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Wisconsin Post-Game Quotes
Outback Bowl
Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, Fla.
Jan. 1, 2015

HEAD COACH BARRY ALVAREZ
Opening statement:
"Let me just first say I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys, and you know I'd say that, that have gone through so much in the last, not only this month, but the three classes that have gone through changes. The last month for these guys has been very hectic, yet they bought in. I think they've learned lessons in their tenure at Wisconsin. They're very resilient. But I thanked them for believing in me and the plan I would give them in a very short time. I told them I'd have them ready for the game. We tried to get them stronger, we tried to get them healthier, and we gave them a good game plan. Our assistant coaches were very professional throughout this process and gave them a good game plan and game the kids a chance to win. They beat a very good Auburn team. Gus (Malzahn) runs a great program; they have a number of outstanding players that the things they do offensively create problems. But our guys were able to answer it and find a way to win. I'm very happy also for the fans of Wisconsin. We got a dry spell in bowl games. We went a while there were we won every year, and we can get the ball rolling that way now. I'm proud and pleased with the hospitality that we had here in Tampa. Jim (McVay, Outback Bowl CEO) and the Outback people do such a tremendous job. I want to thank them for the tremendous hospitality and the way we were treated, and the first-class manner in which this bowl is run."

On the key to Wisconsin's success in the Outback Bowl:
"Melvin's running has to be in there, but I would start with the offensive line. Our game plan was to open it up early, throw the ball to loosen them up, to get them running around up front, and let the offensive line take over and establish our running game. I really liked what I saw in that opening drive in the second half. We ran the ball down the field. Basically we had a hard time with them and they had a hard time with us in the second half. I'd go with the offensive line, but Melvin is truly special. We've had a lot of good backs come through here. For him to break that record, I think someone had told him you couldn't have the numbers that you had if you played in the Southeast Conference and I think he begged to differ."

On going for it on fourth down instead of a 51-yard field goal attempt:
"It was a tough kick. Quite frankly, I wanted to go for the win. We're playing with a guard who's got a leg he's dragging for an entire half. I didn't know how much longer he'd go. He was having a hard time with a combination of things. I just didn't want to take a chance with a kick and go into overtime when we had a chance, if we can get a first down, we can go in and have a shot to win, and we had a shot. It didn't quite work out, but that was my thinking right there, let's go for the win."

On the Gatorade bath he received after the overtime win:
"You know what, I've had a couple of those, and I like them. It's a little uncomfortable afterwards, but I like them. And it's special for those seniors. It meant a lot to them. They've won a lot of games here; they haven't won a lot of bowl games. So they put a lot into it, they bought into it, they gave us strong leadership when it was needed, so now they can enjoy it."

On returning to the sidelines for the Outback Bowl:
"First of all let's make something clear; I didn't want to coach these guys. I first initially said I would feel uncomfortable doing that again when they asked me, and they asked me to sleep on it and they would come back. I thought maybe they would forget about it. But they did show up the next morning and I had two hours before I was flying down here for the press conference and they came in and visited with me again. I started thinking, and I thought about it actually that night, if they came back and asked me again, why are we all there? Why are we at the university? It's still about the kids or we wouldn't have jobs. So the least I could do, if I could bring them some stability, and that's what they felt like they needed, then I should do that. That's why I went back."

On offensive lineman Kyle Costigan playing hurt:
"Costigan was coming in and out of the huddle, he's hopping on one leg and he wouldn't come out of the game. That's how legends are made, you know."

On Wisconsin's offensive game plan:
"That was Andy Ludwig's plan from the very beginning, that we wanted to open the game throwing the ball, open it up and make them run around maybe try to tire their front up, loosen them up a little bit because we knew they would hug the line of scrimmage. Then we told the offensive line they have to take the game over in the second half."

On how the win impacts the program:
"There are a lot of young players in that room. Winning is good, especially now. They beat a very good team. It's 11 wins guys and gals; 11 wins is hard. There aren't many teams out there that will have 11 wins at the end of the year and we're going to be one of them. These guys know how to win, the young guys see what it takes to win, and that will carry over."

On whether there is a Barry Alvarez Part Four coming:
"That's it. No mas. No mas. And you people down here in Tampa understand that. No mas."

OUTBACK BOWL MVP Melvin Gordon
On whether he thought he would get 30-plus carries in the Outback Bowl:
"I did. I knew it would come down to four quarters and the team would lean on me to make some plays, so I knew it would be around that area."

On what it means to finish the season with a win:
"It means a lot. We've been through so much adversity, losing our coach, our strength coach leaving, just everything, and guys filling in. We've been through so much as a team. We haven't won a bowl game in four years I think, maybe longer. It feels good to leave out as winners and have our seniors leave out as winners as well.

On the Badgers offensive line:
"Those guys are important and they're a big part of my success. They don't get talked about too much, but if you ask me, I'll talk about them all the time. They deserve a lot of the credit. Those guys perform every day and they work so hard. To lose your starting center and for a backup to come in, guys switching over, guys playing positions they hadn't played before, and still go out there and do the things they did against a tough opponent like Auburn, it's enormous. I respect those guys and I always will."

