WISCONSIN FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 5, 2020

Paul Chryst

Postgame Press Conference

Indiana 14, Wisconsin 6

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with some opening comments from coach, then take questions.

PAUL CHRYST: First of all, obviously disappointed. But give credit to Indiana. It's a good football team. Knew coming in they're a good team. A lot of respect for Tom and what he and the staff and players have done.

But any time you get a chance to play and compete, you want to win. Obviously I thought the kids put it out there and played, put forth the effort. That I really do believe. But you got to score more points to give yourself a better chance to win, and we didn't.

Field goals in the red zone and touchdowns in the red zone, that makes a difference. Knew coming in they did a heck of a job as a defense of taking the ball away. We had the sack fumble. We just got a guy go the wrong way.

But you got to play good football to give yourself a chance to be a good football team. If you're not doing that, you make it harder. A little rushed on the second pick. Just got through it a little quick, didn't make it happen.

Penalties offensively, defensively, special teams. We didn't help ourselves. I think it comes back to good football gives you a chance to win. There was a lot of great effort and I think moments of really good play, but not enough. You got to stack it together.

I thought defensively we did a nice job of stopping the run. Had some talented receivers. I thought we did a good job in a lot of things defensively. After I think it was the interception, we got a takeaway. Doesn't hurt you that way. If you want to beat a good team, you got to play good football. I think we had moments of it, but we certainly didn't play well enough.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I know you guys are missing some people because of injury. There's a lack of flow. Do you think you're doing a good enough job, in your eyes, maximizing your talent on offense?

PAUL CHRYST: Well, I mean, we got to look at it and see. I mean, we've had two games now where we didn't score a lot of points. Two games before we scored a lot of points. I don't know that I got the answer for you right now on that.

But some guys stepped up. That part was good. I thought Chen did some things offensively. Jalen continues to give us some plays. Big run, we get a holding call on it, come back.

Obviously we got to score more points than what we've been doing to give ourselves a chance.

Q. Obviously there were two turnovers. Overall y'all had several drives inside Indiana's 40 yard line. What was it about Indiana's defense they were able to stiffen whenever y'all got across that 40?

PAUL CHRYST: Well, I mean, I know the two third-down plays in the red zone where we did kick field goals, going to K.P. Didn't finish off the play there. Then at the end of the game... We didn't make the plays down there. I'm anxious to go look at it.

To beat good teams, you got to make plays. We certainly didn't make enough offensively.

Q. You mentioned the way the defense played today. When you have an opponent that has the receiving talent they do, what do you think the secondary did to limit the big plays for the most part? Only a couple busts down the field.

PAUL CHRYST: I thought the defensive staff put together a nice plan. I thought a combination. I thought we did a good job of getting pressure on their quarterback. I thought our guys rose up to the occasion. We knew we were going to face some good receivers. I thought guys made some plays.

They got us in the one where they dropped it, kind of a coverage beater. They got us on that. But I thought guys competed. I thought it was a good example just on the sideline watching it. Good run defense, takes all 11. Good pass defense, takes all 11. I thought there was some good play being done by our defense tonight.

Q. I know you mentioned the two plays to K.P. on the third downs that ended up in field goals. Did you get the look you wanted there? Is that what you were looking for Indiana to do defensively?

PAUL CHRYST: Well, they had a couple different things that they'd been showing down there. Knew that was a possibility I thought kind of the way it was going. Wasn't surprised the ball went there.

I'm anxious to see on the other one. It would have been a nice play. I thought he had a chance to make it on the second one. Obviously anxious to go back and see it.

It's a play that we've worked and felt like we had a chance. It kind of played out. Knowing that would be one of the options, you go through it, there's a few. If they're going to give you something, that was a possibility. We didn't execute it right. We didn't make it happen.

Q. I don't know if you could tell from the sideline, but it looked like they paid close attention to Jake down in the red zone. Did you anticipate that coming in because of his success?

PAUL CHRYST: We did. You kind of saw that on film against Penn State, who has a good player in 17. (Indiscernible) got the same deal. Rightfully so. He's a good football player. They know that. That's when you need the other guys also to step up.

Bottom line is, you get those opportunities, especially a close game like that, those end up becoming the difference maker, right? Obviously we're going to do all we can as coaches to help them get a chance to come back. How does each guy and how do we as a team find a way to get better, get prepared and ready for our next opportunity.

Q. How much center had Tanor played for you before he got to you? How much work has he got at camp? How do you think he did today?

PAUL CHRYST: I'm anxious to see. Certainly from the flow of the game, I thought he did a nice job. We didn't have any, to my knowledge, the snap problems weren't there. We had a day in camp where kind of the same type of thing where the centers go down, he jumped in, really took all the reps of the day. I was impressed with kind of the poise he had then. I thought he handled it well tonight also.

Certainly I can't say that I could really speak knowledgeably on the play itself. I thought the other linemen, really the guys around him, did a good job of bracing. He had been working it.

Cormac had gotten hurt. Tanor had been getting some reps, kind of winning this week knowing if something happened with Kayden, it would be Tanor.

Had been getting that, but you hate it because of the injury. Didn't necessarily think he'd get what he got. He gave everyone else a chance to go. I'm curious to see how he actually did play. But you appreciate that out of him certainly.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, coach.