first pilot program for this platform will make them the leader in loyalty marketing in college and the benchmark as we scale the solution to other college campuses.”

Powercat Perks, developed by Session M, is now available for free download in the Apple and Google Play app stores.  For more information, fans are encouraged to visit powercatperks.kstatesports.com.

K-State begins the 2018 season and seven-game home slate on Saturday, September 1, against South Dakota, a game that kicks off at 6:10 p.m., and serves as the 10th-annual K-State Family Reunion. Tickets for the home opener are still available, including a Wildcat 4 Pack for just $99. To purchase single-game tickets, please click here.

– k-statesports.com –

KENNY LANNOU
Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications and Public Relations | K-State Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Heath Fillmyer used a hockey mentality to get a baseball milestone Wednesday night.

Fillmyer allowed three singles over seven innings for his first major league win, Adalberto Mondesi and Drew Butera each drove in three, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 9-0.

Anthony Rizzo drilled Fillmyer (1-1) with a line drive on the left heel on his third pitch, but Fillmyer stuck around and didn’t allow another hit until David Bote and Tommy La Stella singled with one out in the seventh inning.

“Did I see it?” Fillmyer said. “I felt it. It felt like a hockey puck off the boot. Coming up, I played a lot of hockey. I knew I had to walk it off a little bit. It shook right off and felt pretty good after that. I didn’t try to think about it to let it bother me.”

Royals manager Ned Yost let the right-hander stay in to face left-handed Kyle Schwarber with two out and two on in the seventh, even though lefty Tim Hill was warming in the bullpen. Fillmyer got Schwarber to pop up.

“Normally a young pitcher in the seventh inning, you don’t want to put them in a position to lose the game,” Yost said. “I made my mind up he was going to pitch through it. This is his first big league win if he’s going to get in trouble, he’s either going to win it or lose it himself in the seventh inning.”

Mondesi belted a 2-0 pitch from Jose Quintana for a three-run homer in the seventh. It was Mondesi’s fourth home run and his first since July 15, a span of 42 at-bats.

Butera hit a two-run, two-out double with the bases loaded in the second inning and added a sacrifice fly during a four-run eighth.

Jorge Bonifacio, who entered hitting .103 in his past 16 games, Brett Phillips and Hunter Dozier each had two hits and a walk and combined to score seven runs. Bonifacio had an RBI double in the eighth, while Phillips contributed an RBI triple.

Quintana (10-8) dropped to 3-10 in 25 starts against the Royals. He was removed after Mondesi’s homer, giving up five runs on six hits and two walks.

“Quintana pitched well up until the seventh there when he gave up those runs,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “Two walks got him in trouble. Butera gets it down the line. Other than that, you like to believe you’re going to score more than zero runs and we didn’t.”

The Royals snapped a six-game losing streak.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The NCAA is taking steps to try to clean up college basketball, carving out a limited role for agents to work with players and changing pivotal parts of its rules-enforcement system as part of numerous reforms in the wake of a corruption scandal.

The Indianapolis-based governing body for college sports announced Wednesday that its Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors had adopted a “series of significant policy and legislative changes” as part of an effort to “fundamentally” change the NCAA’s structure. Some are immediate, while others first require action from other agencies — such as the NBA changing the age limit for draft-eligible players that has fueled the wave of “one and done” at the college level.

That follows late-April recommendations from the commission headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following a federal investigation into alleged bribes and kickbacks designed to influence recruits on choosing a school, agent or apparel company. Georgia Tech president and Board of Directors chairman Bud Peterson said the NCAA had pushed through changes in about 3 1/2 months that would “normally take us about two years through the governance process.”

“Today was obviously a very important day for the NCAA and especially for men’s basketball, and … Division I,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a teleconference with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

While many agree the reforms are a step in the right direction, it is unclear how effective they will be.

“It’s important to be mindful that we won’t reach perfection; however, we can’t let that stand in the way of significant progress,” Atlantic Coast Conference John Swofford said in a statement.

In terms of agents, the changes are as much about transparency and offering a legitimate avenue for communication or advice that previously could’ve taken place in the shadows — and raised the likelihood of attracting unscrupulous characters.

