Northwestern University Athletics
Weekly News Conference Transcript
11/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2010
Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
Weekly News Conference
Opening Statement...
"Thanks everyone for being here on an interesting November day weather-wise. Looking forward to this week, it's going to be a special day for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it's Senior Day and we have 12 great seniors, it'll be their last opportunity to take the field at Ryan Field and I know they'll all be excited for it. To come out of the tunnel and share that with their families is something very special and a day I'll never forget. This class is special off the field with a number of guys in graduate school, on the field they've got 33 wins over five years which is one win shy of the program record held by last year's group. They've been a part of four bowl-eligible teams and defeated three nationally ranked teams, so it will go down as one of the most successful senior class groups in our program's history. I'm excited to honor them, it will be fun in a sellout in a great atmosphere, it's great to be in front of our students and our fans, our home atmosphere has been outstanding this year. We're excited to get back to work tomorrow."
On the differences between the first half and second half of play at Penn State...
"A couple things. One, our third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball was the worst we've been. Our tackling on defense: we missed more tackles on Saturday than we missed in the five or six previous games combined, which is something we work our tails off on. Most importantly, we didn't make big plays. We had three chances, all of which would have been big plays. The fourth down play in the end zone, we had our hands on the ball in the end zone for a potential interception and then we also had a chance for a blocked punt. On those three plays we were 0-for-3. In the first half we made big plays, in the second half, we didn't. Those guys will make them in the future. We also have to do a better job coaching up our guys. This is a 12-person operation and we didn't get it done. As always, we'll move forward, try to get better this week and our guys' attitudes are in the right place."
On if this loss was similar to the Michigan State and Purdue losses...
"No because I didn't see the amount of missed tackles I saw Saturday in those previous games. I think the one common theme is we didn't make a lot of big plays in the second halves of those games. We were driving to win the game against Purdue, we shot ourselves in the foot. Against Michigan State, we had a number of big plays out there we didn't make and it's the same thing against Penn State. I think that would be the one theme. When we get opportunities in Big Ten games, we have to take advantage of them. You look at some of the scores from this weekend, it's a fine line and the margin for error is very slim. That's what makes it so much fun to be a part of and such a challenge to win."
On if the poor tackling was a one-game aberration...
"We've tackled really well all year, we didn't take great angles and when we got to the point of attack we didn't come with balance and close the distance, all the things we drill as a team. We have to go back to what we've done well. That hasn't been an issue for us this year so some of the credit goes to Penn State, they made us miss."
On his impressions of Iowa...
"When I look at this week we're looking at a team that's extremely well coached. They were in a similar situation a couple weeks ago that we find ourselves in right now, coming off a tough loss and facing a great opponent. (Iowa) came out and played, from what they said, one of their best games of the year because of the way they prepared. It sounded like they had a great week of practice going into the Michigan State game and obviously they played extremely well. For us, we always talk about ourselves, how we have to prepare and having that consistency in that approach. We'll get right back to it. There's no magic pill or solution when you don't execute or tackle the way you're capable of, you just have to focus on it, attack it and have a great attitude. Our guys will do that."
On the potential of posting a statement win vs. Iowa...
"I think you go back at the end of the year and you draw conclusions about specific games. Each game, each week is kind of its own season in itself and this week it's the most important game because it's this week. We need to play better, execute better, coach better collectively to give ourselves an opportunity. I think I'll look at all that stuff at the end of the year."
On explanations for NU's recent success vs. Iowa...
"Well we go back and look at everything in the offseason and the only thing I could put my finger on is we've been pretty successful in the turnover ratio. That's really the only thing I can identify. Every game you have to make big plays and stop the run and run the ball effectively, play well in the kicking game. That recipe hasn't changed, but the one common theme is that we've done well in the turnover ratio, fortunately for us."
On Iowa's success playing a base defensive strategy...
"Fundamentally, they are outstanding. They make little subtle tweaks and adjustments up front to take away what you do best, they do the same thing in the secondary. They have change-ups, but they're just outstanding at what they do and they've been that way for 12 years. It's great to read that Coach (Norm) Parker is back around the team, he's overcome a lot of adversity. We've been lifting him up in our thoughts and it's great to see that he's back. He's one of the great coaches and great defensive coordinators of all time. Kirk (Ferentz) and his staff have done a great job every year they've been there. The same thing I said about their defense applies to their offense and kicking game. They don't do a lot with smoke and mirrors, they just punch you in the face and continue to do it. It forces you to execute that much better because they know exactly what they're doing on every play. They don't beat themselves. They're an extremely well-coached team, very physical in all three phases. Very rarely do you see them beat themselves. You saw in the Wisconsin game some mistakes that cost them but outside of that, it's an outstanding football team we're playing."
On evaluating what other teams have done against Iowa...
