Bielema Addresses Media Monday
November 20, 2006 | Football
University of Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema addressed the media Monday afternoon to answer questions about the team's 2006 season.
A complete transcription of the news conference follows below. A video archive of the news conference can be found by clicking on the red "Audio/Video" link on the left side of the page.
BRET BIELEMA: After having a chance to watch the film, saw some things in that game that were indicative of what we've been able to do all year long from an offensive, defensive, and special teams point of view, a few things that jumped out to us. Our offensive MVP was Travis Beckum, as he's continued to show us how his abilities can affect a ballgame, especially with our second-string quarterback in there, with Tyler Donovan again, the way they were able to connect and make some positive yardage.
Defensively, went to Mark Zalewski. I thought he kind of took the game over there at one particular point on that goal-line stand. It spoke volumes of his play. Special teams, Kenny DeBauche had a kill inside the five as well as the long punt that really changed field position early in the game. Our offensive scout was Jerry Butler. Defensive scout was Kirk DeCremer.
And as the season has unwinded here, I thought it'd be great to look back ' I thought, first off, to win 11 games, but more importantly to me and our program, the way we finished the last eight was a huge point of emphasis for all year dating back to last winter to where we are right now. I think you probably hear our kids use that word finish a lot, and it was there for a reason. It is a program emphasis, something that we were able to do this past weekend and obviously have another opportunity ahead of us in the future.
And then also just wanted to say thank you to the fans first off for believing and supporting, but more importantly, I think wherever we end up in a bowl game, I think we 're going to have tremendous support and a following that will back that up and make it a special week for everybody involved. With that, I'll open it up for questions.
QUESTION #1: Along those lines of finishing, Bret, what did you try to do besides just talking about it with your players'
BIELEMA: Well, I kind of conditioned it into their mind in the way that we practice, as well as the way that we conditioned. I met with John Dettman and we kind of changed some things up differently about how we even approached in-season training. For instance, one of the biggest changes that our players went under is we went to practicing on Sundays and giving them Mondays off, which then greatly affected their lifting schedule because we didn 't want to have them come in on their day off for any type of activity.
So we did a lifting regiment on Sunday that we really focused on just getting recovery and a light stretching and conditioning that put them in position to have a better practice. So they basically would lift on Sundays, a little bit on Tuesdays, and a very short workout on Thursday, which I think, over the course of time, set us up in a position to finish.
QUESTION #2: Bret, some of your players after the game talked about maybe they 'd like another crack at Michigan. I think it was said in the sense that, you know, we've improved a lot, and we think we could play with them better. Would you agree with that'
BIELEMA: Well, they probably responded because you asked them. But you know what ' I think our guys, as I look back on it offensively in particular, we won two games with a backup quarterback. We have two tight ends that were significant playmakers on an offense that last year they weren't even a part of. We have a freshman running back that leads the Big Ten in rushing. We return nine starters potentially for us next year and really a 10th with Tyler because he started two ballgames and won it.
Defensively, (we're) one of the top defenses in the Big Ten as well as in the country. We're in the top 10 in total defense, passing efficiency defense, as well as passing yardage against. And we return seven starters on one of the best team defenses that I've been a part of. And from a special teams standpoint, we obviously have Kenny DeBauche and Taylor Mehlhaff, as well as our snapper back. We're looking for a punt returner, a kick returner, both of which will be wide open for the spring as well as in the fall.
And then, you know, on top of that a staff that I really felt has grown as the year has come along, just realizing and understanding what our players' strengths are and being able to maximize them even during the course of a game. So I think we are greatly improved. It'd be a natural reaction to, you know, what's the one thing that you may look upon during the past year that you could change, and obviously the second half of the Michigan game jumps out in everybody's mind.
QUESTION #3: Bret, you alluded to wherever we end up in a bowl game. In your mind, what 's still unclear or what's clear for you'
BIELEMA: Well, and I know this. The world of college football is very unique and very strange. Every weekend there's a few things that pop up I think that surprise the outside world looking in. As coaches, we know how incredibly tough it is to win a football game and to do it week in and week out. At this time a week ago, there was a lot of discussion about Rutgers, and unfortunately they lost to Cincinnati, which dramatically changed, the chatter and the talk about where they may or may not be.