Now college basketball players can work with an NCAA-certified agent while testing the waters of declaring for the NBA draft. College players first would have to request an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee about their draft prospects after the season, and that would clear the way to enter into a written agreement — disclosed to the NCAA or school — with the agent.

That agreement must end if the player returns to school.

Agents would be allowed to cover minimal expenses such as meals and transportation associated with meetings or workouts with pro teams, but that could be complicated. The NCAA noted that might first require revisions to the Uniform Athlete Agent Act — a version of which is in place in more than 40 states to regulate unethical agent conduct. And because pro teams previously could cover some of those expenses, the monetary benefit could be minimal.

The agents would have to be certified by the NCAA by no later than August 2020, agents certified by the NBA players’ union would qualify until a formal deadline is set.

The NCAA included a provision allowing agent relationships for high school players identified as an elite prospect by USA Basketball beginning July 1 before their senior year, though only if the NBA changes its age-limit restrictions. If the NBA and its players’ union decide to lower the age limit of draft-eligible players to 18, it would clear the way for elite players to go from preps to pros.

It’s unclear when — and if that would happen — or what impact that would have on colleges recruiting NBA-ready prospects.

The changes also include allowing a player to return to school if undrafted, but only if he sought the NBA advisory evaluation and participated in the scouting combine — a number that NCAA senior vice president of men’s basketball Dan Gavitt said would be “very limited in scope.” That, too, would first require tweaks to NBA and players’ union rules.

At least one prominent coach, Kentucky’s John Calipari, wondered aloud as to how that will work.

“My question is, what if there are no scholarships at that school because they gave the scholarships away because they thought he was leaving?” Calipari said in an interview on ESPN. “What does that kid do now? Does he go to another school?”

There were also significant changes to the enforcement process to handle cases of rules violations. That included the appointment of Rice-recommended independent groups to handle and resolve complex cases, with Emmert estimating it would apply to maybe five cases annually.

The changes also allow the NCAA to accept outside information that has been “established by another administrative body or a commission authorized by a school.” The NCAA says that will save time since investigators would no longer have to independently confirm those details, which could apply to the current corruption case with federal investigators having access to information through subpoenas and wiretaps — tools the NCAA doesn’t possess.

The changes also include requiring school presidents and athletics staff to commit “contractually” to cooperate fully with investigations, stiffer penalties for violations and regulation of the summer recruiting circuit.

Federal prosecutors announced last fall they had charged 10 men — including assistant coaches at Arizona, Auburn, USC and Oklahoma State along with a top Adidas executive — in a fraud and bribery scandal. The case has entangled schools such as Kansas, North Carolina State, Maryland and Louisville, among others, though prosecutors withdrew a criminal complaint in February against one of the defendants.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike Montgomery continues to dominate the club that drafted him out of high school.

Montgomery allowed five hits over six-plus innings, David Bote drove in a career-high three runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 Tuesday night.

The Cubs upped their NL Central lead to 2 ½ games over second-place Milwaukee, which lost in San Diego.

Montgomery (4-4), who the Royals drafted in the first round in 2008, picked up his first win since June 29. Montgomery is 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA in four appearances against the Royals.

“I’ve heard the numbers of what I’ve got against them throughout my career,” Montgomery said. “I think it’s a coincidence. Sometimes you just have a team that you do well against. It happens to be them. They’ve had some good teams over the last couple of years. The team that drafts you, you always want to pitch good against them.”

Bote’s first career triple with two out in the first scored Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. His fifth inning single scored Javier Baez.

“It’s kind of just morphed in over the years,” said Bote, who is in his fifth stint with the Cubs this season after six-plus years in the minors. “The nerves are always there. The adrenalin’s there. Being able to use those emotions into a good avenue, being able to think ‘I’m going to attack this baseball’ or ‘I’m ready for this pitch.’ Put a positive spin on it and just executing.”

Victor Caratini, who led off the inning with a single, scored on Zobrist’s sacrifice fly. Zobrist left in the bottom of the inning with left hip tightness, but will likely play Wednesday.

“That fifth inning just kind of snowballed on me,” losing pitcher Brad Keller said.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With preparation underway for the 2018 football season, Kansas State met with the media during the team’s annual media day event on Monday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Head coach Bill Snyder conducted a press conference inside the Vanier Family Football Complex, while student-athletes and members of the coaching staff posed for pictures and answered questions on the field.

