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UNIVERSITY OF INDIANA MEDIA CONFERENCE


November 11, 2013


Kevin Wilson


COACH WILSON:  Real quick.  Regarding Illinois, I think for our guys, we didn't make too big a deal, but I thought it was pretty cool.  We did some things trying to honor the vets last week.  I thought the one thing we did with some former players that are serving our country is pretty cool.  We showed it to the team.  We talked a little bit about that.
You know we don't have‑‑ we put the little flag on our helmet and kind of did our stripe deal.  But it was kind of nice.
I know Coach Deal's son‑in‑law is deployed right now and some of our former players and some of you guys that coach.  I think you saw that was a pretty cool deal.  It was kind of nice to have a good win and also kind of do so paying respect.  Like Mr. Glass says, all the time, we represent more than just ourselves and our team.  It was good to have a good strong showing for those guys and proud of our guys.
Offensive players of the game, Tevin Coleman and Cody Latimer, both had really strong performances.  Tevin was named Big Ten Player of the Week, which was a nice deal.  And Cody had an awesome day.  A lot of other guys did on offense.  Those two were very dynamic, and balls got their direction.  Perimeter blocking, there were clips showing the guys, like when you look at Shane Wynn and Kofi tying guys up on the long run, the perimeter on the back side (indiscernible) had the great back set block on the linebacker and got on the ground.  Solid performances by a lot of guys, but those two were the two of the game.
Quarterbacks played well.  The one pick kind of hurts the one.  They came back great from that.
Players defensively had a lot more play and gave up some yardages.  Got to work on bringing the numbers down.  Thought we got strong play from John Laihinen.  He was good at the end where we got pressure on the quarterback.  Nick Mangieri as well from Illinois.  It was a big game for him.  Recognized Clyde Newton.  Made a few busts, but as a freshman really played very, very well.
Special team players of the game, Jake Zupancic, two weeks in a row.  Had played in previous years.  Earlier this year, some of the freshmen and other guys got going.  Got worked up the last two weeks.  Winning performances on two teams.  Mitch Ewald has been perfect for the year.  His kicks were awesome.
When we looked at our kicking, every time we punted or kicked, our opponent never started outside the 25.  The worst thing we did was when Mitch kicked it, and it was a touchback.  All the other kickoffs were inside‑‑ two inside the 10.  The punt was on the 10.  Kickoff after penalty.  Two kickoffs, returns for over 10 and 7.  A couple of them, several of them 21.  So I think we had 11 kicking opportunities, and all 11 times we were able to pin our opponent deep.
Two of our punts‑‑ Eric Toth only had two punts.  But both into the wind.  One's down on the 10.  One's a 36‑yarder into the wind, gave them the ball on the 23.  I thought the kicking was a very, very good point of our game.
Offensive scouts, Chase Alexander and Laray Smith.  Chase is from Avon.  We didn't take an O‑lineman last year.  300‑pound center inside guy.  You guys will see him in years to come.  Add to him, Laray was able to come back and have a solid week.  Ben Polk, another freshman walk‑on D‑lineman from Evansville, we're excited about.  Did real well.  And Williams, a corner back, we're looking at as a hybrid linebacker safety.  I'm excited about all those guys.  Three of those guys are walk‑ons.  They've got really nice bodies and potential to help us in the years to come.  Those guys are doing well.
Like to mention some guys.  I saw you guys talking to Ralston.  Stepped in and done well.  David Kaminski has stepped in.  I don't like to talk about the injuries because it's kind of a negative.  I prefer not to talk about it, but we have as all teams have.  We've had some guys with some things that we've been very, very fortunate, as our sprint program's taken off and our recruiting's gotten a little better.  Walk‑on program has gotten better, and we've gotten more depth.  That's why we can weather the storm.  We've had a little hiccup and the guy can't go.  Some guys we've lost for the year.  We don't like it.  But that being said, some guys have stepped in.  Jake Reed stepped in.  Jake Bailey we talked about.  He played well.  This game, Wes Rogers had to play.  I think we'll see where Collin Rahrig is.  He has a slight back injury.  He'll be going some this week.  We'll see how he holds up.  It's not near Peyton Eckert's injury, our right tackle we lost.
Jake Reed is in the mix to play as well at center.  We'll be fine there.  Clyde Newton came in, you guys saw that.  Made some mistakes, but played well in his first start.  We're excited about him.  Running back in high school who's learning how to be a college linebacker as a freshman.  But very active, athletic young player.
Ryan Thompson came in and had a great third down stop.  Got the ball back for us when it's a close game.  Really played well for Tim Bennett.  I think Tim will be fine.  Just took a hit shot.  As the week goes, I think we'll get him back.  Talked about Zupancic on special teams and Brandon Grubbe.  I thought those guys stepped in for Murphy.  We lost Dawson Fletcher.  One of our guys got his ankle rolled up.  So we had Zupancic and Grubbe.  We didn't give a winning grade, but there's Latham, very active.  Great play on third and two stop in four down territory in the second quarter after we fumble.  Let alone the pressures and the couple sacks he had.
