Northwestern University Athletics
Skip Report: A Baker's Dozen from Monday's Presser
8/28/2018 7:00:00 AM | Football
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
A baker's dozen as a new season dawns. . . .
1. When asked about his quarterback situation entering the Northwestern's Thursday night season opener at Purdue, Pat Fitzgerald's eyes simply twinkled. Then he said, "I like our quarterback situation a lot. We've got a lot of really good players. You'll find out at 8:06 Eastern who's going to be playing, and how much, and when, and what we do, and what plays we call, what defense we run, who plays at right guard and left guard."
2. The mystery, of course, is just how thoroughly senior Clayton Thorson has recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last December during the Motor City Bowl, and on this subject he would be as coy as his head coach. But, upon succeeding him at the dais, he would allow, "I've been practicing full the last few weeks."
3. Trevor Siemian's collegiate career ended when he suffered a torn ACL as a senior, and so it was no surprise to learn Thorson reached out to him after his injury. "He was one of the first guys I talked to, actually. He told me to drink whole milk. So I did that," he said with a grin. "No. He was really encouraging. (He said,) 'You're going to come back from this. As a quarterback, it's obviously a little setback. But there's nothing that will keep you from coming back stronger.'"
4. Surprisingly, the injury resulted in a practical benefit. "I feel I am throwing better," said Thorson. "Getting hurt and, not having to relearn, but having to restart in the mechanic's sense, I think that's helped me a lot actually. It's helped me refine that. So I'm feeling a lot better right now throwing the ball. Feeling really confident."
5. Not surprisingly, it produced more personal results as well. "I've learned a lot," Thorson revealed. "One, it has forced me to trust in the Lord through everything. Looking back, right after it happened, I didn't know if I'd ever play again. There's a lot going through my mind. So that, first and foremost, is what it taught me to do. And it brought me closer to all these guys. My teammates have been there through every step of the process. They've been awesome through this whole thing."
6. Fitzgerald himself suffered a season-ending injury near the end of his junior season as a 'Cat linebacker. So he was an informed voice this off-season when talking with both Thorson and senior linebacker Nate Hall, who himself had knee surgery last winter. "When you get back out there," he told them, "enjoy the heck out of it. It's a game you love, so enjoy every moment of it."
"They now know what it's like to have the game taken away from them," he said Monday, "and that typically's a pretty strong motivator."
"I've always tried to enjoy it," Thorson would say when asked about his coach's observation. "But once it's taken away, you realize how much you really love the game. I thought I really didn't need to realize that, that I loved football so much. But I've realized how much it gives you, and how much you get from the game of football and your teammates. So I definitely have a new-found love for the game."
7. Next to Thorson the most scrutinized Wildcats are his protectors, those members on the 'Cats' offensive line. It has, over the years, been most effective when infused with competitive depth, and so Fitzgerald was asked if this current group has that. "I like where they're at at this point," he allowed. "As I look at the starting group, and maybe the top eight, they've got quite a bit of experience. They've been through battles. We're going to continue to have that group competing, obviously, like we do every position. But most importantly that group. When we've been consistent there we've been pretty solid offensively."
"We're feeling really good," said one of its members, the senior right guard Tommy Doles. "I'm seeing more and more the value of experience in just the way we're able to communicate with each other, execute our fundamentals. We can't wait for the opportunity to showcase that Thursday."
8. The most notable change in the defense is on the back end, where it lost safeties Godwin Igwebuike and Kyle Queiro. They will be replaced by senior Jared McGee and sophomore JR Pace. "He brings a lot of experience to the table. He 's the brain back there. He's making sure everyone's on point," senior corner Montre Hartage said of the former.
"JR, he brings a different skill set to the table. He's a guy who can fly around, make plays," he said of Pace.
9. Rule changes:
(A) Big Ten team's this season will be able to travel with 74 of their 85 scholarship players, up four from a year ago. "A very small positive step. I don't know why there's a limit, to be quite honest with you," Fitzgerald said of this move. "The home team has a huge advantage, in my opinion, having full access to their roster. I think every coach would like to take his whole roster. I would."
(B) A first year can now play up to four games and still retain his redshirt. "The guys who have earned playing time will play right now, and we'll see how they perform for maybe a couple weeks and then make an evaluation," said Fitzgerald, who anticipates playing eight to 12 true first years against the Boilers.
(C) A returner can now fair catch a kickoff and the ball will be spotted at the 25. But, noted Fitzgerald, "What's not been talked about is, once that ball's kicked, it's live like it always has been. But if you put your hand up for a fair catch (it goes into) the punt rule. So if you muff the ball, it's down right where you pick it up. So if you muff the ball on a catch at the four-yard line, it's 1st-and-10 at the four, not at the 25. So I don't think we're going to get a whole heck of a lot of fair catches."
10. The Boilers use a pair of quarterbacks: David Blough, who started five games last season, and Elijah Sindelar, who started eight (including the final four). A year ago they combined to complete 59.1 percent of their passes for 27 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. "We expect to see both," Fitzgerald said, thinking of Thursday.
"They're a very energetic team," said Hartage. "We know they're going to come out and throw the ball, throw the ball deep. We're fully aware of what they want to do. We're fully aware we have to attack."
11. The 'Cats closed out last season with eight straight wins, but still enter Thursday as slight underdogs. "We're still a program, when you talk about the preseason, the hype season, the talking season— I don't know. We're never going to be sexy (in the) preseason, I'll just put it that way," Fitzgerald said when asked about that slight. "I'd rather go out and earn it, anyway. I'd rather have those things earned in the back end than talked about on the front end. Hype doesn't matter. Action, that's all that matters."
12. Asked what would be a successful season, Fitzgerald didn't flinch. "I don't focus on that, especially right now. My focus is getting our team prepared to go play a Big Ten opponent on the road," he began, but then he immediately added this. "The big picture things, we don't hide from the goals that we have. It's to win the Big Ten West, win the Big Ten Championship and then go win our bowl game. That's our goals. They haven't changed."
13. And finally: A tip of the hat to the redoubtable Ted Albrecht, who's celebrating his 25th anniversary as analyst on WGN's radio broadcasts of the 'Cats. Said Fitzgerald: "It's absolutely spectacular."
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