Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema - Listen to Audio
Opening statement:
“Obviously when you get into the coaching profession there will be good days and bad days. Today, our team did some good things at times, but overall, did not do very many positive things, especially in the first half. We didn’t have an opportunity to get much going offensively, but I thought our defense battled through and persevered and forced them into some punt situations as well as the field goal. But when we got the short end on the second touchdown and then the punt return really took a lot of momentum out of our guys. When we started the second half and they were able to score on their first drive and it really made it a difficult day from that play forward. We really saw the momentum swing at that point and it was never really going to come back.”
On the difficulty of the loss:
“They are all tough. Every game in college football is a big game. Obviously, we are a 3-3 football team and everyone is going to make reference to next week being a big game. When we were a 3-2 football game, this was a huge game for us. They all are big games and they are all losses. Every loss hurts; depending on how the game goes down and how you execute in the end, it takes a lot out of you, but as a coach they all hurt.”
On the breakdown of the punt return for a touchdown:
“I only saw one replay of it and they got leverage out of our left tackle and our left wing and sealed everybody else back inside. They started in the middle and it broke out to our left.”
On Dustin Sherer’s play tonight:
“We went into the game and I had basically told him that he needed to be ready. I think he started off, if I am not mistaken, completing the first three passes. The times that he got in trouble, he really tried to force some things in there and I think that not only did he have to go in there and execute as a quarterback but also deal with the fourth-down situation we were in. He went in there and I really liked the energy he showed in the huddle.”