Northwestern University Athletics
Transcript of Coach Fitzgerald's Weekly News Conference
9/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 25, 2007
Northwestern Football Weekly News Conference
Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
Opening statement...
"We got back to work this morning. Ohio State took advantage of some of the mistakes we made. To go down multiple scores in a game, you need to come out quickly and respond. We didn't do that. We've talked about it all morning and yesterday. At times when you go through difficult games, it gives you an opportunity to refocus exactly who you are and how you go about your business and that's the attitude that this football program take this week to get back to being successful."
On preparation for games...
"When you look at the game tape from Saturday, you see opportunities for us to make plays and we didn't execute fundamentally or technically the way we need to. It's our responsibility as coaches to make sure they go out there and execute in practice and we didn't do that. I thought last week we prepared well and handled the distractions in practice. Our guys understand that they didn't respond the way they were taught to respond and they take that personally and are excited to get back. It's a long season, there's a lot of football to go. We're in the second game of the second quarter and we've proven to ourselves we can play very good football, we've also proven to ourselves that when we don't execute, we're just like any other team. No team can do that and be successful."
Would better schemes or game plans help?
"You always look at the scheme, you start there. We had some failures with the schemes we were trying to attack Ohio State with and if you look back at the Duke game, we didn't move the football, we didn't execute and on defense we didn't execute some calls. Most players will tell you it has less to do with what the call is as how you go out and execute it, and how you stick together and play together. When you look at it from a coaching standpoint, you have to make sure you're putting your guys in the right situations to give them the confidence to go out and play and allow them to cut loose. At times on Saturday, we didn't do that. "
On defending deep passes...
"When you see what happened to us giving up deep passes, it's frustrating. We just need to come out and make those plays. To give Ohio State credit, they did and you just cannot do that and expect to win. I think most of the team's in the league are going to take five-to-six shots a game and if you win on those situations, that's forcing a second-and-long, which is good for the defense as opposed to the touchdown. We went one-for-Saturday and obviously Sherrick (McManis) made a nice play and we need to make more of those types of plays when we're in position."
Are the issues more in the back half or up front?
"Two of the three plays that were three-step drops, we had guys there and we just need to make the play. It's an 11-man operation. If you get a good rush, usually the quarterback doesn't pitch off the mound and he's going to make some good shots, good for you. When you make it and it almost looks too easy, that's where you're frustrated. That's where we're at right now. You really try and put guys in that situation in practice and I believe our guys will make that play in the future. We've made it before and I believe we'll do it again. We just didn't do it on Saturday. We've just got to coach them to have confidence in that situation and go out and do it on Saturdays."
On Tyrell Sutton's injury status...
"We did some more tests today and he'll see a specialist today, but I'll know a lot more as the week goes. It improved a lot as the week went on, but when we got to the stadium, it just wasn't there for him to play. It's tough. I know first-hand what it's like to deal with an injury and it's difficult -- especially when you're a competitor like Tyrell (Sutton) is. You just learn patience and that's the worst word to learn for a competitor, but you've just got to get your attitude in the right place and know your opportunity will come again. When it does, you need to be ready for it. The competitor that he is, I believe he will be ready. "
On how Sutton is handling the injury...
"He's disappointed. I could say `go over there and do this,' and all the sudden he gets more down. He was with guys at times and at times he was by himself. I could think back at times when I was hurt and I was by myself, too. To get yourself mentally prepared for a football game and your injury doesn't respond the way you want it to, it's not easy and part of maturing and growing is to be out there and help the rest of your teammates. As the game went along, I saw Tyrell out there helping Brandon (Roberson) and Stephen Simmons. I've got great trust and respect for how my guys feel and how they respond both emotionally and physically and it just wasn't there. Both games against Duke and Ohio State, he was chomping at the bit to play and his ankle just isn't in position to play."
On McManis' injury...
"He didn't practice today, but that's standard issue. He'll go non-contact tomorrow and Wednesday and be cleared for Thursday."
On depth at running back...
"When you look at where our depth is at and the amount of reps that Brandon and Omar have had a chance to take in the last few weeks, they've been chomping at the bit to get a chance. Obviously, they don't want the chance due to Tyrell getting injured, but it is their opportunity. When Tyrell comes back, it's going to be a great competition and you don't lose your job because you're hurt, but these guys are going to push to be in our top 11. That gives me great optimism for our future of our offense and to see Stephen Simmons go out there and make some plays, that gives me even more optimism for even further down the road."
On C.J. Bachèr...
