Postgame Quotes: Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio)
September 12, 2015 | Football
Postgame Quotes
Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 12, 2015
Camp Randall Stadium - Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin Head Coach Paul Chryst
COACH CHRYST: Certainly it feels good to get the win, and I told the kids after the game, you always want to be appreciative of that. A lot of work goes into it, and that was fun to see.
I thought certainly defensively we did a lot of really good things, did a heck of a job, against the run, we were able to get takeaways. That was big.
I thought special teams, returns, and Alex (Erickson) had some big punt returns that were good, had great field position. We had the turnover on the one early punt.
Offensively, I thought we struggled, obviously in the red zone early. We gotta get better there. I didn't think we ran the ball consistently early, but did rebound, and I thought we ran the ball better in the third quarter, and I thought Joel (Stave) -- you never like the first-down pick -- but I thought he responded, and actually a lot of it came … I thought they handled the 2-minute situation twice pretty well.
All in all, certainly pleased and appreciate the effort that went into this victory, and looking forward to growing and learning from the tape and moving on next week.
Q. How much confidence can your defense build from a performance like this after the big plays you guys gave up last week?
COACH CHRYST: Two different games, but I think you can build confidence in knowing if you do your job … we've got good players, guys that made good plays and if you do your job and trust each other, I think that's the thing we can build on right there.
Q. Paul, what do you think having (Michael) Caputo back and also beginning to use (Tanner) McEvoy back in safety, did it help your defense in the back end there?
COACH CHRYST: I think it helps. Mike is a good player and anytime you get to play with him, I think we all feel better. Appreciate what Tanner did, not just today but during the week. He's a good football player and the more we can use him, that will be helpful for our team.
I would think it had to make a difference.
Q. We saw a lot of Michael Caputo and Darius Hillary in the flat today. Was there a specific match-up you were looking for there, or was it just about kind of mixing it up and getting guys in different positions?
COACH CHRYST: Those two were playing that nickel position for us and two smart football players, two guys that can adjust, handled different roles, for lack of a better term, and that's why you saw them in there.
Q. Talk about McEvoy's impact at this football game in a number of ways.
COACH CHRYST: Yeah, I think Tanner is a guy that's -- he's got great football intelligence, and I think he's a talented football player, and I think he's a guy that can help make us different offensively and defensively. We were able to do some different things in the back end defensively, and I think that was in large part due to -- you saw his range on the long one toward the student section where he kinda broke it up. He's just a headsy player, and I think he can still give us some things offensively that we can continue to build on and grow from.
I enjoy watching him. I thought he was a blast in practice, he was shuffling both sides and doing everything, but he's got it, and I think he can help us, and we need him.
Q. What is an acceptable workload for a kid like that? Are you still finding that out?
COACH CHRYST: Yeah, because that was one thing that Tanner and I talked about Friday, and didn't know, and I don't know if today we knew. It was a beautiful day today. Rob (Wheelwright) was giving us some stuff at the receiver spot. Tanner felt like he could have done more, and it will be interesting to look back and see how many plays he played, but it's something we've got to find out, what the volume is he can handle. I'm guessing in the low 70s or something. (Laughter.)
Q. You gave (Micah) Kapoi a chance on the right side of your line at times. How do you think that rotation went? Do you think that group improved from week one?
COACH CHRYST: I hope we did some things better. I'm anxious to see. I don't know if I could really tell you how it went. When we were on the goal line we had all three of them in there and, so, it will be interesting.
We need -- I think Micah is -- he did a lot of good things in camp, and this is -- I think he got more extensive action today, and he's got to get better from that.
Q. Paul, growing up here and playing here and coaching here before, what was today like for you and getting your first home win as a head coach?
COACH CHRYST: I'm appreciative of having the opportunity and certainly being back here, and yet I've always felt thankful and appreciative when I was here, when I would get tickets, before my dad was even working. I appreciated the Schmitz' help, giving us tickets, and then loved it when my dad was coaching here, and then I got an opportunity to play, and when I came back and worked for Barry (Alvarez) it was a big deal for me.
