K-State assistant Conor Riley makes case for offensive coordinator at Pop-Tarts Bowl

Conor Riley and Avery Johnson shared a special moment together as they celebrated Kansas State’s 28-19 victory over North Carolina State at the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

As confetti fell from the sky and players scarfed down various flavors of Pop-Tarts around them, Riley and Johnson acted as if they were the only two people on the field of Camping World Stadium.

Riley, who called plays as interim offensive coordinator, wrapped his arms around Johnson and told him how proud he was of the way he played after being name bowl MVP in his first start as a freshman quarterback. They hugged and talked about the game they just won together. Then they hugged again and posed for pictures.

Perhaps this was the start of a new partnership that will see Riley get promoted from offensive line coach to coordinator and shape the direction of the Wildcats for the next few years.

Or maybe it was just a cool moment filled with respect between an assistant coach and a QB.

All options seem to be on the table after K-State gained 436 yards and outlasted NC State in a hard-fought postseason game.

“It was a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “For it to be my first start and his first game as an OC, we both had ups and downs. But I’m looking forward to growing with him and building with him.”

Chris Klieman has an interesting decision to make whenever he stops celebrating this victory and turns his focus to the future with his coaching staff.

Riley got an opportunity to audition for offensive coordinator at the Pop-Tarts Bowl after Collin Klein left for Texas A&M. It’s rare for an offensive line coach to make the jump up to play-caller, but Riley can clearly handle the job.

The veteran assistant went with a conservative approach that saw the Wildcats lean on their running game with 257 rushing yards on 40 attempts. But he also asked Johnson to throw the ball 31 times. The freshman connected on 14 of those throws for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

K-State never trailed and clinched the game with a clutch 72-yard drive in the fourth quarter that drained more than seven plays off the clock. It averaged 6.1 yards per play and 2.5 points per drive.

The offense wasn’t so good that fans will be clamoring for Riley to get a promotion. But things went well enough for Klieman to consider that as a serious option instead of exploring outside options.

“He did a phenomenal job,” Klieman said. “To me, it’s an entire picture. It’s not a three-hour snapshot. It’s over the last two weeks of just watching him handle the offense and handle being in the front of the room. It’s really different being on the field as opposed to being in the box like he was tonight. That’s a different view.”

A decision should come in the near future.

Klieman has put his trust in Riley before.

“We will talk about some of these things later on,” Klieman said, “but I was proud of Riley. I love Conor Riley. He and I’ve been battling together since we were assistants. When I got hired at North Dakota State he was the first guy that I asked to stay with me. When I got hired at K-State he was the first guy I asked to come with me. So he earned the right tonight to do what he did.”

It seems like K-State players, especially those who play on the offensive line, will be rooting for Riley to get the full-time gig. Players were lining up to take photos with him during the postgame celebration.

Future NFL lineman Cooper Beebe more or less dedicated his performance to his position coach.

“That was one of the reasons none of us opted out,” Beebe said. “Coach Riley has poured into us for five years. It was only right that we were there for his try out. I thought he did a great job. We love that dude to death. We would never leave him hanging.”

K-State center Hayden Gillum said he wouldn’t be where he is today without Riley.

“He didn’t get a lot of recognition for a while, but he took a bunch of misfit guys and brought us together on the offensive line,” Gillum said. “To be able to see him get his opportunity is something that he’s been working for. He was exceptional.”

Klieman and K-State found itself in a similar situation two years ago after the Wildcats parted ways with Courtney Messingham.

Rather than bring in a new face to lead the offense, Klieman gave Klein a trial run as the team’s play-caller and he guided the Wildcats to 42 points in a blowout victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl.

That was more than good enough for him to win the job. K-State went on to have a dream season the following year that featured a Big 12 championship and a trip to the Sugar Bowl. The offense kept rolling under Klein this season.

Perhaps it would be wise for Klieman to follow that recipe and promote from within once again.

Or maybe the Wildcats would be better off with some new blood.

One thing is for sure: Riley made the Wildcats proud this month and helped them win a bowl game.

“You can just see that he really cares about this team,” Johnson said. “There is a fire to him that he brought to practice throughout this bowl week down in Orlando. I’m really thankful to be in this position, and I’m really happy to be able to build a deeper relationship with him because he really does care about his players. At the end of the day, he wants to win just as badly as the rest of us.”