"I think we'll focus on what we do. We're different offenses and defenses that both (Michigan State and Indiana). We'll get in our film study to breakdown tendencies by down and distance and field zone so we can come up with a game plan to give our guys the best chances for success. You look at how they played against Michigan State, I don't know if anyone could have beaten them that day, they played outstanding."
On defending elite running backs the rest of the season...
"I'm glad we don't play all three at once. That would be ugly. We're going to do what we do. We played great at backs vs. Michigan State and we stuffed the run. We've stuffed the run pretty well all year, we just didn't do a good job on Saturday. Twenty-seven missed tackles says it all right there. It's not real complicated: play defense and tackle people. Whoever gets called and ends up at the point of attack, tackle people. I guess that's what I would expect of our defense, is that we'll tackle the way we're capable of, and that will go a long way toward stopping the run.
"With Iowa, what's more impressive is the play-action pass they use off the run. Ricky (Stanzi) does a great job and is one of the most efficient passers in the country. When I study quarterbacks and I look at mistakes they make, I haven't seen one mistake that Ricky has made. I haven't watched every rep of the year but I have not seen him make a poor choice yet and that's what makes him so impressive. They have great confidence in the running game and then they make double moves on their routes and are very efficient."
On if he is using 27 missed tackles as motivation this week for his players...
"I don't think I need to say it a whole lot more, they're fully aware of it and lived through it. We'll show it to them this week but we'll also show them the drills we did where they were in the same situations in practice and in other games where we made those plays. We do similar things an opposing offense will do to put our guys in position to understand the angles and where their help is."
On Gary Barnett's old practice of building Iowa into a rivalry game...
"I think Coach Barnett made it evident to us as players that if we want to be the team we aspire to be, then we have to compete against a team like Iowa because of the success that Coach (Hayden) Fry had had and the success of the program over the years. That's something Coach Barnett instilled in me, that if we wanted to take the next step and become a contending team in this league we have to compete with teams like Iowa. Coach used to have red-letter games and things of that nature but we don't do those things anymore, we think every game is a big game."
On the offense's troubles in the early series of the second half vs. Penn State...
"We had the one second down play where we missed the throw and took a sack and now we're backed up on third-and-long, which is not a good place to be. They got off the ball a little quicker than we did and you have to give credit to their fans, it got really loud and we were a little slow getting off the ball a couple times. They were a half-step ahead of us on our protections. On second-and-1, third-and-1, we have to pick those up but we didn't get it done. Those were the two series. We have to play better as a team. We have to punt the ball better to get us out of that hole. Brandon has been punting well, he had the one bad punt but he came back and that's what I like about him. He's had a couple he'd like to have back but he came back with a 40-something yarder and a 50-yarder."
On NU's balance on offense in the first half vs. Penn State...
"I thought we had a great plan coming in and the adjustments we had at halftime were on par with where we thought they were going to go. We talked as a team today and asked the defense and Coach Hankwitz what (Penn State) did differently as an offense in the second half and the answer was nothing. Then we asked Coach McCall what (Penn State) did differently in the second half: nothing. I answered for the special teams, what did they do differently in the kicking game: nothing. That's on us. We have to play better and execute better. No disrespect to Penn State, they made the plays we didn't make and they executed better but I thought it was a tale of two halves, as good as we've been as bad as we've been. Which team do we want to be? I think it's the first-half team. We've had three bad quarters that have cost us games, that's reality. You move on and try to draw strength from those other three quarters in those games and continue to execute and coach guys hard to make plays."
On the 2010 senior class...
"There are a lot of stories with each guy. Corbin Bryant, the ability to overcome the injuries and adversity. Same thing with Lee Coleman, he came here as a quarterback and was injured and unfortunately he hasn't been able to maybe have the production on Saturdays in the fall but he's been a great role player for us and on special teams in games as well as in practice. Quentin Davie was a jack of all trades when he came here and has been a solid linebacker for us across the board. Stefan Demos has had a tremendous career as a kicker. Keegan Grant was a walk-on and has been a multi-year starter for us as an offensive lineman. John Henry Pace, walked on and is a multi-year starter as a long-snapper. Josh Rooks is a multi-year starter. Steph Simmons has been outstanding as a running back and a kick returner. Sidney Stewart has made more big plays for us than we have time to list. Andrew Struckmeyer walked on to our program, earned a scholarship and hasn't missed a practice in four years. Justan Vaughn likes to make fun of me because I can't dance but that's fine, I recruited him down at Pearland. Nate Williams along with Quentin Davie have been two of the most productive linebackers that we've had in our program. As a group, it's a pretty neat book wrapped up into one.
"I'm glad I have three more games with them. It doesn't seem right to have Senior Day with three games to play but it is what it is. It's what they wanted. I asked in the offseason if they wanted to do it this week or at Wrigley and they wanted to do it at Ryan Field and I don't blame them. I'd do the same thing."