Then I had a chance to come back and -- so I've been to a lot of games at Camp Randall Stadium, and they never get old for me. This day, it's not about me. The window these guys have to play, it's short, and that's what was fun for me it see today.
Q. This was a big opportunity for Dare (Ogunbowale) and Taiwan (Deal) with Corey (Clement) out. What did you like about what they provided and do you think this could be good for them down the road, given they got carries they might not have?
COACH CHRYST: Has to be good for them, and I thought Dare made some plays, couple where he kept his balance, and it was nice on the one touchdown run he had. I thought Taiwan early there was a drive on a third down, I thought he ran -- third and short and I thought he ran behind his pads, I liked seeing that. Dare is older, but doesn't have as much experience, , started at the corner and moved over and for Taiwan he's a young, young back and every snap you get, I think, is really valuable.
Q. Dave (Aranda) talked in the off-season about creating more turnovers defensively. How encouraging was it to see the guys put that together and get a few?
COACH CHRYST: It's great when the ball is up there and I thought actually we missed on a couple more. When they have a chance to give you something you've got to be able to seize that opportunity and I thought we did. I thought like I said earlier, the special teams did and that was good. I think we've still got to force -- it's got to be a point of emphasis forcing the takeaways.
Q. Paul, I know Rob missed some time in camp with an injury, Rob Wheelwright. When did you see him do things in practice that led to what he was able to do last week but in particular today?
COACH CHRYST: I thought Rob was -- he just kept going. He did miss some time, but I thought the group in general -- I thought this week that group worked and had a good week of practice and they were playing fast. You need to. And I think that's -- we're still building chemistry and these guys are still trying to understand this offense, and I like the way that they communicate with each other. I think they know that in many ways we've got a lot of areas we can get better at.
I like this group, the way they work and approach that. I thought you saw it during, and at the end that was good, he needed to get some snaps, and it was good to see that. Certainly, Alex what he gives you. Jazz (Peavy), I think he was involved again, which was good, Reggie (Love) had a couple of opportunities. We just gotta keep -- we got a long ways to go with that group, and I like the way they work. We need to be like that.
Q. Have you ever had a player play three different positions in a game like Tanner did today?
COACH CHRYST: Guys play a lot of football and do different things. Probably only a couple have played offense and defense, but it was -- I think he needed to do that for us, for us to be the best, and he's capable of it, and that's what you appreciate from him and you like about him.
Q. After the 'Bama game you noted Joel continuing to keep his composure. Did you continue to see that grow?
COACH CHRYST: I thought he had it before the 'Bama game, and I think he does. That's one of his skills in his skill set, and felt the same -- it was a very different type of game today, but I think he's got great -- you guys know him, you've been around him, how he handles himself, it's who he is and how he plays the position. Love the attention to detail that he's been puttin' in during the week, it's freeing him up to be able to go play the game and hopefully enjoy playing the game.
I thought he did some good things, and every game there is going to be something that he can learn from. I think he can put his ceiling pretty high, and that's what we're going to -- he wants to play to that and we've got to coach to that.
RS Junior S Leo Musso
On playing with Michael Caputo:
"You know, he's a great help. Mike's a great player and it's just fun playing with him. So it makes our jobs a lot easier, he's making a lot of calls out there and you know, it's a lot of fun."
On how much this game's performance has helped on the defensive side of things coming off the Alabama game performance:
"One of the things that we said coming in was that we wanted to find an identity, that's what Coach Aranda really stressed and we kind of took that to heart. The defense rallied up and came out and made sure we performed today."
On if he feels they've found that identity:
"Absolutely. Obviously guys are always going to say that there's stuff you can improve on, but we just want to keep building our identity. We want that identity to be a fast, physical defense that makes a lot of plays and makes a lot of turnovers."
On how badly the defense wanted to keep the shutout intact:
"When the next group gets in there, they take a lot of pride in that. The first defense did a great job of shutting them out but the second defense takes pride in making sure we keep that goose egg up there."
On whether the team came into this game looking to make a statement after last week:
"I'd say yeah. You kind of have a chip on your shoulder after that loss last week and you know, we took that to heart, watched film and made sure we made our corrections. And I think you saw that today."