Bobby Richardson very active.  MAs and busted assignments, and that's why they were not, quote, players of the game.  They were very, very active and stepped up.  Zack Shaw, same deal.  Some pressure on the tailbacks.  You saw Tevin's play.  Steven, the way D'Angelo's played and the quarterbacks.  Tre didn't play a lot, but that fourth down play he makes on his own.  We don't make that play, and we needed that play because things weren't going well.
We came out and went three and out on the pick.  We busted the coverage.  We score, we score.  We needed that drive to get some momentum.  That was a huge, huge play.
Again, we've got some depth, some guys stepping up.  Kind of want to talk more about that.  We've got some guys hurt.  Everybody does.  When you have a good team, guys step up, and it's not as big of a deal.  When you're not a good team and you're not having success‑‑ we're not a good team yet, but we're building, and we're moving that way.  I think part of the sign is a little bit better recruiting, a lot better walk‑on program, and year three with the sprint program and the maturity of some of our players.
A couple things I want to point out in the game.  I think the defensive stop on the first drive, on the fourth down, a batted ball by Adarius Rayner.  Four down territory, guys come open on the route.  You get one‑possession games.  The possession of the last busted coverage.  That play is early in the game, impacting one‑possession games.  Huge play by Adarius, fourth down stop in third down territory.
I think the defensive stop after we had the fumble.  Didn't have a lot of fumbles.  First fumble at tailback, I think we had this year.  Something we work real hard to eliminate.  Unfortunately, we had one, and our defense to get a four‑play stop and was really‑‑ Darius Latham on third and two and Clyde Newton on fourth and three.  Clyde filled up the A gap on the back side power.  First time I've seen someone do that right in three years where he flew in there and stepped in there and made a play and looked like a decent football team there from fitting it up the right way.  Two good plays by two freshmen at critical times.
I think the fake punt stop two weeks in a row.  Nice play for our guys to identify that.  Got us the ball back.  After that in the fourth quarter, we had a third and ten in the fourth and ten back‑to‑back plays.  In the fringe where they convert, they're getting points.  You're in a one‑possession game.  And then at the end, the interception at the end of the game.
We had a flurry there where we got him after Tre's run.  We had a 50‑yard pass to Cody Latimer, came back with a three‑play scoring drive, hit the play action pass to him.  Backed it up with the one big play by Tevin that was well blocked.  Then a two play after their fake punt.  A two‑play drive by Stephen Houston.  Popping two runs and great blocking there.  We win the fourth quarter 17‑7, which is huge.  Fourth down, we were 100 percent both ways.  We stopped them every time.  We got every one.  So I thought that was a big part of the deal.
Mentioned earlier, I thought our coverage units and return units.  I think our punt return started on the 20, the 23 of 43, then after the fake, plus 35.  Their unit started on the minus 23 and minus 10.  Our kickoff return unit had better returns.  Nothing great, but better than our kickoff coverage.  When you're playing in the Big Ten and you're playing in November, kicking and field position, percentages scoring from 90 yards, 80 yards, 70 yards, 60 yards is greatly increased with the percentage of when you score when you make people go long fields.
So kicking was awesome, and I think that shows, again, some of the strides we're making as we keep moving forward.
This week we're flipping up to Wisconsin, again, who's strong as always.  New coach, Coach Andersen, but since Coach Alvarez years ago has kind of got that thing stable and recruit really solid, got a great style, played great, played great in all phases.  Coach kept going in the strong way.
I know Coach Andersen reasonably well, competed against him when we were at Oklahoma's team.  I think it was a 34‑27 game.  They actually had a great chance and should have won.  Actually got a poor call that actually helped us and hurt them in that game.
So his teams are tough.  He's a defensive‑minded guy.  Staff's been together a long time.  We're excited to have two running backs two weeks in a row rush for 100 yards.  They've got two guys that average 100 yards, and they do it every day, and they have for years.  They've got great linemen, quality tight ends, fullback's a tremendous player, quarterback that can manage it.  Maybe the best football player in the league may be Chris Borland, and there's a lot of great football players in this league.  Number 44, the linebacker is a special, special player.  That's awesome.  They're good up front, sound in coverage, and a good football team.
As always, they're good in the kicking game.  I think they're first in kick returns.  Good challenge.  I think they're sitting at 7‑2 and ranked.  It will be a noon kick on ESPN2 at 11:00 their time.  It's a good challenge.  Looking forward to see if we can have a good wake and continue to build and improve as we go forward.  Questions?

