MADISON – Wisconsin’s Hunter Wohler sat down across a table from a group of reporters armed with digital recorders, cameras and notepads and questions.
The No. 1 question that was ready to be asked: What in the hell just happened?
Before that question could be asked, a visibly frustrated Wohler politely requested that the session be kept short.
He wasn’t in the mood to talk about UW’s 24-10 loss to Northwestern on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wohler, generally positive and upbeat, then vented for almost 10 minutes, seemingly without taking a breath.
Hunter Wohler says he has zero words to explain Wisconsin's loss, but then offers plenty of thoughts
“There’s zero words,” Wohler said. “I have no words. I really don’t. This feeling sucks. I can’t even describe it. This hurts a lot. Where to go right now? I don’t know. But we’re going to have to find a way. We’re going to have to figure it out and we will.”
The Badgers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) have dropped their last three games and, for the most part, the miscues have been the same each week.
With that in mind, Wohler was asked if he felt the coaches and players were struggling to find the right answers.
“There’s no answers,” he said. “We just have to play better. We come out soft. We come out flat. We have zero energy on either side of the ball. And we get whooped around the field.
“There is no answer to getting smoked. We have to be better. We’re soft. We’re not physical. We’re not doing the things the coaches ask of us. And we go out there and expect to win? That’s not how this game works.”
Wohler was just warming up.
Do the answers have to come from each individual on the team?
Yes.
“Guys have to look inside themselves and find out who they really are,” Wohler said, “if they really want to play this game and if they really want to be part of this team. Because this is not what I came to Wisconsin for, to be completely honest. This is miles different from what I grew up watching. Obviously, I take responsibility for it, being a part of the team. Whatever we can do to figure this thing out, we’re going to do.”
Hunter Wohler places responsibility for Wisconsin's loss at the feet of the players, including his
Wohler was asked if he was putting the onus for the issues and inability to win games on the players.
He was.
"There’s no perfect call," he said. "There’s no perfect assignment. There’s nothing that the coaches could have done differently tonight that would have made us win that game.
"We played horribly. We were flat. Had no energy. We couldn’t do anything on either side of the ball. One-hundred percent it is on the players…
"I don’t blame the coaches. We’re not good enough right now and we have to find a way to get that right."
Wohler was asked whether part of the problem is that some players haven’t embraced the new staff and the subsequent changes.
His response: Some have, but not all.
“I think there’s some people that are bought in,” he said. “We need to get everybody. Clearly, we don’t have everybody on the same page.
“I think it just comes down to want-to. How bad do you really want to be a part of this team? How bad do you really want to play this game? How bad do you really want to win?
“Our backs are up against the wall like they’ve never been before. Yeah, how many guys really do give a (crap)? About this team? About this program? About the culture? About winning and losing? About each other?
“There might be some weeding out that we need to do. Because right now the things we have going on, it’s not what Wisconsin football is. It’s not what Wisconsin football represents.”
Hunter Wohler says he should have spoken up earlier about potential problems
Last, Wohler was asked if he had seen examples this season that had led him to believe not all the players were pulling in the same direction.
"Lack of effort," he said. "Lack of care. And I take responsibility for not calling guys out. The locker room is very tight. We have a lot of guys that really, really love being together and love being around each other.
"But it comes a point where someone has to speak up and be the (expletive). Someone has to tell people to stop screwing around and stop going through the motions and play.
"Otherwise, get out. We don’t need people here that don’t give their hearts to this team. There’s going to be some weeding out.
"We’ve hit rock-bottom. And when you hit rock-bottom, you take a long, hard look at yourself. That is what’s going to have to be done."
Badgers trending:Wisconsin football fans react to dreadful performance vs. Northwestern
Wisconsin football insider:Can the Badgers bounce back to qualify for a bowl game?
"soft" - Google News
November 12, 2023 at 10:21AM
https://ift.tt/S6x5Fft
Hunter Wohler says his 'soft' Wisconsin football team has hit rock-bottom after loss to Northwestern, lack of effort from ... - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"soft" - Google News
https://ift.tt/6uToFKd
https://ift.tt/E2sXuBi
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Hunter Wohler says his 'soft' Wisconsin football team has hit rock-bottom after loss to Northwestern, lack of effort from ... - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"
Post a Comment