Junior RB Dare Ogunbowale
On his role in the game with Corey Clement being out:
"It was definitely fun. Me and Taiwan (Deal) knew going into the game we'd have a bigger role with Corey (Clement) being out, so we tried to make sure we took advantage of that. I think Taiwan did a great job, especially in the short-yardage package that we have for him, so it was definitely fun being out there in front of the fans and being able to get a big win like that."
On whether the first half was tough on their run game:
"Yeah we kind of call it a 'softening period' - we try to break down the defense and sure, it can get a little frustrating but we were able to bounce back and things started opening up and when they did it got really fun. You just have to be a little patient and don't press or try to make things happen on your own, just trust the system and things will open up for us."
On if it's unusual that in the last two games the passing game has been a little stronger of the running game, when traditionally it's the other way around:
"Unusual in a 'traditional sense', sure. But this offseason we tried to make sure we were a more balanced offense, and so with that happening and with Joel and the wide receivers doing well we have a lot of weapons in the wide receiving core. I think that's just a tribute to that and we'll get the running game going more but I'm excited to see how the wide receivers are doing and the passing game being as effective as it has been."
On the confidence he gained in his second half performance:
"You know, it's just fun knowing that I can make the big plays like that - and I kind of have to because when it's a short-yard run Taiwan's got it, so I have to score from long. But it's definitely fun having the big plays like that."
Junior WR Robert Wheelwright
On his general thoughts of the day:
"Just a great day, we played great. As a team we did a great job of coming out there in front of all our fans in our first home game and it was just kind of like a welcome home game, so it was great."
On making the first touchdown and if it boosted his confidence:
"Yeah just kind of being out there, being with Joel and being able to catch the ball once he throws it is a great confidence booster and just being out there and being able to make plays is just great for my confidence. I just felt me and Joel's combination and us throwing the ball to each other has been great."
On why he and Stave are starting to mesh so well:
"I'm just thinking it is in practice. In practice that's all we work on; shorter throws, all types of balls, different types of catches, trying to make it harder on the defenders."
On if seeing Stave so confident in his play helps Wheelwright:
"It helps a lot for Joel's swagger and his confidence-building. I think he helps the whole offense - including the defense as well. When everybody sees Joel's into it and he's cheering guys on, I feel like he brings everybody to a cheerful mood."
RS Junior OLB Vince Biegel
On if he feels the defense found their identity in this game:
"I think we did. I think one big thing for us this offseason was to create turnovers and I really think you saw that today, was everywhere from you know, us sacking the quarterback to interceptions front seven to the DBs really working in unison to get those turnovers. So yes, I think we are starting to find that Wisconsin Badger defense identity."
On if this game was a confidence builder after the Alabama game:
"Without question it's a confidence builder. From a defense standpoint, we cleaned up a lot of errors which was the biggest thing approaching this weekend. Me and Joe Schobert were out by the mid-third quarter so for those second, third-stringers - not just our offensive linebackers but the whole offense and defense - to get that confidence I think is really going to pay off down the road."
On how much pride he takes in Miami's negative rushing yards:
"For me, I thought it was negative yards, up on the big board it said negative two. So when the third-stringers were out there that was the big thing for us was "Hey, keep that zero-yard gain on the board". So that was huge for us. I'm so proud of all our guys, not just our starters but all of our youth to get out there and perform the way they did, it's going to be a real confidence boost for sure."
On what McEvoy brings to the defense:
"Yeah Tanner playing both sides man, learning both playbooks, I can't imagine. But I'm really proud of Tanner, he came out there and just did what he was supposed to do - getting a pick, would've loved to see him get to the house but glad to have him on our side."
Senior QB Joel Stave
On the execution of two-minute drill at the end of the first half:
"It was fun. It's fun to be able to get out and work the drill like that, especially when you're starting inside your own 10 with two minutes, but you know you got some timeouts. I thought we were able to run it pretty smooth today. We were]able to start out with a couple of smooth runs just to get us away from that backed up situation. And once we had a little bit of breathing room, we were able to cut it loose."