"His confidence was good today. As I watched him get out there and work out today and be positive with the team, the quarterback gets all the glory when you win and all the responsibility when you lose. It's just in the description of the position; it's kind of like being the head football coach. That's it, that's what you sign up for. How you handle both situations, the highs and the lows, dictates where you go for your career and in the season. He's really matured. Saturday didn't go very well and we need to just go back to work. This offense has moved the ball and been successful. We have made first downs and we just need to take strength from that and execute at a more consistent level."
On team identity...
"It's what we talked about today. It's critical that the players describe the identity that they want to have. As a coach, at times when things are going great, it's easy to buy into, but when the players set the identity, which they had earlier, this gives you another opportunity to refocus exactly who you are four weeks into the season. I challenged our players to get together as an offense and defense and refocus what our identity is and move forward together and we're all excited to do that. It's a football team that's eager to erase a memory that we'd all like to forget. We have a good football team in the locker room and they need to play consistently to give ourselves a chance to win and our guys believe that."
On defensive consistency...
"I thought at times, it was there. The lack of consistency is alarming and when you watch us play, that's going to be the biggest change through the rest of the season. We'll play with consistent focus, execution and technique and go out there and make plays. They all go hand-in-hand. Our guys believe that and it'll eventually happen. In 1995, there was no evidence that we'd be a good defense either and we just kept working and stuck together and as things unfolded, we ended up being a pretty good team and a pretty good defense. There are a lot of lessons to be learned there and when you aren't playing consistent, you need to make sure as a coaching staff that you get your guys ready to go. You set goals and standards and you live by those. Did we achieve all those on a consistent basis Saturday? No. What I like and have seen from our players is that they understand that when they play by those, they can be successful and two, when they're not, they see the fundamentals and corrections they can make."
On what positives can be taken from the game...
"There's not a lot when you go out there and don't play the way you're capable of playing, but Kurt Mattes played the best football game of his career. I saw a guy out there that executed both fundamentally and technically at a high level to the highest grade of his career in an environment you can only find in the Big Ten. I watched (Stephen) Simmons go out there and get a couple of touches and make a big play. It wasn't like everyone out there was blocked individually, but he made a great play. I like the way that we continued to battle throughout the game when we were down. We were down as far as you want to be and we continued battling. It wasn't a `woe-is-me' attitude and we tried to continue to get things started and spring boarded to this week. It may not have showed up on the scoreboard, but guys really kept battling."
On who will be returning kickoffs...
"It depends on how Sherrick (McManis) responds this week from getting concussed. You don't lose your job because you get injured. As I watched Stephen out there, we knew we had another guy we could put back there with everyone else, so we've got quite a few guys who can help us there."
On the decision to start Omar Conteh...
"Brandon had a good week at practice, so did Omar, but it was just Omar's opportunity. Right now, both those guys are No. 1 and they've been playing a lot. Omar played well on Saturday and I think Brandon would like to have a few plays back as he told me. I like the way both those guys are continuing to progress. Their roles have changed dramatically from Camp Kenosha and they're taking full advantage."
On running the quarterback more often...
"We've got a quarterback run in our package. We also have to keep in mind what the defense is giving us. We shouldn't use Saturday as a barometer to say we should've used this play or that play. As far as scheme, I look it at as we need to execute what we get started and we didn't do that. The quarterback run is a part of what we do and we had a couple of those plays in, but it's not the same as when Zak Kustok ran it in 2000. Each team has a different identity."
On responding to losses...
"The team (Michigan) that I watched play on Saturday is hungry and they showed up to play Penn State with an attitude and it's the same way they showed up to play Notre Dame. It's a great blueprint for success when you get knocked down. They were knocked down in the opener and maybe it took them a week to get past Oregon, but when you look at their hunger as a football team, it's the same kind of hunger we need to get back to our winnings ways. We're 2-2 with a ton of football to play. We'd love to be 4-0, we'd love to be 3-1, but right now we're 2-2 and it's time to respond and get back to work and believe in how you go about your business and execute and get our guys to have confidence in themselves and in their teammates to give themselves a chance to win football games on Saturdays."
On scouting your opponents...
"We have a lot of things to correct on our own, so you're always going to worry about your opponent and what they're going to do, but each week it has less-and-less to do with them and more-and-more to do with us. Where we're at right now, we need to go out there and play the football that we opened with. It wasn't perfect, but we executed in all three aspects of what we do. When you get knocked down like we did this weekend, it allows you to get refocused on exactly what you need to do and we'll get focused this week."
On refocusing after the the game...
