Nov. 13, 2010
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement:
“Going into the game, I thought weather might be a factor. Obviously, what they do offensively, we played that out to our kids. One of the things I mentioned during the course of the week was that, as a man, you try to establish your identity every day. Establish your name. This was another opportunity for us to do that. I thought they really did a good job of imposing their will, played clean football, got a lot of guys through there. I think we came out relatively healthy.”
“Just a couple injury updates, John Clay is on the verge of getting involved. Whether he gets some reps early next week will kind of be how he feels over the next 24 to 48 hours. Peter Konz didn’t really rep at all this week. We thought by giving him this week off, he might be able to be back with us next week. Unfortunately, Curt Phillips tore his ACL in Tuesday’s practice. He will undergo surgery here pretty quick. He wanted to be the guy signaling in plays today, another good example of a guy who just wants to do whatever he can to help us. Gabe Carimi, we took him in, and x-rays were negative. He basically just got a bruise on his leg and it got sore as the day went on. I think he feels pretty good and should be back full-go early part of next week.”
On whether the team tried to get style points or influence the BCS standings:
“I understand that people probably go down that route. I talked to Coach Lynch afterwards. Literally when Nate Tice scored, we were taking a knee the next play. It was just kind of the way things happened. I don’t think Wisconsin will ever get accused of trying to be sexy or (get) style points.”
“I understand where it’s coming from. Just the way the ball kind of happened to go. Especially at the end of the half, we always want to be aggressive. To get those two quick scores at the end of the half was really big.”
“Obviously it was a big play by John [Budmayr], but it was a third-and-5. I wanted to give us a chance to make a first down. I didn’t want to handicap our second-string quarterback and not allow him to run our offense. Then the big play obviously, but our kids just played well.”
On why this team is special:
“I don’t ever want to take away from what the game is. I truly love this game. I get to come to work every day and work with these kids. Last night in our team meeting, I pointed out about a dozen things that I had witnessed from Sunday to Friday night about things that aren’t related to football about certain stories within this team and pointed it out to these guys. That’s why we’re special. I think we’re a good football team, but we’re a good football team that cares.”
On coming out hard in the second quarter:
“I thought our guys took a very aggressive mentality. We talked about it. That was the last thing I said in the locker room, that we were going to be the aggressor today in all phases. We wanted to take the ball off the coin toss, but obviously they won it and got it. We weren’t going to let up an inch.”
On the offensive line:
“You know, there is another quirk. Bill Nagy, this was his first start at center. Bill Nagy, another guy, hops in. He’s been playing it, just the rhythm that we had. I think they are getting better. They’re doing a nice job of executing. Casey Dehn pops in and plays in the second half for Gabe Carimi, doesn’t miss a beat. Just status quo.”
On the success of the offense today:
“I think they’re buying into what we’re selling. They go out and execute, and they play clean. One of the most impressive stats of this football team, in my opinion, is to be the least penalized team in the country. That speaks volumes about the way they handle their business, the way we engrain in them 365 days a year how much that matters. I think that allows us to play the way do and the style of football we do.”
On making a statement today:
“I hope so. I think Indiana is a good football team. They were within a play of beating Iowa last week. For us to score that many points and play as well as we did. We are a very, very good football team. We’re a good team that stays focused. If we do play poorly, we know how to get it back. There’s a lot of maturity with these guys.”
Junior CB Aaron Henry
On his interception return for a touchdown:
“It was real exciting. Words can’t explain how I felt when I was actually able to get in the end zone.”
On scoring 83 points:
“I think it’s pretty easy to call it (a complete game) when your score 83 points. We made a couple of mistake early on. We gave a up a huge run. I think it was 70 something yard run, but its football. Things are going to happen, but it’s all about how you are going to adjust to them and take advantage of opportunities that you do have in the game.”
On what to take away from the game:
“(This is) a platform into the next game. Michigan has a tremendous offense and a tremendous quarterback, but I think for us this week it was a tremendous test.”
Sophomore RB Montee Ball
On having a career-best rushing total at halftime:
“It’s a great feeling for sure. I give credit to the offensive line for working up front. But I did work hard in practice and I’m glad to see that I carried it over to the game, and actually our whole team did too.”
On scoring 83 points:
“We actually weren’t surprised about scoring (83 points). We practiced very hard and we were expecting to impose our will upon them.”
Senior TE Lance Kendricks
On scoring 83 points:
“I think it was good. Our defense was able to hold their own and obviously Aaron (Henry) got in and got a pick return (for a touchdown). I think our twos played just as well. They came out there and kept the ball rolling and kept scoring touchdowns. Brad (Nortman) never got out there to punt which is nice. All around it was a fun day.”
On remaining humble:
“We keep hearing things about the BCS and obviously we take notes and we all watch it, but we still have to keep our one-game mentality. We are doing a pretty good job at it.”
Senior QB Scott Tolzien
On today’s performance:
“I thought that we had a good feeling going into it, just because we had a really good week of preparation. That’s really the key to every week, it all starts in practice. So it was good to execute what we worked on in practice.”
On offensive line’s performance today:
A lot of times they don’t get a lot of credit, and it all starts up in front with them. They’ve been great all year long and they’re really the people that make it happen for us.”
On scoring 83 points:
“We didn’t come into the game thinking we would score that many points, but the good thing is that we kept our foot on the gas pedal. It’s easy sometimes, when you’re up like that, to just slow down and all of the sudden you get complacent. But the guys did a good job of maximizing every opportunity.”
Junior DE J.J. Watt
On scoring 83 points:
“It’s a lot of fun. The offensive line did a great job today. Aaron [Henry]’s touchdown for the defense was big but it’s a lot of fun when your team is scoring this many points.
On the team’s overall performance:
“It’s easy to say that with 83 points scored we played a complete game, that’s for sure. But we gave up 20 so we did some things wrong so we need to clean those up. But it’s a fun day to be a Badger that’s for sure.”
On team’s momentum going into next week’s game at Michigan:
“We did some great things today and we have to carry that forward into next week’s game against Michigan. We have to head into the Big House with an attitude and try to win a football game.”
Freshman RB James White
On performance offensively:
“I just felt good going in there and getting out there on the field and working hard for my team. The offensive line blocked really well all game.”
On the success of the running back rotation:
“Everybody works hard at practice every day. There’s no slack when the next person comes in the game. Everyone is capable of the same things. Indiana’s defense was basically seeing the same person over and over again.”
Indiana Coach Bill Lynch
Opening Statement:
“We got beat every way possible by a great football team. We knew Wisconsin was an outstanding team coming in. We played a quarter and a half pretty well. Then Ben Chappell got hurt, we missed a field goal, and then after that I’ve never seen a game get away as fast as that one got away from us. We played poorly and Wisconsin played pretty well.”
On Chappell’s injury and its impact:
“When a guy gets hurt, the next guy has to step in. We just, as a football team, did not handle it very well. The game absolutely changed when he came out. It’s our job not to let that happen. It factored in to the fourth-and-2 play. We had a play called to go for it and then we talked with him, and we knew he couldn’t do it. We went for the field goal, missed it, and from there they scored in three plays, then we turned it over and they scored again. That’s what Wisconsin is very, very capable of doing."
On the second half:
“We did not play very well at all. They played well. We had turnovers.”
On Wisconsin throwing the ball late in the game:
“That’s our job to stop them. I’ve always felt it’s our job to stop the team and play the game. We didn’t do that very well. I have no problem with that. They are a great football team.”
