Tag: press conference

Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Jack Del Rio is stepping down from the Wisconsin coaching staff following his recent OWI arrest, according to Badgers head coach Luke Fickell.

Fickell opened his Monday press conference with a statement on the situation:

“Obviously we take everything incredibly seriously that happens, with our student-athletes or our staff,” Fickell began. “We had an issue this weekend that I think our administration has released a statement already. That happened with Jack Del Rio on Thursday. I’ve been in communication on Friday with our administration, and have had some communication with Jack, have sat down with him. He’ll be releasing a statement here I would imagine shortly after the press conference. That he’s going to move forward, he’s going to resign and move on. It’s a tough situation, decisions that all of us have to be able to take full responsibility for. So that’s what Jack will do and we’ll continue to move forward.”

Del Rio then released the following:

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country. I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

Here are further details of the incident, as first reported by BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Del Rio originally joined the Badgers staff over the summer after a long coaching tenure in the NFL, including as defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders (2020-23), head coach for the then-Oakland Raiders (2015-17), defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos (2012-14) and head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-11).

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) is back on the field on Saturday, Nov. 16 against the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, needing just one more win to clinch bowl eligibility.

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Greg Gard praises Wisconsin guard after big performance vs. Montana State

Greg Gard praises Wisconsin guard after big performance vs. Montana State

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard highlighted the development and performance of senior guard Kamari McGee when meeting with the media after the Badgers’ 79-67 win over Montana State.

McGee played 27 minutes off the bench in the winning effort, totaling 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Yet again, he served as a crucial spark plug for the Badgers. His status as the team’s sixth man does not preclude his minutes from being highly productive.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s win over Montana State

The former UW-Green Bay transfer has developed significantly since transferring to Wisconsin ahead of the 2022-23 season. Gard highlighted that improvement:

“Just his poise and maturity,” Gard began. “I think he’s operating at a very functional speed right now. Two years ago, I think he tried to play everything at a thousand miles an hour. Now, he understands the importance of pace and patience. When to pick your spots, when to step on the gas, when not to. So I think you’re seeing the evolution and the maturity of a player that’s done a really good job for us.”

McGee’s elevated role speaks to that development. Through two games this season he’s averaging 27.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, all while shooting 54% from the floor and 40% from three-point range.

Here’s more from Gard on what McGee means to the team:

“He’s been a steadying influence. He changes the game with his defense, he changes the game with the pace he comes up with the ball. But I just think the decisions, and the conscious effort to read and feel of the game, when you can go fast and when you can’t. He didn’t understand that two years ago, and it’s taken time for him to learn that and get a good feel. He’s obviously figured out a lot of good things.”

Much of Gard’s focus was on McGee’s contributions on offense. McGee’s comments postgame, meanwhile, centered around the defensive side of the court

“I know that defense is going to win us a lot of games,” the senior guard said. “I’ve always had the defensive mindset ever since I started playing basketball. That’s winning basketball, is getting defensive stop. We have enough scorers, we have enough guys doing great things at the other end. I make sure I try to lead by example and get my guys engaged as well. Because when it’s crunch time like that and it’s time to close a game out, you’re going to need stops more than scores.”

Gard, McGee and the Badgers are back on the court on Sunday, Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State. It’s reasonable to predict another high-impact game from the senior guard in his established sixth-man role.

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Billy Napier says DJ Lagway is ‘giving it his best shot’ to play vs. Texas

Gators head coach Billy Napier offers an update on DJ Lagway’s status for Saturday’s game vs. Texas.

Florida football head coach Billy Napier offered an update on quarterback DJ Lagway’s status for the Gators’ upcoming game against the Texas Longhorns.

Lagway, who had injured his left hamstring against the Georgia Bulldogs, has been practicing this week and is trying his best to be able to play on Saturday.

“He (Lagway) wants to try and find a pathway to make this work,” Napier said about Lagway during Wednesday’s press conference. “It’s touch-and-go. Look, the guy is giving it his best shot.”

