Pat Fitzgerald and his Northwestern football team are coming off a very successful, if not aesthetically pleasing 2015 season.
They won 10 games, usually in resounding and commanding fashion, but they did it with very few, if any, style points. NU was not a team that achieved a lot of big plays. They just weren’t a chunk/big explosion play kind of team and it made for a less than exciting brand of college football. The passing game severely regressed as the season went on, and thus the offense overall had declined by November.
These issues rather reinforced the old, and grossly inaccurate “plucky underdog who somehow overachieves” Northwestern football stereotype.
Fitzgerald was asked about that stereotype at Big Ten Media Day.
“I think that perception is more external than it is internal. We kind of chuckle about it a little bit internally,” Fitzgerald said.
“Since ’95 there’s been some dips. I know, I’ve coached some of those teams. You know this our renaissance. We’re far from the finished product, but to get the type of support from our University, our trustees, unbelievable President, unbelievable Chairman of the trustees.”
“Unbelievable A.D. That type of support, when I talk to the guys that were here before me, coaches, players that I’m very close with. It just wasn’t there, and it breaks your heart for those guys, but we stand up on their shoulders and we take a lot of pride in that a lot of guys had to sacrifice, and go through that lack of support and lack of commitment for us to be where we are today.”
“I think we’re very thankful for that, in some places that maybe people might take it for granted.”
Full audio with the Northwestern football coach (this isn’t the grand ballroom session that was televised, this is the from the breakout sessions) is posted below. This specific conversation begins around the 15-16 mark.
https://soundcloud.com/p-m-banks/pat-fitzgerald-b1g-media-day-1
This conversation pertains mostly to the infrastructure behind the team, the off the field stuff. Which is in essence more important than anything else. It defines the Northwestern football identity. However, the casual fan isn’t all that interested in these sorts of topics. They want to know more about the Northwestern football identity on the field.
After the regular season finale, Fitzgerald addressed those who called his team really boring to watch:
“We know exactly who we are and we’ve embraced that in Big Ten play,” said Pat Fitzgerald post game.
“We’re a Chicago football team, we’re old school, four yards and a cloud of dust. To a lot of people, they think that’s boring, I could care less what they think. I call it a win. That’s who we are right now, I’d love to put up the Baylor numbers, and I’d love to put up the numbers of some of these other teams offensively, but they can’t shake a stick at our defense.”
In 2015, NU had everything going for it other than a passing game. Today though, passing is where it’s at. That’s what’s exciting and interesting. It sells tickets and gets ratings.
What will the Northwestern football identity be in 2016?
This exchange from Big Ten Media Day is a good indicator.
Q. Last year’s team had some similarities to one of the opponents in your days that they had a very strong central back, kind of carrying the load. Remember Robert Holcombe and the Illini in ’95. Do you see Holcombe in Justin Jackson or is there any other back that you played against in the Big Ten that Jackson kind of reminds you of, like a throw back to those days, the black and blue division of the Big Ten?
COACH FITZGERALD: “When I look at J.J. he reminds me a lot — different styles a little bit, but just in my time at Northwestern, some of our backs. Similar to Tyrell Sutton with his vision. And Noah Herron, how Noah was a big back, but didn’t seem he really got hit that hard. Was always able to slip tackles.
And maybe Jason Wright with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. So maybe a combination of all three of those guys is kind of what I see in J.J. — very talented player from a standpoint of being able to do everything. Just not a first-down back or third-down back. He’s a complete back. Still has room for improvement in his game.”
“But a young man that we’ve got to have more balance offensively to get people out of the box. I think most games we saw eight, nine guys in the box and we’ve got to be able to throw it more efficiently to be able to loosen some people up to respect our passing game to be quite frankly more explosive offensively this year.”
New Year’s Day bowls/double digit wins don’t come along very often in Evanston, so the lack of buzz for last year’s group was disappointing. Attendance, ratings, etc. would have all been much higher if NU would have had more explosion plays and star power. At 4.5 yards per play, their offense was dead last in the Big Ten.
In 2016, they must do more than just win, they have to win with panache and style. As much of a star as Justin Jackson is, and he truly is a great back, they need to be so much more this fall.
The 2015 offense was reminiscent of this old NFL Films poetry, narrated by “the voice of God” John Focedna below:
“Carrying the ball 20 times a game requires power and valor, not niftiness. The water bug and whip it backs rarely survive the whail and howl of the banshee. Every team needs a brahma bull to power through the stacked defenses in the pros. They must meld the buck of a billy-goat, with the sudden surge of a sprint.”
“He does not move with polish or slickness. His method is not Grand Prix, but demolition derby.”
It doesn’t full apply to Justin Jackson in every way, but you get the idea. The passage itself, obviously, is from a less politically correct time.
To help Jackson out, and to truly complete the Northwestern football renaissance, they need to have a vertical passing game and lots of chunk plays in 2016.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.