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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 22, 2016

Tracy Claeys

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Q. Tracy, when you're facing a team that plays two quarterbacks, and does it the way that Paul Chryst has done it this year, does that add to the challenge of preparing for them at all?
COACH CLAEYS: Obviously, any time there's two of them, you are aware who's in the game, but the challenge to them is being able to stop the running game. I mean, that's -- they're very good at it, and they're very good on third down, so, you know, we have to stop the run and play well on third down, and you know, I think they have the ball about ten minutes more, they averaged ten minutes more. That's an awful lot, so, that's the challenge on offense, if they stop the run and be able to play well in third down against them.

Q. Tracy, they lead the nation in time of possession. You look at, does that go back to your offense on third down, that you have to convert some so your defense is not out there a long time?
COACH CLAEYS: No question. It's not that -- last week, we had, even in Nebraska, we converted and kept the ball for a little while but last week we didn't. After our opening drive we had like four, five, three and outs. If we do that, they're going to wear you down on defense and it will be a long day, so they're very efficient on offense.

Q. Coach, I remember you talking about the game in 2014 there at their place and taking some responsibility on your shoulders. What do you recall and what did you kind of mean about --
COACH CLAEYS: I don't recall a lot except we had the lead and we lost it. I'm the defensive coordinator, so that's my job. I didn't do it very well. We didn't finish very strong, but that's how they are. They are no different this year. They're a very good football team and, you know, defensively, I think everybody thought they would fall off this year a little bit, and they haven't. Teams are only converting under 30 percent on third down and they're not letting them get the ball. I think they're only giving up 13 points. They're good on defense. Offense, they do a good job on playing keep-away. It will take four quarters for sure. We will have to play well or it could get ugly.

Q. Tracy, since you took over as head coach, how often are you reminded about this game from fans, or --
COACH CLAEYS: Even when I was defensive coordinator, any time you do an event and somebody -- it's more than one, that comes up and tells you, you know. That's the good thing about the big Big Ten in rivalry games. There's something special about it and know it's important. It's the same thing; in other words, you have to play four quarters of better football than they do in order to win the game, you know, and they're not going give it to you. We haven't been able to do that yet. We've played the half against them, we've played three quarters against them, but we have yet to play four quarters of good football, and a lot of that has to do with them sometimes, too. They've been awfully good here the last few years. So we're going to find a way to play four good quarters. I know it's important to the people of the state. It's important to our kids, but the only way to get it back is to win the football game. And that sounds kind of crazy but everybody wants it back. We've got to play well enough football in order to get it back.

Q. The performance by the defense against Northwestern had to be one of the best of the season. Is it a matter of repeating that to be able to repeat Wisconsin or does it have to be even better against a team like that?
COACH CLAEYS: You're going have to keep them down in that range of the points in order to have a chance. There's no doubt. The difference is you got two completely different types of offense. A year ago we had three, four D-linemen out when we played them and a couple linebackers and so up front we were pretty beat up. This year, at least to start the ball game, we're healthy up front in the D-line and that, so hopefully that will help us a little bit. But, you know, they've been able to find ways to move the ball against everybody they played, and all their game's have been close, too. They played some awfully good football teams, so -- but, yeah, we'll have to keep it -- you know, I say that, and you look over history, you never know, but my first impression is, yeah, you're going have to keep it around 14 points in order to have an opportunity to win.

Q. Tracy, you felt your defense is better prepared now. You guys are good against teams that spread you out and try to power you?
COACH CLAEYS: It is a power thing, yeah. So, we do have the big guys up front, though, with Steve and Scott, and Andrew, and Merrick and Chewy, so we have all of those guys healthy which will help us out. Last year, we were playing walk-on D tackle in there some snaps we were so beat up. I do think that helps us, but at the end those guys still have to play one of their best games. Last year we played and they were young up front. They had a lot of young guy offensive lines and now they got that year experience and they're playing awfully well up front. Our D-line will have to play well.

Q. Is their bulk of their offense changed the way you maybe field position, play short yard positions in the middle of the field considering you know you need to control the clock a little bit to not get wound up?
COACH CLAEYS: I don't know that -- the decisions on the ball in the middle of the field would just be however the game's going. You know what I'm saying? It won't be based on whether we're wearing down or anything like that, but I don't think there's any question that field position will play a big part of it, and I don't want to give them the ball anywhere near the middle of the field, that's for sure. And so, you know, we'll definitely have to play well on special teams, and make the right decisions to try to maintain field position, but at the same time, if things are going good, and you got a chance to win it, you got to go win the ball game. You know? They're not going to give it to you. You got to go win the thing.

