HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
UH = University of Hawaii Athletics website
MN = Maui News
LT = (Madison) Lacrosse Tribune
------------------ Quotes from the Hawaii coaches ---------------------
About the loss, Mack said:
"I give Wisconsin credit. They physically out played us, they beat us in third downs, they beat us in every phase of the game: offense, defense, special teams; although Alex punted really well today. They were very physical, running power roll, what we call "the express" where they get a lot of mass at a certain point and we couldn't handle it." (UH)
About how they struggled on offense, Mack said:
"Offensively we struggled, which is not our normal game. So again you have to give Wisconsin credit. They are a well coached and athletic team." (UH)
About how Wisconsin won the battle on third downs (Wisconsin was 8/13 and UH was 3/11 on third downs), Mack said:
"We were completely beaten in third downs. We couldn't make third downs, they could. We played the run better in the second half, except for those last two." (UH, HSB)
Giving credit to Wisconsin, Mack said:
"You have to give Wisconsin credit, they out-physicaled us, beat us in every phase of the game. We were just out of sync and I'm really surprised. We had excellent practices, the guys were really jacked up and I just think we got beat by a better team." (HSB)
"They were running power O and what we call 'the express,' where they get a lot of mass at a certain point and we couldn't handle it." (HSB)
Surprised by their penalties, Mack said:
"We score a touchdown, we get a penalty, we get sent back. We have two offsides on kickoffs; we were just out of sync. I'm surprised, we had excellent practices, and the guys were jacked up. I just think we got beat by a better team." (UH, MN))
About how Wisconsin was too physical for their defense to stop, Mack said:
"They just out-physicaled us. They get a lot of mass at a certain point, and we just couldn't handle it." (MN)
------------------ Quotes from the Hawaii players ------------------------
About their struggles on offense, QB Bryant Moniz said:
"We couldn't get into a rhythm. Our defense was on the field all night. We could never get anything started, and I was having a hard time hitting my routes." (UH, LT, MN)
Feeling badly that their seniors will not get to go to a bowl game, Moniz said:
"I feel sorry for the seniors and not being able to get them to a bowl game. I know they really wanted it. You just always hope for the
best." (UH, MN)
"Sorry to the seniors that we weren't able to get that win for them. I feel really bad. You always want to send your seniors out on a good note and I'm just bummed for them." (HSB)
"We just never got anything going, we never got in a rhythm and I probably had the worst night of the season. Letting down all these seniors, how hard they worked, wasn't able to get them that bowl game, I just feel bad about it. It was one of those nights and it's too bad it had to be this night." (HSB)
About how they could not execute on offense, Moniz said:
"We planned and schemed they're defense all week, we just couldn't execute." (UH)
About how their offense struggled, Greg Salas asid:
"We game-planned a little bit differently for them, but they showed us looks we've got throughout the whole entire season. It wasn't anything new, but they did a good job." (HSB)
Note: Salas had 3 catches for 31 yards--he needed 6 catches to break Bess' single-season receptions record and 155 yards to break Lelie's single-season receiving yardage record.
About how he will always keep in touch with his teammates, Leon Wright-Jackson said:
"(The other seniors and teammates) are always family. That's my family now. I'm always going to keep in touch with them. We just got so close through this process, from sophomore year, when I got here. It's unbelievable, they took me in. They're always going to be my brothers, I'm never going to forget them." (HSB)
About how they thought they could come back after halftime, Wright-Jackson said:
"We felt like we did (have a chance to come back at half). We just had to pick it up. But it was tough, they're a good team." (HSB)
About taking the final two snaps of the game at QB, Inoke Funaki said:
"It was great, despite it didn't turn out exactly how we wanted it to. Blaze, John (Estes), a lot of the senior leaders, they were trying to keep us up in the half, trying to get us motivated (when we trailed 27-3). Try to finish strong. Sometimes it goes in your favor, sometimes not. It's all a part of the journey, I guess." (HSB)
About his final chance to play QB, Inoke laughed and said:
"It was fun." (HSB)
About the end of his Warrior career, John Estes said:
"Just being in the locker room it was a lot of emotion, because for the seniors we're not going to be in that setting ever again, which is sad. I'm going to miss the boys, everything, Aloha Stadium." (HSB)
About the final game of his Warrior career, Blaze Soares (game-high 11 tackles in this game) said:
"It's sad, the dream ends here. I got very emotional (in the locker room) and I never do. Being a Warrior comes to an end here and it hit me." (HSB)
Giving credit to RB John Clay and Wisconsin's OL, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane said:
"Watching film he did it through the whole year and you have to give credit to that line, their line was awesome." (HSB)
Reflecting on his Warrior career, R.J. said:
"I think I gave this program 110 percent and did what I could. I tried to set a good example for the boys and I think I did that." (HSB)
----------------- Quotes from the Wisconsin coaches -----------------
About how their players focused in the game, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said:
"I thought our guys just really focused in on details, tasks; our defense coming on and doing what they did against a very, very good offense and to cut their yardage total in half. Offensively we just keep grinding out and perform, not turn the ball over. It was very rewarding." (UH)