On passing Scott Tolzien for fourth all-time in passing touchdowns:
"I didn't know that. It's exciting. Scott has been very helpful to me. He's someone I really look up to, especially what he was able to do in this offense with Coach Chryst in his two years as a starter. He's someone I got a lot of respect for and I looked to when I'm looking for advice for something like that. He's someone I really trust."
On the touchdown catches by Robert Wheelwright and Austin Traylor:
"It's exciting to see guys go up and make plays like that, especially in the end zone. Anywhere on the field it's great to see guys going and competing for the ball. I thought Robert [Wheelwright] and Austin [Traylor] did a really nice job on those couple that they had a chance on in the end zone - just going up and competing for the ball and coming away with it."
On the versatility of Tanner McEvoy:
"It's impressive. Tanner's a pretty impressive guy the way he can run and move with the size that he's got. His role can continue to expand surprisingly, considering he played both ways for the majority of the game. I think he's someone who will really give us a good look on offense and defense.
"I think he's just got some very natural size that you can't really teach - the way that he can go up and attack the ball. And then he's got some sneaky speed that people may not give him as much credit for. But with what he was able to do running the ball last year as a quarterback, if you can get him on the edges and in space and in one-on-one situations, I think he's a guy who can be pretty dangerous with the ball in his hands."
On the offense picking up new system:
"I think we just continue to get better every week. I thought we were able to run the ball a little more efficiently this week. We're able to continue to throw the ball. We're just continuing to get better every week and learning the details of the plays."
On his confidence in Wheelwright:
"I think he's a really good player. He's been a guy who I've always thought is pretty naturally gifted. It was just a matter of him staying healthy. I think this year being able to see him stay healthy, he's really shown how good a player he can be."
On the resurgence of the passing game:
"You take what you can get. Last year, when you're running the ball for 400, 500 yards a game, it's tough to turn away from. I think we just got to take what the defense gives us. If that's the passing game, then we got to continue to work it. If it's the running game, we just got to continue to take that. It's just playing the game."
On the run game improving:
"There's a lot of different situations where you want to be able to throw, want to be able to run. I thought we did a good job down the stretch where we're working the four-minute drill, being able to sustain drives with the run, and really just wear on them, wear on the clock and put games away. I think that's something that this team year in and year out has been very good at is when you do get a little bit of a lead in the fourth quarter just being able to keep leaning on them and leaning on them and keep pushing the run.
Senior WR/S Tanner McEvoy
On if he felt comfortable playing on both sides of ball:
"Absolutely, that's what practice is for. We were working the system in practice, and it was interesting to see how it played out. It was a little new to all of us. We were just going out there and focusing on communicating with the coaches and making sure I was ready to go on each play."
On the volume on work:
"I felt like it went fine. Our goal going into it was communicate and just be honest with the coaches and just not go out there and be winded. Luckily, with a few TV timeouts at the right time, I didn't feel at any point overwhelmed."
On the play of secondary:
"The secondary and the defense had a great day. We held them to zero [points], which was our goal. We had a few big picks. Leo Musso had two big ones. I had a nice one, lucky one really. He kind of just threw it at me, which was nice. I'll take those. Should've scored, but it was a good all-around day on defense. We had a great day.
On having Michael Caputo back:
"It's always fun going with him. I've been with him for two years now. He's a smart guy. He knows where everyone is going to lineup, so if I ever have a question, he's always there to answer."
On being first player in 12 years to have a catch and an interception:
"It's definitely unique. You don't' see it every day. But I see it as an opportunity. I got to make the most of this opportunity that I'm getting. Coach believes that I can go both ways, and physically I felt good today, which was nice. It was a good opportunity, it was fun to do."
Senior WR Alex Erickson
On whether or not getting more positions involved makes it easier for himself:
"Yeah, I think the more that we get more people involved, the better we will be off. It's only tougher down the stretch, so the more guys we can get touches and the more making plays the better."
On Tanner McEvoy making better decisions from playing different positions:
"I don't know how much it's translating for him. It's completely different, but he's a smart guy. He knows both schemes, so he knows what he's doing. He's a heck of a playmaker and athlete, and the more we can use him on the field the better we're going to be as a team."
