What did Fitzgerald say post game?
- Thread starter Catbeast
- Start date
I'd actually be interested to hear his thoughts (as predictable as the may be), but two hours after the game and no one here or at insidenu has posted the presser notes. 
I could care less what he says, but I do care about what he does about it.
Seems like an annual rite of passage - the press conference where Fitz says we are a bad football team right now. I am starting to believe in Jerry DiNardo's insights more and more. You can tell he wasn't reading that this team was very strong after the tour and that he was offering compliments more to placate all the pro-NU announcers surrounding him. NU generally gets better as the year goes along - not always - so we have that going for us.
I just fired Cushing. Maybe more pink slips to come tomorrow.
DiNardo has Fitz pegged. Not a fan of his coaching. Can't win on the scoreboard if you can't win in the trenches.
Your post is dead on. DiNardo repeated at every opportunity that our O line was the "deciding factor" (read: O line sucks horribly - cross your fingers)
His actual quote:
"We got outcoached, out-executed, outplayed," Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said, "and that starts and ends with me."
So what are you going to do about it, coach? Yell louder at practice? Have longer discussion sessions with the Leadership Council to try to determine what the problem is?
The players have already told him that the O-line is the weak link on this team. That unit looked bad again today. What's the solution, coach?
"We got outcoached, out-executed, outplayed," Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said, "and that starts and ends with me."
So what are you going to do about it, coach? Yell louder at practice? Have longer discussion sessions with the Leadership Council to try to determine what the problem is?
The players have already told him that the O-line is the weak link on this team. That unit looked bad again today. What's the solution, coach?
We have some potential with our young guys on the O line. The lack of any type of consistency over the past half decade is alarming. Sorry all the guys we recruit have not been projects. My fear is we have been and will continue to miss out on top tier OL recruits unless a change is made. This is one of the rare cases where I believe we would immediately increase interest in the program when recruits see the HC is willing to upgrade his staff to make them better.
Honestly...I'm sick of the "it's on me" quote. Because what he's really saying is:
"it's on me, but I know I'm covered, and therefore I can cover for my assistants. I'm saying what I think I should say because it makes me sound responsible and accountable, but no, I will not do anything to change. We'll watch some film, make the most minuscule of changes, and then see how it goes. But none of my coaches will ever be fired, and if you press me to fire them, I will only push back even more. We will do things my way around here, and you can't convince me to change."
"it's on me, but I know I'm covered, and therefore I can cover for my assistants. I'm saying what I think I should say because it makes me sound responsible and accountable, but no, I will not do anything to change. We'll watch some film, make the most minuscule of changes, and then see how it goes. But none of my coaches will ever be fired, and if you press me to fire them, I will only push back even more. We will do things my way around here, and you can't convince me to change."
In fact, it is NOT "all on him”. The statement he made is contradictory on its face. It wasn’t “him” but the players on the field who were “... out-executed, outplayed”.
Cliches (like "it’s on me”) are par for the course, they should at least be internally consistent. Besides, I believe that even a C-minus game plan drawn up against a basically “equal” opponent can be okay if those who are executing it are focused, amped up, aggressive, and play smart football.
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This point has been made and made and made for years. At this point, what "smart kid" is going to come here to play OL for Adam Cushing? His resume has to be the least impressive football resume of any offensive line coach anywhere in the country! These kids can get on the internet and they can read.
The top OT in Illinois, Trev Keegan is looking for a reason to go to NU instead of those jerks at Michigan. Don't you think we are getting negatively recruited against by their staff? We are. It's going to take a special kid to turn around and lead our O line. As I've said the past 3 years, we are getting decent recruits, but not the monster OT we need. We have guards playing tackle and that is tough on them and the team.
Of course we're getting negatively recruited on the OL. I can just see Harbaugh saying it:
"Their OL coach played low-level Division III football and coached at the University of Laverne, whatever that is.. That's it. He has never coached anywhere other than Laverne and Shirley and NU. Never even sniffed the big time. That's your guy if you go to NU.
If you play here at UM, our OL coach was OL coach at USC before this. Before that, he was OL coach for the San Francisco 49ers and for Stanford.
So take your pick, son. Laverne & Shirley ... or USC, Stanford and the NFL?"
"Their OL coach played low-level Division III football and coached at the University of Laverne, whatever that is.. That's it. He has never coached anywhere other than Laverne and Shirley and NU. Never even sniffed the big time. That's your guy if you go to NU.
If you play here at UM, our OL coach was OL coach at USC before this. Before that, he was OL coach for the San Francisco 49ers and for Stanford.
So take your pick, son. Laverne & Shirley ... or USC, Stanford and the NFL?"
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And it ain't just Michigan. Illinois has Luke Butkus, who not only has the name but has been an OL coach for the Bears, Seahawks and Jaguars.
I could go on and on, but it's depressing when you look up OL coaches at Indiana and Illinois and Purdue and Rutgers and wonder "why can't we get guys like that?"