Praising UH, Bielema said:
"We just held them off the boards. They still did some things offensively. I knew this was going to be a very difficult environment. Coach (McMackin) has done a great job. They obviously responded so well to come back and win those last four games." (UH, MN)
About the late TD by Dustin Sherer, Bielema said:
"I didn't mean any disrespect to Hawai'i. That's a fifth-year senior. We put him in to give him a chance. I didn't want to kick off again. I didn't want to kick a field goal. I didn't think he was going to get in. I thought they'd have the ball at around the 5-yard line." (UH)
About how they like to run the ball and keep the ball away from their opponent's offense when on the road, Bielema said:
"That's kind of what we do. When we go into this type of situation, on the road, hostile environment, we knew we needed to (run). I'm a big-time possession guy. One thing that I learned from Coach (Barry) Alvarez is the longer you have the football, they don't. The better chance you have to score if they don't (have the ball)." (HA)
About their success throwing the ball in the game, Bielema said:
"Hawaii started throwing five defensive linemen out there and you have to be able to throw the ball down the field." (HSB)
About how it is likely that they will play in the Outback Bowl or Champs Sports Bowl, Bielema said:
"Wherever we are going, whoever we are playing, I know this: We will prepare, we will work and we'll put ourselves in a position to have success." (MN)
Crediting their OL coach Bob Bostad for adjusting to the loss of their starting center, Bielema said:
"Bob Bostad did a great job. When I called him and told them that Peter wasn't going to be there, he knew right away what he wanted to do to move forward, and it obviously worked out very well." (LT)
---------------- Quotes from the Wisconsin players ---------------------
About how they expected a tough game from UH, QB Scott Tolzien (16-20 passing for 253 yards) said:
"Hawaii is a good team down the stretch. We thought it would be tough for four quarters." (HSB)
About their success throwing on 2nd-and-short, Tolzien said:
"It's awesome. I know we could easily run the ball in those situations, but my coaches have confidence in me." (HSB)
About dealing with the distractions in Hawaii, Tolzien said:
"Your routine's not going to be the exact same every week. Obviously we were in Hawaii and there's a lot of outside distractions, but I thought guys did a good job of handling their business and coming in focused." (LT)
About jumping over one of his OL that had fallen to the ground during his 3rd TD run (from 15 yards out), John Clay said:
"It was either run around him, fall down or jump over him." (HSB)
About how their plan was to run the ball in this game, Clay said:
"We came here with one goal, and that was running the ball, and we did that. Everybody stepped up big, from the offensive line to the tight ends to the receivers. They worked for me so I wanted to work for them." (MN)
About how he kept Wisconsin's streak going of RB success at Aloha Stadium, Clay said:
"It feels real good to keep the tradition of the backs who have been running here. It's good and that's what I wanted to do." (HA)
Reflecting on his sophomore season, Clay said:
"I feel good about it. There's more stuff I could've done. It could've been better, but for now, I'm having a good season. My team is working for me so I'm just trying to work hard." (HA)
About how he was hoping to return to the game even when it was 37-3, Clay said:
"I want to be out there fighting with my teammates." (HSB)
About how it was best that he didn't enter the game again and their other RBs got to play, Clay said:
"I was in a nice little groove, but there was no point in me going back in. We let my teammates get in there and shine." (HSB)
HSB Note: "The Badgers did it without starting center Peter Konz, who was hospitalized with inflammation of a lung before the game. Left guard John Mofitt, last year's starting center, moved over to his old position for the night and UW didn't miss a beat. The first nine possessions for Wisconsin went this way: touchdown, punt, touchdown, touchdown, missed field goal, touchdown, punt, touchdown, field goal. By then, UW led 37-3 early in the fourth quarter. Even then, Clay was working on a bruised arm on the sideline, hoping to return to the game."
About how they dealt with the distractions during their Hawaii trip, starting guard (who moved to starting center in this game) John Moffitt said:
"I think we dealt with it. I think we took the right mentality being out here. We approached it with the right mentality, and everybody zeroed in on what we needed to do." (LT)
About answering the critics of their pass defense, DE J.J. Watt (2 sacks in the game) said:
"It's nice to quiet everybody a little bit. We weren't perfect tonight, but we did enough to win the football game. It was nice to see our defense come out here and bounce back after the Northwestern loss." (LT)
Praising UH's OL, DE O'Brien Schofield (2 sacks in the game) said:
"They were real good up front. We knew they had good protection. We just played them mostly straight up." (HSB)
--------------- Other notes about the game ---------------------
LT Note: "There were a couple of bad omens for the University of Wisconsin football team's offense before the Badgers even arrived at Aloha Stadium for Saturday night's regular-season finale against Hawaii.
The first came Thursday afternoon, when the bus carrying the offensive players broke down on the highway as the team was en route to Pearl Harbor.
The next came Friday, when starting center Peter Konz was diagnosed with an inflammation in his lungs that forced him to watch the game on television at the team's hotel on Waikiki Beach."
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