Wisconsin Coach Paul Chryst Postgame Quotes 
OPENING STATEMENT: : Appreciate what the group did and proud of the way they played, and certainly a lot of guys contributed to it. And once again I thought our defense was really good. And four takeaways. Third down, really productive.
 
I thought, offensively, we did some better things. And it was a good team win and it didn't just happen. It was a good week of preparation. And wanted the kids to enjoy it tonight, and we've got to push the reset button and have another good week.

But want to make sure they're enjoying the journey that is the season. And I thought they've done a good job to this point and we've just got to continue to do so. Proud of the way they played today.

Q. These guys have said, you know, we're not through the difficult part of our schedule yet; that they've made that clear. But mentally, after you've gone through such a grind of close games, do you think it's refreshing for them to be able to get a game like this where they don't have to stress for four quarters?
COACH CHRYST: Yeah, I think it was good. I mean, it doesn't just happen. I think that's why you feel good with it. And I think it's also when there's so many guys contributing that makes -- you know it was a good sidelines. You spend a lot of time with these guys. You like seeing them have success and be able to impact a game. I think that's important.

Q. Can a rushing performance like this, when you guys have struggled in that area in the past, build confidence for those guys? Can that carry forward as you go forward?
COACH CHRYST: I think all of your experiences help, the good experiences help build some confidence. And we haven't arrived yet but today it was good. And I don't think that there was a group lacking confidence, necessarily. We've been doing some -- it's been progressing.

I thought it was good today, we've had some continuity in the line. That's been good. But it was nice to see when the second group got in there and be able to be productive, that was good.

But I think certainly anytime you have success or your experiences, that does give you more confidence. And I think what gives you confidence, too, is knowing what it was that you did to give yourself the chance to have that happen. And I think that's where you go back to your film study, your preparation, how you worked during the week, and then you can build on those things.

It didn't just happen. And that I think tends to lead to more confidence. And so it was good.

Q. Did you see a game like this coming? Do you think you've been building toward a game like this?
COACH CHRYST: You never know what's going to happen. You know, it felt good. But I think no one did something they aren't capable of. So I think that point, I think, you could say it's been coming. But I thought in studying and looking at Illinois' defense, I thought we'd have to be on point.

And I think there were some we weren't but there were a lot of times we were. And I thought you never know how each game is going to play out, so you do all you can to be ready and prepare for it. And credit to the players, they played and played well today in a lot of areas.

Q. You guys have been -- it appears you've been bringing along Bradrick Shaw gradually. Has he reached the point now where he becomes a legitimate third threat for you guys to go to no matter where the game is?
COACH CHRYST: Yeah, and I think he's been that. We had more attempts today. I don't know how many attempts we had. But there's more attempts. But we had that confidence in him for a while. Early I thought he was doing some good things in the season, and then he got hurt and kind of worked his way back. And once he started feeling healthy and I think at the same time was kind of gaining that confidence, we had it in him, but we didn't necessarily have the opportunities for him to get -- I don't know how many carries he had today. So we've had confidence in him.

Q. What was the key to converting more often in the red zone today?
COACH CHRYST: Execution. You know, I mean, it was guys putting it all together. And that's what's fun about football is it takes all 11. And I think they're able to do that. And there's nothing magical about this game. And it's guys executing. I thought we did do that. There were a couple of times where we didn't finish with touchdowns, and we can get better there. But there was a lot of good execution, and I thought the coaches had a good plan for it. And some good things and you're going to look at this tape like always and there's going to be some areas for us to be the best we can be we've got to clean up and get better at.

Q. Dare (Ogunbowale), you think probably with seven carries for 104 yards, average of 14.70. Just seems to epitomize who he is. He takes advantage of his opportunities, plays a role, great leader. Could you talk about him, what he means as a player and a young man, please?
COACH CHRYST: I love Dare. And he means a ton to this team and certainly on the field, but off the field it's a guy that everyone knows in the locker room they can go to, that Dare has their back. And I think you're right opportunistic.

And I thought that he ran with a real purpose today. But the number of things that he does that aren't on a stat sheet and what he brings to this team, it's huge. And I appreciate being around him and getting to know him and he's one of those guys that he makes us all better.