Redshirt freshman Aidan Warner has been preparing this week as if he’d be the starting quarterback just in case Lagway isn’t ready to go.

According to Napier, Warner has shown steady improvement in practice as he might have to potentially step up in a larger role for the Gators.

“He’s (Warner) gotten a little better each day,” Napier said about Warner this week. “It’s been great for DJ (Lagway) to be able to practice a little bit as well.”

Both quarterbacks’ readiness will be important as Florida looks to play well against one of their toughest opponents this season, and Napier seems pleased with the strides they’re making in practice.

Whether it’s Lagway or Warner, the Gators are working hard to ensure they’re prepared for the Longhorns on Saturday.

What’s next for the Gators?

Florida will go on the road and face the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers have to ‘look in the mirror’ after 42-10 loss to Iowa

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers have to ‘look in the mirror’ after big loss to Iowa

The tone of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s postgame press conference after the Badgers’ 42-10 blowout loss to rival Iowa reflected a common sentiment: moderate disbelief.

“Not a lot that words can say to explain how I feel,” Fickell began his media availability saying. “It’s really really tough to put it to words right now. We’re going to have to pick ourselves up, we’re going to have to move forward. And we’re going to have to find a way to make sure we’re better.”

Related: Major takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers’ worst loss to Iowa since 1968

That disbelief followed arguably the program’s worst loss during his tenure as head coach. The Badgers surrendered 330 rushing yards to their rival, the most the program has allowed in more than 12 years. They were thoroughly dominated in every facet of the game by a team and program that somewhat embodies what Wisconsin used to look like.

The 32-point margin is Wisconsin’s worst loss to Iowa since a 41-0 defeat in 1968.

Losses of that magnitude often preceded changes, which Fickell hinted at during his press conference, noting that “a lot of guys, myself included first and foremost, are going to have to have a self check and look in the mirror and really self evaluate where they are and what they are willing to do to move forward.”

That ‘look in the mirror’ can begin during the Badgers’ upcoming by week before No. 1 Oregon travels to Madison on Nov. 16. After that, Wisconsin has critical season-closing matchups against Nebraska and Minnesota.

The Badgers need just one more win over those last three games to reach bowl eligibility. More importantly, the team needs to show that its performance at Iowa isn’t an indicator of further struggles to come.

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‘We feel good’: Todd Golden previews Florida basketball season

Gators men’s basketball coach Todd Golden likes where the team’s at leading up to the season-opener.

Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden shared an optimistic outlook on his team’s progress on Thursday, praising his players’ effort, commitment and development during a very productive training camp.

Entering his third year with the Gators, Golden emphasized the depth of the team’s roster as well as the team’s balanced offensive potential and ability to perform under pressure. With a focus on reaching top-40 defensive status, Golden is confident that Florida will shape into a strong, cohesive group poised for success as they prepare for their season-opening game against South Florida on Nov. 4.

Golden met with the media on Thursday and these are some things to take away from what he said.

Feelings on where the team’s at right now

“We feel good about where we’re at. I think we’ve had a good training camp. Feel like the guys have done a really good job of working collectively towards being ready to go for the beginning of the year. I thought we weren’t necessarily great in our first scrimmage, some positive things, but some things we need to do better.

“I thought we were better this past Saturday, just more complete, a little more physical, better on the glass. Looked more like the group that we want to be over the course of the year. So I think we’re tracking, but until we play the real games, TBD.”

The health of the team

“We’re in pretty good shape. I think as of today, we’ll have everybody lined up and ready to go for next week. Obviously, it’s end of training camp. Guys have bumps and bruises, some some soreness here and there. But overall, big picture we’re in good shape heading into the opener.”

Alijah Martin’s preseason performance vs. Charleston

“He played fantastic, obviously, was very efficient. I thought was impactful, not just scoring the ball, though, in all areas, did a great job defending and getting on the glass. And that’s kind of the benefit of having that perimeter with Walt (Clayton Jr.), Will (Richard), Alijah (Martin), Denzel (Aberdeen).

