From the Athletic:
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“That’s been a struggle,” Leonhard said. “And that’s why we are where we are. Offensively, inconsistent running and throwing the ball. We’ve done some great things at times. But not consistently enough. And defensively, I think it’s been very similar. When we’ve needed to show up big, we haven’t gotten it done.
“We have to find ways as coaches to help them out. And players, when their number’s called, they have to execute. I would say it’s still up in the air on what the true identity of this team is, and that’s why we haven’t had the success that we all anticipated.”
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“We’ve got to be really honest as players,” Mertz said. “Are we doing our job correct? And are we doing it to the best of our ability? I think we did turn a corner, but I think we’ve got to do a better job of truly playing together and making those changes in the game of how to move the ball. The game’s as simple as that. You’ve got to move the ball, and if you’re not, you’re not going to be successful. We’ve got to do a better job across the board.”
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“I think you’ve got to eat some s— sandwiches and learn from that knowing that you can get better and improve,” Njongmeta said.
Leonhard inherited a team filled with issues, and no midseason coaching change was going to solve all those problems. Those inside the program are trying to remain optimistic that Wisconsin can make the necessary corrections to avoid more losses piling up, even as the optimism from the outside wanes.
“I hope it’s not too late,” Leonhard said. “If it’s too late, we’re in trouble because we’ve got a lot of football left.”
