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Pat Fitzgerald admits level of concern following Northwestern’s disastrous losing streak
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Northwestern had another questionable loss Saturday night as the Wildcats were defeated by the Miami (OH) Redhawks. The Wildcats are now 1-3 on the year and 1-0 on B1G play.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald addressed the level of concern for the Wildcats’ play on the field against the Redhawks. He admitted he’s always concerned when the team is losing, and right now, it’s a 3-game losing streak for Northwestern.
After the strong start in Dublin, the Wildcats have lost all 3 nonconference games – including in Week 3 to FCS Southern Illinois. If things aren’t fixed quickly, Northwestern could be looking at a long season of B1G games.
In his opening statement, head coach Pat Fitzgerald credits Miami, saying it would be a “hard-fought game.”
“We had inopportune turnovers,” Fitz said. “We continue to beat ourselves. Giving up short fields. It’s not rocket science. You gotta take care of the ball.”
— Inside NU (@insidenu) September 25, 2022
Fitz on this week’s practice: “I don’t think we have a practice problem right now. The guys are working incredibly hard. We’re just not executing on gameday for whatever reason. I start with us first as coaches.”
— Inside NU (@insidenu) September 25, 2022
Fitz notes his optimism regarding how his players are still battling, but emphasizes the turnover ratio as the primary focus.
“We’ve put our defense in a tough spot on numerous occasions.”
— Inside NU (@insidenu) September 25, 2022
Fitz on executing better on gameday: “I think winning. That cures a lot of ills.”
Said sustaining momentum and having leads will mitigate stressors.
“We typically have won a lot of really close games…because we play complementary football.”
— Inside NU (@insidenu) September 25, 2022
Fitz: “I’m concerned when we don’t win. Let me be very clear on that. We’ve had the same recipe with three straight games.”
— Inside NU (@insidenu) September 25, 2022
The Wildcats have a road trip to take on No. 14 Penn State next weekend at 3:30 ET on ESPN.