Seriously. Going for 2 when down 9, then not kicking a FG on 4th at 1 at Minny 17 to at least make it a one score game, then after all that not going for it on 4th at 4 at their 44 yd or whatever, followed by punt to endzone and Minny TD drive! Is this his first season or what?
Amateur hour with Coach Fitz
- Thread starter MC_Cat
- Start date
All things considered I like Coach Fitz, but he's never been any good at in-game coaching decisions. I guess we just have to take the bad with the (mostly) good.
Goes back to Fitz taking points off the board in the loss to Duke (which broke their streak).
If he had kept the 3 pts on the board, would have had to just go for a FG instead of needing a TD at the end - totally changed the complexion of the game.
Here, the D (after the 1st drive) was doing well against Minny's O - have confidence in your D and take the points; otherwise, will be constantly chasing points.
No need to go or 2 after the 1st TD; and it when downhill from there.
If he had kept the 3 pts on the board, would have had to just go for a FG instead of needing a TD at the end - totally changed the complexion of the game.
Here, the D (after the 1st drive) was doing well against Minny's O - have confidence in your D and take the points; otherwise, will be constantly chasing points.
No need to go or 2 after the 1st TD; and it when downhill from there.
No we don't. Phillps and Shapiro need to bit the bullet and left just about leave everyone go, including the HC.
I'm normally in Fitz's camp but these were some head scratching decisions. I know the kick by Mitchell was terrible early in the game, but do you then give up your kicker? Defense was playing really well and if we make it 15-9 there after Walker recovered the fumble, it could have gotten very interesting despite all the offensive miscues. We better figure out what do against the blitz by next week because Illinois will surely be bringing it. That said, I realize they are not as talented as Minnesota on D.
I think it's a fair rule that you don't go for two until you *have* to, mostly because missing two significantly detracts from momentum. This, to me, means not until the last 6-8 minutes. Not kicking was strange to me, too. That said, somebody should have blocked the blitzing linebacker, too.
NU wouldn't have won even if every Fitz call worked, because that was a September-level performance by the O-line.
NU wouldn't have won even if every Fitz call worked, because that was a September-level performance by the O-line.
And who do you suggest we hire who will want to deal with all the disadvantages this program has? We're still 4-4 in the BIG this year and have a good chance at a bowl bid. This was our biggest margin of defeat all year. Cutcliffe and Duke just lost 56-14 at Pitt a week after beating UNC. Kelly is 4-7 with all those 4 and 5 star recruits at Notre Dame. The pro genius Lovie Smith is 3-8 with a home loss to Purdue. Oh, maybe we could take a chance on some young college up-and-comer like Darrell Hazell was. How'd that turn out?
I think you are right on here. Fitz is just too rigid in his thinking. Once he made up his mind he was going for touch downs, that is all he thinks of. Missing the 2 extra points put the win essentially out of reach and killed momentum but the gift of a FG opportunity put it back in reach and would have added to momentum but just second before he was trying for TDs and his thinking is not elastic enough to switch gears that fast.
We could at least find some position coaches who are on their way up and want a B1G job as a springboard.
That's a fair observation. Fitz will need to re-examine after this year, but things could sure be a whole lot worse. Lots of parity below the top dogs and I'd say Minnesota has a big edge with all the jucos and marginal qualifiers they appear to be suiting up.
I do not put this game all on anyone. It was a clunker except for the D for most of the game.
But it was one of Fitz' worst as far as in-game decisions, and that is saying a lot.
But it was one of Fitz' worst as far as in-game decisions, and that is saying a lot.
Keep them all. Nobody would ever coach here because nobody could ever succeed here. P5 academic powerhouses can never be successful in major revenue sports. I cannot think of a single coach that has ever been successful at NU and there are no smart schools that put up strong results.
Let's enjoy our nice little clean program and the family environment and pray no big time program sweeps in and poaches Fitz from us.
That's an excuse. I don't care if they get their players from Joliet State Pen, Fitz's job is to beat them.
This is pretty damning. I wonder how many fanbases think their head coach, basically, can't do in-game strategy because they don't think that well. (And, he's a fellow alum!! And we alumni have high opinions of our personal brain elasticities!)
Where do you think he ranks?
(Note: I basically agree. He didn't adjust for the time remaining after Walker's spectacular strip on kick coverage. A kick there would have been huge.)
