CHICAGO—With the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago coming to a close Friday, four key storylines dominated the flurry of questions the representatives from Wisconsin faced.
1. Chryst is Alvarez’s man
Head coach Paul Chryst’s style can be off-putting to some. Take his opening press conference Thursday, when he was asked by a member of the media “where does public speaking rank on the list of things you do or do not like to do so much?” Chryst instantly shot right back, asking “does that reflect what I’ve done already this point?” eliciting laughs throughout the expansive ballroom at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
While speaking in front of a crowd may not be his forte, and some may view that as a delegitimizing characteristic, it doesn’t bother Chryst. That’s because no matter what impressions he may make in a simulated environment like a press conference, he has the unwavering support of athletic director Barry Alvarez behind him.
Speaking at the conclusion of Chryst’s press conference, Alvarez stressed the trust and deep roots he has with his newly hired head coach.
“Paul worked with me two different times, so I think he knows what I believe in,” Alvarez said. “Paul uses me as a sounding board for different things, a multitude of things, whether it be recruiting, practice schedules, just a number of things.”
“I think Paul is one of the brighter offensive coaches in the country.”
Regardless of how Chryst has been received by the media in Chicago, he’s well respected among fellow coaches, he’s Alvarez’s man and he’s here to stay.
2. Michael Caputo is one of the most respected players on UW
Chryst revealed that following spring practice, he sat down and met with every player on the Wisconsin roster to get to know them and draw out their opinions on the team. He asked each player to list the top three leaders, teammates they respected the most and best players on the team. It didn’t take long for Chryst to notice a pattern among the responses—senior safety Michael Caputo showed up in all three categories on everyone’s list.
“Mike Caputo was in all three columns, and that obviously told me a lot about Mike,” Chryst said. “But it was also a relief that it confirmed what I thought and our coaches thought. And any time that you’re on the same page with your team, it makes you feel good. And so that was an easy one to see, but you’re glad.”
Caputo is grateful to be considered a leader among a team with such strong overall character.
“I just hope that I can be the leader that everyone looks at when times are hard to be that kind of guy, I think everybody wants to be that guy,” Caputo said. “That’s what I’ve been working on these past four or five years.”
3. Clement’s good to go
Melvin Gordon generated about 41.7 percent of Wisconsin’s total yards last season. Now a member of the San Diego Chargers, Gordon had rare talent and productivity that won’t be replicated at Wisconsin for some time. While his departure to the NFL leaves a huge offensive void for Chryst to fill, the first-year head coach views this season as a chance to integrate more players into the mix, starting with junior running back Corey Clement.
“Melvin’s year was pretty unique,” Chryst said. “ There’s a lot of guys that are going to have to pick up the slack and the production is going to have to fall on more than one guy. It’s a challenge, but it’s an opportunity for guys. And I think we’ve got a number of guys that can step into that role and become a player that produces and impacts games.”
Clement’s new role as Wisconsin’s premier back is not without its drawbacks. It’s easy to use Wisconsin’s traditionally dominant running game as a benchmark for Clement’s expectations, a notion he said doesn’t factor in to his outlook. He intends to keep things simple, without taking the past into account.
“The responsibility I feel is just getting my team back to the Big Ten championship, just like Melvin did for us, so I can do the same,” Clement said. “I’m able to just facilitate some of the things he brought to this offense and I’m able to add it to my repertoire and be a humble, experienced running back for that offense.”
Redshirt senior quarterback Joel Stave is comfortable with Clement’s transition as well.
“He’s put in a lot of work in this offseason,” Stave said. “He’s really done a good job stepping into that role and embracing his role and being the premier running back for the team now. I think he’s done a great job in the weight room, he’s done a great job in team drills, making sure he’s one of the leaders.
4. Taking to the air
Beyond Clement, Chryst is confident that the passing game will improve markedly from last season, catalyzed by the development of several key players.
One avenue for the increased production Chryst is seeking runs through Stave, who Chryst has made a point to connect with.
“What I learned talking to Joel was he’s got some things that he’s really confident in what he’s done and proud of what he’s done,” Chryst said. “I appreciate him being really open and honest, so I think we’ve got the things that can help him … he’s energized. I think there’s some things we can do to help him get better.”
Stave feels good going into the new year as well, and he believes the receiving corps has developed into a unit consisting of varying skillsets that should challenge defenses. Beyond senior receiver Alex Erickson, Stave’s favorite target, both redshirt sophomore receiver Jazz Peavy and redshirt sophomore Troy Fumagalli have emerged as leaders throughout the spring and summer.
“I think Jazz is a good example of a guy who has really taken advantage of this summer,” Stave said. “He’s one of the guys who’s not afraid to stick around and put in some extra work. He’s been staying after and stretching every day after workouts just to try to keep himself healthy.
If he’s healthy, what he can do in his route running—he’s fast, he’s smooth, he catches the ball pretty smooth, but it’s kind of been a nagging injury for him here and there. So if he’s able to stay healthy I think he can be a pretty major contributor for us.”
Fumagalli steps in for graduated tight end Sam Arneson, Wisconsin’s second-leading receiver last year.
“I’m really excited about Troy, I think he’s had a really good summer too,” Stave said. “I spent a lot of time working with him, especially down in the red zone. When you’ve got a big tight end who can go up and get the ball like Troy can, he’s pretty legitimate 6-5 or 6-6, 250 pounds, he’s a big dude and he catches the ball really well with his hands. He’s got a big catch radius, he can kind of put it on his back shoulder put it up high. He’s a fun guy to throw to so I’m excited to continue to see what he can do this year.”
