Six suggestions for Fitz for the second half of the season

The first half of Northwestern’s season has been nothing short of a disaster. The Wildcats opened the season with a promising Big Ten West win over Nebraska in Ireland that seemed to put the problems from last season’s 3-9 debacle behind them.

But they reared their ugly heads again. Quickly.

The Wildcats came back to the States and lost three straight non-conference games, at home, to underdogs. They lost four straight one-score games and then got embarrassed by five touchdowns in a home loss to Wisconsin last time out. They’ve now lost five games in a row and 11 of their last 12 games dating back to last season. And there isn’t another win in sight on the upcoming schedule.

We’ve spent a lot of time documenting all of head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s problems this season. But we thought we’d try to be part of the solution.

Here, then, are our suggestions for what Fitzgerald can do to right his sinking ship – the same ship he said was “just fine” just a few weeks ago.

1. Play Sullivan: It’s time to see what you have in redshirt freshman quarterback Brendan Sullivan and find out if he can spark an offense that ranks 122nd in the nation in scoring and has averaged 9.3 points per game in its last three outings.

Coaches have seen enough of Ryan Hilinski at this point to know he’s not the answer. He has played in 14 games since transferring from South Carolina after the 2020 season and is now 3-11 as the starter. He was phenomenal against Nebraska in the season opener and put up big numbers in a close loss to Duke earlier this year. Outside of that, he’s been inconsistent and mostly ineffective, throwing as many interceptions (six) as touchdowns, and losing a couple fumbles. He’s also currently in the concussion protocol, so his status is up in the air.

Sullivan will add a new dimension to the offense with his running ability. The Cats can run quarterback draws and use sprint outs to move the pocket. After “running around like a chicken with his head cut off” and going three-and-out in his first two possessions against Wisconsin, Sullivan settled in and led a touchdown drive in the third quarter.

We know that most of Sullivan’s yardage came in garbage time against the Badgers, but it really doesn’t matter. The focus is on next season and beyond now. Find out if Sullivan is your quarterback of the future.

2. Bring back the read-option: Northwestern’s offense needs an identity, something they can hang their hat on. With Sullivan, a talented running back room and an experienced offensive line, we think the Cats need to make the running game its focus – as it’s been for most of Fitzgerald’s tenure.

Maybe the Wildcats can get back the read-option game with Sullivan at the controls to stress the defense. While Sullivan may not be Kain Colter, he is a talented runner and presents a credible threat to pull the ball and keep it that the defense has to account for.

Northwestern’s wide receivers haven’t gotten much separation all season, and the passing game has been erratic since the season opener. But the Wildcats have two gifted runners in Evan Hull and Cam Porter. Its offensive line seems to be better suited to run blocking than pass blocking, and they have a bevy of tight ends who can help up front.

A successful running game will build time of possession and keep NU’s suspect defense off of the field. It should also open up the play-action passing game.

3. Get back to basics defensively: Northwestern has had far too many “one-man breakdowns” this season. The Cats have given up 10 plays of 40 or more yards, plays that swung momentum in games and got them beat.

Simplifying the defense may help. We hear Fitzgerald week after week talk about poor eye discipline, missed fits or missed tackles to explain the explosive plays they’ve allowed. The Wildcats often look a step slow in reacting to the opposing offense. It’s a read-and-react type of defense, and it looks like players are spending too much time reading.

Northwestern did something similar last season, after getting assassinated in Lincoln by Nebraska, 56-7. The defense improved for a while during the middle part of the season before going back in the tank in the last couple games.

Will simplifying things help the defense play faster? We don’t know. But it certainly can’t make matters much worse.

4. Lean on your leaders: Any meaningful change can’t just go from the top-down. It has to come from within, too.

The Wildcats have five outstanding captains this year in Adetomiwa Adebawore, Peter Skoronski, Evan Hull, Brendan Gallagher and Andrew Clair. Fitzgerald needs to empower them. They need to challenge their teammates, in the locker room and on the field. They are all responsible for the worst stretch of Wildcat football since 1989-90. They need to decide that enough is enough, and hold each other accountable when things go off the rails.

It’s already too late for this season, but this is about their legacy and doing what’s necessary so that next year’s team is stronger than this one.

5. Put coaches on notice: The only coach whose job should be safe right now is Fitzgerald. This is a systemically struggling team, with almost no bright spots, and Fitzgerald should make it clear that the entire staff is coaching for their jobs the rest of the season.

(We know that a lot of NU fans were hoping for a staff shakeup during the bye week, but that’s not Fitzgerald’s style. We doubt it would have made much of a difference, anyway.)

The message to the coaches should be simple: if you want to keep your job in Evanston, your unit needs to show improvement during the final half of the season. We know that most of the ire from Northwestern fans is directed at defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, but offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and several position coaches don’t seem to be pulling their weight either.

Is this a desperate move? Maybe. But these are desperate times.

6. Cut it loose: Northwestern’s players know that their goals for this season are shot. They would have to go 5-1 the rest of the way to make a bowl game, and that is about as likely as Vladimir Putin winning the Nobel Peace Prize. They’ll be underdogs in all six of their remaining games.

The Wildcats can only be spoilers from here out, but there’s a certain freedom in that. They won't feel the pressure of needing to win a key game to stay in contention in the West or secure a bowl invitation. So they don’t have to be as conservative anymore. They can take chances. Go for it on fourth down. Blitz more often. Take shots downfield. Empty the playbook.

Northwestern needs to flush the entire first half of the season and start anew in the second. The goal is no longer winning the West. The goals are things like posting a winning record over the final six games, knocking off a ranked team or reclaiming The Hat.

Losing isn't fun. Somehow, Northwestern needs to find the fun in the game again.