November 24, 2018
Camp Randall Stadium - Madison, Wis.
OPENING STATEMENT: It was extremely disappointing for our seniors and we all wanted to finish better for them. And it's a group that's given so much individually and what they have been part of and yet we didn't play good enough football to earn that right to keep the Axe. Thankfully we've got one more game with this team so that we can finish on a better note. But so appreciative of what that group as individuals have done for this program. And like I said, appreciative of the fact that we get one more opportunity to go on the field with them.
Q. Can you point to anything whether it's offensively defensively or special teams where you guys won the battle today against Minnesota?
CHRYST: Where we won the battle?
Q. Yeah, where you won the battle. Any of those three areas?
CHRYST: Yeah, I would say no.
Q. I'm sure it's difficult to not only lose, but lose the way you did. In hindsight do you feel like your players were unprepared for this game, and if so —
CHRYST: No, I don't feel that.
Q. Alex (Hornibrook) hadn't played in three weeks. He hadn't played a full game in over a month. Do you think he was showing any rust in any way or what do you attribute to some of those troubles that he had today?
CHRYST: Well, certainly the first pick he didn't see the corner fell off, we had a crossing route, he fell off and thought that he had locked on to it. Another pick we had receivers that should have been breaking out and didn't. I don't know, right, we don't know how would Alex have done coming off of playing four straight. And not — I certainly felt confident with the way he practiced and what he did that he was going to be ready for it. And certainly any time you turn the ball over that number of times you make it tough on yourself and yet it doesn't all fall on him. (Reporter) Jeff (Potrykus) asked it earlier, I don't think enough sides picked it up and so we all have a hand in it.
Q. What did you see on the punt return touchdown and was that a situation where you couldn't afford a play like that at that moment in the game?
CHRYST: Yeah, I don't know if there's ever a time — any time you get a big special teams play, those are huge momentum changes. And we obviously didn't do a good enough job of covering it. And kind of other than that, it happened pretty quick on it. So certainly it was at that point, any time you give a big play like that, it's big. Before the half like that, obviously that is one more thing you got to overcome.
Q. Seems like we have been asking you after a lot of these games very similar questions about penalties and turnovers and special teams plays, drops, things like that. How was this, you as coach, these guys as players, never really able to get that fixed or changed?
CHRYST: Yeah, I mean that's, there's no doubt, we haven't made it easier on ourselves. Any time you have — we had a holding call and knocked us out. Sometimes we have been good enough to overcome those, whether it's turnovers or penalties and I think our margin of error this year is much less. And drops, we had a number of them and yet it's hard for me as a coach to, I don't think any kid goes out and wants to drop the ball. They're not trying to do that. The same could be said with some of the PIs (Pass Interference calls) that we have had and whatnot. So I think it goes back, and then I think as a coach you've got to own it. And we have got to do a better job of coaching and making sure the kids understand it and help them because playing this league you're going to play teams and that's tough to beat. And then when you also have to beat yourself, it's that much and you have to be a great team to overcome both those. We're not right now.
Q. How many of these seniors (Ryan) Connelly, TJ Edwards, (Andrew) Van Ginkel, Rafael (Gaglianone) have been really strong leaders. Did they have any message for the team going into the second half?
CHRYST: Absolutely. I think going in at halftime some of them spoke up and felt like we knew what we had to do and we didn't get that done. But they have been tremendous throughout the year and that's what you're appreciative of. Who they are as people is every bit as impressive as who they are as players. And we have got a lot of really good players. And I think that's what also adds to the sting of it all, because I think as a group you want to send them out the right way and that's our opinion, right. And I'm sure every team that's going through that this weekend is feeling that. But they have been tremendous throughout the year and you're thankful for that.
Q. As you try to send the seniors out the right way is this the kind of day where you throw out the game tape? How do you refocus for the bowl game coming up?
CHRYST: I think that it goes back to you have still got to play good football. It goes back to what (Reporter) Tom (Oates) was asking, he's dead on. The next chance we get to play we've got to play better football. And we all can have a hand in that and own that and that's what we need to do to give ourselves a chance. We don't know who we're playing, but it will be a good football team and that's what's good about the game. You got to play the game and you got to play it the right way and to give yourself the best chance, you got to do all the things that good football teams do.
Q. Whether it was missed tackles or just some really hard running by Minnesota's backs, do you think they gained a lot of yards after contact today?
CHRYST: Yeah, they did. And I felt like we didn't ever put them into a third and real long situation. And we weren't good on third down and they were able to keep drives alive and extend the amount of time. That's certainly a part of it. Like you said, when you look at it defensively you're saying tackles and, last week we were saying, boy, the backs ran hard and ran through it, whichever perspective you have, and it's certainly a credit to them.
Q. Minnesota had been, had the nine plus minute drive there in the fourth quarter. How deflating was that when you're trying to get the ball back and you can't get the stop there?
