Kansas State's Collin Klein Focused On Patience During First Year

The first three games of the Collin Klein era for the Kansas State Wildcats started with a bang. 

The Wildcats opened the season with an easy victory against the Nicholls Cowboys. It was followed by impressive wins versus the Washington State Cougars and Tulane Green Wave. 

Everything was set in place for the Wildcats to make it to their 4-0 start since 2012 when Klein was the quarterback for his Alma Mater and led it to the Big 12 conference championship. 

It appeared that excitement had returned to Manhattan. And then things went downhill in a hurry. The Wildcats blew a seven-point halftime in a loss on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the conference opener. That was followed with a thud of a performance in a 35-16 defeat at the hands of the Houston Cougars. 

Now, Klein is trying to keep everyone during this two-game losing skid. There's no panic time to avoid the panic button than Saturday's rivalry game against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sunflower Showdown. 

The fact that it's at Bill Snyder Family Stadium gives Klein an even better chance to keep the hometown fans happy. During his weekly press conference, Klein talked about how positive he still feels about this year's team despite the slump. 

I've got great confidence in our character," Klein said. "And our relationships that we have in this building and the belief of what we can become and on that journey when that happens and how that comes to fruition is what we're working towards every day."

The Wildcats have plenty of motivation heading into the weekend. They have won 17th straight against the Jayhawks in the series. This group desperately wants to avoid being the one that breaks the streak. 

This is perhaps the most evenly matched game in recent years. Both teams appear at some sort of crossroads. The Wildcats, who were picked to finish eighth in the preseason conference poll, have all but fallen off the national radar. The goal is simply to be respectable as Klein continues to put his stamp on the program. 

The Jayhawks (2-3 overall, 0-2 in Big 12) appear headed toward another season of being a low-tier team in the conference. Their only two wins have come against Long Island University and Middle Tennessee State. 

The Jayhawks did earn some confidence in last week's loss to the Utah Utes, who are one of the teams in the Big 12. KU hung around for three quarters before falling 41-24. 

The positive for the Wildats is Klein is so new on the job. This means he's extra hungry for success, especially in the environment where he is so beloved. This is only the beginning of the process of proving he can turn this team into a winner. 

"I believe that in them and believe in what we're doing and how we're doing it, and our process is good, and our people are good," Klein said. "When we get over that hump on the tipping point on some of these things, I believe it's going to be sooner than later, and that's how we're approaching it. That's how they're approaching it.