KU football coach just wrapped up his final Tuesday press conference of the 2013 season and, as expected, he spent a lot of time hyping up the fact that “It’s K-State week!”

Beyond this week’s match-up and what he’s learned about the rivalry, Weis talked a little about the immediate future beyond Saturday, which, to no one’s surprise, will include a heavy dose of time on the road recruiting reinforcements for the returning roster.

Here’s a quick look at most of the topics he discussed:

• The updated depth chart lists Montell Cozart as this week’s starting quarterback. Weis said it would’ve been easy to put Jake Heaps on top but he didn’t want to risk Cozart going into the tank heading into the offseason and still likes the different dynamic the freshman brings to the field.

• Weis says Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday because of the significance it holds for being a holiday that allows you to reflect on all of the things you’re thankful for and all of the blessings you have in your life. He’ll encourage his players to really think about that and is doing that himself, too. Even took time to thank the media for doing jobs and covering the team. Genuine moment.

• Weis said this game — 11 a.m. Saturday vs. K-State — is all that matters right now because it gives KU a chance to end the season with a bang and some momentum heading into the offseason. There is no bowl game. This is it for KU. And that’s how they’re treating this week.

• Big reason K-State is so important: You’re not playing just for football team and football program. Playing for fan base and Kansans and would love nothing more than to give fans a chance to go into work or grocery store on Monday in the position to get the last jba.

• Weis says he was never a part of Mizzou rivalry so he doesn’t get that one. All his focus goes toward KSU. Says Notre Dame wanted to treat every game like it was the biggest but there it was always USC.

• Weis on K-State taking in walk-ons: I think that’s always a mentality that can work and one he likes to do. He’s always liked it and he’s trying to get it going here at KU, too. Says the approach works well in Kansas… Having guys in state wanting to go to the state university is a great thing.

• As he’s said in the past many times, Weis reiterates that he’s tried to emulate, not steal, things from what Bill Snyder has done at Kansas State. Looking at how K-State had done it was one of first things he did and one of the biggest things he noticed was the heavy juco influence on Snyder’s rosters. Snyder’s been able to fill out his roster/lineup with juco guys — sort of picking his spots — as well as anyone in college football.

• Weis says Snyder does not get enough credit for being a brilliant offensive mind. One of best things he does is mess with O-Line splits. One play it’ll be a few inches, the next it could be a few feet. Makes it hard on the defensive linemen and also on coaches to find tendencies in K-State offense. Also says Snyder is as good as anyone at power running game with quarterbacks. Not just zone read type guys who try to get to the edge, more like true running backs.

• With a young guy like Montell Cozart, you love ’em up at the end of a bad game, then you hammer ’em in the next day or two and then you love ’em up again. Weis said they’re at the start of the second round of loving him up. Weis says Cozart’s bad game at Iowa State would be a learning experience but he’d never

• Weis said Tedarian Johnson has been a pleasant surprise and added that Johnson juco teammate Andrew Bolton, who has red-shirted this year to rehab a knee injury also has made great progress academically. Both are equally important and Weis is encouraged by both.

• When asked about previous teams’ success running the ball against K-State, Weis said: I just know we’re gonna have to play a heck of a lot better than we have recently to have a chance to win the game. Weis also said the loss of safety Ty Zimmerman is significant for KSU. Said KSU has given up fewer points with Zimmerman in there and more points when he’s sat out.

• Weis said he’ll head out on the road to recruit first thing Sunday following K-State game and he’ll be out there until Friday hitting it hard for Class of 2014 commitments.

• Weis said he’ll go after some high profile guys and highly ranked guys (mostly juco) at positions of greatest need. Said that should be obvious, which, most likely, puts wide receiver at the top of the list.

• Weis said Nick Harwell has been as good as could be, both as a wide receiver and also as a teammate and member of the community. Even went as far as to say that he’s reached the point where he’s stopped worrying about him. Seems very pleased about the maturity Harwell has shown.