“These guys are all potent. They can all get you 20 (points) on any given night. Just having the ability to take advantage of a matchup where maybe a weaker defender is guarding one of those guys is going to benefit us all year. They’ve continued to be unselfish and play together.

“Saturday was Alijah’s turn. Monday, it could be Will’s or Walt’s or Denzel’s. We’ll see what it looks like. But I really think that’s going to be kind of the most important part of our success this season is that those guys continue to be unselfish. If they do that, we should be fine.”

Striving to be just as good on defense as on offense

“Just continuing to build off of our offensive success last year and, like we’ve talked about a lot, just making sure we can get in the ballpark defensively of being a really good team. Our goal internally is to be a top-40 defense. I think we were 91 or two or three on KenPom so that’s a big jump. That’s not going to be easy to do.

“But, I do think if we’re able to accomplish that, it will give us a good landing spot for where we want to go. Obviously, the defensive side of the ball being much better but without sacrificing any of the growth we’ve made on the offensive side of the ball.”

Feeling good on the team’s depth

“Yeah, I am. I think our roster’s continued to improve every year. I think depth is something that we have this year, obviously. We gotta stay healthy also. That’s really important. But guys like Kajus (Kublickas) now being a second year player. I feel better about his ability to help us in games.

“Isaiah Brown is a playable freshman. He’s a guy that’s capable. He’s behind some really talented older guys in front of him, but if we had an injury or if we had an issue, I think Isaiah could be more than serviceable out there and our front court’s deep right now with those four guys. So I feel good about that. But you can never have enough, for sure.”

Walter Clayton’s preseason accolades

“He’s been great. I think Walt (Clayton) is a guy that has a lot of confidence regardless. I think whether he was named preseason Naismith or not, he was going to be very confident in his abilities in a good way. So I think he takes it in stride.

“I think he appreciates the recognition, but he understands that at the end of the day, it’s more important to be on that list at the end of the year than it is at the beginning. And it’s gonna be very important that our team has a lot of success for him to continue to be recognized as well as other guys in a program like Will or Elijah.”

Florida basketball season opener

The Gators will face the South Florida Bulls in the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational to open the schedule on Monday, Nov. 4 in Jacksonville. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Gators Sports Network.

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Gators football LB talks Brandon Spikes, Florida-Georgia Rivalry

Gators linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard talked about Brandon Spikes’ impact and the Florida-Georgia rivalry during Wednesday’s presser.

As Florida football gears up for their highly anticipated matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, Gators sophomore inside linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard reflects on one of the biggest rivalries in college football.

Howard remembers the impact of Brandon Spikes‘ iconic hit on running back Knowshon Moreno during the Gators’ matchup with Georgia back in 2008.

“Oh yeah. I mean, you see that everywhere,” Howard said about the hit during Wednesday’s press conference. “But, I mean, I’ve definitely seen it a couple of times.”

Spikes has been around the team, sharing his insight and giving advice to the players.

“I mean, it’s phenomenal,” Howard said about Spikes’ impact. “I mean, having a linebacker great that played here, he understands what we go through. I mean, his insight has, I mean, tremendously boosted everybody in the linebackers room.”

There’s no question that the storied rivalry between the Gators and Bulldogs is a focal point for the team, serving as a source of motivation throughout the week.

Howard emphasized the importance of understanding rivalries from the moment new players joined the Florida football program.

“I mean, it’s been motivation throughout practice and throughout the week and, you know, rivalries and everything like that,” Howard said about the Florida-Georgia rivalry.

“We had this thing called rivalry 101, where we talked about rivalries with transfers and freshmen when we first got here. So we learned about it earlier, when we first got here. But no, it’s a big game, and we know it’s a rivalry game.”

Howard mentioned that his family will be at the game on Saturday.

