"I remember we had a lead and lost and we were
10-1 going into the bowl,'' he said. "If we would have gone undefeated, you never knew in those days about playing for a national championship. "There's quite a few (losses) that stick in my mind. When I was at Iowa, there was one where we had a last-second fluke play go against us in an Ohio State game. "We're on defense and the ball should have been knocked down but it bounces up in the air and their receiver catches it in full-stride and runs into the end zone. Things like that you don't forget.'' Like the heartbreaking last-second losses to Ohio State and Michigan State this past season. "You've got to roll with it,'' he stressed. "The part
that I never minimize is this: As hard as I take these losses as a head coach, and as hard as our players take it, our fans take the losses as hard, as well.
"They live and die on every breath and grasp of those games.'' Suggesting experience is always the best teacher, Bielema attributed much of his coaching maturity
to "some of the things that I've had to go through the last five years professionally.'' That would be true on and off the field. Clear-
ly, the staff turnover has been noteworthy. This spring, Bielema had to break in six new assistant coaches, including an offensive coordinator. "I've gotten a good base with them during spring
ball and all the time we've spent in meetings,'' Bielema said. "But nothing will prepare us as much as a game day will on Sept. 1. "We just had a wives appreciation dinner and we
had all the assistants and their wives together — about 30 people around the table — and the en- ergy and the buzz were there, and that's fun to see. "Just because of all the new faces, it has kind of brought a different element. I brought these guys in and I want to see them produce and have suc- cess with their respective position groups. I proba- bly have a higher excitement level than ever before (for the start of a season).'' What was Bielema's message to the players when they convened on Sunday? "It's a grind,'' he said of training camp. "You just
"Just because of all the new faces, it has kind of brought a different element. I brought these guys in and I want to see them produce and have success with their respective position groups. I probably have a higher excitement level than ever before (for the start of a season).''
30 » VARSITY AUGUST 9, 2012
