After an unexpected week off because Minnesota cancelled last Saturday's game due to COVID-19, head coach Pat Fitzgerald and select Wildcats players addressed the media on Monday.
Here are five takeaways from the session as the Wildcats prepare to play Illinois:
The Cats and the Hat: Northwestern has already wrapped up its first goal as a program by winning the Big Ten West. But don’t think the Wildcats will be looking toward the Big Ten championship game when they have a date with rival Illinois for the Land of Lincoln trophy on Saturday at Ryan Field.
The Wildcats are gunning for their sixth straight win over the Illini.
“There’s always a little extra emphasis when it comes to rivalry week because at the end of the day you want to beat your rival and win that trophy,” said senior safety JR Pace. “Any time you play for a trophy it’s always a big deal. This is always a fun game to look forward to and I’m excited. It’s normally always going to be a war so I’m looking forward to it.”
Linebacker Paddy Fisher, who, like Pace, will be playing Illinois for the fourth time in his career and has yet to lose, says he didn’t have a natural rival at Katy (Texas) High School, even though it’s a state powerhouse program. So he appreciates having one in college.
“It was just awesome to kind of have that quote-unquote hatred for a team, but at the same time respecting them because rivalry weeks are always very good games and very close game more times than not,” he said. “Having that extra energy and that atmosphere going into the week knowing ‘this is your rival’ is just really cool.”
While grad transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey is new to this Northwestern-Illinois rivalry, he experienced an intense one at Indiana, where the Hoosiers and Purdue play for the Old Oaken Bucket every year.
“In a rivalry game, you’re always gonna get your opponent’s best shot,” said Ramsey. “Forget records, forget history, forget anything. They’re coming for you. And that’s the way it is.”
Northwestern’s unicorn: Fitzgerald calls Greg Newsome II a unicorn. To Fitzgerald, the junior corner is a rare, one-of-a-kind type of player.
Fitzgerald lauds him for his work ethic and his leadership, and for being a great teammate. But it’s his play on the field that stands out to most.
“I think all that follow our program have seen that he’s a shutdown corner,” said Fitzgerald. “He’s as good as there is in our league. And I would argue he’s as good of a corner as there is anywhere in the country.”
Other observers seem to share the same opinion. Pro Football Focus tweeted that over the last three games – against Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan State – Newsome has been in coverage 77 times. On those snaps, his receiver was targeted 11 times and made one catch, for seven yards. Newsome also picked off one of those passes, against Wisconsin.
Fitzgerald has had some good cornerbacks over the years, including All-Big Ten first-team selections like Sherrick McManis and Montre Harage, and he says that Newsome belongs “right up there at the top.
“He’s got a corner’s demeanor. He’s got a short memory, but he’s got a quick fuse. I mean, he’s got a high motor and a great mindset to go out there and take on great players. He’ll have his hands full this week since Josh [Imatorbhebhe] is a great player and one of the best receivers in the Big Ten.”
Expect the unicorn to be up for the challenge.
Comeback Cats? Seniors have a decision this year that no class before them have faced. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 season will not count against a player’s eligibility clock.
So seniors and redshirt seniors can come back for another year, if they want. And Fitzgerald has made it clear that all of the fourth- and fifth-year players who will be honored by the team on Saturday for Senior Day would be welcomed back in no uncertain terms.
“I told all of our guys last week and said, “Listen, we want all of you guys back. We want to make sure that we give you the opportunity to come back if that’s what you choose to do,’” he said.
Fitzgerald expects the players to talk things over with their families and start the decision process at some point after the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 19. They have three options: pursue the NFL, come back and play at Northwestern, or join Fitzgerald in the “retired football player club.”
Grad transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey and redshirt senior wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman said that they hadn’t even started thinking about that proposition.
Whatever they decide, Fitzgerald said, “They unequivocally have my 100% support.”
Mutual admiration society: Fisher has been Northwestern’s star middle linebacker for four years, and as enters the last few weeks as a Wildcat – if he chooses to pursue the NFL rather than come back to NU – it’s time to look back and assess his career.
A physical player and leader from Day 1, Fisher’s most obvious comp is his head coach. When asked who was the better player, Fitzgerald took his customary self-deprecating stance.
“There’s no doubt he’s a better player than I am. It’s not even close,” said Fitzgerald. “All three of these (linebackers) are a million times better athletes than I ever wish I could have been.”
While he may be right about athleticism, Fitzgerald didn’t win back-to-back Bednarik Awards as the best defensive player in college football for nothing.
Fisher doesn’t buy it for a second.
“Definitely Coach Fitz (is the better player),” said Fisher with a smirk. “I mean, I’ve had the opportunity to sit there and watch film with him from back in his heyday, and you know there’s no mistake why he was a two-time All American and won all those awards.
“He was a dog, and people would say he was slow and all that, but when I watch tape of him, he was smacking dudes and he was coming downhill and he was playing lights out. So of course I got to give it to him. He’s the best and he paved the way for us.”
Fisher is known as a smart player with good instincts, never more evident than the way he responded to this question and deferred to his head coach.
The Towel Snatcher: Pace became a bit of a celebrity during the Wisconsin game when ESPN’s cameras captured him stealing Wisconsin tight end Hayden Rucci’s towel after Brandon Joseph intercepted a pass.
I turns out that this wasn’t the first time that Pace has swiped some linen. He says he’s done it in every game of his career.
“I’ve been doing that every game and it just happened to get caught on TV,” said Pace. “I kind of just do it as a way to mess with offensive players because they get kind of frustrated with it.”
Pace has played in 44 games in his career, but he has swiped just 43 towels because, he says, Michigan State’s offensive players weren’t wearing them. (Maybe they had advanced warning?)
He doesn’t have to worry about where to keep them in his apartment, however.
“I don’t have any of them because I always end up giving them out,” he said.