Selected comments from Snyder’s press conference (also archived here) are posted below, along with a collection of comments from K-State’s coordinators and an assortment players. The next public event for K-State is the annual Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, August 11, at 5 p.m.For details on the event, please click here.

The West Stadium Center ticket office will be open during Fan Appreciation Day for fans wishing to purchase season and single-game tickets. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to purchase a special ticket package that includes a souvenir for the Fan Appreciation Day autograph session as a K-State mini-helmet will be included in the first 100 Wildcat 4 Packs purchased in person beginning at 4 p.m.

Wildcat 4 Packs, which include four reserved tickets, are still available for K-State’s seven home games, which are priced at $85 for UTSA, $99 for South Dakota, $125 for Texas Tech, $149 for Texas, Oklahoma State and Kansas; and $199 for Mississippi State. Fans can order tickets online atwww.kstatesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

K-State Football Media Day Quotes
Head Coach Bill Snyder
On what he has learned about the team so far…

“Most of what I know about them I have known from past experiences, spring practices, summer workouts, et cetera. I think they have kind of become a more spirited group of guys. We have had three practices and I have seen that spirit grow during that period of time, more so than in the spring. It seems to be a group that has a good level of commitment to the process. All of these are positive things that I am pleased about. I do not think this is dramatically different than how I saw them in the spring. They are a group of guys not afraid to work at it. They do not seem to want to back away from anything like that.”

On the having younger coordinators this year…

“That is part of positive approach. That may have something to do with the spirit of our team. It is not just the coordinators but also some of the younger coaches who really get into it quite well and have a great deal of spirit about themselves. In most cases, that is motivational for a number of our players, probably to a little higher of a degree than previous years.”

On finding a successor at offensive coordinator…

“I was not worried about the timeline because I was confident that I would stay within the staff that we had. When you boil the water out of it, there are really three guys that are doing this job – Andre (Coleman) and Collin (Klein), but Charlie Dickey is involved with that as well. Charlie has more experience with our offense. He has been in the coaching position longer than the other guys have. His experience here goes back a number of years, but they (Andre and Collin) have experienced it because they were here as players, as well. That is a positive thing in my eyes. All three of them have a role in it. It is not going to be just one guy. All of the coaches contribute, but the guys that contribute to getting schemes on the field on gameday will come from all three of those (guys). It will all go through Andre because you have to have one that will make the final call.”

On AJ Parker and Walter Neil Jr. at the nickel spots…

“It is the same as it was. Right now, I do not want to take away anybody else’s opportunities, but nobody has made it a three-way race yet. I would like for it to always be as competitive as it possibly can be, and the more the merrier, but right now those two have stepped ahead of the rest.”

On the kicker and punter spots…

“I can only say this – after day one I was pretty convinced that we were going to run it or throw it on fourth down. After the second day I thought maybe we could slip a punt in there, and after the third day I thought we had a chance. The key element is they are getting better collectively. There is nobody that has separated themselves from anybody else, but they have made that step forward collectively. It still remains to be seen. That will take longer than any other position that we have right now.”

On how important the kicker and punter spots are to maintain field position…

“Vital, if that is the right word. It has always been a field position ballgame for us, and our special teams has been so prominent in that. We still have to be that prominent again. You have heard me say this tons of times but special teams is not about one guy. It is not about just that punter or just that kicker. It is going to be about the 10 other guys as well. It is still a team thing. Obviously, I am not naïve to the fact that punters and field goal kickers make a difference. They will have to carry their weight, there is no doubt about that. If they do not, then it truly has an impact on our team collectively.”

On rebuilding the return unit…

“I do not feel badly about that. We are still trying to sort out the depth. Isaiah Zuber and Duke Shelley probably would be the two most prominent guys right now, and I think they are well on their way to earning the top spots. That would be the guess on my part, that they will probably end up that way. I would like to see it a little bit more competitive with a third and a fourth young guy.”

On Kendall Adams returning to physical activities…

“He still is in a position where he is taking weight off, but he is doing it in an appropriate way. He is making it happen. When we get around to game time, weight is not going to be the issue. Not just because of that but because he is back on the field and he is in the process again. He is gaining his quickness back. If I had to make a bet on it – I would not tell you that he is back to where he was – but he is close enough to make me honestly believe that he will be there very shortly.”

