Northwestern University Athletics
#23 Northwestern 19, Duke 10 • Postgame Quotes
Northwestern at Duke
Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, N.C.
Sept. 19, 2015
Postgame Quotes
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald
Opening Statement...
“[That was a] great team win. We knew this was going to be a dogfight. I have great respect for Coach Cutcliffe, his staff and his young men. We felt they had a huge advantage. We talked to our guys all week about it that they could be vanilla against their first couple opponents. They had us on our heels because we didn’t quite know how they were going to play us offensively with their defense. They did a great job in the first half, but I felt we adjusted very well in the second half and our offense got moving. Defensively, we have to start faster. We can’t give up those plays and that long run in I think the third quarter or midway through the fourth when we fit things wrong. But we were pretty dominant on third down.”
On what he said during halftime or adjustments the team made...
“I talked to the guys about coming back in here thirty minutes later and singing the fight song. That was the only motivational talk that I spoke to them about. I didn’t need to give them a fire and brimstone speech. I think we were very focused. I thought what we needed to do was give them a better plan, especially offensively. They stormed the fort and were coming after us, and obviously we have a lot of work to do offensively, but at the same time, I thought we came out with the right type of adjustments to take advantage of some things. I thought the way we were able to finish the game running the ball was a big confidence booster for our offensive line.”
On containing Thomas Sirk and the rest of the offense and limiting big plays...
“Outside of maybe a couple plays, I think this is the best we’ve tackled. Again, the credit goes to Hank [defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz], the staff and the guys. We work it every single day. We work it every day in the offseason and every day with the fundamentals of it. Reading a lot about their team speed, I don’t think we had a speed issue today. I think we looked every bit as fast, and I challenged the guys to that.”
On if the game felt like a top-25 matchup...
“There’s no doubt. This is a team that knows how to win. Like I said on Monday – and this isn’t lip service; this is the truth – there’s no man I respect more than David Cutcliffe. I get the privilege to be with him on the AFCA board and listen to the way that he talks about what’s right for our game, and he’s what’s right for our game. The way he runs his program is what’s right for our game. When you play against a friend and you play against someone you respect that much, you know what kind of game it’s going to be. It was a hard-fought battle like we knew it was going to be. My hat’s off to Coach and his program, but we focus on us, and I’m just proud of the way the guys are battling.”
Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, N.C.
Sept. 19, 2015
Postgame Quotes
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald
Opening Statement...
“[That was a] great team win. We knew this was going to be a dogfight. I have great respect for Coach Cutcliffe, his staff and his young men. We felt they had a huge advantage. We talked to our guys all week about it that they could be vanilla against their first couple opponents. They had us on our heels because we didn’t quite know how they were going to play us offensively with their defense. They did a great job in the first half, but I felt we adjusted very well in the second half and our offense got moving. Defensively, we have to start faster. We can’t give up those plays and that long run in I think the third quarter or midway through the fourth when we fit things wrong. But we were pretty dominant on third down.”
On what he said during halftime or adjustments the team made...
“I talked to the guys about coming back in here thirty minutes later and singing the fight song. That was the only motivational talk that I spoke to them about. I didn’t need to give them a fire and brimstone speech. I think we were very focused. I thought what we needed to do was give them a better plan, especially offensively. They stormed the fort and were coming after us, and obviously we have a lot of work to do offensively, but at the same time, I thought we came out with the right type of adjustments to take advantage of some things. I thought the way we were able to finish the game running the ball was a big confidence booster for our offensive line.”
On containing Thomas Sirk and the rest of the offense and limiting big plays...
“Outside of maybe a couple plays, I think this is the best we’ve tackled. Again, the credit goes to Hank [defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz], the staff and the guys. We work it every single day. We work it every day in the offseason and every day with the fundamentals of it. Reading a lot about their team speed, I don’t think we had a speed issue today. I think we looked every bit as fast, and I challenged the guys to that.”
On if the game felt like a top-25 matchup...
“There’s no doubt. This is a team that knows how to win. Like I said on Monday – and this isn’t lip service; this is the truth – there’s no man I respect more than David Cutcliffe. I get the privilege to be with him on the AFCA board and listen to the way that he talks about what’s right for our game, and he’s what’s right for our game. The way he runs his program is what’s right for our game. When you play against a friend and you play against someone you respect that much, you know what kind of game it’s going to be. It was a hard-fought battle like we knew it was going to be. My hat’s off to Coach and his program, but we focus on us, and I’m just proud of the way the guys are battling.”
