Nov. 21, 2009
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Wisconsin vs. Northwestern Post-Game Quotes
Nov. 21, 2009
Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement...
"Well unfortunately, we weren't able to close this one out. When we took the ball over with about four minutes left in the game we felt pretty comfortable about being able to drive the ball down and, if not score, put ourselves in field goal range and we obviously weren't able to do that. Even taking the field the last time with 42 seconds just the way these guys have battled through and finished ball games we felt pretty good and obviously didn't have a chance to finish it after the interception. It is a very down locker room. I'm glad that we have a bye week because it'll take some time to heal the wounds with these guys. They care a lot about the guys in the locker room, and also trying to establish a good thing with Wisconsin football. Give a lot of credit to Northwestern. On film they're a very good football team and they showed up today ready to play. It was a back-and-forth game and unfortunately we weren't able to come through in the end. I think the big thing I told our guys, you know the one thing about history is history needs to happen, and the worst thing you can do is ignore history so they have to learn from these mistakes, they have to learn why the game finished the way it did, and hopefully it will be able to be a sounding board for our guys for next year in Big Ten play."
On NU's run defense...
"Well, they tackled very well. I thought there were some plays that looked like could really bend back early in the first half, but we were running up on the back of guys and obviously we have to get a clean read and clean progression from the hand off to the read and we weren't doing that. We made some adjustments. I'd thought we would come back and be able to run the ball in the second half, but we weren't able to."
On stopping NU's offense...
"Well in the first half especially, they were going Indy huddle, they were going hurry up quick huddle and the two big plays I know were benders off of number 2 with a 3 by 1 set. Bending in behind the linebacker and in front of the safety was a big play for them three times and anytime you can get so many yards without any time coming off the clock, and they're able to line back up and do it again you could definitely see that our defensive guys were on their heels."
On Northwestern breaking tendencies...
"I think on offense there were a couple of big plays that were breaks and the same thing on defense, they broke some of the things that they had done. For instance, one of the key things that they were doing early was bringing the running back, lining him out as a wide receiver and bringing him in and using him as a running back, they hadn't shown that all along."
Wisconsin Players
DL J.J. Watt
On the play of Wisconsin's defense and allowing NU to score 33 points...
"Exactly, 33 points. And I know we gave up a ton of yards and we just can't do that. We need to create turnovers. We need to stop the run. We need to stop the pass. We need to get sacks. We really didn't do any of those things today and that's not going to win you a football game in the Big Ten."
On the disappointing result of the game...
"It's extremely disappointing for our team, especially since we've worked so hard and we've got such a great group of seniors. We really want to send them out the right way and we can still do that with the Hawaii game and the bowl game. We have two opportunities left to show the nation what we can do. The game we played today is not Wisconsin football. It's not the way we've been playing all year. We really came out in the second half and tried to correct our mistakes, but it was too little too late for us."
On whether he felt Wisconsin had a chance during the last drive of the game...
"I felt like we had a great chance, especially with Scott [Tolzien] at quarterback and our great receivers and our O-line blocking. I thought we had a chance. I believe we had a chance. It just wasn't in the cards for us today. My hat is off to Northwestern really; they played a heck of a game."
RB John Clay
On fumbling the ball...
"It was me just trying to fight for extra yards. I wasn't holding the ball high and tight. I was just trying to fight and get the first down and let loose with the ball. I bumped into one of my guys and I dropped it. I didn't have it high enough and I tried to jump over [Mickey Turner] at the same time so I could get the first down, but I ran into him."
On how he plans to move forward from this game...
"I've got to learn from these mistakes, watch film and keep going up and raising the bar for myself. Try not to beat myself down too much. I've got to soak it in right now and then we've got Hawaii coming up and then this bowl game so I can build off from that for next year."
QB Scott Tolzien
On moving forward from the loss...
"It hurts any time we lose a game, especially a conference game, no matter who it is. Same thing as past times when we've lost. You've just got to recuperate and learn from your mistakes and come back. The great thing is, we've got another game against Hawaii and then the bowl game as well, so two more opportunities to play. Come tomorrow, it will be all Hawaii and another exciting game for us."
On Northwestern...
"We knew coming in that they were a good squad, that they were a good ball club both offensively and defensively. You've got to give credit where credit's due. They played a great game, but at the same time, we always say to focus in on us. We've just go to play better, simple as that."
