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Pat Fitzgerald gives elaborate explanation of early 2-point conversion calls
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Northwestern lost to Wisconsin 24-15 on Saturday.
That much wasn’t a surprise. The Badgers were supposed to win the football game. The Wildcats are now 1-3 overall in 2019.
RELATED: Fitzgerald after 24-15 loss, ‘I wish I could teach a class at Northwestern on analytics’
However, that’s not what people are talking about when looking back on the game. People are discussing the two separate two-point conversions that coach Pat Fitzgerald decided to go for. At one point, the Wildcats trailed 24-9.
Fitzgerald decided to go for two to try and make it a 13-point game as opposed to a 14-point one. And then, after the first attempt failed, he went for it again when Northwestern trailed 24-15.
Here’s Fitzgerald on Monday, who pointed toward the analytics, as to why he went for it both times:
It went for 2, down 24-9. And it went for 2 again, down 24-15.
What was @coachfitz51's thought process at Wisconsin?
"We're playing the eighth-ranked team on the road, and I'm going to win the game in regulation. So how do you get there?" pic.twitter.com/qg12PFWAID
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 30, 2019
Fitzgerald isn’t saying that every time his team is down 15, nine or has a chance to win with a two-point conversion, that he will go for it. Situations matter.
And on Saturday, he felt the situations pointed toward going for two.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.