Fitzgerald unhappy with NU's blowout win
The way the touchdowns were coming, one after another like cars speeding down the freeway, no one needed to prod Northwestern to pour it on.
Well, one person did.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald wants to see a more sustained effort Saturday against Eastern Michigan than he did in the season opener when the Wildcats pounded Towson 47-14. They scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and added a safety to make it 30-0, but Fitzgerald didn't like what he saw after that -- a team in neutral.
"Right there is where I thought we took our foot off the gas," Fitzgerald said. "We turned it over the next series and then give up the touchdown. Those things are unacceptable, first the turnover and then the inability to put the fire out."
Otherwise, it was an impressive start by a team that is aiming high on the heels of a 9-4 season. The Wildcats hope to contend in the Big Ten after reaching the Alamo Bowl last year, and Fitzgerald realizes they can't afford any letdowns.
He was somewhat critical after the opener and again this week heading into what could be another blowout.
Eastern Michigan last had a winning season in 1995 and is 0-24 against the Big Ten. The Eagles have a new coach in former Louisville and Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English after going 3-9 last season and they're coming off a 27-14 season-opening loss to Army.
Now, they're headed to Ryan Field, where Northwestern held Towson to 65 yards rushing and 205 in all. That didn't exactly leave their coach satisfied.
"We did not play the way we're capable of," Fitzgerald said. "Fundamentally, technically, effort-wise, emotionally -- those are all areas where we can improve. Probably most disappointing was the focus. And that's hard. It's human nature. When you're up 30-0, it's hard to keep your foot on the pedal. But great players, great teams, great competitors can do that."
What he saw instead were promising flashes, with quarterback Mike Kafka and Andrew Brewer setting career-highs of 192 yards passing and 145 receiving.
Kafka, who was 15 of 20 and did not get picked off, might have had more had he not overthrown a wide open Jeravin Matthews on a possible 56-yard touchdown. That was his lone mistake on an afternoon in which he orchestrated three touchdown drives in the first quarter to give Northwestern a commanding lead early on.
"I've always thought Mike's had an excellent arm," said Brewer, who caught a 72-yard touchdown but not from Kafka.
That TD came early in the second quarter from Dan Persa, who attempted just two passes last week. Kafka's the starter, but Fitzgerald said he plans to keep using Persa.
"When exactly it will be, I can't answer that," Fitzgerald said. "But we want to see how the flow of our first group is going but Dan's a weapon, he's a dual-threat quarterback, he had a good day Saturday and did a good job sitting back there taking the heat and getting off a good delivery."
The Wildcats also got 77 yards rushing from Stephen Simmons and 48 along with two touchdowns from freshman Arby Fields.
One thing they did not get was a big contribution from all-conference defensive end Corey Wootton, who suffered a torn ACL in the Alamo Bowl and did not play much against Towson. Fitzgerald said he was on the field for 14 or 15 snaps and didn't really have a chance to make a play.