We've got a number of those. And that's where this is a fun team to be around. It doesn't just happen. And he means a ton to this team. He really does.

Q. Was continuity the biggest factor in terms of the success of the O line, or did you see them do some different things today than you had?
COACH CHRYST: I think continuity helps, but I think it was execution. Guys did what they should do and I think we'll look at it and there were some good finishes. You want it up front. Alec Ingold, he did some really good things. And I thought if you're going to run the ball it's going to take everyone. And I think it was -- Rudy put together a really good plan but guys executed.

I think the continuity is part of that because if there's so many times where you're working with someone in the line, and if you can know how thick he's going to be on a double team and you're coming off, but it's also some young guys with experience, hopefully getting better.

Q. It was 14-0 at the time. I don't know if you remember this play, but they faced about a third and about 11, and they were in I think a draw. You guys blitzed. And it looked like (Ryan) Connelly had blitzed already in the backfield and kind of circled back and got the guy. Do you remember that play, because it looked like that guy had some space to run? And if they get a touchdown there, maybe it's not such a blowout.
COACH CHRYST: It changes the game. I thought there were a couple of plays like that that guys made. And when they had some big plays, they had the one drive early and the guys just kind of -- it was the first one, they got the field goal. But they just kind of kept playing and bowed up on it. And I think it does -- I think you're right, it changes the game and how you feel.

And it was big. And some of those takeaways, I wish we had taken advantage of all of them. But it was -- it's funny, there's different guys, Ryan shows up and a number of guys that just come up and make a play. That's what's fun to -- to me it's what's fun to watch about our defense.

There's a number of different guys, not just contributing, but making key plays in key moments.

Q. You guys had a lot of success with the running game with that counter play where you pulled the backside tight end and guard. What makes that run so difficult to defend for opposing defenses?
COACH CHRYST: I don't know, we've run it against some and it doesn't look good at all. So I think it comes down to execution. I don't think there's anything magical about the play is my point.

And when you know how they're going to fit it and guys are on that, that helps. And so I don't know if the play itself is anything special.

Q. How important is it defensively and from the special teams standpoint to get Natrell (Jamerson) back in the mix?
COACH CHRYST: I think it's been great having -- you guys know what we've gone through, and to get anyone back is a big lift. And Natrell brings a lot of -- he had a big play on one of the punts, one of the first punts. And really a valuable player to us.

And I thought he looked good on the one return that we had that we had a chance to take it out. And love having him come back.

And it's been fun to see him back in the fold. He's a guy that likes playing. To sit down and not get those opportunities, that's hard on kids. So when they do get the chance to come back -- but Natrell, he was special teams player of the year last year. He's got a knack at some things, and I think, like I said, it's been a lift just to get someone back.

Q. Is there a way to quantify, besides the wins, how much better this team is now than it was three, four, five weeks ago?
COACH CHRYST: I don't know. You just try to take a step forward. And who you play, when you play them, all those are different. And the things that we can control, those are what you try to focus on. But I don't know. I don't know.

Senior LB Vince Biegel
On why he stayed in the game late:
"I was chomping at the bit to get in there, still get some plays. Obviously we were ahead in the game, but I was really on Coach Tibs' back of getting back in the game. TJ Watt was also the same way. We are both competitors. I went three plays in and then he went and finished the last three plays, so it was good. To be on the field with young guys is also to set the tone to be out there with the guys and be an example."
 
On having a large lead for the first time in a while:
"Whether it's a close game or a game like today, as a defense we wanted to come in and have the same approach. Put our offense in good field position, as I've said before. It was finally nice for us to click on offense, click on defense, and put out a good performance today."
 
On Leo Muso:
"Leo's meant a tremendous amount to this defense. He's a great leader both on and off the field. He's a good person. He's a leader in the defensive back room, and it's nice as a defensive player, as a front seven guy, to have a guy like that behind you to have your back. Credit to Leo for having two great interceptions today. I think one of them went off the foot of one of our corners. Great to get our defensive backs in. We had an interception by D'Cota (Dixon), two by Leo, and Ryan Connelly got in there, too, so it was a great defensive effort. It was a fun one today."
 