"On Saturday, we took a step backward and when you take a step backward, you need to take pride in the way that you play. You need to look at yourself in the mirror and say this is the way we win and this is the way we execute to win football games. It's my responsibility to get our team ready to play and we didn't do that on Saturday. The signs to me that we were ready to play, but we left it here, we didn't take it to Columbus, but we're back and we need to rekindle that flame."
On playing at home for the first time with students...
"Playing at home for the first time in front of our students will be a great advantage for us. I had an opportunity to teach the freshmen the fight song and they're fired up and ready to go. The first full week of class starts up tomorrow and will give our guys a chance to refocus."
On Michigan's offensive game plan...
"They don't do anything very complicated schematically. They run a zone scheme similar to the Denver Broncos and try to out-number the point of attack. They try to run behind Jake Long, an All-American football player. Mike Hart does a great job of finding the cracks and remaining patient. He's physical and he's durable and that's everything you look for in a back. He plays with great heart. He's been hurt at times, but he's a great football player. It'll be a tremendous challenge, but if you fit right, and swarm to the football and tackle well, you give yourself an opportunity to play behind the chains and make plays when they present themselves."
On starting classes...
"I think we've had good focus, but I think back when I was a student-athlete here, how three or four hours of my day were spent in class and I just really looked forward to getting to practice. That's why we've shifted practice to the mornings so they can go to bed thinking about football and wake up and have a chance to do something about it. As they go out to class, they can leave football as soon as they enter the classroom. We did a great job of that during the spring."
On taking advantage of opportunities...
"Specifically, when I see us going out the first few weeks and scoring and getting things started the right way, we need to continue to keep the pedal down. Defensively, we need to get off the field on the first drive or the second drive. There are times when we just haven't made the plays. We've had opportunities to give the ball back to our offense, but instead, they've scored. We have to take advantage of those opportunities to be successful."
On consistency...
"That challenge is right there in front of us. We need to continue what we do through the week to Saturday and continue from the first quarter to the fourth quarter and play with that sense of urgency and continue to execute to give ourselves a chance to win."
On the punt team at OSU...
"When you look back, it was just a bad day. From a protection standpoint, we blew a protection that we've had no issues with since spring practice and it's something we obviously cannot do in order to be successful. When things go wrong though, it's an opportunity to refocus and as we watch film today, there are some guys doing some things on Saturday that I haven't seen in practice. We obviously got out of our element when we got down and tried to make up 21 points in one play. You cannot do that to be successful. I watched it last year when we lost a lead, we continued to just take it one series at a time and as we lost momentum last game, we couldn't grab the momentum back to our sideline and that's what I talked to our team about. That game wasn't over. If we just took it one series at a time to make it a two score game and then a one score game, you've got a whole different football game and we didn't do that."
On the health of Eddie Simpson...
"When I talked to him this morning, he said he felt pretty good, so hopefully I'll be able to talk to him tomorrow and make a decision from there."
On the team's defensive effort...
"We're successful when we stick to our fundamentals and execute. I saw our guys making plays and John Gill being active, Corey Wootton being active, Kevin Mims the same way. Now we just need to keep sticking together and move forward. When you stick together and keep your fundamentals, all of the sudden, you have a five-sack game instead of asking me questions. It's how it happens, it's football."
Do you learn anything about how to attack teams by watching NFL games...
"You wish you had time on Sundays to sit back and watch all those games. During the off-season, we do. During the season, no. you put together your notes and game plans of what you can attack and look specifically at how you can attack them. You look at how they've set their schemes and adjust accordingly to try and make a lefty play righty and vice versa."
On planning for Chad Henne or Ryan Mallett...
"I haven't seen a big change philosophically at what they're doing offensively. I haven't had a chance yet to study all their games, but the couple games I've seen, they're very similar style quarterbacks. Experience is the big difference. Ryan Mallett is a guy that puts the ball in his playmakers hands and Chad (Henne) is an All-America caliber player. He can launch the ball downfield as they've got great weapons on the outside."
On Michigan's offense with Mike Hart...
"It's like when you play an option team, the linebackers really salivate -- they know the whole game is going to be played right in front of them. When the ball gets thrown over your head, it somewhat neutralizes the front seven. When you're playing a team that puts it in four-wheel drive though, your front guys get excited about it. They're in great shape and we've rotated quite a bit of guys through the first few games and we have a lot of confidence in that rotation. Whoever gets the start and plays well will probably get the majority of the snaps."
On the Big Ten...
"It's Big Ten football, everyone's got speed. It's the best of the best. The best coaches are out here, the best players, the best fans you need to be ready to go into a heavyweight fight each week. There's great athleticism across the board."