Yes but it is a fallacy to think Minny is a peer program. Although their results are not better than ours on average, they are more like a football factory in the qualifiers and JUCOs they take. Several starters are JUCOs including the lines and the secondary. If we were able to just fill immediate holes this year we would have a couple more wins too.
Football factory? Minnesota? C'mon, I expect the excuses but this is really stretching the limits of reality.
A major mistake that seems to be a no brainer to me was in the first half when we had 4th and 1 and we took a timeout with 3 minutes left in the half. Before taking the timeout why didn't we try to draw Minnesota offsides? We were taking a timeout either way this seems like a risk free play that has a 20% chance of getting us a first down without having to snap the ball. Missed opportunity
My issue with that call was the way Fitz burned down the play clock to 0:01. At that point you have enough time to get the ball back if you can hold UMinn. So draining clock only hurts us. Fitz does this all the time. It's as if he doesn't want time on the clock to try to score with...
Yep - totally reeks of the MOON loss.
Once McC awoke from his slumber and started to move the pocket and let Siemian do his thing (instead of being a sitting duck), the 'Cats moved the ball down pretty much the entire field twice (should have both been TDs as the refs missed a call on 3rd down).
Would have kicked the PAT and go into OT as the 'Cats had all the momentum and the O was moving the ball, but Fitz had determined 4-5 minutes before the end of the game to go for the 2 pt conversion and didn't change his mind even after the O moved the ball down the field a 2nd time.
Just too rigid and slow to adapt to what's happening on the field.
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I don't follow coaches that much so, who knows where he ranks but it seems like he gets locked in on an idea and is so tenacious that he sticks with it a long time. This year for example he seems to be going for on fourth down a lot more rather than try the punt or FG. Generally, I like that but there are times when it would be better to punt into the corner because our D is pretty good.
I'm not saying they are a football factory. I'm saying they have been taking more JUCOs and marginal kids than a you would expect from a good academic caliber B1G school.
Why engage him? He calls for Fitz's head after every loss that isn't to a top ten team. Wants Maddon at the helm.
Difference is Lovie is in his 1st year, Kelly had ND playing for the NC and Cutcliffe had Duke in the ACC Championship game (granted, no gimme after the Nits have taken hits on their O-line recently).
Fitz is in his 11th season (6th w/ a division break-down) and the 'Cats haven't won its division, much less win a B1G title like his 2 predecessors.
Not saying that there should be a change at top, but can't be doing the same things over and over again.
For all the grief that Franklin gets, he, at least made the changes to his co-ordinators (and position groups) when they weren't getting the job done.
If PSU finishes out the season w/ W's (granted, no gimme after the Nits have taken hits on their O-line) and dOSU beats UM, then Franklin will get to the B1G championship game before Fitz despite being a relative newcomer and coaching in the tougher division.
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Surprised no one brought up the reason for a lot of the playcalls mentioned- the wind. They let Mitchell attempt the first kick since he was with the wind. Going into the wind the lights-out good Minny kicker missed an extra point. If I am coaching, no way am I attempting a FG in that wind in most of the situations described given the conditions.
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I rarely defend Fitz, but going for two was the right call. You we're going to need one anyways, and going there dictates what strategy you need to approach the rest of the game with.
Hilarious!! You guys looking to replace Fitz! Other boards wanr their HC's out and look to Fitz as a possible replacement!!! Love college FB fans and their opinions.! Like a**holes----everyone has one!!
Well, at least you're not questioning the JUCO part...
Kidding aside, you guys do a decent job of graduating your kids. I too wonder where that marginal comment came from, other than as a feint echo of "that's alright, that's OK, you're gonna work for us someday".
Kidding aside, you guys do a decent job of graduating your kids. I too wonder where that marginal comment came from, other than as a feint echo of "that's alright, that's OK, you're gonna work for us someday".
Fitz' name is mentioned often as a possible replacement to BK at ND. It has also been stated that, although a relatively "local" guy, he is not enamored with ND as they denied him a scholly during his playing days and that he will be a true blue Wildcat forever. Love him as a coach and his record speaks for itself.
And so it goes ND boards clamoring for PJ Fleck Fitz might be the invisible man in the pecking order.
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They have taken a number of kids who did not end up qualifying. At least the ones that make it tend to graduate, I'll give you that.
ok so then we should accept that Minnesota... Minnesota will be consistently better than us and we might beat them sometimes /s
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