I could go on and on, but it's depressing when you look up OL coaches at Indiana and Illinois and Purdue and Rutgers and wonder "why can't we get guys like that?"
Ironically, our last o-lineman to get a sniff in the NFL (Netter) is now a graduate assistant at Michigan. It would be great to get him back to NU, to help right the ship.
We need him to stay there a few seasons to learn something new. I love our guys and the idea of hiring the wonderful players I used to cheer for is really romantic but if we are unwilling to stir the pot of coaches, we really need some fresh blood from somewhere. I keep hoping that they are debriefing with the grad transfers about differences they see in the programs.
100% this. Just because our former players are getting into coaching, which is awesome, doesn't mean they should come back to NU on day one and swim in the same bath water. Learn elsewhere, from different people with different experiences. Compare and contrast.
Know what's going to strengthen your argument? Making it over and over and over and over...
FIRE THE EFFING OL COACH!
Someone's got to scream it in his face until he gets it.
It may or may not, but it definitely makes one feel better. Letting out the steam if you will. I'm all for saying it over and over again, because maybe it might just work and happen. I did it with Bill Carmody afterall. And it worked! So well, that I keep saying it now just for good luck.
If a shitty coach like DiNardo can see it and our coaches can't, what does that tell us?
First of all, it wasn't my argument. PPD raised it. So I suppose he doesn't know what he's talking about?
Second, it's not even an argument at this point. It's a fact. There are no two positions to argue with facts. We are, in fact, being negative recruited against because he has, objectively and in fact, produced absolutely nothing to speak of during his entire tenure here - and everybody we recruit against knows it.
And by the way, nobody (including myself) would raise this week after week if it wasn't actually happening week after week? You want to not hear about Adam Cushing's incompetence again and again? Well, the answer is simple. Cushing could get the OL to play competently. Are you willing to hold your breath for that? I'm not.
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First of all, it wasn't my argument. PPD raised it. So I suppose he doesn't know what he's talking about?
Second, it's not even an argument at this point. It's a fact. There are no two positions to argue with facts. We are, in fact, being negative recruited against because he has, objectively and in fact, produced absolutely nothing to speak of during his entire tenure here - and everybody we recruit against knows it.
When you've repeated it about 27 times in 12 hours, it's your argument.
I'm not interested in debating anything with you. In part because there's really no debate to be had here. I wish you only the best in continuing to believe whatever it is that you believe. It must be sort of lonely being the only guy here who continues to believe despite all evidence to the contrary that our answer for the OL is Adam Cushing. So I sort of empathize with your plight. Be well my friend. Be well.
There are so many positives with this team and this program, it's sad that we have this constant sore spot and we don't do anything about it.
There are so many positives with this team and this program, it's sad that we have this constant sore spot and we don't do anything about it.
You've been here a while, yeah? So you've just selectively decided to forget where I was calling for Cushing's job after last year's WMU/ISU debacle? Or where I was saying that I would be OK if Cushing and/or Springer were let go before the 2016 season because change could probably be good to shake up those units (though Carr's development/performance last season probably removed some of the pressure on Springer)?
One more crap showing from our OL and I'll be right back in line with you, but one game isn't going to do it for me.
Wait, wasn't it 'Fire the wide recievers coach and hire a tennis ball machine?" Oh wait....
Again, not interested in getting into a squabble or a debate with you. If what you say is true, my apologies. I just want to see this abysmal situation rectified as soon as humanly possible. Like tomorrow. I really don't care who is for or against it or how it happens or who gets credit or who called for it first or any of that petty stuff. What matters is that an insane talent like JJTBC not waste his senior session getting tackled for one yard losses because we can't block anybody. That's all I care about. I don't care if Bozo the Clown is our OL coach as long as he gets our guys getting leverage, creating holes and holding blocks.
It's not as bad as it seems. Yes,a poor game, but we should expect a win against BGSU and then a strong game against Wisconsin. 3 weeks will make a big difference.
Hey, can you do us all a solid and keep on hyperposting your thoughts on Cushing? These post are so very thoughtful and entertaining to read, and in absolutely no way make you look like a 12-year old.
Sincerely,
No one ever
I said before the season let's give the o-line a shot for a couple of games before deciding it's the weak link on the team. Well, we're two games in, and it's looking as if the fears were justified. While we don't have a bevy of four-stars on our line, we do have players who were recruited by other p5 programs, so we should potentially have at least an average o-line. If the performance doesn't improve fast, I will join the ranks of those calling for a coaching change. With our secondary currently in disarray, this becomes an even more crucial issue. If our offense is doing nothing, it gives opposing offenses that much more time to pick on our depleted secondary. I'm coming out to the Penn State-NU game this year, and that is going to get VERY ugly for the Cats if Fitz doesn't get the house in order. The thought of Mike Gesicki and Penn State's fleet of 6-3 wideouts running against our current secondary, let alone worrying about Barkley at RB, is not comforting. Hope we can at least have our missing cornerbacks in the lineup by then.
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