“My mom, my pops, my brother,” Howard said. “I got my siblings, so I’m going to have the whole family there.”

Howard, previously at South Carolina, transferred to Florida this past offseason and has logged 33 total tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries this season.

How to watch Florida vs. Georgia

The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Florida football center talks Week 10 matchup against Georgia

Gators veteran center Jake Slaughter talks about the upcoming matchup with Georgia on Saturday.

Redshirt junior center Jake Slaughter is ready for the challenge this Saturday as Florida football heads to Jacksonville to play the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

Slaughter, playing in his fourth season with the Gators, is the veteran of this offensive line and leads the line in most offensive snaps this season with 425.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Slaughter is ranked seventh in the country among centers in pass blocking with a grade of 85.4. His offensive grade of 77.9 puts him at No. 8 on the list of centers in the nation.

In the Gators’ last game, a home victory against the Kentucky Wildcats, Slaughter had the best PFF run block grade among the team’s offensive line with a 70.5.

Slaughter spoke with the media on Wednesday night and this is what he had to say leading up to the matchup with the Bulldogs.

The challenge of Georgia’s defensive front

“So they’re very multiple. That’s always challenging. You know, we’re a rule-based organization from the bottom up, so you have rules for every type of front, everything they’re going to show you, but they move a lot. It’s a lot of backward plugs.

“They do a little bit of the defensive back stuff, you know, backfield rotating and plugging and playing…It’s challenging, and some you look forward to playing against.”

The improvement of the Gators offensive-line

“I think we’ve taken a lot of great steps forward. I think there’s certainly room to improve in all aspects of our game, but I think we’ve definitely made solid improvements. And, you know, like I said earlier, it’s cohesiveness as a unit. It’s gelling together. You know, then it also comes down to technique and fundamentals that we’ve continued to improve.”

Austin Barber’s toughness

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Austin Barber is one of the toughest guys in our room, and one of the toughest guys I know. He’ll play through about anything…It says a lot about him as a man, as a football player.”

Loves playing with DJ Lagway

“DJ’s (Lagway) just fun to play with man. You know, every time he drops back, there’s potential for him to just make some unreal throw. So, yeah, that plays a lot in the belief. And I don’t want to leave Graham (Mertz) either.

“He’s (Lagway) a lot of fun to play with here. He’s got some swag to him. You know, we look up to him. He proved he can do it, so there’s no doubt in DJ. And he knows he’s got some, you know, some juice behind him.”

The challenges of establishing the run against Georgia’s linebackers

“Yeah, I mean, they’re good in the box. They’re really good. They’ve got linebackers…Well, you know, up front, they’re a good unit. So it’s like, anytime you’re playing against good players, you gotta go for good playing fundamentals and techniques across the board.”

How to watch Florida vs. Georgia

The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green entering Penn State week

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green for Penn State game

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell gave an update on the status of wide receiver Bryson Green during his media availability on Monday.

He described the veteran wide receiver as ‘more of a game-time decision’ entering Saturday’s game against Penn State, that after Green missed the Badgers’ last two games with a lower-body injury.

Related: Wisconsin releases updated two-deep depth chart for Week 9 game vs. Penn State

Fickell clarified that the original plan was for Green to return this week against the Nittany Lions. His status for the game, however, appears dependent on this week of practice.

Green had 12 catches for 154 yards through the Badgers’ first four games of the season. His best outing was in the team’s loss at USC — four catches for 65 receiving yards. He left Wisconsin’s win over Purdue early with a lower-body injury and has yet to return to the field.

Wisconsin would likely again turn to C.J. Williams and Vinny Anthony to play increased roles if Green is to miss a third consecutive contest.

The Badgers and Nittany Lions are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

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Northwestern QB Jack Lausch: 20-point loss to Wisconsin ‘didn’t reflect how we played’

Northwestern QB Jack Lausch shares his thought after Wisconsin’s 23-3 win:

Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch was not discouraged by his team’s performance in its 23-3 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.