Q.  Defense played better down the stretch in the fourth quarter, especially after you guys got a little bit of a cushion.  Do you think that this defense plays a little better when it doesn't have so much better to where it's a one‑possession game and they can relax a little bit knowing the next play, if they give it up, isn't going to be tied?
COACH WILSON:  Strong point.  Of course, at that time too, I think the opponent gets a little more one‑dimensional.  Again, I do think those stops in the first half, you know, you go back and you can look at last week or two weeks ago, our offense doesn't play well early, and I think our defense gives up a score because I think three and out, two‑play turnover, three and out, four and out.
Bowling Green, we start out not playing well offensively.  We get down first and goal, defense had a number of good stops.  Penn State, same deal, it's 10‑7, and Penn State's kicking a field goal.
Our defense has been a little on, little off.  When it's on, it's been pretty good.  When it's off, it's not been very good at all.  A lot of it is getting them in position and coaching and playing together.  When the offense plays well, we get going.  But same deal when the defense plays well.  When the defense plays well, it feeds the offense.  Those are some things we try to show.  Hey, Ryan Thomas, if you make this third down stop, we get the ball, here's the touchdown three plays later.  Hey, we get this fourth down fake, here's the touchdown a few plays later.  We're trying to show our team how we feed off each other.
Defense still has a lot of work to do.  We're going to work real hard, short term with three weeks to go.  What can we continue to do?  Fundamentals, alignment, structure, discipline, communication, to keep playing better because we've got to keep playing better and the offense does too.  We've got to keep coming defensively.
They do play better when we have a lead at the end of the game and the team is one‑dimensional.  But there are times when our defense, I think our numbers get skewed because we've given up big plays.  We've gotten worked and given up third downs.  But there are spurts when our defense has played solid ball.  We've got to get it more.
I think in Minnesota we had consistent part both sides.  In this game, there was more consistency throughout the game.  That's what we talked about.  When we play together, we're really a decent team.  Sometimes we flash.  The offense goes away.  The defense goes away.  When we put it together and kick it well, we're pretty good.
It's just having the discipline, the play calling, the execution, and the focus to do it over longer stretches.  If we do, we can have some success in these weeks to come.

