Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
The Skip Report: Iowa Upon Further Review
10/3/2016 4:13:00 PM | Football
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
UPON FURTHER REVIEW. . . .
IN THIS SEASON'S FIRST MONTH Clayton Thorson was sacked more often (15 times) than any quarterback in the Big Ten. But Saturday, in the Wildcats' win at Iowa, that happened just once. "I thought our offensive line was solid, but not spectacular. That was a solid game by that group. . .and to see Clayton move in the pocket also really helped the offensive line," Pat Fitzgerald reflected on Monday. "When somebody maybe gave up the inside, he was able to slide into the B gap, step up. Then Iowa came after us with more pressure than they had anybody else that we had seen, and I thought Clayton handled that very well.
"He made some good checks of protection. He made some good checks of concepts. He beat the blitz a couple times. He made some really good decisions hitting some wide-open fans in the stands. They had us covered and he did a really good job, where a week before (at home against Nebraska) he took a couple of ill-advised sacks. (He ended that game with four.) They covered us and we had some people wide open in Ryan Field up in the first few rows that he should have completed the balls to. That (his work against the Hawkeyes) just shows his maturity. That shows his relationship with Mick (McCall, the offensive coordinator). Those were things they were talking about earlier in the season. Clayton understands it's not always about his completion percentage. It's about making good decisions with the football, and sometimes throwing it away is a good decision with the football.
"I was really impressed with what he did in a hostile environment on Saturday. He had, from the big picture of quarterback play, probably had the best game of his career."
WIDE OUT AUSTIN CARR continued his sensational work on Saturday, ending the afternoon with a half-dozen catches for 73 yards and three touchdowns. He now leads the Big Ten in receptions (32), total receiving yards (465), receiving yards-per-game (93) and touchdown receptions (six). Not bad for a former walk-on who was welcomed to the team only because there was a roster spot available. "Could I have anticipated it (a season like Carr is having)?" Fitzgerald mused Monday. "No. I don't think so."
CARR, for good reason, is obviously Thorson's favorite receiver. But it is notable that the quarterback's 18 completions Saturday were spread among 10 different 'Cats.
ANOTHER WHO SHINED on Saturday was defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, who was named the Big Ten co-defensive player of the week after collecting four sacks against the Hawkeyes. "Ifeadi's been through a lot," Fitzgerald said Monday, reflecting on his career. "Comes in with unrealistic hype. That's the nature of recruiting these days, the blessing and the curse you get from dot-com sites in recruiting. He had an inflated image from external factors coming in. He was a guy who had only played a couple years of high school football. So learning the game to the extent that he's learned it has been really impressive. I've really seen a lot of growth, a lot of maturity in his game. He's been really close a bunch throughout his career. Now to have that type of performance shows not only what he's capable of. But hopefully it's also a snapshot of what we're going to see for the rest of the year. . . . We've seen flashes. But hopefully now we see consistent flashes."
DEFENSIVE END C.J. ROBBINS, who back in the summer was not chosen as one of the 'Cats four captains, has still been one of their leaders throughout this season. But with one of those four, corner Matthew Harris, out indefinitely, he was named a fifth captain and so now has a title befitting with his work. "He was the next-highest vote getter. Very close, actually, to being one of our captains coming out of camp," Fitzgerald said Monday when making that announcement. "Even though he was not named a captain prior to this weekend, he has definitely assumed that role and responsibility."
"It's means a lot. It's a big honor," Robbins himself said of his promotion. "Honestly, coming into the year, I felt I was ready to lead the team. So being able to step in for Matt is a big honor. I respect Matt a lot. I really look up to him as a person, as a player. So being able to pick up the flag for him means a lot."
