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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 14, 2015

Paul Chryst

Madison, Wisconsin

COACH CHRYST: Well, certainly it's good to get the win and being back home, and I thought there were some areas where we did get better. I thought we were better -- and I know each week you're playing a different team, but I thought we were much more sound, and I thought we handled some adjustments defensively. Liked seeing that.

We were able to get takeaways, and I thought our special teams, the fumble, and I thought obviously did a nice job in the punt return group and changing the field position. And yet, there's, I think offensively, kind of hurt (ph) us a little bit to get it going but made some progress in the run game. But like we were going to tell the team, we meet at 1:30, the biggest improvement will be from week two to week three. Everyone knows that. So jump in.

Q. You mentioned special teams, and obviously you put a big emphasis on it in camp. What have you seen from those units in the first two weeks that you like?
COACH CHRYST: I've appreciated the work and the energy the guys are putting into it. I think that we have a good mix of personality. We've got some starters on our punt team, probably our best players. I think that's important. I think it's important for our team to have them on it. I think it's important for them as they continue to grow as football players. I think there's a few that may help them in the future.

But I also think, the first kickoff cover we had, Ryan Connelly was down and makes a play on it, and I think that's a way for him to build confidence. But overall, I like just their approach. They understand, the group understands the importance of special teams, and they are championing that.

And I think Chris is doing a nice job of creating chemistry within the group. We know, and you guys all know, watch a lot of games, that special teams are huge and we've got to try and be as good as we can there.

Q. You said before that Dave Aranda was one of the first people you talked to when you took the job. Over these months, what has stood out to you most about what his presence has meant to the team in year three?
COACH CHRYST: For me personally, what I appreciate being around Dave is that he's who I thought it would be when I first talked to him, a guy that's truly detailed in his preparation and yet doesn't stop there. It's in his communication with the players.

All this, it's not what we know as coaches, but what your players know. Yet I think our players have confidence in him. And when I say that, you immediately think about the other coaches, too. I feel fortunate that in Inoke and Tim and Daronte' have all had relationships with him. For a group that didn't all work together, I think that they are meshing pretty quick.

I just like that Dave is who he is, consistent, and I've enjoyed being around him, working with him and I think we both kind of talk, what gives us problems, what does this. I think we both want to keep growing, too, so I've enjoyed that.

Q. From what you've seen of Tanner, what gave you the confident that he could handle the two-way role and the responsibilities off the field?
COACH CHRYST: I think just in being around him, his football IQ, his awareness of the game, that was pretty evident early.

Then athletically, I think he's a pretty unique athlete, big, skilled guy, and you know, wasn't quite sure how physically it would all go. But I thought last week during the week, and he had a great week of practice, and you know, I think we had a good plan for him. I think there's some things we'll continue to tweak. I'm not saying we've perfected it.

But he bought into it. And that's when you knew that he had a chance to be real. And he played 73 snaps, didn't play a ton in the fourth quarter, if any. So I don't know if we have got a better idea but we don't have an accurate gauge yet, and I think each game will probably be a little bit different.

I think kind of who he is, his competitiveness, his football intelligence, he's pretty suited for being able to do it, and I think he cares about this team. One of those guys that really wants to do whatever he can to help the team win, and I admire that a lot.

Q. What's your approach with handling Corey's injury, I guess you don't want to rush him back before the Big Ten season starts.
COACH CHRYST: Corey specifically but all of our players, they spend -- playing games and contributing to this team means a ton to them. They don't do everything in the off-season if they don't love playing the game.

So I think when a guy is ready to go, we're going to play him. Has nothing to do with saving him for another moment. So we're we'll just kind of see how he's going. He got some good work done on Saturday. Talked to him before the game. Got a another treatment afterwards, and yesterday had it -- we'll see, when he's ready to practice full all-out, then we'll gauge him for the game. No one can just not practice and go play. But as soon as any player is ready to go, we're going to play him.

Q. What have you seen from some of the receivers, guys like Rob and Chad, that didn't have a big role on this team last year and they have had a lot bigger role this year?
COACH CHRYST: Every guy I think earns their opportunities. Rob has done that, and I think Rob's done some really good things for us, and the receiver group, I didn't realize that was Jazz's first catch the first game.

When Austin goes in the same group trailer, I don't know, I've watched film from last year, but I know that we need that group and I think the group works. Austin is a perfect example.

There is a guy that when we first came and Rudy had recruited him and I had been around and was with him for one year and his first day here, his first day back from winter break, and he said, "What can I do to help myself"?

And one thing, he did it with Lance Kendricks, and that was catch a hundred balls a day and every day Austin did that. He would come in here on a Saturday and a Sunday and he's catching it. I remember having the conversation with Rob and I was excited for Rob about his coach going to be Ted Gilmore. He was excited about it and they put in the work.

Same with Jazz, I thought Jazz worked in the spring and over time, that work lends itself to confidence and I think if you have confidence, you're a better player. I think Ted coaches that way, holds their feet to the fire, but he also does it in a positive way and keeps them growing. I like what that group is starting to do, but we are not where we need to be, where they want to be, and I like that, too.

Q. What are some of the essentials in your mind to be able to successfully run a two-minute offense?
COACH CHRYST: Move the ball in as short of time as possible. (Laughter) And score.

You know, I think that you've got to get it rolling. And then you've got to -- it really is what I just said. You've got to move the ball, and I think you've got to have composure. I thought Joel did a really nice job.

It was an interesting one, the first one we had this past week as we were backed up, and at the end of the half, it's so different than end of a game. And you don't want to give the ball back with time, so there's kind of a -- going into coach speak, there's a two-minute mode and there's a four-minute mode, and I thought once we got a little breathing room -- and I wasn't sure, we took the time out, because you don't use a time-out if the play is going well -- and they you don't, you're sitting on the clock, but I thought we could hopefully get something going.

