Football
Wisconsin (4-1 Big Ten, 7-2 overall) is coming off a convincing victory over Rutgers (1-4,3-5) last Saturday.
Addressing the media Monday at a press conference, head coach Paul Chryst highlighted how impressed he was with play of his defense, the No. 1 scoring unit in the NCAA.
“The magic is there is no magic. We’ve all talked, a long time, once you understand that, it’s fundamentals. If you have a good, sound scheme, and players that understand it, and good players executing it then I think you have a chance to have success,” Chryst said.
Chryst also expressed his satisfaction with the play of the offensive line, a oft-injured group playing under heavy expectations from the fanbase because of success in recent years.
“Any time you go through something as a group, that presents the opportunity to come together. There are expectations because of what has happened previously but all that really matters is expectations for the current group,” Chryst said.
Saturday, the front line helped junior running back Corey Clement rush for 115 yards and three scores in his successful return from injury.
Looking forward to next week, the Badgers travel to face the Maryland Terrapins (0-4,2-6).
Maryland features one of the best returners in the country in junior William Likely. Likely was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Iowa last Saturday.
When asked about special teams coverage against Likely, Chryst said, “We are going to be challenged in a big way this week, he’s arguably the best in the game. This is to-date, maybe the biggest challenge we have.”
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Men’s Hockey
Wisconsin (2-3-3 overall) is looking forward to playing in Grand Forks, N.D. against No.1 team in the country University of North Dakota (6-0-2) next weekend after a successful two-game sweep of Arizona State.
Head coach Mike Eaves brought up some individuals on the team who have stepped up in recent weeks, including freshman Patrick Sexton.
“You know, you hate to say guys are ‘gamers’ but he’s got— the six inches between his ears make up for maybe what he is lacking in the six feet of body that he has, in terms of natural ability,” Eaves said.
Eaves touched on how the growth seen in practice and in the games against Arizona State is preparing the Badgers for tough matchups like the coming one against North Dakota.
“So we take that with us this week, and we get ready to play a team that’s going to be very good. We are going to have to play a very clean game, get good goaltending, specialty teams, but at the same time, there is an air of excitement about having this challenge,” Eaves said.
When asked about the readiness of his young team for the looming matchup against North Dakota, Eaves said, “I don’t think you can tell them or show them in video and really capture the environment they’re going into.”
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Volleyball
Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 16-6 overall) is currently riding a four-game win streak as it anticipates tough matches against No. 25 Michigan (6-6, 16-7) and Michigan State (6-6,14-9) this weekend at the UW Field House.
Addressing the media Monday afternoon, head coach Kelly Sheffield was very pleased with the support the Wisconsin fan base has shown the team.
“First of all, we played in front of a couple sold-out crowds this past weekend so we’re really, really appreciative of the fan support and the energy they bring to us in the Field House,” Sheffield said.
Citing how his team has moved away from leaning so heavily earlier in the year on junior middle blocker Haleigh Nelson, Sheffield feels that “we’re starting to get some more pieces to the puzzle.”
When asked about the play and integration of freshman outside hitter Madison Duello into the serving rotation, Sheffield was excited about her progress.
“Sometimes her serve comes from the ‘child’s menu,’ so we talked to her about let’s get rid of the corn dogs and the macaroni and cheese and the applesauce and things like that, and let’s start serving from the adult menu and putting some pace on the ball and really doing something with it and take some chances. When she does that, the ball dances for her,” Sheffield said.
Sheffield was also asked about the possibility of a Big Ten postseason tournament in the future.
“I think it would be awesome, I think it would just be a really, really cool event, and I’m not sure it will happen,” Sheffield said.
