Axe Week: Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst press conference highlights

MADISON -- As usual on Monday mornings of game weeks, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst met with the media for his weekly press conference.

Wisconsin (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) prepares for a top-10 team in rival Minnesota, which sits atop the Big Ten West division. Conference championship game hopes are on the line in addition to Paul Bunyan's Axe.

BadgerBlitz.com breaks down some of the highlights from the nearly 11-minute session with the head coach.

*How much of a motivating force was the Minnesota loss through the offseason to get to this point:

“Well I think that each individual is motivated by a number of different things probably. I would gauge to say that a lot of it’s on experiences, right? I think that you’re equally, probably motivated by good things and how do I keep that going? And you’re motivated by things that didn’t go the way you’d like them to go, and what can I do to address that and to change that outcome?

“Certainly, there is a lot of motivation for this game, right? It comes down to you still have to play good football, and that’s what the focus needs to be on is preparing your best to play your best, and that allows your team to be the best team it can be.”

*On redshirt senior offensive lineman David Moorman and him locking down the left guard position:

“I think David’s given us a lot and been playing well. You probably hear us talk a lot about ‘each individual, their journey’s different.’ What I’ve appreciated and enjoyed this year about David is that like a lot of our seniors, kind of went all in and how can I make this the best year I can make it? I think it comes from what can I give this team? He’s done that. He approached the off-season that way, he had a heck of a spring and carried it forward in the summer so it’s been fun to watch and see, and he’s certainly been giving us good play.”

*In terms of the tools being at his disposal to prepare for this game, how much he looks at Minnesota-Iowa game for this game:

“We’re a different team than Iowa. At this time of the year, you really take all the film that you can. You take from that certainly -- if you’re looking at like Minnesota’s defense, Iowa’s more similar to us in some ways than some of the other teams that you’d see. As far as ‘OK, Iowa beat Minnesota and what is there to learn,’ it comes back down to paying good football. I think you do study all the games.”

*In his mind, where is Minnesota most different offensively compared to last time Chryst saw them?

“They’re really playing at a high level. The receivers are really good players and, boy, the backs run incredibly hard. I think they’ve got a great system. They know what they want to do. The quarterback executes it, he’s accurate, puts the ball in position where their guys can make the catch. I think they complement what they’re doing team-wise. It’s a really, really good offense. It’s good players running a good scheme and they’re executing it.”

*Who if anybody did Chryst ask to give the Axe Week speech, and what is the message this week?

“Well, I mean the message is the Axe is symbolic, and it’s awesome to be a part of a rivalry such as this. It’s the longest continuous rivalry, and yet it’s a symbol who won that year. Our guys, they know the history of this rivalry. They understand what’s in it for this year, and the biggest thing that matters is that they focus on playing the game.”

*What stands out about Minnesota’s defense and especially defensive back Antoine Winfield, Jr.?

“He is a heck of a football player. He impacts the run, he impacts the pass from the safety position -- and yet, he’s not doing it and taking risks. You don’t see him going rogue. He’s playing within their system, but I think he’s a heck of a football player and obviously has a great sense of the game.”

*On Minnesota’s ability to make big plays. How does Wisconsin prepare to limit those, and if they happen, what does he say to the team in terms of working mentally past that?

“There’s no doubt that they’ve been very explosive. They do a great job. It’s what we’ve talked about before, they’ve got pieces that are all capable. They got really, really talented receivers. They got a quarterback that can get it to them. They’ve got running backs that run extremely hard and are capable of turning a simple run into a big play. You know what, yeah, we don’t want to give those up, right. If they do, when they do, you’ve got to play the next play. There is no other way about it."