On being motivated after comments made by Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne:
"It had me a little fired up; I'm not going to lie. I had to bite my tongue a little bit when I heard it. You've just got to step up to the plate and I think I did that."

On the Auburn defense:
"Those guys are fast. There were some times I felt like I could have got out of there and there was a D lineman, and when those guys grab you, it's hard to get out. Hats off to those guys. I ran well against those guys today, but I do feel they are some fast players and athletic guys and probably one of the most athletic teams I've went up against this year."

On bouncing back after the Big Ten Championship loss:
"That product that we put on the field against Ohio State wasn't us. We wanted to come out here and show the world that we're better than that. We got caught at a bad time and it just wasn't our day. We got some guys back healthy and some guys back right and we came out here and we did our thing today against Auburn."

On the decision to return for the 2014 season:
"Looking back, a lot of people probably thought it was the wrong decision and a lot of people thought I should have left. I feel I get better every year, and I felt like I was going to be a better player than I was last year. There were some things I wanted to achieve. I didn't get the Big Ten Championship, but I got the bowl game out of it. I think I became a better player overall, so I did the things I needed to do and I feel like this year was a success."

On coming up short of breaking the FBS rushing record:
"It was close. I knew it would be tough to get. I was so far away and the Ohio State game set me back a little bit, but maybe it's out there for someone else to break. It might take some time. It's not easy trying to get that."

On the importance of Barry Alvarez coaching the team:
It was important. We needed someone that could be able to handle things, that had been through this before, and he was the perfect guy. I felt like I owed him one. When he coached last time I was a young player and I didn't really have a role, but I played a little bit. We lost that game when he was coaching and that kind of set with me too. I had an opportunity for a legendary coach like that to come out of retirement and be able to coach you not once, but twice, you need to make something happen. This game was important for us as a team, especially the guys that had been here, to win this for them."

JUNIOR QB Joel Stave
On the Auburn defense:
"They did a really good job making it tough for us, but we were able to hit some big plays down the stretch."
 
On being able to hand the ball off to a player like Melvin Gordon:
"He's a special player. I have been playing with him for a couple of years and I've see it week after week with the things he can do, so to say that I'm surprised by it, I guess I'm not. That's just the kind of player he is, and to end his career at Wisconsin on that note couldn't be more fitting."
 
On having to go back to the passing game after a tough first three quarters:
 "Just knowing that your team is counting on you and your coaches are counting on you, you just have to put that stuff behind you. It was a tough first three quarters for me - I didn't play my best football - but to be able to make the plays that we did in the passing game in the fourth quarter was huge for us. I'm just glad that my team had confidence in me and that the coaches did and that we were able to end it on a high note."
 
On finally getting a bowl win:
"That's huge. That's huge for the program and it's huge for the guys that are seniors and who are playing in their last game. In five years here they have never won a bowl game; so to get a bowl win against a really good opponent in the fashion that we did was a great feeling."
 
FRESHMAN K Rafael Gaglianone
On which kick was tougher, the one to tie the game, or to win the game:
"Obviously they were different kicks, but I try to treat every single kick the same way. They both felt good. I felt the one at the end of regulation was a little more intense just to get us into overtime, but once we were there that it was our game."
 
On whether he thought he was going to get an opportunity to kick from 50 yards on fourth down:
"I was hoping so. I was ready and the coaches were looking at me, but he said that they had a good play going and that they trusted me but they wanted to get a little better opportunity. It's their call and I'm glad they did it because it got us where we are
 
On his thoughts for Auburn K Daniel Carlson and him sympathizing:
"Oh yeah! You know, at the moment you don't feel as bad, but knowing the guy, he's a tremendous kicker and he did an awesome job all day. You just feel for him.

SENIOR RT Rob Havenstein
On whether this game was at the top of his football memories:
"Absolutely. This feeling right now is just so surreal; to go out like that with this team, this group of seniors, after everything we've been through - with two coaching changes that didn't faze us - it's unbelievable; almost indescribable."

On the offensive line stepping up:
"Obviously Dan (C Dan Voltz) going down was big but Ray (LG Ray Ball) stepped up and played huge; and you can't kill Kyle (RG Kyle Costigan). Kyle is always going to come back. The respect I have for Kyle is just out of this world. To play next to him for three years; I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. He's that type of player and that type of person."
 
On the burst of emotion when the ball hit off the upright:
"It was unbelievable. I wanted to go see my parents and all the fans that came down to support us because it's a long way for them. I just want to give the biggest shout out to those guys who came down, making noise and supporting us and sticking with us through everything we've been through this year."

