Northwestern University Athletics
The Skip Report: A Break From the Big Ten
11/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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At his weekly news conference, Pat Fitzgerald delivered some unfortunate news about one of Northwestern's 2014 team captains, reflected on the decisive play from Saturday night's tilt with Michigan and previewed NU's trip to Notre Dame.
Monday Press Conference: Coach Fitzgerald
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NO HAPPY ENDING HERE: Collin Ellis' football career is over. Pat Fitzgerald is not sure when the middle linebacker, who suffered recurring injuries this fall, reached the decision to retire from the game he so loves. But Monday morning, shortly before his weekly presser, they talked and it was then that it was decided to make that news public. "It's a decision that I think is absolutely the correct one," he said after doing just that.
"It's one he's made with our medical team. We've been in a lot of private conversations, Collin and I, and it's the right decision short term and also the right decision long term. He's been terrific. He's been absolutely outstanding. It's really sad and disappointing that he won't have the chance to put on the helmet again and the jersey and go out and play. But he's had a wonderful career.
"It's tough to say that. But he's doing a great job passing on his knowledge and passion and love to (redshirt freshman) Anthony (Walker, who has replaced him) and the rest of our linebacking corps. He was awesome on Saturday (during the Michigan game). He was just absolutely terrific on the boundary. He'll be great here this last month helping his teammates."
BUT A BRIGHT FUTURE: Fitzgerald was asked if he thought coaching was a possibility for Ellis, who has had a love affair with football ever since he was a little kid and he and his brother played one-on-one smash-mouth in their backyard down in the Louisiana town of St. Gabriel. "I think he's smarter than that. I think he's a lot brighter than that," he answered with a soft chuckle.
"He'd be unbelievable. He'd be incredible. But I think he's got an opportunity to be pretty special in Fortune 500 America. If he wanted to coach, he'd be no-brainer. But he's like a lot of our guys. He's got to be on the top of a lot of Fortune 500 recruiting lists as he gets ready to move forward with his life."
ONE MORE REPLAY: It had sealed its win by stopping the `Cats two-point conversion attempt and that left Michigan feeling, well, some kind of smug. "It was the same two-point play they ran a year ago," declaimed its coach, Brady Hoke.
"I knew it was going to be some kind of route to the outside. We knew that was one of their plays," proclaimed its defensive end Frank Clark.
"They thought we were going to sprint out (right) and throw it to the flat," Fitzgerald said Monday. "We were going to throw it back. So they didn't know, right? It was one of those situations where we thought, `Good They're going to think we're going to run (right). Perfect. Great.'"
The `Cats felt like that since their plan was this. Quarterback Trevor Siemian would roll right, whirl, and throw back left to superback Dan Vitale, who would pretend to slip at the snap before rising and sliding down the line away from the flow. Vitale filled his role with an Oscar-winning performance. But the plan blew up when Clark, attempting to contain a play that had not been called, blew by `Cats tackle Jack Konopka untouched and through the block of running back Justin Jackson to pressure Siemian, who slipped as he turned to look for Vitale. "They overplayed it to the (right side of) the field," explained Fitzgerald.
"We know they're going to have someone on (Vitale). But I'm going to take Dan Vitale one-on-one on a linebacker. Absolutely. That's a good matchup for us. We had executed that play pretty well at practice for a month. But we don't block at the point of attack, let the defensive end run right up the field. We had two guys for the edge and it didn't work. So. Disappointing.
"But like I told the team this morning. I'm not sorry for going for it. I'm sorry it didn't work. I'm sorry it didn't work. It's funny. It's one of those things where our guys want to win in the worst way and three yards for a victory. One play, three yards. We were going to go for the win."
Did he feel going for two gave the `Cats a better chance at a win than going into overtime?
"We just drove the ball a bunch of yards. Absolutely. Let's go for it," Fitzgerald replied. "We just scored. We've got momentum. I wouldn't have done it unless I thought it was going to work. It obviously didn't. That's disappointing. I'm disappointed for our guys. Our defense gave us a chance to win.
"Now we can talk about that play we want. But there were about 18 other plays that were difference makers in that game. That's one of 18. I get it. I understand it. If it had worked, you guys would have been, `Oh my gosh! What a call!` That's the way it works. That's football. I get it. But our kids responded. They played their tails off. I know this. Some guys alluded that our guys would fold it and pack it in. I think they proved a lot of people wrong and I'm proud of them for that. And I think they'll continue to fight."
QUICKLY NOTED: A heartening sight for the `Cats during that disheartening loss was the mobility Siemian showed in the pocket during the team's two big fourth-quarter drives. "It was great seeing him being able to move around again," Fitzgerald said of his quarterback, who injured his right ankle in this season's second game. "It's probably the most mobile he's been all year outside of maybe the first game. That's encouraging."
• The mobile Matt Alviti played for the first time as a collegian in the Wolverines game while spelling Siemian for a handful of snaps. But he gained just five yards on his two rushes and was sacked once for a 7-yard loss. "With our circumstances we have to look at some things to be creative, try to influx some change to try to make some things happen, (and) he's a guy who adds another element to that position," said Fitzgerald, explaining his appearance. "Obviously we didn't have a ton of success with that on Saturday. That had nothing to do with Matt. That wasn't Matt's fault."
AND FINALLY: Wide receiver Miles Shuler, who sat out against Michigan, will sit again when the `Cats visit Notre Dame on Saturday. Could he too be done for the year? "I can't answer that. I don't know yet. But he's out this week," said Fitzgerald.
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