**Northwestern Wildcats Fall to Wisconsin Badgers Amid Costly Mistakes**

Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun, quarterback Jack Lausch, and safety Coco Azema addressed the media following their team's 23-3 defeat against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday. The game, held at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, was marked by both teams' errors, but Northwestern's proved more detrimental.

Wisconsin's quarterback Braedyn Locke turned the ball over twice, once through an interception and once with a fumble. The Badgers also had a field goal attempt blocked. Northwestern, however, suffered more severe consequences due to mistakes, including missing a field goal, having a field goal blocked, and giving the Badgers nine points on a fumble at their goal line and a safety. The Badgers outgained the Wildcats 359 yards to 209, restricted them to just 82 passing yards, and converted 4 of their 12 third-down attempts compared to Northwestern's 2 of 14. These factors, combined with winning the time of possession battle, contributed to Wisconsin's 20-point victory.

The win elevates the Badgers' season record to 5-2 and their Big Ten play record to 3-1. Conversely, Northwestern's defeat drops them to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play, diminishing their hopes for bowl eligibility.

Post-game, Coach David Braun commended Wisconsin's performance but noted his disappointment in his team's lack of execution. "Credit to Wisconsin, that's a good football team. They got after us today," Braun said. He also took responsibility for the team's preparation, saying, "The way we performed today was not a positive reflection on the way that I had the team prepared." Braun mentioned that he would reflect on and learn from the loss to better position the team for future games.

Regarding his decision not to run out the clock before halftime, Braun admitted that he might have made a different choice in hindsight following a five-yard penalty. He expressed confidence in his backup kicker's long-distance capabilities, a decision drawn from the kicker's solid performance in practice. However, Braun noted that handling multiple roles might have affected the kicker's performance.

Braun did not feel that losing top wide receiver A.J. Henning limited the team's offensive play-calling, crediting C.J. Johnson for stepping up. Yet, he acknowledged Henning's unique skill set and importance. Addressing his conservative play-calling, Braun cited the team's historical issues with converting fourth-and-short situations but expressed optimism for future improvements.

Quarterback Jack Lausch shared his perspective, stating that the final score did not accurately reflect the team's overall play. Lausch acknowledged Wisconsin's effective defensive strategies and identified a lack of execution in the red zone as a critical issue. Reflecting on his fumble before halftime, Lausch noted it could have been a significant play had it not resulted in a turnover.

Safety Coco Azema highlighted the impact of losing star linebacker Xander Mueller but praised Greyson Metz for stepping up effectively. Despite the setback, Azema expressed confidence in the team's ability to recover and improve.

The Wildcats look to bounce back from this disappointing performance as they prepare for their next matchup, hoping to address their mistakes and leverage the lessons learned against a formidable Wisconsin team.