“I don’t think much changed [from last week’s win over Maryland],” Lausch began. “We executed well, we moved the ball well. That’s the crazy part about football, you get down in the red zone and if you don’t execute, the score doesn’t reflect how you move the ball sometimes. I thought as a whole we could have executed a lot better obviously. I think this was close. I think the score didn’t reflect how we played…I don’t think there’s far to go.”

Related: What Northwestern head coach David Braun and players said after loss to Wisconsin

He shares the sentiment after Saturday’s game saw Northwestern finish with 209 total yards — 82 of which come through the air. The Wildcats drove inside the Badgers red zone twice. The first trip ended with a blocked field goal and the second with a made 26-yard chip shot field goal.

Here is Northwestern’s full drive chart from the 20-point loss:

  • Four plays, 32 yards — punt
  • Six plays, 14 yards — punt
  • Three plays, two yards — punt
  • Four plays, eight yards — missed field goal
  • 11 plays, 65 yards — blocked field goal
  • Three plays, seven yards — punt
  • Three plays, two yards — fumble
  • 13 plays, 59 yards — field goal
  • Three plays, three yards — punt
  • One play, -18 yards — safety
  • Three plays, seven yards — punt
  • Three plays, -1 yards — punt

That is 12 total drives excluding a kneel-down to end the first half. One safety, seven punts, a fumble and three field goal attempts. That is not quite a dynamic afternoon from the offensive group.

The star of the game, then, was the Badger defense against a Wildcats offense that had shown some recent life. Saturday was the second time in three weeks Wisconsin held its opponent out of the end zone entirely. It has now allowed just 16 total points over that three-game stretch — that form directly coinciding with the start of the team’s three-game win streak.

Northwestern drops to 3-4 with the loss. It has solid strong form at times this season, including its 37-10 road win at Maryland. But an outing with 82 passing yards and 209 total yards often won’t be enough to beat top Big Ten competition.

Wisconsin is back on the field next Saturday against No. 3 Penn State.

Northwestern, meanwhile, moves forward with a road trip to Iowa. Lausch and the Wildcats offense will need to find significant improvement if the team is to reopen the possibility of bowl eligibility.

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Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

The Buffalo Bills have signed free agent kicker Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad the team announced on Thursday.

The Bills released wide receiver Ahmarean Brown from the practice squad to make room for Havrisik.

Havrisik has appeared in just nine games in the NFL. They all came in 2023 for the Los Angeles Rams. Last year he made 15-of-20 field goals (75%) and converted 19-of-22 extra points (86.4%). He also spent some time on the practice squad for the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

Havrisik’s kicking percentages would rank towards the bottom of the barrel when it comes to NFL kicking. But, current Bills kicker Tyler Bass ranks that poorly right now.

Bass has had an inconsistent year through six weeks of the season. And his struggles date back to last year.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott expressed his concern with Bass.

McDermott said bluntly, “I can understand everyone’s concern [with Bass]. I’m concerned the same.”

The concern about Bass’ performance is what led to the Bills bringing in two free-agent kickers for workouts in September. And the concern remains a month later.

McDermott did, however, express his confidence that Bass would turn it around.

“He’s had some really good kicks in some really good moments, and some that weren’t his best,” McDermott said. “That’s part of the journey as well. I’m confident that he’ll continue to work through that and his best football is ahead of him.”

On Monday night against the New York Jets, Bass missed a field goal from 47 yards and he also missed an extra point that wasn’t particularly close to the uprights. It was a very windy night in East Rutherford in Bass’ defense.

Bass is 9-of-12 on field goals for the year. His 75% field goal percentage ranks 28th in the NFL. His 90% conversion rate on extra points ranks 32nd in the NFL.

The added competition in the special teams room with Havrisik can’t hurt.

The Bills need to turn their kicking around for the rest of the year. Bass will get a chance to get back on track against the Tennessee Titans at home in Week 7.