Everything Pat Fitzgerald Said After Northwestern's Week 2 Win Over Indiana State
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald met with the media following the Wildcats' 24-6 victory over the Indiana State Sycamores Saturday afternoon.
On the Wildcats' performance overall:
"Obviously, I'm really proud of the way that we responded from the standpoint of getting a win. I want to credit [Indiana State head coach Curt] Mallory and his staff. They created a lot of changes in their schematics from 2019 to now, and that presented a lot of problems, so we had to go back and look at a lot of tape, and a lot of different areas. For the most part, our plan was pretty good, but our execution was not, so we have to correct those things, get those fixed, especially after the explosive punt returns that we had. To come away with only three points was disappointing, and it changes the complexion of the game, so we have to look at some of those things. But I'm proud of the way our defense responded and really proud of the way our special teams played today. I'm really happy for Charlie [Kuhbander]. He's been so consistent as our kicker, and to come back into the wind and hit that career-long, I was really proud of him. I put him in a tough spot, but I wanted to show him how much confidence I have in him, and I'm proud of the way he stepped up."
On the challenges of preparing for a team that did not play a 2020 season due to the pandemic:
"In 2019, they were a four-down defense, so you'd watch that tape and try to pull things out of it. This year, they shifted to a three-down scheme -- completely different -- with one game of empirical data, which was Eastern Illinois (EIU) two weeks ago. And a lot of the formations that we like to run, EIU doesn't run, so we really had no idea how they were going to employ their personnel. So we just have to look at some things that we made mistakes on. In the second and third quarter in particular, we had an opportunity for big plays, so we just have to take a look at it and fix it."
On the Wildcats' offensive struggles in the second half:
"I just think that there were a lot of different schematics that they were running. I have to watch the tape before I can tell you exactly what it was, but it just looked like we were a guy away from having big plays. I think it's going to give a lot of teams problems -- like I said before, Coach Mal and his staff did a good job defensively."
On this week's strong rushing game:
"I just think that when you look at where you're at as a Big Ten team against an FCS team, you have to be able to pound the ball. For the most part, again, we targeted things right and we executed and I thought we did a good job -- it's the self-inflicted wounds that we had that we have to look at and get corrected."
On why he decided to go for a fourth-and-23 on the ISU 31 yard line in the third quarter:
"What do you think I should have done? I don't know. I said, 'What the hell do I do here?' I'm in the middle of no man's land. I mean, if I punt it, and it goes into the end zone, I get 11 yards. If I kick a field goal two yards farther than we just kicked the previous series that barely made it, and probably miss it, then I hurt my kicker's confidence. If I go for it and I get a [pass interference], then I get a first down. If I go for it and we throw the ball where I want it thrown, I get a touchdown. I mean, you're in no man's land, what do you do? Let's not get in that situation. That's what I told the offense. I said, 'You guys just put me in a no-win situation.' So I thought, 'What the hell, let's go for it and see if we can make a play.' Because, again, the net negative yardage was going to be 11 yards, so I felt like being aggressive there. We were up 16 anyway."
On the status of WR Bryce Kirtz, and how S Brandon Joseph and WR Raymond Niro III filled in for him on punt returns:
"I was just talking to [Kirtz] downstairs. He said he's feeling better post game, so that's encouraging. But I thought [Joseph and Niro III] did a really good job. We've got a couple other guys that aren't practicing or playing right now that are punt returners also. But a great job by [special teams coordinator] Jeff Genyk, schematically, and special teams quality control Zach Opsal. And a phenomenal job by our guys up front -- when nobody touches you for 45 yards, that's a pretty good deal."
On the defense's biggest improvement from last week:
"I don't want to speak for the guys, but I would assume, after watching us, that we communicated better. I think that was a big part of last week; maybe there were some things that we just weren't as decisive about as we needed to be. Usually, when I hear your voice, I know you know it. So when some guys were on this page and other guys were on another page, it's on us as coaches to clean it up, shore it up, and simplify it, and I thought [defensive coordinator] Jim O'Neil and the defensive staff did a good job of that. But the credit goes to our guys. They were the ones that executed cleaner. They were the ones that were flying around, looking like they had a little bit more fun. But we're far from where we need to be, and that's probably what's most exciting to me as this group's coach. We can be so much better, we just got to commit to that. This is a young squad that just needs to continue to grow up. Each experience gets them smarter and wiser and more experienced, so we just have to focus on some of that, especially with the big road test coming up down in Durham, [North Carolina], next week."
On what he has learned about his team so far:
"We still aren't where I want us to be in practice yet, but again, I think it's a byproduct of our youth. I've learned that we have really good older leadership, and then we have kind of a younger group, and then our middle-aged guys have to keep coming along. They have to make more strides, and that's on us as coaches. We have to put them in those positions. I have great confidence in them and I think we have a really solid young squad, we just have to do a better job of helping them as a staff. So what does that mean? It's reps at practice, it's what we're doing schematically, it's the fundamental techniques, all of those little things that come down to being a consistent player."
On the defense's lack of turnovers this season:
"They usually come in bunches -- turnovers, that is. So I think we had our hand on a ball that we should have probably intercepted, at least one. And we punched another ball out that they recovered, that's number two. And then a great job by a defensive player on that punt play. So yeah, there was an opportunity for three [turnovers], and that's kind of our goal each game, so to not be at that point right now is something that we definitely have to improve upon."
On playing on the anniversary of 9/11:
"I shared some thoughts with the guys after the game, but I just want to say thank you to all of our heroes. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those families that have been affected over the last 20 years by the tragic events and the aftermath to that. I get the privilege to be a coach, our kids get the privilege to play, we get the privilege to be Americans, to be part of this great country. It's been a tough 20 years, and obviously what's going on right now is not positive either, but at the same time, we want to lift those heroes out there in our thoughts and prayers."
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