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MANHATTAN — Three years ago, Kansas State football made a monumental change to its defense, switching from a traditional four-man front to three down linemen.
It was counter to anything head coach Chris Klieman and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman had done in the past, but after a successful debut in the 2021 season opener against Stanford, they decided to go all in.
So far, the results speak for themselves. Last year, the Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 21 points per game, and third in total defense (372.5 yards) and red zone defense (78.9%) and first in turnover margin at plus-11
But in the time since the switch, Klanderman and Klieman, himself a former defensive coordinator, have continued to tinker within the base look. As opposing offenses present new challenges, it is critical to adjust accordingly.
The fact that K-State returns a veteran defensive unit with seven fulltime starters and several others who filled in at various times last year also has allowed Klanderman to experiment more. But he is quick to point out that the tweaks would continue regardless of experience.
Related: Kansas State football defensive end Cody Stufflebean embraces the role of mentor
Kansas State football defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman continues to tweak Kansas State’s defense each year in hopes of keeping up with opposing offenses.
“You’ve got to rethink some of our rules and principles, too, with regards to how we may adjust to different things,” Klanderman said. “For me, I always try to keep it a little bit of a moving target.
“If you get too stagnant in what you do, maybe what you do against unbalanced or what you do against certain formations, people are going to find it. There’s a lot of good coaches that will find that and find some way to expose you with that.”
Just what those changes might look…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-klanderman-makes-sure-kansas-232007192.html
Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal
Publish date : 2024-08-22 23:20:07
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