Like most Americans, Pat Fitzgerald clicked around Saturday and Sunday, watching football on TV. His impression?
“There are a lot of bad football teams in the country,” the Northwestern coach said. “The team that doesn’t make the most mistakes wins.”
Fitzgerald didn’t specify which games he watched — other than Bears-49ers — but Penn State-Rutgers would be logical, given NU’s Sept. 27 trip to State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions intercepted Rutgers’ Gary Nova five times in their 13-10 road win.
“I told the team today when we met, ‘I don’t think there are any judges like at the Olympics holding up (a card) … ‘Oh, that was a 10.’ Teams find a way to win. That’s college football,” he said. “I watched the Bears a little (Sunday) night and there were 20-plus penalties. And they have four preseason games, and those guys are pros. It’s early in the season. I think teams will improve. They all typically do.”
Northwestern is hungry for improvement after an 0-2 start. At 11 a.m. Saturday, the Wildcats host Western Illinois, a 2-1 FCS team that trailed Wisconsin just 9-3 at the half a week ago. The Badgers cruised after the break, as the Leathernecks allowed Badgers quarterback Tanner McEvoy to finish 23-for-28 with 283 passing yards and three scores.
Fitzgerald said Western Illinois put “nine in the box” to stuff the run. Wisconsin adjusted.
As far as turnovers, Northwestern is minus-1 on the season. The team hasn’t lost or recovered a fumble, but the Wildcats have intercepted just two passes while Trevor Siemian has thrown three picks.
NU defensive end Dean Lowry said there has been a renewed emphasis in practice on “getting our hands up, trying to tip passes and ripping at the ball.”
Bits from Fitzgerald’s Monday session with the media:
— With the fall quarter finally close to beginning, the Wildcats will use the east sideline Saturday to be near the new student section at Ryan Field.
— Speedy receiver Tony Jones (leg) is not listed on the depth chart. He told the Tribune last week: “I definitely don’t anticipate missing the (Sept. 27) Penn State game.”
— After getting penalized twice for holding against NIU, the erratic Jack Konopka has been demoted to second-string left tackle behind Paul Jorgensen.
— Asked if defensive backs Traveon Henry and Matthew Harris will be OK for practice this week and Saturday’s game, Fitzgerald replied: “I believe so, yeah.” Harris missed a practice last week and Henry was sidelined against NIU with injuries.
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— A week after saying the Wildcats were “an embarrassment to anyone who’s ever put on the purple and white,” the coach said: “We’ve lost two games by one score (apiece). I know people are jumping off the boat. It’s not on fire, so chill out. At the same time, we have to win games.”
— Fitzgerald seemed to disagree with the Big Ten’s decision to suspend defensive tackle C.J. Robbins after Robbins was ejected in the NIU game. The officials ruled that he threw a punch.
“C.J. Robbins is a high-character, high-disciplined young man from a great family,” Fitzgerald said. “He has been outstanding in our program. From a standpoint of a role model, he is a 10 out of a 10.”
A Big Ten spokesman would not say whether the league reviewed video in this case. So did Robbins throw a punch?
“There is protocol in place,” Fitzgerald said, “and unfortunately I’m not allowed to talk about some things in the eye of the league. I would love to candidly discuss that. But I’m not in the mood to write a check.”