And I know this. I think we're No. 8 now in the BCS standings. I know there 's four teams in front of us that play, two of them play each other and others have very, they have opponents coming up that could be a toss-up game for them. I know eight minus four is four. I know there's a rule in the BCS that says the top four teams automatically get BCS bowl berths.
On the same account, there's a rule that says only two can go within a conference. But who knows if the Badgers are able to climb up to No. 4, what that question is, I don't know. That's what other people get to answer. I just coach football games.
QUESTION #4: Bret, I'm assuming you guys hit the road recruiting this week. How much momentum do you think you can take from just the season as a whole'
BIELEMA: What you're able to do is, first off, get an understanding, I think before the season started I did not have a record as a head coach, and for that reason, I think certain kids that we may have been on maybe made certain decisions based on the information they had at the time. But I always tell this to kids in recruiting. If they ever come to this program, you'll never hear me say this, but this is the one time in their life where they can be selfish.
Once they're here, I'll never say it to them again, but in the recruiting process, the only person that you need to satisfy or get the answers that you need is that 18-year-old young man when he's coming to a university. And if information changes, then it's only right that they could be selfish and try to think about where they need to be.
But I sent seven of my staff out on the road this week. We'll get two evaluation days in. And then actually this coming Sunday, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, is when we start our live recruiting period where as coaches we can send out seven guys and go into the homes for the first time, and we'll definitely be in full effect.
QUESTION #5: Coach, there are still two weeks left with a lot of games remaining with BCS implications. Are you looking forward to maybe getting to enjoy watching that a little more now that you don't have any games up until the bowl game in front of you '
BIELEMA: You betcha. I'm excited. I'm a sports fan. Like I said, last week I went back and watched that Ohio State-Michigan game and saw a great contest amongst two great teams. I'm going to go to the women's game tonight at 7:00 and watch a good women's basketball team play. So it's kind of nice to just sit back for a couple weeks, know that there's a couple teams out there that have some games and sit back on Saturday and watch them work a little bit.
QUESTION #6: Bret, you spoke before about two apparent conflicting rules in the BCS eligibility. Have you or anyone from UW asked that question officially and gotten any kind of an answer from BCS people on that'
BIELEMA: I think they've already thought of those scenarios. I'm just, as a coach, I just kind of, I believe what you guys write. You're telling me the truth, right' I know I've seen that printed on two different occasions. So I just kind of put two and two together. Maybe I'm the first one to link it. I don't know.
QUESTION #7: You mentioned special teams earlier, return guys, but what about, I mean, if there's one area that I think you'd like to see improve more consistently it's probably blocking for the punt guys and the kickoff return. Is that something you evaluate in the off-season even more than you probably have to this point already'
BIELEMA: Well, one thing that I did as a head coach is I made a decision to protect certain guys. For instance, you never saw Mark Zalewski, Roderick Rogers, Joe Stellmacher, Jonathan Casillas, DeAndre Levy, Jack Ikegwuonu, Allen Langford, some of our better players on the defensive side of the football, we limit them to one special teams phase. There 's four key phases, besides the offense, defense, PAT teams.
So what we try to do is, we felt those players were significant, had a significant enough role for us defensively that we didn't want to have them on the field on a special teams play potentially to lose them because of injuries or just being able to stay fresh. And unfortunately, you know, in our program, we are going to try to recruit and get better personnel to fill our entire roster, but our special teams are made up of a lot of first-year players, walk-on players.
I think a great story, if you guys want to write a story, Derek Konkol is a senior in our program, was already in the College of Pharmacy, and a guy that has been hanging around. He hasn't really been on the field a significant playing time. And he came up to me I think about a week into camp and he wasn't listed on any special teams depth, and he basically said, `Coach, all I want is a job, just give me an opportunity, ' and was pretty emotional when he was asking me to do this.
And I went in the staff meeting the next day and basically threw his name out, and all them, everybody kind of agreed, hey, I'll list him on my depth, I'll list him on my depth. I think he ended up starting for us on two units the last half of the season, did a tremendous job.