Q.  How's Tevin's ankle?
COACH WILSON:  He's got a good ankle sprain.  It will be a problem like he's probably out this one.  And we'll see‑‑ some guys will come back faster than others.  Again, we are fortunate.  Stephen's a two‑year starter, and he's played pretty good.  We've got some depth with D'Angelo.  Whether we go with a third guy, Laray, we've got Anthony Davis and Anthony Wilson we like as third guys if it gets to that point.
It's nothing major.  It's not a break, but it's major enough that with an ankle deal in the skill position, a fast guy, he's going to be very, very limited, in all likelihood.
We can say end of the week we'll see how it goes, but fortunately we've got some depth there, and we'll need some guys to step up if we need it.  That's probably going to have to happen.

Q.  Laray Smith gets into the mix with the running back depth.  He hasn't played ‑‑
COACH WILSON:  I think where we are, and he's got some speed.  He's doing a little‑‑ actually, he's been injured enough, he had this little back issue that kind of got him out.  You know, there's a chance‑‑ I don't think he's played enough.  We might could get a redshirt out year out of that.  How much would he play as a third guy?
I think you've seen from the first game that Wilson's a decent player and Davis, if you get to the third guy, which is technically the fourth guy then, how good is that anyway?  Not down on Laray and Myles as freshmen.  I think they're kind of a little bit on the shelf, and we'll go through the others now.

Q.  [ No microphone ].
COACH WILSON:  Got a chance to be.  It's just a process we've got to go through.  He missed a couple of weeks with the injury.  We got him going the last week and a half pretty good, and we'll see how it goes.

Q.  Was that the same injury from the beginning that was a hip thing?
COACH WILSON:  Back.  Yeah.  And then he got a shoulder knocked down on the one of the plays he played in that first game.

Q.  As we're on injuries, Hardin, we talked about on Saturday.
COACH WILSON:  Chest bruise, and Wally Pipped, though, that guy came in and led the team in tackles.  So get your bruise well.

Q.  [ No microphone ].
COACH WILSON:  Again, we gave him a winning performance.  Didn't give it like player of the game because it was only the second half.  A couple stops.  Right place, right time.  A couple busts and things to clean up.  I actually thought, coming into preseason, he'd be in the mix to compete and play.  He got an ankle sprain, missed a couple weeks.  I don't know if maybe personally he handled that as mature and strong as he needed to.  I think he got a little down on himself and a little funky and didn't practice well for a few weeks.
But came in a couple of weeks ago on special teams and really responded well.  We recognized that.  And now the ball's‑‑ the door's kind of opening up.  The ball's getting back in his court.  For two weeks, he showed up in a good way.  I think Timmy's going to be fine.  I really thought we could get‑‑ could maybe get a little bit more out of Ryan than we got this year.  It's nice he's there and nice he stepped up these last couple of weeks.

Q.  How important is mindset this week, especially against a Wisconsin team that's been pretty successful against you in the last couple of years?  How important is just mindset for guys to go up there confident that they could win?
COACH WILSON:  Well, again, my comment to them, I think we're making strides, and there's a point in time where I think we're going to have success against top teams.  We've kind of been close.  You want it to be this week.  You want it to be next week.  You want it to be next year.  It's calm.
So the best way to calm is have a great week of practice.  Play together as a team.  The best way to make it happen is to be as aggressive and decisive as you can.  You're not going to go up playing Wisconsin on your heels, hoping they have a bad came, hoping to get a call, hoping they get a turnover.  It's the Tiger Woods' mentality:  He's going to play his putts.  I'm going to make mine.
So we're making strides.  We're getting close to a team that's competitive.  If you want to play at a high level in the Big Ten, it's going to be on ESPN 2.  We've gone up to the big games and should our best performances.  I don't think we talk about.  I don't think our team lost games because we've been choking, but we haven't played well and haven't executed well.
We've got an opportunity against a great team, very good team.  You've got to play well in all phases.  You're not going to go up and down the field on this team's defense.  They played against some very, very good offenses, and they played and shoved them in a box.  So you're not going to go up and match the score, but you've got to get defensive stops.  This is a team that has an overwhelming running game, and they can throw it to a receiver that can get open as good as anyone.  But the play action pass with the tight end/fullback game, et cetera.
So to me, our mindset is we're making strides, and this is an opportunity to show we're ready to make the next stride.  You want to do it this week, let's go up and fight and have a great week and have a great plan, put it together, go attack, go fight, and see what it is.  Let's go up there and hoping and wishing it could happen.  Might as well not get on the plane and take the bus trip up to the airport.  I'm looking forward to seeing where the team is, looking forward to having a good week.