On Denzel Goolsby stepping up as a leader on the secondary…

“He is a reserved, quiet young man and for all the right reasons. He feels better about himself because of the experience that he has had. Things come to him quicker, he is able to process information quicker and consequently react quicker, which makes him a better player. As far as the leadership role is concerned, he realizes that he could be a part of the team leadership and is willing to make the effort in trying to step up and do that. He still has a way to go in regards to letting himself be out there, so to speak. As far as the ‘setting the example’ part of leadership, he is super. He always seems to be doing the right things and doing things the way they should be done, whether it is out here or any place else. He is a good person, takes care of himself and has quality character. He is just in the process of learning how to be a little more vocal and demanding in a leadership role. He is gaining on it, but he is not there yet.”

On the improvement of Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson since the spring game…

“The ability to process information more rapidly comes with experience. For someone who is committed to their performance level, repetition allows you to be able to process information more and more. You become quicker with your thought process and become quicker-a-foot, for that matter. Being able to get ourselves in and out, up to the line of scrimmage, make calls, snap the ball, go do your thing, all of that comes a lot quicker because they can process the information a lot faster. I would say both of them, because of their experience, are continually improving in that area. As far as the management of the game itself, that improves a little bit again with time and experience. I see that taking place. I could not tell you that they are throwing it any better or running it any better right now. That seems about the same to me, but I think that will show up here. Re-familiarizing yourself with the schemes and the players that are going to play the positions they are going to throw to.”

On the interior of the defensive line…

“Joe Davies, Drew Wiley and Jordan Mittie, along with Trey (Dishon), are going to be tossed around in the mix in those two inside positions. Trey has not done anything to make me change my feelings about how well he is doing. I was extremely impressed during the course of the spring and his 15 days of spring practice. I thought he was very competitive and played hard every single snap. He not only played hard but became fundamentally better. He has better understanding of what we are doing, and nothing has slowed down. Only three practices but that has not changed a bit.”

Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Andre Coleman
On his style of play…

“Demanding. Attention to details. I think it’s the little things that count. If the route is supposed to be run at 16 yards, then I want it 16 yards not 14. If you’re supposed to be at the bottom of the numbers then I want you at the bottom of the numbers, not a yard inside the numbers. All those little things when you watch film makes the difference. There’s time when there are things that people in the stands maybe don’t see, but when we get in and watch film, it’s the little things that make a difference.

On the wide receivers…

“We have room for improvement at every position, and our goal is to improve at every position. It is an ongoing process, we are still trying to improve a little bit every day. We’ve had three practices and I think we have gotten a little better every day.”

On recruiting certain types of players…

“I think you recruit players that are going to fit your system. So we’re specifically looking for certain types of players that we feel like could play this position, or we feel like could play this position because he is versatile. We will focus more on guys that fit into our system instead of making a square peg fit into a round hole.”

On coach staff changes…

“It’s great, they don’t have any egos, I don’t have an ego. Our mission is to win the game. It doesn’t matter where the idea comes from, as long as it is the best idea that puts our team in the best position to win, that’s all I care about.”

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Blake Seiler
On signing period changes…

“You have to get out, you have to get the recruits here during the summer. With bowl games and bowl prep going on with that early signing period, it’s tough. So, there’s a big push to get some of the recruits here during the summer.”

On becoming defensive coordinator…

“I wouldn’t say that it was on a checklist or anything that I had in mind. I have always kind of taken the approach that if you show up and do whatever your job is and you’re the best at whatever you were hired to do, whether it’s a GA working on film or coaching the defensive ends, if you do your best, it will work itself out.”

Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach Brian Norwood
On what influence he will have on defense…

“Coach (Blake) Seiler is a tremendous defensive coordinator and there are tremendous coaches on the staff here. Everybody here does a great job. I am just coming in trying to add whatever I can with the knowledge that I have but also gaining knowledge at the same time.”

On who is sticking out in the secondary…

“I think there’s competition in all groups, even the guys coming back like Duke Shelley. He’s doing a great job on the field and competing. There’s a number of names at the corner spot who are competing at that position, including Duke. Then at the safety spot, I think they all are doing a really good job.”