But no, it's guys communicating and having poise, but when think about that, we had Rob underneath crossing route, we had Dare twice on a check down. Yet I think sometimes people panic and try to push the ball down the field. You have to be willing to when it's given to you, but I think it's poise and guys executing.

Q. I know the goal for year is to have a more balanced offense, but did you come into the season with a mind-set to try to throw a little bit more than what's been done in years past with this program?
COACH CHRYST: No, my goal is always how do you -- if you're doing the best for this group, and it fits this group. You know, I've been a part of games -- I remember one game playing Michigan, we didn't throw the ball in the second half but Scotty had close to 300 yards passing the first half. I always felt like we've been balanced but a lot of the runs those years came from fourth quarter finishing up games. I would argue with anyone that we were not really balanced then.

But to say we're going to do this, we're going to do that, I think our job is to help push guys to be the best they can be in all spots with all their skills. Different teams are going to play you different ways, and then you've got to be able to adjust to it. Some games, you throw to run. Some games you run to throw. But I don't get caught up in trying to be something or another.

Q. Are you at all maybe pleasantly surprised at the ability of the receivers around here, not just the wide receivers, but tight ends, running backs? Seems like you're using them a lot and they are coming through for you.
COACH CHRYST: Yeah, I think every guy, there are not a lot of those tight ends, receivers, that don't like throwing the ball or catching it.

So it's not hard to get them to work on it. It's funny, because I think just from hearing people talk, I think they are a lot more surprised than I am. When we recruited Austin, I thought that was one of his skills. I'm anxious to get Fum going and Rob, I remember watching Rob, and Jazz is one I didn't know a ton about, he's impressive.

I don't know, I think guys work at it, and I think right now, we are doing some good things, but it is fun and it's because I think we can be a lot better.

Q. A minute ago you mentioned the check downs for Joel the past few years when he's been the quarterback, there's been times where it's been more of a challenge for him to get to that check down as opposed to just locking in on his initial receiver. Has that been a plan to assist him and other quarterbacks through the spring in being comfortable get to go that check down?
COACH CHRYST: I think it's two things. It's also the backs getting out, and that was one when John and I were watching tape, you know, a lot of times he wasn't out last year. So that's hard to use him if he's not there, if you can't bank on him being there. We're not great at it yet but we're getting there. I think we're making progress, but that was in the past, just for me, I didn't ask Joel this, and it didn't matter. But I couldn't tell you if the guy was going to be out or not.

So it would be hard to bank on that. I think like anything, if the quarterback is rewarded, he has a tendency to feel comfort going to it. Same thing could be said with the back. If he gets rewarded, he'll make sure he gets out. Certainly there's a lot of situations where they have got to protect first, and doesn't do anybody any good if the quarterback is on his back.

I think that was what was good about the couple we had with Dare. Some of the other ones were more designed. Alabama game, a few of those were more designed. I think there's -- I think that offensively, right now, we're doing some things that we can build on that are positives. But I do think there's a ton we've got to get better at.

Yeah, I like it, because our players see it, and they want to do that and they want to get better and that's when coaching's fun.

Q. I think you were asked this after the game, you said you had to look at the tape about the different combinations. Joel looked at some different combinations on the right side. Did that continue this week and what did you see when you looked at how the line played?
COACH CHRYST: You know, I think Mike had like 38 snaps, which were his first snaps, and you know, did some things that were good. But you could see it was kind of not trusting himself maybe. I don't want to put words in his mouth but that's what it was; that's how it came across.

You know, Walker has more on his plate right now because of playing guard and tackle, and yet I think there's a guy that's -- I don't feel mentally that's a lot on his plate. I think he feels like he can handle it all, but it is different. Your sets are different. Even if you're going to double-team, you're the inside guy and now you're the outside guy. So I think we still got a lot of work to do. But I think we need to keep going forward with getting Mike some snaps and with Walker and Hayden on the right side there.

Q. The offense you'll be facing Saturday?
COACH CHRYST: Spread offense. I think they will spread you out more than maybe what we've seen the first two weeks, formation. Like Alabama and Miami were using the tight ends still. This week we'll see some with four receivers, so it's going to be a little bit more spread out.

I think that as a team, their athleticism stands out. So I think it's a different type of spread that we'll see, but also kind of a -- they are going to try to push the tempo on us. So I think there's some building blocks that we've kind of gone through these first couple weeks.

But they will present some different challenges in the way they are running it, or we think that they are going to run it. That will be good for our defense. It will be a different challenge and a good challenge for us.

Q. When you see teams like Arkansas go down to Toledo and Auburn almost lost to Jacksonville State, how do you prevent something like that happening when you are playing a seem that is perceived as lesser than?
COACH CHRYST: Perceived as -- we always talk about, you've got to be the best team in the stadium that day. All of those things that I talked about don't matter between the lines. You've got to play well and you've got to make plays.

I've always thought that the focus for every game is you try to focus on the things you can control, and that is your own preparation, and each week is a different opponent and you have to know that opponent because that effects what you're going to do.

But I think you can be most consistent if you focus on the things you control and that's yourself. I think that's an approach and I think we've had teams and players that when they get that and buy into it, it doesn't matter who it is. They prepare the right way and that's to give themselves the best chance, the best opportunity.

So I think every team that goes in, you know that you've got a chance to win and you've got a chance to lose and these are the things you've got to do to win. If you don't do those, you've got a great chance to lose. I don't think there's any parallels. I think every game is a unique opportunity and guys need to understand that and we have to help them understand that.

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