On holding the shutout through line changes:
"Oh yeah it's huge. You know the defense really takes pride, even if the seconds or thirds are in there, they all take great pride. On the offense, we all take pride in finishing the second half and keeping it rolling, keep putting points up. It doesn't matter who is in there."
Senior OLB Joe Schobert
On what the team did well:
"I think we got a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Even though they ran three step a lot, we were still able to affect the throws from an outside linebacker and D-line perspective. Obviously coverage was good, we had a bunch of interceptions today."
On whether the win erased feelings from last week:
"I think so. It means we're taking a step in the right direction, but now we just have to build on this week. After tomorrow this game is over and we just have to focus on Troy."
On what Tanner McEvoy brings to the defense:
"The athletic range he's got, he knows offensive schemes because he plays offense as well. He's a big guy, he's not afraid to throw his body in and tackle. He's quick and can cover a lot of range back there and get some interceptions."
On having Michael Caputo back:
"It's obviously good to have the leader back. Mike's a good guy, a tough player, and just having him feeling good out there playing football and staying healthy throughout the whole game, it was big. His communication, his leadership, it's something we need on defense."
Senior S Michael Caputo
On players switching positions throughout the game:
"We work on being in the back and being interchangeable no matter what. You really don't want me playing the corner position, but you know within the nickel spot and the safeties and the corners, we like to be interchangeable. Just getting reps and getting guys different looks and reps. It's a different mindset, but I like being on the field no matter where they've got me."
On Tanner McEvoy starting on both offense and defense:
"It's a whole new element. He's another guy who is real ball-savvy. He knows what he's doing, he knows the play calls. As you saw today, he knows the offensive side as well as the defensive side and that's one of the major things he brings. He brings knowledge and a lot of athletic skill, too, to be able to make those plays. He's a big threat. I got to hand it to him, that's hard playing both ways like that. That's difficult, especially in the college level, that's something that's special."
On the statement the defense made today after the last game:
"I thought we made a good statement. We came out, we set the tone, and we kind of kept the foot on the gas the entire game. That was kind of our mentality, that we didn't really make a statement last week about who we were as a defense and we really wanted to come out this week and make a definite statement about the 2015 defense."
On the pairing of himself and Tanner McEvoy:
"It's a great tandem back there. It's great having an athletic guy like Tanner who knows football. He's very football savvy. It's a good feeling, I'm very comfortable with him playing. I'm comfortable with Leo Musso coming in, too. I'm comfortable with a lot of guys. We're all interchangeable in the back end and the DB room, so it's nice. Tanner can come down and he can play the run too - he's interchangeable. I've been working on a lot of midfield stuff and playing deep, like I said interchangeability is key, but having Tanner is definitely a key asset to our tandem that we've got."
On Coach Aranda's goal of causing turnovers:
"We did a lot of film study and we knew that they wanted to go down the field, so we took advantage of that in the back end. The best pass coverage is the pressure on the quarterback, so they got after him a little bit and forced some throws and it was a good day all in all for the front seven and the back end."
Junior C Dan Voltz
On the run game adjustments at halftime:
"That was our focus coming in and at halftime we cleaned some things up in the run game and we came out in the second half and continued to run the ball and executed better.
Sophomore K Rafael Gaglianone
On playing of music after a made field goal:
"I had no say in that. I was kind of hoping the tradition was going to keep on going from last year. I didn't know what was going to happen this year, but I'm glad they're still going with the 'Ole, ole' and it's just good having fun out here at Camp Randall."
Junior CB Sojourn Shelton
On the play of defense:
"Tanner McEvoy, he's a player that's going to make plays. And Musso stepped up big. Me, Caputo and Darius Hillary kind of feel like we were left out. Honestly, we had our chances to make some plays. We just didn't come through. It's just good to see that we can really be special, as long as we keep building."
Miami (Ohio) Head Coach Chuck Martin
Opening statement:
"Obviously, credit to Wisconsin. Defensively, they're really good. We knew that coming in. Last year's defense was good, but I think this year's defense is better. I know they gave up a few big runs against Alabama, but if you take those away, they were pretty salty last week against a pretty darn good football team. They handled us up front defensively and forced us into stressful situations. At quarterback, we didn't do a good job managing the ball at the quarterback position, but a lot of it had to do to Wisconsin. They had guys climbing all over our two quarterbacks when they're trying to make plays and guys aren't exactly wide open out there on Wisconsin's defensive backs. It was a long day.