CHRYST: Yeah, those make it tough.
Q. Sometimes this year when you've been in plus territory you've punted and relied on your defense. Third quarter this time, 17-7, you decided to go for it. Was that just a feel?
CHRYST: Yeah, and you don't know, you kind of had a sense that we're going to need to at some point to take a risk and try. And you don't know when, like when are those down and distances going to be, and felt pretty confident, I think it was a fourth and four, where we were at, and so that's kind of what went into the thought process of it and they had been, we don't know at that time, how are we going to be able to slow down the run, what's happening there, but you didn't know how many possessions you have and felt like it was a manageable one that was worth the risk.
On the preparation and execution:
"I think we were prepared, but we didn't come out and execute. We made mistakes on offense and didn't execute, which is what it comes down to, no matter who is at quarterback."
On what the loss means for the team:
"We have such a great senior class and just letting it slip away and not being able to help the seniors win their last game at Camp Randall stings a lot."
On watching Minnesota celebrate:
"I didn't watch, but it stings. Definitely will remember this feeling when we play them again next year. We can't make those mistakes if you want to be a good team. We can't do the stuff we did today and expect to win."
On the seniors in the locker room:
"T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly are always trying to keep the guys going and they've been doing that from the start."
On the loss:
"It just hurts for the seniors. We really focused on making this game all about them and getting the win for them and keeping the axe at home and we couldn't do that today."
On his touchdown play:
"(Alex) Hornibrook really hit us on 'Let's make these plays', six seconds to go and it was just a simple out route. We ran it all week and we had it every play all week and we just had to execute."
On the momentum going into halftime:
"Definitely there was a little momentum there. We got fired up there for a little bit and then second half we didn't play how we wanted too."
On having one game left:
"You don't want to send your seniors out like this and obviously we didn't want this to happen, but the good news is we have one more game and we are going to do everything we can to end on a good note."
On the team's mood after the game:
"Disappointment. We felt like we prepared like we should, and we felt like we should win that game. We know we should win that game. When you come up short, there's some disappointment in that."
On watching Minnesota celebrate:
"As a guy that's has more time to play here like all of the underclassmen, we see that and we have to use that as fuel and to make us better."
On halftime message to the team:
"I just felt that there's no need to panic or anything like that. We were down, but we've been in that position before and we just didn't get clicking when we needed to."
On the team mood after the game:
"I think it's just frustration. Just knowing how good this team can be and we just haven't come out and shown that."
On if they've felt that way throughout the season:
"I've been in that mood a lot, and that's all on our leadership and making sure guys are ready to play. It's a tough one to swallow for sure."
On being the senior class that didn't win the Axe:
"You just kind of feel, not embarrassed, but that you just let down the guys that were here before you. That's really tough to think about, and I never would've thought in a million years that we would've lost this game, but we did."
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Minnesota Head Coach P.J. Fleck
Opening Statement: "What a game. I'm really proud of our seniors, really proud of our players for their resolve for the whole year. They've had highs, they've had lows, ups and downs. They've kept everything inside our walls in terms of continuing to believe. They continue to race to maturity and they continue to row the boat. I know this is a moment, a memory, that they'll remember the rest of their lives. When you hold the axe, now you know why everybody wants it so much. It's a very surreal feeling. I used to watch it on TV and wonder what it felt like and now you've got an opportunity to hold it. But this is what we said we wanted to be able to do. We wanted to be the bridge from our alumni from the past, to the present and future and be able to connect a lot of those times people are having and be able to springboard it with recruiting and development into the future as we continue to bring this program to different levels. It's one win, it's one game, but it's a huge game. I'm very, very proud of our players.
"You've got to give Wisconsin a lot of credit. They are a classy football team, a very, very, very tough football team. Well coached. We knew we were going to have to be aggressive tonight. We knew we were going to have to be able to take some opportunities and some chances, especially on fourth down. I'm just so proud of our players for being able to execute the way that they did. They had to go out there and perform. They had to go out there and prepare. I'm very proud of all of them. We are very excited to have the axe back in the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota, so it's coming back with us. We're very excited to share that with our state for the year."
On returning the ball for a touchdown at the end of the first half:
"I think that that's the biggest play of the game. Demetrius Douglas, to be able to take a punt return back in that situation, it's 10-0. We were probably going to give it one or two shots to get down there, see if we could get down there and kick a field goal, if not punt. You go in 10-0 a different game maybe. 17-7's just different because now you know that you have some points. You score on special teams and that gives everybody a little more juice. Now you're all three phases working really well. You're a well-oiled machine on all three phases and then our guys responded really well.
"What blocks he had just to spring them. He had two guys miss, first down, then he goes for the touchdown and shows the speed he has. That was a big play in the game."