On challenges of arriving during recruiting…

“The coaches have really done a great job. Coach (Tom) Hayes was here, who really helped make the transition very smooth for me. We were able to visit and talk through some of the things that I would be stepping into from a schematics standpoint. In the same light, Coach (Blake) Seiler did a good job. Those guys made it very simple for me.”

Senior Offensive Lineman Dalton Risner

On any level of comfort for the returners on the offensive line…

“Let me tell you one thing, no one is comfortable on this whole team. I’ve been here for five years, going on four years as a starter and I’m not comfortable. There’s no one comfortable in a starting spot right now because we’ve got a lot of young guys that aren’t settling for being behind (on the depth chart) – they want to come in and play. Not just the young guys, but guys that have been here for two or three years that are kind of sick of being 2s, they want to get up there and play. We all compete, every single day. I can tell you right now in all honesty, there’s not one position that’s comfortable. We’ve got a lot of new coaches in here, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator. We’ve got a lot of changes and all these coaches are saying, ‘Hey, we’re playing the best people on the field – we don’t care what you’ve done, who you are, who you think you are and what you think you’ve earned, but we’re playing the best people.’ No one is comfortable and that’s making us tremendously better.”

On the daily match-up with the defensive line…

“It’s such a mutual conflict throughout camp and I love it. We’re going hard and getting them better. We’re ticking them off, and they’re ticking us off when they beat us and they’re going hard and getting us better. We grind and hate each other all camp and we forget that we’re making each other so much better. Every year, we get to the first game and we go play a different defender, and we say it was so much different not going against you, thank God. You get used to going against your same guys. They just make us so much better and work extremely hard under Coach Mo (Latimore) and under Coach (Travis) Britz. They’ve got them doing a lot of new things this year, and a lot of good things. They get us so much better. There are a lot of good guys in there that are doing great and getting us all better.

On the play of redshirt freshman Josh Rivas…

“A big deal for these young guys that they don’t understand and what a lot of media people might underestimate is playing this game at offensive line on the Division I level is 50 percent mental. Fifty percent of it is knowing the plays, knowing what to do in the right technique. That’s where (Josh Rivas) has turned the corner. He’s a very big, strong, physical player – that’s not going to be something that’s an issue for him – but he’s made the corner because he knows his plays and he knows what he’s doing. I block next to him and I don’t really have to tell him what he’s doing and that makes me feel encouraged. If he’s made a turn in one area, it’s that area for sure.”

Senior Defensive Back Duke Shelley

On his general feelings with the start of camp…

“Everything’s been going good; we got off to a fast start this camp. There’s a lot of competing going on, a lot of going back and forth between the offense and defense. We’ve definitely been doing good, probably one of the best camps I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here, so we’ve started on a positive note.”

On his general feelings with the start of camp…

“We’ve got a lot of depth in the secondary this year. We’ve got some guys that came in from junior colleges like Kevion McGee and Darreyl Patterson – they came in from juco and fit right into the program. AJ Parker has stepped up, he’s doing nice things for us, and Walter Neil. The biggest thing I see in the secondary is the depth that we have. In previous years, we haven’t had that depth in the secondary. It shows on the field with the first and the second group, you don’t really see a drop off. That’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve seen.”

Junior Defensive End Kyle Ball

On his feelings surrounding the start of camp…

“There’s a lot of energy at practice, I feel like guys are feeding off of one another a lot more. Someone will make a big play and everyone will get hyped. I feel like there’s a lot more energy going on at practice the first few days. The energy has been really good.”

On the feelings surrounding the start of camp…

“With the defensive ends, we’ve got a lot of guys with playing time, a lot of experience. We’ve got like four or five guys that are ready to go, so it’s pretty exciting to see how well we’re doing, pushing each other. Stuff that you’ll usually have to go over, we already know, so we’re trying to improve our game that much more and go over finer details. I feel like we’re getting a lot better, we’ve got a strong group.”

