A 6-6 regular season in the books, Northwestern’s football team is taking the week off. But with a bowl bid still a technical possibility, the Wildcats will practice next Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald won’t be there. He will be on the road recruiting, tending to the future.
The future is what he talked about Monday afternoon in his office.
“We’re in Year 2 of the program that I’m leading,” he said. “Occasionally you can lose sight of that. I don’t. I don’t lose sight of that at all. I look at it that I’m still trying to build a foundation here.
“We have values and principles that we believe in, and there’s a different voice at the front of the ship saying, ‘Row!’ As we continue to build trust and that bond on the field, that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. Most teams, if you’re moving in the right direction, things usually happen from Year 2 to Year 3. So this will be an important year.
“I understand that. I look forward to it. I’m excited for it, to be honest with you.”
The overriding issue
The Wildcats’ greatest failing this year was clear: They were inconsistent, in all areas.
Quarterback C.J. Bacher threw 19 interceptions to go with his 19 touchdown passes. The offense he led sizzled against Michigan State and Minnesota and fizzled against Purdue and Iowa. The play-calls were often befuddling, an adjective that also applies to the defense.
That defense hardly reflected Fitzgerald, one of the school’s greatest linebackers, and only occasionally flexed its muscle and operated with hostile intentions. NU defenders managed just 18 sacks and nine interceptions, had no player with more than one interception and only a single performer who distinguished himself all season — senior middle linebacker Adam Kadela.
“I put our inconsistency on me,” Fitzgerald said. “As I grow, I think our team grows. I’m not a finished product. I’ve got a long way to go. I take that to heart.
“I’m very disappointed the way the season went as far as our wins. But I’m very optimistic and very excited about the future with the way we continue to grow. You’re a direct reflection of your coach, [and] I know exactly where we need to go in this off-season.”
Is it more mental or physical?
“Both,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve overcome a lot the last two years. Now it’s time to get our mental attitude and our attack mentality back to where it needs to be. And physically we need to dominate more in the trenches with physical play.”
Reasons to believe
Bacher returns, presumably wiser, as does running back Tyrell Sutton, a star with a competitive blast furnace in his belly. Back also are Eric Peterman and Ross Lane, the Wildcats’ top two receivers, and a raft of others who caught passes this fall. Tackle John Gill, who can be a force, is the best of six defensive linemen who return. Back, too, are three linebackers with experience, promising cornerback Sherrick McManis and safeties Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith, who missed this season with an injury.
Reason to doubt
Sutton has battled injuries the last two years, and Bacher has exhibited a gunslinger’s mentality, which prompts him to force throws that end up as interceptions. Those six linemen rarely reached the opposing quarterback, and those linebackers and safeties (with the exception of Smith) were on the field Saturday in Champaign, where Illinois treated them as playthings.
Meanwhile, the offensive line loses three starters. It must be rebuilt, which is no easy task.
The bottom line
Asked to pick the one area where his team must most improve most to make a jump in the standings, Fitzgerald said: “We need to get our mental attitude to the point where we compete for championships and believe that, through competition, we’re going to go from good to great. When you’re 6-6, you’re an average football team.
“If we get our attitude in the right spot and compete to be great, get our mental aspect in order, the physical things will take care of themselves. The X’s and O’s are overrated. They take care of themselves when you’re competing to be great.”
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smyslenski@tribune.com