SENIOR DT Warren Herring
On the importance of stopping Auburn RB Cameron Artis-Payne:
"That's a great offense out there, that is able to move the ball like that. Credit to his [Auburn] offensive line as well. You've got a Rimington Award winner as center, who is a great athlete, a great player. [Cameron] Artis-Payne is a really good running back. I mean he's going to have games like that, more times than not, so for us we've just got to continue to dig in"

On playing defense against Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon:
"He's an electrifying running back. That's what he does. He makes big plays, especially in clutch time. Just a great athlete. He's very humble. He doesn't let it go to his head and he's a great friend. He's always there if you need him"

On how Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Alvarez prepared the team:
"He's a Rose Bowl winning coach. He knows what it takes to win, and he knows how you have to prepare in order to win it. It was a great week of practice. We got some contact practices in there. We got our legs back in the middle of the week, and we finished up practice strong, preparing for the game as far as cleaning things up technique-wise. Making sure we see everything that we were going to see in the game and he's great at what he does and that's why he is in this position"

SENIOR TE Sam Arneson
On Wisconsin QB Joel Stave's final drive:
"He will be the most critical person on himself, of his mistakes. That speaks to his character, the kind of person he is. The way he keeps moving forward. He keeps his head up. He stepped up and made some huge plays, some huge throws in the end when we really needed him. Can't say enough about Joel [Stave's] performance today and the way he ran this team"

On backup Wisconsin TE Troy Fumagalli:
"I always told him I was just trying to hold on to my spot before he took it. He's a great kid and has an incredible future ahead of him. The kind of person he is, the kind of player he is. It should be exciting to see what he will bring to the future. He had a huge cactch today, two huge catches today, one in overtime. Troy [Fumagalli] is great kid and I can't wait to see what he is going to do in the future"

On Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon's performance:
"Melvin [Gordon] had one of those days. You kind of just see the look in his eyes. Everybody knows what kind of player he is, but I think he still tries to show he's got something to prove. Today, against a big opponent, [it was] special. The offensive line, can't say enough about them, especially those three seniors that battled all season. You can't say enough about them. Melvin was on a mission today, and when he is running like that, he is going to be unstoppable"

JUNIOR S MICAHEL CAPUTO
On the difference between the Big Ten Championship & today:
"We had a mentality that we knew what we wanted, and just getting the Ohio State game out of our head. It was a fluke. It wasn't us. We didn't play our game. We worked on prep. All [Outback] bowl prep. We got to Tampa, ironed things out. We just executed a lot today, and we just wanted it. We love the game and we wanted to give our seniors a win before they head out"

On how it feels to win the Outback Bowl:
"It takes the breath out of you a little bit, when you talk about it. I had a good angle, the way I came in, I was on the play, I had a good angle to see that [Auburn's field goal kick] may go wide. Just kind of tighten up.  As soon as it went wide and missed, it's just a great feeling to see your sideline run onto the field. Fans cheering, everybody is cheering. It's a great feeling"

On if the Wisconsin defense was tired during the game:
"No we weren't gassed. Think about it, Auburn is a great team. We are playing them in a bowl game. They're a great team. They are going to make plays. Just look at what they've done to other teams during their season. It's just that they're going to make plays. So we had the mentality of just play every play. If they make a play, so what? Just line back up and get them down, will get the next call and keep rolling"

On what was said in the huddle before overtime:
"Just that the four original quarters didn't matter. All that mattered was the overtime right now. We needed to stop them. We just cleared our mind and just played our game. We executed perfectly. Got them to a spot where they had a long field goal and they missed it, and that's how it rolls"

SOPHOMORE RB Corey Clement
On finishing out during the stretch:
"We didn't really execute the right way, but thank god in the overtime we were able to re-group, and allow ourselves to stay calm and poised. We didn't want to shoot for the home run because we like to play it safe and we believe in our kicker. We went out and made yards and fortunately they didn't make theirs."
 
On how this was an appropriate way for RB Melvin Gordon to finish his collegiate career:
"This is the best way to have him go out, especially with me being his "second string sidekick" or whatever you want to call it. I've watched him grow each game that he's played and he has only gotten better as the season has gone on. I think I can truly say that because I see him in practice he's 100 percent each play and even if he's banged up he pushes through it. I just can't wait to see him on the next level because I know that he's going to be even more dangerous in the NFL."

On how he feels personally following the game:
"I think today brought out the best in me looking at him (Melvin Gordon) and I just want to do better than him. That's what pushes us. I think this game leaves me with confidence knowing now what I have to do, especially against the SEC teams. I just don't want to look into the hype anymore because if I short myself I think I will play bad. So I just went out there with a positive attitude, believed in my players and we came out victorious."

JUNIOR QB/S Tanner McEvoy
On having the opportunity to play safety:
"I played the position last year and I got a lot better at it as the season went on. So this year I had a chance to practice it during bowl prep - we had a few weeks which was nice - and a few of my tackles were open field tackles. You just make sure that they don't get past you and you bring them down and play the next play." 
 
On his possible future as a safety:
"I'm going to say this for now, whatever the coaches want I'll do. I have to talk to coach Chryst (new Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst) about it. I want to play, and we have some players, I'm not sure where my position is. Right now I am going to enjoy the bowl win and take it from there."