On the importance of getting a good pass rush…

“Our coach has these goals for the us each game, for the defense. One of them this year is one out of every five pass attempts to disrupt the quarterback. Last year in the Big 12, we didn’t do very well on third and long, and that’s a lot of when the defensive ends are in and rushing the quarterback. That’s been a big emphasis in the off-season and over the summer – we’ve been doing a lot of pass rush moves and working on our hand moves and everything. We want to prove to ourselves this year that we can do good on third and long, do well in pass rush.”

Senior Defensive Back Kendall Adams

On recovering from last season’s injury…

“I’ve been full-go all summer. I was really excited to start camp and be practicing again. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually been able to play football. Hopefully I can get back to being the player that I was before I got hurt and be a good leader for the defense. Having a player like D.J. Reed going to the NFL, I feel like I have to step up my leadership.”

On the improvement of Denzel Goolsby…

“He’s really a student of the game. I remember him switching to safety a couple years ago, he would constantly be asking me questions and now sometimes I find myself asking him questions. It’s cool to have somebody else that can help teach the young guys. It takes a lot of burden off of me to have a guy that is experienced and a guy that I can trust next to me.”

Junior Defensive Back Denzel Goolsby

On the resilience of the team…

“I think that’s just K-State as a whole, just the mindset of this program, how it’s built on toughness and having that never quit attitude. Going into this season, we’re just trying to start fast and not have to be having so much pressure on ourselves toward the end of the season to have to pull something out.”

On having Kendall Adams back at full strength…

“It’s awesome. I love Kendall, I can’t say enough good things about him. Off the field he’s a great guy, he always does the right things. Also, on the field, he’s a great leader for us, seeing how hard he attacked everything this offseason is awesome. He deserves every bit of it because he attacked his rehab and just to be where he’s at right now is so impressive. He’s flying around, so I’m excited for him.”

Junior Wide Receiver Isaiah Zuber

On becoming the No. 1 receiver…

“I watched every game from last year and every practice. I’ve been meeting with Coach (Andre) Coleman. I have to keep my head focused, I have to quiet out all the noise and let nothing get to me. I just have to focus on myself and myself only.”

On how the offensive will change under new coaching staff…

“We are still running the same offense, we are just running different types of formations. There is more energy, even at practice – players getting into it with the coaches, coaches getting into it with the players. Everybody is competing.”

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins’ blueprint for 2018 included a dynamic young center fielder making great plays on defense and coming up with big hits. Of course, that role was supposed to be filled by Byron Buxton, once considered the top prospect in baseball.

Instead, the Twins are rallying around Jake Cave.

Cave hit his first career grand slam and closer Fernando Rodney survived a chaotic ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Sunday.

Buxton’s 2018 has been mostly a washout due to injuries. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft was optioned to Triple-A Rochester and is currently on the minor league disabled list with an injured wrist. That opened the door for Cave, a 25-year-old rookie the Twins acquired in a minor league trade with the Yankees this spring.

“This is my dream,” said Cave, who’s more or less been the Twins’ everyday center fielder since late June. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Cave homered in his major league debut on May 19, and he established himself with a number of highlight-reel catches along the way, earning him the trust of manager Paul Molitor. The latest step in that process is came Sunday as Molitor started the left-handed hitting Cave against a hard-throwing lefty in Kansas City’s Danny Duffy (7-10), who had been tough on the Twins in three prior starts this season.

That trust was rewarded with two outs in the second inning when Cave jumped on a full-count fastball for his first career grand slam and fourth homer of the season to put the Twins on top 4-2.

“I know Duffy’s got good stuff, I know he’s a competitor, and I know he’s going to come right at me at some point with the heater,” Cave said. “I got it, just stayed short, didn’t try to do too much, and I was rewarded.”

Cave fell behind 1-2 in the at-bat and then laid off some tough pitches, including a curveball that just missed inside at 1-2 and a fastball just below the knees one pitch before the grand slam.

“I had him punched out twice, and it’s tough to see the ball go out of the yard,” Duffy said. “But you still have to keep pitching.”

Molitor likes what he’s seen so far from the Twins’ second choice in center field.

“He’s got a little moxie to his game. He’s not afraid to take some chances on the bases and defensively, which is good because when he got up here we said, ‘Don’t play tentative.’ If you play timid, the game will bite you,” Molitor said. “I think he’s taking advantage so far. Hopefully it’s a good step for him as he tries to get himself established up here.”