Q.  With the new staff up there, have they changed much?  Are they still doing pretty much what they did over the past several years?
COACH WILSON:  I think there's a lot of similarities.  There's minor changes maybe like in defensive alignment subtly.  But it's just in the way they kick their front, their three‑man front, but still gets them into their base quarters look and where the run fits are and their blitz packages.
So slightly different enough to be different, but they still use the same players, a lot of the same spaces, running game, same deal.  They were using big guy personnel, two and three tight ends and fullbacks that move around in the 48.
A lot of the guys, the offense are the same guys that were there last year.  They've been there a couple of years.  Except for the one running back that's left, the next couple three, they've been putting running backs after running backs after running backs for 15, 20 years.  So nothing's falling off.  Maybe a little difference in the call they got, but a lot can carry over.  It looks like a Wisconsin football team.
Again, Coach Andersen, I think, you know, like all coaches, he's got things he likes and things he believes in, but I think he's playing to the strength of their football team.  They've always had big linemen, great running game.  Complement that with play action pass, tight end/fullback guys are outstanding players.  Defensively, they've evolved to a three‑man front, but the way the structure of their coverage and the soundness, I don't think it was a very radical change for the players.
I think that's why they've had really good success and why they're sitting at 7‑2.

Q.  What's been so much better the last two weeks about the offensive line?  What have you seen those guys, I guess, do better?
COACH WILSON:  I mean, we still miss some stuff now.  Again, we got a couple of guys out, but it's year three.  You're hearing the language over and over.  And the concepts.  They're having some success.  I think there's enough complementary parts so we're not running into loaded decks.  There's a passing game and a running game.
We just showed a team, hey, here's Ryan Thompson making a third down stop, and now here's Tevin Coleman open, popping a run in front of our sideline with great help from Bolser and Jake Bailey on the cut block and then Cody Latimer.  And the next play, here's Cody on the touchdown pass.  Everybody is saying, look at this great play by Cody.  It was set up by a third down stop by Ryan.  And some really good running and perimeter blocking, and it all comes together.
I think the line is really doing okay because the quarterbacks are decent and the receivers are decent, and there's enough parts that we can‑‑ if we execute, we make you play space and play the field, and when the space gets spread out, then there's some running lanes.  So it's like our passing and our receivers have bought into blocking.
That's why I think Tevin's got eight touchdowns over 40 yards, which is the first in the country.  It's not just because he's a good running back and not just because the line.  Bolser is blocking the best he's ever blocked, and you're getting great effort from Latimer and Hughes, and they score touchdowns, but they're blocking out there.  It's why those guys are‑‑ it's why they're 40‑yard plays and 50‑yard plays instead of 10‑yard plays because there's the threat of the pass, they space out, and then our perimeter players aren't mad because it isn't a pass play.
We honored Kofi Hughes as one of our players of the game.  A couple of times I thought he got held up pretty good.  Like I didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to run a route because of what the defender is doing.  Ball is coming his way, and he couldn't get off of coverage.  We missed him on a fade route.  But he's out there playing his tail off.
On one of the plays where Stephen Houston goes 40 yards on the left, he's on the right blocking.  He's got almost out of bounds on a bubble pass, playing his tail off and, quote, had no catch.  He's a senior, playing as hard as he can play.  That's what you want.  We'll look at play calls to try to get some things to him.  Sometimes on prepared routes, coverage goes this way, and I'm going this way, and we're just trying to get Cody the ball on the last game.
The line is doing good because the skill players make them look good.  It's a little bit of everything.