Senior CB Sojourn Shelton
On assisting in Muso's interception:
"I just went in and tried to knock the ball down. I've watched a lot of Ronaldo highlights playing FIFA. Just kicked it to my homie. I'm happy for him. He got another two picks in one night, and that's pretty cool. Everybody was catching Christmas gifts, really, so I'm happy for everybody. Strong performance by the defense secondary. Just have to keep rolling."
 
On if they saw opportunity for interceptions in film:
"They are coming in having nothing to lose. It's kind of us that had to make sure that we were on our A games. We knew there were going to be a lot of deep balls thrown. Even on film they throw a lot of shots down the field. We just knew we were going to have to play the passing game pretty strong."
 
On if it felt like the whole defense was in sync:
"Yeah. Every time they ran the ball, I heard the crowd just roar and I knew it was a tackle for a loss or a tackle. I think we've been playing well, but I think this was a good one as far as pushing forward against Purdue and then that last game."
 
Senior RB Dare Ogunbowale
On being able to contribute in many ways:
"It's been great for me. Like you said, taking advantage of what I get. Being big in pass protection and passing down, that's been big for me. Also third down running the ball. It's been good and I've been excited for it. It was a fun game, fun to see guys getting in the game and celebrate with them. I would say that's the biggest thing. It's been a fun time."
 
On taking care of games early:
"We didn't see games any different from any other games, and I think we've showed that by making sure we go out there and execute. Coach Chryst has done a great job of making sure we say focused on what we want to do and in order to do that we have to win every game. That's exactly what we're trying to do. We're going to celebrate this win and then make sure we move forward and worry about Purdue and only about Purdue."
 
On the balance between rushing and passing:
"We didn't really need to throw the ball much. We've had some great performances in the passing game and we are not worried about the offense being unbalanced at all."
 
 Junior LB Garret Dooley
On the Badgers accomplishing their goals for the day:
"I think so. The defense, we want to come out and dominated all facets of the game. Obviously, there are areas of the game where we can improve on but only allowing three points, that's a heck of a game as a unit."

On getting the call for the fake punt:
"We've been kind of dialing up ever since day one. So I think when the call came, everyone got pretty excited, especially when we got the first down, it just gives everybody a little bit of energy. So everyone on the punt unit had a lot of fun on that play, especially me, obviously."

On the focus of the team and trying not to look too far ahead:
"We want to take it one game at a time. Illinois was the most important game this year because it was the next game so we don't want to look ahead because when you start doing that, that is when you start making mistakes. We want to take it one game at a time and do our best every day."

Junior LB T.J. Watt
On outcome of the game:
"It doesn't matter how it happens nowadays, a win is a win and we're just going to keep moving forward. Obviously, happy to see the offense roll a little bit and have a good defensive performance."

On how it feels not to play a game that goes down to the wire:
"It's nice for the stress levels but we'll take the win no matter what happens."

On taking it one game at a time:
"Just like you said, it's one game at a time, it's one practice at a time. Just like any other game, we're going to watch film tomorrow morning and break it down. I'm sure there will be a lot of things that are good but a lot of things that need to be corrected as well. It's just moving on to our next opponent and try to get better next week as well."

On the 1/11th mantra the defense has:
"Our goal this week was to put together a complete game on defense, special teams and offense and I think we accomplished that pretty well. Just getting out there and having fun with our guys, 1/11th has been our motto all season long and everyone did their job. Obviously when you get takeaways, four in the first half, it's awesome to see."

Freshman RB Bradrick Shaw
On his increased workload:
"A little bit more tired than usual, it's been a while since I got that many carries. My legs are a little tired so I have to rest up for next week."

On being a big contributor to the team's success:
"It's great. Everybody has a role on the team and before the season I didn't really know what my role would be so when Corey gets banged up, they put me in and they want me to do work and compete with all the other guys."

On his mindset when running the ball:
"My mindset is to not let any one person bring me down and try to break as many tackles as I can and get positive yards."

Sophomore LB Ryan Connelly
On how the wide scoring margin affected the team mentally:
"I think as a team, this game gives us confidence to see we are a good team. This, more than anything, proves it to ourselves that we can go out there, and if we want to, we can dominate. As an entire team, I was very proud of the way we played."
 
