Oct. 17, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
MADISON, Wis.
Wisconsin Post-Game Quotes
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
Oct. 17, 2009
Camp Randall Stadium – Madison, Wis.
Opening Statement:
“We have a very disappointed football team. We prepared all week to put ourselves in a position to win a big football game against a quality opponent and we just weren’t able to finish the deal. The second half we obviously didn’t continue to do what we were doing the first half. Give credit where credit is due. Iowa played a good four quarter game. The difference in my opinion was they really converted on their opportunities. A big part of our demise was in the second half when we did create the turnover, good field position and we weren’t able to convert it into points. Ultimately we would like to have a touchdown but then when we missed the opportunity to kick the field goal as well, that was a critical point of the game. Against a good opponent, you just can’t do those things. You can’t turn the ball over, the key thing for us, I told the players in the locker room is against a good quality opponent we can’t do two things. We can’t turn the ball over offensively and we have to get off the field on third down in order to beat quality opponents. “Where we’re at now, we are a 5-2 football team. I am very, very proud of the way these guys compete, work and play. But that’s nothing that is going to get us a W. We will go to work tomorrow; we have a bye week in front of us to get healthy, to get ourselves back into a game week preparation. We have an opportunity to come back home here against Purdue and see exactly where we are going to finish in this league. Early indications are that these guys are going to battle back. I would be very surprised if this team didn’t respond the way I think it will.”
On change at QB:
“Going back to last Monday after watching the film and the run game, we decided on the third series to go with Curt (Phillips) in this ball game. But there was a tremendous amount of growth for him during the last couple weeks to get in and help us win a football game. Unfortunately he didn’t get a first down. I thought that second play was going to go big, he almost broke it but there was one guy that brought him down. But would of, could of, should of. That wasn’t a decision right there that had been determined earlier.”
On John Clay after his injury:
“The part that was scary, you guys all saw the way he went down. I didn’t know what I was walking out to there, I know he was a little startled. The trainers looked him over, and he felt good. I can’t say if it affects him mentally or not, but I thought he responded pretty good after that. But obviously the numbers won’t back it up in the second half. The fact that we were able to run the ball at will in the first half and the second half those numbers weren’t there. We lost some people. Garrett (Graham) has been doing a great job for us, probably his biggest improvement as a football player is his ability to block and I think we missed him there in the second half.”
Kirk Ferentz Quotes
Opening Statement:
“Obviously we’re thrilled to get the victory here today. It was a very hard fought game from both teams. Both teams really competed hard. They really controlled play and dominated in the first half and then we were able to get a grip on things and play a little better in the second half. It was a game of big plays. It was two teams playing very hard out there and we’re thrilled to get the victory. It was a game of big plays, we did a good job of moving the football and getting points after that. We were able to survive our turnovers, defensively with three big stops then the offense took the ball and drove it. That sequence right there is probably where the game turned and it was just two teams playing very hard out there. We’re thrilled to get the victory.”
Similarities between this game and the Penn State game:
“This one was a little different. I don’t remember us getting handled so much up at Penn State. Wisconsin was really handling us in the first half … doing whatever they wanted to do. Like Penn State, some guys stepped up and made some big plays for us. It took a lot of different guys making big plays. That’s what it takes to win. You need some guys really stepping up and giving you great effort and that’s what we saw today.”
On Wisconsin’s defense:
“Credit starts in the locker room. On both sides of the ball our coaches made some good adjustments. Our players do a great job of regrouping when it’s going tough and today, it was going tough. They were having their way with us and most importantly, our players really played better in the second half which gave us a chance to win, otherwise we were going to be in trouble.”
On the flu:
“We’ve had our share. We’ve had two weeks now that we’ve gotten nailed a little bit. That’s the negative side of it. The positive side is that our medical staff has done a fantastic job of getting our guys back out there so I think for the most part, the loss was only one day. It’s reflective of our team, we keep pushing forward. They don’t seem to get too affected by what happens so hopefully we can continue that.”
Player Quotes
Sophomore defensive lineman J.J. Watt
On the momentum shift in the game: “Coming into halftime, we were playing really well. Our defense was making stops and our offense was moving the ball. Coming out after halftime, we came out strong, but we just lost the momentum and weren’t able to get it back.”
On giving up third down conversions: “It’s something we can’t have as a defense. The third down conversions really killed us. Our defense had a lot of success, but we just can’t give up those third down conversions. The play that sticks in my mind is the offsides call. I made up for it with a TFL, but it’s something I can’t have.”
Freshman running back Montee Ball
On filling in for John Clay and his first touchdown: “I mean, it was fun. I just always think to myself, ‘ whenever the coaches call my number, I’ll just go out there and produce’, so that’s what I did. I just waited for my number to be called, and I wanted to produce for the team. I mean, scoring my first touchdown, I was in shock. Looking up in the stands and seeing everyone cheering was awesome. I just did it for my team, they deserved it.”
On the momentum swing in the second half: “Honestly, I’m not sure. We just didn’t come out. We’re going to have to work hard and make our corrections. The bye week is at a perfect time, and, we’ll just start to focus on Purdue.”
Senior defensive lineman O’Brien Schofield
On the team’s loss: “It just was a lack of focus in the second half. We stopped them pretty much the whole game, and they were just able to get some scores on a couple plays. I feel like we still battled out throughout the whole game. We out-played them, we just didn’t win.”
On team’s frustration level: “I wouldn’t use the word frustrated. A lot of guys, including myself, are very hurt. It’s painful to lose games when you’re in it, and you’re dominating. Then, all of the sudden, one or two plays, and the game is almost out of reach. We’ll just get back to the basics. We’re beating ourselves, not the other teams. So we need to re-group.”
Junior quarterback Scott Tolzien
On the change of pace in the game and the team’s loss: “It was a completely different ball game than it was in the first half. Turnovers shot us in the foot. It was the case last week and it was again this week. I take it all on myself. Protection was good; it was just bonehead decisions that killed me. We just battle ourselves, and we need to not do that. We just have to learn from that.”
On his interceptions: “The first one to David [Gilreath], he was the first guy on the progression. I just have to work through it. The corner just squatted there and made a nice play. It’s just my fault. I have to make better decisions. It was only second down, and there was still third and even fourth down in that case. I just have to be smarter than that. I just forced it.”