Q.  I guess how concerned are you about responding to Wisconsin's play action pass?  Obviously, the running game is very potent with the play action pass.
COACH WILSON:  We got worked with that in Michigan very, very well.  If you sit there and play base and line it up, you got big guys and good tight ends and backs that are really patient and fast and experienced and well‑coached.  They work on a schedule.
If you get aggressive and start loading the box, you get guys one‑on‑one.  Abbrederis is just about as good as anybody at getting open, and he's worked some of the best players in this conference in the league one‑on‑one.  I think he's been a little banged up.  He'll be fine.  That's why they're a good offense.
We're talking about, because their line is so good and their running game's so good, then that helps him and makes him so good because he gets out there one‑on‑one.  Joel can make some shots and get to him in the pass game.  That's why they're scoring 40 points a game too.

Q.  You talked after the game about kickoff coverage and special teams in general.  What's worked so well, basically.  I think you guys are leading the conference in kickoff coverage.  Obviously, it starts with Mitch.
COACH WILSON:  Good kicker, but we got some good guys out there.  Bolser and Latimer covering those kicks.  And you got guys like Zupancic and Ryan Thompson, some complementary guys stepped in.  Jacarri's been good.
To me it's a sign of our team growing.  When you're growing as a team, you've got more confidence, better athletes, and a bit more swagger, and those guys are attacking.  That's why the offense is getting there.  The defense goes away, but we've got to keep building our defense in an attacking mode.  I think our punt team has gotten that way.
Two weeks ago, I think that's when our kickoff return team is in attacking mode.  That team has been very, very aggressive.  As we build, sometimes it's when our offense is out of whack.  We're not as aggressive as we need to be.  But the kickoff coverage has been a good unit.  Mitch is a good part.  The coverage has been awesome.
One of the best things he does is when he kicks it down and catches it on the 2.  That's better than when he kicks it out of bounds.  But this team is, I think, first or second in the league in kickoff return.  They've got a great return.  But it would be nice to use that team because that means we're scoring.  People don't score a lot on Wisconsin.  I think they've given up three touchdowns at home this year, and they play pretty good defense.