BACK IN TRAINING CAMP, true sophomore Montre Hartage took over at right corner after junior Keith Watkins II went down with a season-ending injury. On Saturday he himself was replaced at that spot by redshirt freshman Alonzo Mayo, who—with the 'Cats up 14 early in the fourth quarter—was beat badly for a 46-yard completion that set up the Hawkeyes' final score of the game. "We had some mistakes that were made that were coached, and we thought were corrected, and they were repeated. That's why we made the change," Fitzgerald explained Monday. "But the late explosion play that Alonzo gave up was inexcusable. So it's not like that job is solidified for him. We had talked all game that they were going to fake a crack on the safety and go, and it was a half-rear-end crack. It wasn't even a good crack-and-go, and to give up that explosion play at that time of the game just shows we have a long way to go in the secondary. I'm not trying to call Zo out. He knows it. He owned it when he came over. He goes, 'Coach, that was a critical mistake. I can't let that happen.' To his credit, he went back out there and competed. But that was maybe his first game experience. So Jerry (Brown, the DB coach) is earning every nickel he's getting right now, and so's Hank (Mike Hankwitz, the D coordinator). We're working our tail off to coach those guys up and get them prepared. We're going to have a competitive situation at the corner position."
QUICKLY NOTED: Linebacker Brett Walsh, who was carted off the field Saturday, suffered no structural damage and is expected to make a full return to football activities. "That's just excellent news and a joy for me to report," Fitzgerald said after reporting it. . . . Justin Jackson, who netted 171 rushing yards on 26 carries against Iowa, now has 3,115 in his career, fourth best in school history. He trails only Damien Anderson (4,485), Tyrell Sutton (3,886) and Darnell Autry (3,793). . . . With the 'Cats off this Saturday, coaches are out recruiting (Fitzgerald leaves Tuesday morning) and the varsity (those players in the rotation) will practice only on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday all players, including the younger ones who will be toiling on Tuesday and Wednesday as well, will have off to, said Fitzgerald, "Be fans. Tailgate. Enjoy some football." Then on Sunday they will begin typical game week prep in advance of their Oct. 15 visit to Michigan State.
AND FINALLY, Robbins, on last Saturday: "The team's mentality going into it was this is do-or-die. Having that feeling that your backs are against the wall and you have to find a way, people were prepared to be physical."
NUsports.com Special Contributor
UPON FURTHER REVIEW. . . .
IN THIS SEASON'S FIRST MONTH Clayton Thorson was sacked more often (15 times) than any quarterback in the Big Ten. But Saturday, in the Wildcats' win at Iowa, that happened just once. "I thought our offensive line was solid, but not spectacular. That was a solid game by that group. . .and to see Clayton move in the pocket also really helped the offensive line," Pat Fitzgerald reflected on Monday. "When somebody maybe gave up the inside, he was able to slide into the B gap, step up. Then Iowa came after us with more pressure than they had anybody else that we had seen, and I thought Clayton handled that very well.
"He made some good checks of protection. He made some good checks of concepts. He beat the blitz a couple times. He made some really good decisions hitting some wide-open fans in the stands. They had us covered and he did a really good job, where a week before (at home against Nebraska) he took a couple of ill-advised sacks. (He ended that game with four.) They covered us and we had some people wide open in Ryan Field up in the first few rows that he should have completed the balls to. That (his work against the Hawkeyes) just shows his maturity. That shows his relationship with Mick (McCall, the offensive coordinator). Those were things they were talking about earlier in the season. Clayton understands it's not always about his completion percentage. It's about making good decisions with the football, and sometimes throwing it away is a good decision with the football.
"I was really impressed with what he did in a hostile environment on Saturday. He had, from the big picture of quarterback play, probably had the best game of his career."
WIDE OUT AUSTIN CARR continued his sensational work on Saturday, ending the afternoon with a half-dozen catches for 73 yards and three touchdowns. He now leads the Big Ten in receptions (32), total receiving yards (465), receiving yards-per-game (93) and touchdown receptions (six). Not bad for a former walk-on who was welcomed to the team only because there was a roster spot available. "Could I have anticipated it (a season like Carr is having)?" Fitzgerald mused Monday. "No. I don't think so."