On whether he thought he had a chance to score on his interception:
"I did. I thought I had a chance. Everyone was telling me I should have gotten in but it's been a while since I've had a ball in my hand, running the field. I didn't really know what to do. But that's what we've been talking about, trying to get in the end zone next week."
 
On the defense being more opportunistic:
"Yeah, I'd say for sure. That's something we haven't always been good at this year on defense, taking advantages of those opportunities to get some turnovers. I think when they were presented today, we took advantage so that's good to see."
 
Sophomore LB T.J. Edwards
On the defense's play as a whole:
"I thought we just did a really good job of executing the game plan. Obviously there are still things we have to work on. You saw a couple of big runs that they had, but as a team I think we played really well."
 
On how much pride the defense takes in allowing only 11 touchdowns on the year:
"I think we take a lot of pride in 'bend, but don't break.' I think if we make sure we have a good focus and not let them get in the end zone, I think that should continue to carry on the rest of the year. We have to bring it every week because it's hard to win in the Big Ten, so you just have to enjoy it when you can."
 
On the relief of a large lead at the half:
"Definitely a little different. No game is for sure until the clock hits zero, but the offense did such a good job of keeping us (the defense) off the field and really creating long drives that ended in a score. They helped us out a lot today."
 
Junior CB Natrell Jamerson
On the importance of his first play on the punt return:
"It was just as important as any other play. Of course it was a big play, right outside the ten-yard line. I take every special team route, every defensive route the same, just as important."
 
On timing defense on punt returns and whether it is easy for him:
"We practice that in practice all the time, trying to time it up, trying to estimate when he's going to catch it by his body control. I've been doing it for a while now so it's pretty easy."
 
On whether or not he thinks he and Lubern Figaro will continue to be rotated on defense:
"I'm not sure, but whatever Coach Leonhard decides, I'm going with it. I'm just happy to be back out there playing."
 
On what interceptions do for the confidence of the secondary:
"It turns into a competition. As soon as the first pick was caught, we all were like, 'ok we're all going to get a chance now.' We're all just out there competing, trying to make a play."

Illinois Head Coach Lovie Smith
Opening Statement:
"When you play a great football team like we played today, you can't play your best ball, and stuff like that. You look at the turnover ratio and you see that you're minus four, you can tell that that football game is won. It is a little bit bigger than that, they dominated us in all of the categories that decides who wins the football game. I thought we were ready to play coming off of a big win last week but most specific, their running game on the offensive side of the football. We have to play better defense than that.
 
"Of course on the offensive side of the ball, it was about getting ourselves in a hole, not capitalizing when we had a little bit of momentum, we didn't get much going today. But you have to give the University of Wisconsin, you know, all of the credit as much as anything. I say we've played some good football teams this year, that's definitely one of the best ones we've played."
 
On pulling quarterback Jeff George Jr.:
"Jeff would like to have some of those balls back – but he hung in there. You know when you pull a guy, it's tough when you do that. You always want to give the quarterback a chance to come out of it, but he never did."
 
On considering starting quarterback Wes Lunt:
"Absolutely we considered it throughout the week. The guys we started with – we gave them the best chance. Jeff led us to a big win last week. We considered that, it's just good to have a couple of options."
 
On the possibility of starting Lunt in the future:
"We played Jeff because we thought we needed a boost and before we played Wes, we needed a boost and we needed something to change, and we changed courses going offensively."
 
On if Lunt starting will help in the future:
"Everything today helps, that feeling we have in the locker room right there, that should motivate us to play better ball than we did today. So anything that happened today helps, but of course you don't like going through it."
 
On Wisconsin's defense:
"First off their coach, Paul Chryst, is an outstanding football coach. They played great defense -- they made some great catches too, I'm talking interception-wise today so. In order to get interceptions, the offense has to cooperate a little bit. But the d-line had to give pressure and when you get that chance you make those picks, and they did."
 
On this game being a step back:
"We didn't play our best ball today, you don't judge things. At the end of the season you put it all together. It's an individual Saturday is what you look at and today we didn't get the job done. We played bad all the day before we play good ball. I'd say this week we're going to come back against our way at home and play more like we thought we would play today."