Q.  Coach, will (indiscernible) be able to go at all this week?
COACH WILSON:  Right now it's a half deal.  And it's kind of an unfortunate deal because we've talked with our people and got them looking into it.  The call was made.  It's a high hit‑‑ targeting hit.  And the targeting rule is talking about hitting with your crown or going high to the head or launching up at a guy.
He comes at the quarterback, and he actually comes down and comes with his arms, and he hits the guy and hits the guy late.  Probably it should be a roughing the passer call, but because it was called targeting and then it was reviewed, review don't want to change it, then it's stuck.  It's unfortunate because, again, we've got to protect our players, and I think as coaches we're all about that.
But I've heard a couple of coaches, this guy, first game he's played a whole lot.  He's played in four games, very active, and we've got to protect their game.
I think the penalty matches targeting when it ought to be.  It's the best way to get guys.  Your helmet comes off and you come out of the game, all of a sudden, the helmet started staying on.  The high flagrant, kill shots, they've gotten out, which is the best for the team, but it's unfortunate‑‑ to me, the comment I made, they can go back on video, and if they see a high hit, they can sit a guy down.  They can come in and say, hey, we missed him.  It's a flagrant hit.  He's not playing this week.
But even though you've got video, it's one guy's opinion of the video.  It's still a human element.  They look at the video and say, eh, maybe not, they can't change it and give the kid a chance to come back and play.  I think the penalty fits when it's flagrant, but I think we got to look at our rules because this kid's missing a half on an aggressive play that wasn't a target play, and this guy called it.  It wasn't a bad call.  Just human element.  It happens.
I think our referees do a good‑‑ I mean, do well.  I think as fans, because we're on the short end, we always remember calls that don't happen.  We get calls, and you don't remember those.
We don't get calls.  Just those guys are humans.  We make bad play calls.  Our players make mistakes.  They're supposed to be in certain places they're not.  Those guys are human.  It's one of the great parts of the sport is the human element of the sport, and football is a bunch of flying parts.  You've got 22 players and 29 guys flying around, guys signaling, calling plays, there's a lot of flying parts, and you've got guys trying to function together.
So I just asked really hard for it to be looked at, and I've been told, because it was reviewed that way, there's nothing to do.  My comment was, as I've heard some other coaches, I think we need to look because, when you can come back and say, hey, in fairness, that's really a roughing rule, let's give this kid a half of his football back.  How much has he played?  I don't think it's impacting the game.  I think in fairness to the kids, you guys got to talk about that.
The thing is you're a kid getting up at 6:00 a.m. running year round, lifting, you're making a huge commitment in your life, and you're taking the away the few minutes I get to play.  Those kids get about six minutes.  If you play a whole game, you get about six minutes of play.  About six seconds times 50, 60, 70 plays.  That's what you really play in a football game.  That's how many minutes and seconds of a football career you have.
So I think moving forward, I'm sure as coaches, love the rule, love the direction it's going.  I just think we've got to look at a way, when it's a little bit off, the kid doesn't get‑‑ the penalty doesn't match the crime, you know what I mean?  It's like we need to come back and maybe have a way.  He'll miss the first half.  Again, I don't think it's a bad call.  It's just what it was.
I'm not allowed to discuss referees either.  I think our crews are good.  You guys don't like them.  I like them.

Q.  I was a little confused.  You think he should have been called for roughing but not targeting?  Based on the rule.
COACH WILSON:  Yeah, because the targeting is called hitting with the crown, going head to head, or launching.  He didn't do those things.  But he got called that way, and when it got reviewed, the review overturned‑‑ because he hits in the chest and gets up into his face mask.  Well, is the face mask helmet to helmet?  He got into his face mask, part of the helmet.
So then the guy‑‑ and I always say it too.  The bigger the games, the more TV cameras you got, the better angles for review.  We don't have enough good games on TV.  We don't get good camera angles.  You're playing a game in the Horseshoe, there's cameras swinging all over the place.  They're spy cams.  They're all over the place.
That's one of the reasons why they say, should you argue it?  I don't know if there's enough video evidence to overturn because that's what you've got to have.
Unfortunately, the way it was called‑‑ and that's not a bad call because they're going to protect players.  I think it's awesome.  I think they should.  But I think in time, maybe we missed or penalized this kid when more common minds look at it and say, you know, that wasn't a target play.  That wasn't an intent play.  That was a physical, aggressive play, and that was probably a late hit.  Let's give this guy a chance.
Because, again, it's going to happen to more and more players down the road, but the direction of what we're doing is best for the game, and we got to keep that up.  There's no doubt it's best for the game.

Q.  You mentioned Wisconsin defenses.  What do they do so well structurally basically?  Is there anything that they've done?
COACH WILSON:  Again, they are gap sound, multiple in their looks.  Their eyes are where they're supposed to be.  If I've got one in the flat or two going vertical or whatever, I'm a B‑gap player, C‑gap player.  So, again, there's a lot of carryover to what they did.  They tweaked it fitting some of their scheme and their language, I'm sure.
But the structure is different but very comparable to Michigan State.  They don't give up plays.  You earn everything, and every play is a competitive play, competitive at the line of scrimmage, competitive in the perimeter.  It's a very, very good defensive football team and a great running team, great play action.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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