CARR, for good reason, is obviously Thorson's favorite receiver. But it is notable that the quarterback's 18 completions Saturday were spread among 10 different 'Cats.
ANOTHER WHO SHINED on Saturday was defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, who was named the Big Ten co-defensive player of the week after collecting four sacks against the Hawkeyes. "Ifeadi's been through a lot," Fitzgerald said Monday, reflecting on his career. "Comes in with unrealistic hype. That's the nature of recruiting these days, the blessing and the curse you get from dot-com sites in recruiting. He had an inflated image from external factors coming in. He was a guy who had only played a couple years of high school football. So learning the game to the extent that he's learned it has been really impressive. I've really seen a lot of growth, a lot of maturity in his game. He's been really close a bunch throughout his career. Now to have that type of performance shows not only what he's capable of. But hopefully it's also a snapshot of what we're going to see for the rest of the year. . . . We've seen flashes. But hopefully now we see consistent flashes."
DEFENSIVE END C.J. ROBBINS, who back in the summer was not chosen as one of the 'Cats four captains, has still been one of their leaders throughout this season. But with one of those four, corner Matthew Harris, out indefinitely, he was named a fifth captain and so now has a title befitting with his work. "He was the next-highest vote getter. Very close, actually, to being one of our captains coming out of camp," Fitzgerald said Monday when making that announcement. "Even though he was not named a captain prior to this weekend, he has definitely assumed that role and responsibility."
"It's means a lot. It's a big honor," Robbins himself said of his promotion. "Honestly, coming into the year, I felt I was ready to lead the team. So being able to step in for Matt is a big honor. I respect Matt a lot. I really look up to him as a person, as a player. So being able to pick up the flag for him means a lot."
BACK IN TRAINING CAMP, true sophomore Montre Hartage took over at right corner after junior Keith Watkins II went down with a season-ending injury. On Saturday he himself was replaced at that spot by redshirt freshman Alonzo Mayo, who—with the 'Cats up 14 early in the fourth quarter—was beat badly for a 46-yard completion that set up the Hawkeyes' final score of the game. "We had some mistakes that were made that were coached, and we thought were corrected, and they were repeated. That's why we made the change," Fitzgerald explained Monday. "But the late explosion play that Alonzo gave up was inexcusable. So it's not like that job is solidified for him. We had talked all game that they were going to fake a crack on the safety and go, and it was a half-rear-end crack. It wasn't even a good crack-and-go, and to give up that explosion play at that time of the game just shows we have a long way to go in the secondary. I'm not trying to call Zo out. He knows it. He owned it when he came over. He goes, 'Coach, that was a critical mistake. I can't let that happen.' To his credit, he went back out there and competed. But that was maybe his first game experience. So Jerry (Brown, the DB coach) is earning every nickel he's getting right now, and so's Hank (Mike Hankwitz, the D coordinator). We're working our tail off to coach those guys up and get them prepared. We're going to have a competitive situation at the corner position."
QUICKLY NOTED: Linebacker Brett Walsh, who was carted off the field Saturday, suffered no structural damage and is expected to make a full return to football activities. "That's just excellent news and a joy for me to report," Fitzgerald said after reporting it. . . . Justin Jackson, who netted 171 rushing yards on 26 carries against Iowa, now has 3,115 in his career, fourth best in school history. He trails only Damien Anderson (4,485), Tyrell Sutton (3,886) and Darnell Autry (3,793). . . . With the 'Cats off this Saturday, coaches are out recruiting (Fitzgerald leaves Tuesday morning) and the varsity (those players in the rotation) will practice only on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday all players, including the younger ones who will be toiling on Tuesday and Wednesday as well, will have off to, said Fitzgerald, "Be fans. Tailgate. Enjoy some football." Then on Sunday they will begin typical game week prep in advance of their Oct. 15 visit to Michigan State.
AND FINALLY, Robbins, on last Saturday: "The team's mentality going into it was this is do-or-die. Having that feeling that your backs are against the wall and you have to find a way, people were prepared to be physical."
••••••
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