We knew going in that even if we punt the ball, we'd just keep moving the ball forward and stay in the game and hopefully slow down their offense. The other big negative is they killed us on special teams. Alex Erickson is a very good player… he hurt us. We had a couple low, line-drive punts and didn't get good coverage and they blocked it up good. He's a darn good player and set up a couple easy ones and obviously us fumbling a punt return inside our 15… when you go on the road against a Big Ten team, you're not going to win that way. Those are the plays you're hoping they screw up and they fumble one inside their 15 that will maybe keep us around and give us a chance. Obviously that's the key to the game.
Defensively, I really think we're going to like a lot of the snaps. I might be wrong, I thought we held in there better up front. I know they have some experienced offensive linemen playing. I've seen Wisconsin play for years and years and they may not have the most experienced offensive line that they've had, but I felt like we held them at 188 yards rushing. We had them well under 100 at halftime, not that we were stopping the run, but we were managing the run pretty good so we could get off the field. We were getting off the field early.
Then obviously Joel Stave. I think he's a great player. I didn't love it because I knew we were playing him, but I thought he played his tail off against Alabama. I was grimacing at home. I was hoping he would be pretty average, but I thought he made a lot of great throws in that game and he made a lot of those throws today. They've got a couple good receivers and he puts the ball with a lot of pace in a place that you really can't get to and then they catch it. I think he's a really good player. Credit to them, but I felt better obviously about our defense. It's hard to say when they get 58 points and you feel alright about your defense, but I thought there's certainly some things to build on.
The other positive for us is that we played a ton of young guys because the game got out of hand. At one point, we had seven true freshman out there on defense at the same time against Wisconsin, which I thought was pretty good for those guys. Wisconsin had its backups in too, but Wisconsin's backups are typically pretty good. It was good in a lot of ways.
I thought our kids' approach was good. We played hard, I thought they competed. At no point was there a chink in the armor. Even at 58-0, our kids were still playing and wanting to get better. For us, where we're at as a program, that's what we have to do. I still like our team and I like where we're heading. We have a long, long ways to go as obviously the score shows tonight, but I think we're heading in the right direction."
On if he's getting more comfortable with Billy Bahl running the offense:
"I thought it was good for him. Obviously, his first college game at Wisconsin against a ridiculously good defensive with three starting offensive linemen out… welcome to college football young man. It wasn't great for Drew Kummer either. Today wasn't great, but it's a great experience for the kid. He saw what the highest level of football looks like. They have a great football team. They had a great team last year and I think they'll have a great team this year and win a bunch of games. I don't know how many they'll win, 10 or 11 games this year. It's great for him. Is he ready? No, but we're getting him ready by putting him out there. I don't think we're ready to turn the keys over to Billy Bahl. I think he and Drew are going to keep doing their thing and I think Gus Ragland will help us. I don't think this was Gus' day to be out there running around, but I think you'll see him next week. I think he can do some things to help our offensive, but it was good for Billy."
On what the difference between this week and last week:
"We knew coming in that if we played the perfect game and they played badly, they could still beat us. We knew turnovers, don't go backwards on offense, be solid on special teams. We were hoping to stop the run. I think we got the chance to control the run. They ran for 640 yards against Bowling Green last year, which had me scared. We were getting stops early. I even thought the touchdown shouldn't have been overturned because I don't know if it was conclusive. I don't think he caught it but I think if they called if incomplete on the field, it would've been 9-0. We made mistakes early then and got it out of hand even before we had a chance to get in and fight."
On the overall game:
"I think probably with where our team is at and where they're at, a really good game for us would be 27-7. That would be a hell of a day for us. After watching it, if we don't turn the ball over, it's going to stay closer at least through half. We had some good confidence on defense as we were making them drive the football. We were settling in and if we could just get to punts and survive in special teams, I think that it would've been fairly close at halftime and then who knows. The turnovers obviously against a team that has a 33-point favor for a reason: when you turn the ball over and have a short field, it gets ugly."