Now we would always try to get better personnel to be out there, but for the situation we're in, for me to put together a plan for us to try and win as many games as we can, I consciously had to make that decision of what kind of personnel we were going to have on special teams. And because of that at times we're not going to be able to perform as highly as we are offense and defense, but it's totally different personnel. But my goal as a head coach is to try and continue to recruit the type of players to be able to put in those situations.
QUESTION #8: What's your reaction to being a pretty strong candidate for Coach of the Year in the Big Ten in your first year' I don't know if you saw Joe Tiller said you've got his vote, and I just wonder who's got your vote, if you would be willing to share.
BIELEMA: Well, I did. I told Justin before we came in, I gave (it to) Coach Tressel. Anytime I've been able to have that opportunity, I mean, I think what he 's been able to do this year and then show through on Saturday what he did. But I also am very proud of what we've accomplished here.
And I look at it this way, Tom, I really do. If I receive that award or I'm recognized for that, it's really an indication of what our staff and what our team has been able to do. The same thing I said last week when it was brought to our attention that we won 10 games for the first time in a short, in the amount of time that we did in the Big Ten Conference, I know I wasn't the only guy. We did it with a group and a team that were able to go out there and accomplish that.
QUESTION #9: Coach, with these few weeks now off no matter where you play your bowl game, what do you do to keep the young men, I mean, do you have special plans, a different schedule that you're going to try out'
BIELEMA: George, what we did is we gave them basically this entire week. Obviously the school closes down for the Thanksgiving holiday, but made them aware of their academic requirements that they needed to get done. Next week when we come back, we'll have a team meeting at 5:00 on Monday just to get an understanding of where we're at, to give them a layout of our practice schedule.
And we'll condition, basically the standard routine will be we condition three times per week during the first two weeks of December. We'll practice on the weekends, Saturday, Sunday'I'm sorry, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And then periodically in there, throw in some Tuesday practices and Thursday practices that 'll be really condensed but more for the development of players.
QUESTION #10: Bret, in relation to that, how much do you anticipate your bowl-prep time will be toward evaluation, maybe thinking about some position changes, things like that ' And then when do you start to hunker down on your opponent when you find out who it is'
BIELEMA: Well, in college football, you don't have a player personnel department, but that's kind of the role I kind of like to take. Last year, I made some personnel decisions by myself, moving Travis, moving Andy, and doing some other things with our personnel that ended up being very, very good for us. I've already had some of those thoughts in my mind, and I've got a few things that we're going to do actually during the development practices.
But what I'm excited for is there's going to be a couple practices where those seniors are going to be walking around in sweats and they're going to be coaching those other guys up and have some developmental practices, let our guys do exactly what you're talking about, see who wants to kind of step up and show me who's coming back for the spring.
I made it, and again, as a head coach, you try to put certain things in our kids ' minds. Everybody looked at Saturday as the last game for our seniors. What I made a statement to our team during the course of the week is it's an opportunity for everyone in there that's coming back to show Camp Randall and the fans what you're all about, what you could be potentially about coming back in the future.
QUESTION #11: You just talked about the seniors, and you've talked about them all season long, Coach. How much with this time away do you lean on them even more to be kind of role models and spokesmen for the university and the younger guys not experienced with a bowl game'
BIELEMA: Well, Jordan, the great thing is those seniors have been very good at passing those things along. By some of the comments that I read between Tyler and John, I mean, it was evident that Tyler very much appreciated what John was able to do for him over the last two weeks.
We did have quite a few players play this year that were a part of that game last year. For instance, DeAndre and Jonathan, that was the most playing time they received the entire season last year, was in that bowl game, and they understand the importance of practice.
So I think our guys are excited to be able to put in that same situation. And if we 're fortunate enough to get a berth to the Capital One, that's an excellent bowl game that we've already been a part of, and I'm pretty sure that the fans will come out and support us probably even more so than they were a year ago. And if that's what's in front of us, that's an excellent, excellent bowl game and we'd play a very good opponent, I know that.