Q. Coach, I know they're on three-four. Has anything changed with Wilcox as defensive coordinator instead of Aranda?
COACH CLAEYS: It's a lot of the same stuff. Obviously personality things, but their kids play hard. They put enough down in there in the box, and they do. I mean, it's good football, and, you know, they don't let you run it, and then you get to third and long and they are like us. You'll see one or two D tackles in there and a whole bunch of linebackers and secondary people. They get fast in a hurry and they come and get you. So, they're built that way similar to us, except they are more of a 3-4 team.

Q. What is Coach Sherrill's and Coach Weber's message to the team to show the importance of the rivalry do for you guys?
COACH CLAEYS: We'll see. We'll do that at the end of the week. I don't tell them what to say and when to say it. But they get a little time at the end of the week and people who have played in the rivalry, I think that's always good that they hear from them, you know? And so, yeah, they'll -- I'll let them visit with the team, but we'll do it later in the week. The first thing you got to do is be prepared to play it, you know, and, so that will be our first priority is making sure we have a good week of preparation.

Q. Tracy, you think Merrick Jackson had his best game against Northwestern? Just how do you feel about how he's progressed in general?
COACH CLAEYS: Merrick played well against Northwestern, but at the same time there's a lot of competition up there. So, we need him, obviously, and it gives us a little bit more depth. Any time there's a little adjustment period when you're coming from a junior college, but part of the reason, it's not that he's not a good player, it's that he's got some awfully good ones in front of him right now, so -- but we'll need him on Saturday to give us a depth on the inside.

Q. Can you give us an update on KiAnte?
COACH CLAEYS: He's fine. Yeah.

Q. He's fine?
COACH CLAEYS: Yeah, he's fine.

Q. Coach, are the Badgers pretty consistently willing to just keep pounding the ball even with a lot of people in the box against them? Kind of to what point do you see where they'll finally start to go to the passing game?
COACH CLAEYS: Well, they don't go to it as quick as they did a year ago, you know, but at the same time, they're hard to get in third and long because of that. So, you know, they're going to stick with it and be patient, and either catch you cheating somebody in the box, or hit you on a big pass, or they will play the field position game with you, and so I think that patience has been part of their success.

Q. You see their offensive line is kind of like being a typical offensive line again, or is it -- last year that was one of their big issue going into that game.
COACH CLAEYS: But, again, they were young, you know? And the good thing about young players, they grow up, you know what I'm saying? So they definitely in a year have gotten a lot better. So, yeah. They are back to relying on what they do best, and obviously, that's coming downhill at you.

Q. Coach, against Northwestern, there was the first half timeout right before halftime. Was it something you saw on the field or something that's worth considering when you called that time-out?
COACH CLAEYS: Yeah. I move on from game to game now. You got to -- they had the ball? Is that what you're talking about?

Q. No. The offense had the ball.
COACH CLAEYS: Uh-huh. Is that -- I will be honest. I don't quite remember. You know what I'm saying? That's a good thing when you're a good coach. You know what I'm saying? Once the game is done, I just -- once we get past Monday, I move on. I can't remember specifically about that.

Q. Does this one mean a little more not only for the program but you personally? You know, the trophy case is bare compared to two years ago you had a couple of trophies. Is this one a little bit ratcheted up just because you guys lost two trophies this year, to get this one back would be --
COACH CLAEYS: No. This one has enough merit on its own. They're all important. You got to win them. You know what I mean? That's the fun part of it. And so -- but, no, no, it don't need any extra ratcheting. It's, you know, border war between states, and it's important to a lot of people, and we need to win it here eventually to make it a rivalry again. It went a long time. Like I say, we'll do that and get that done the day when we play better than they do for four quarters and go out and actually win the game and it will be a challenge. I said they're no different. They're a very good football team. They deserve all of the accolades they've got. They win, and they're going to have some great opportunities in front of them and they deserve all of that. Paul's done a great, great job there. All right. Guys.

Q. Thank you.
COACH CLAEYS: Thank you.

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