Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28 • Postgame Quotes
Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Neb.
October 24, 2015
Postgame Quotes
Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
Opening Statement...
“First of all I want to tip my hat to Mike Riley. He's a pro's pro, a coach's coach and a great friend. As I said to him after the game, I've got so much respect for Mike and the way he carries himself, and the way that he's always run his programs. We knew today was going to be a hard-fought battle. Those Cornhuskers have been through so many tough games this year, gut-wrenchers. They probably feel the same way today after the way today's went. So I tip my hat to Mike and his young men. To talk about our guys, I'm just really proud of the resilience. We didn't necessarily play great at all early, but we stuck together and found a way to make some plays there in the first half and make it a game. Then in the second half we made big plays offensively, and the field position battle I felt we won pretty decisively and then on top of that, our defense made some big stops down the stretch. They were on the field for way too long. To see the way those guys rose up on defense was absolutely terrific. A great team win, a huge team win to get us over the hump to get to six and get to the postseason. But we just talked about that in the locker room, six is not the destination. We didn't talk in camp about let's get to six wins. I'm proud of the way the guys fought and I'm proud of their resiliency. So now we've got to wrap up midterms and get some rest. We need it, and then get ready to go for November."
On quarterback Clayton Thorson's scrambles...
"That's the great thing about college football, the quarterbacks are a factor good, bad or indifferent. They are a factor with their legs and their arms and both Tommy (Armstrong Jr.) and Clayton made big plays today. I'm really proud of Clayton. It wasn't going the way we wanted it to be going throwing the football early, but he stayed the course and he made some huge plays with his legs and settled down and really started to take what the defense was giving him in the second half. That was really the difference in the game."
On Northwestern getting its mojo back after this win...
"I don't know if we lost our mojo. I hate to disappoint bloggers, but our guys don't listen to them. It's just the way the world is today, you win five games and everyone tells you how great you are and really you watch the tape, and I said it, we are not that good. I didn't want it to be a self-fulfilling prophecy obviously, but for two weeks we played two really good football teams. That's going to happen when you get into conference play and you just have to keep swinging and battling. It's the world you live in, and you've got to shut the noise off and I think the kids did a good job with that and they stayed the course. We've got a big month ahead of us, but to get over the hump and get postseason eligibility was huge for our program and a step in the right direction. We couldn't do it without the great support we have at every level. Best A.D. in the country, best President in the country. Our band came out here today. That was awesome. Those kids traveling 10 hours on a bus. It was unbelievable, and I appreciate all those fans that were with us. Big, big team win today."
On Maliek Collins' late hit on the last drive
"That's really uncharacteristic of their team. I don't know what happened. I didn't see it, and you hate to see that happen for a young man. It's a competitive game played by competitive guys and maybe he just lost his cool."
On the two-point conversion stop...
"We had pretty solid coverage and we forced Tommy to come back to his last choice in the progression on his back side. That was great discipline, and we were very fortunate. They had been pretty successful on two-point conversions coming into this game. To get that was huge."
On the game plan for Tommy Armstrong Jr. ...
"We tried to change some things up pre-snap and post-snap, but we do that every week though. I don't think it was anything new for Tommy. The plan that we didn't execute very well was that we needed to keep him between the tackles, but that obviously was not very good today. I'm disappointed with that. We didn't give up that explosive scramble touchdown that when you look at their explosive play tape, that's why I stayed up all week. His ability to keep plays alive and make explosive plays with his arm is deadly, and I think for the most part we were able to keep that to a minimum."
On the close nature of the games between Northwestern and Nebraska...
"I'll go back to when it was with Bo (Pelini) and he and I are really close. Since I've played Nebraska they've played the game the right way. It's tough, physical and they play as a team, all three phases are well-coached. Fast forward to Mike (Riley) and it was the same thing. You look at them on tape and there were some little differences just because staffs are different. Excellent personnel, great talent and this is a huge, huge home field advantage. To come in here really the last three times and be within a (Jordan) Westerkamp ridiculous catch, we are very fortunate. I'm just really proud of our guys. I thought they battled and fought. And with our staff, I thought they did a great job and put together a good plan. We had to adjust at halftime, and I thought we did."
Northwestern Student-Athletes
Senior Cornerback Nick VanHoose
On the feeling of making a bowl game...
"It's really exciting to be bowl eligible. There are a lot of guys in the locker room, me and a couple seniors were talking and we have never experienced going to a bowl game. So it is great to hit that mark. But six is not what we want, obviously we want more than that."
On his interception return for touchdown...
"Well I was in cover two and Anthony (Walker) took him out of the pocket, and I saw that the running back came out to my side. I figured Anthony is chasing him around, he is going to throw the ball eventually. And I ran up and got it. After I got it, I started running and I basically had one person beat, and Deonte Gibson was running his heart out and got a block for me, cut back and it’s history from there."
On having Tommy Armstrong Jr. confused...
"Coach Hank does a really great job of changing up coverages and what not. We figured Tommy would have problems if we were mixing up the defense disguise. I think we did a good job of that."
On if the defense was tired...
"We do a lot of off season conditioning, so we are always ready to get out there and go. You get fatigued pretty easily when your offense goes three-and-out most of the time. We are out there a lot, it can get pretty tiring. You've just got to perservere."
On what was going through his head on the two-point conversion...
"We've got to win. We've got to find a way to win. Marcus (McShepard) ended up making a huge play there at the end of the game. I know he was struggling a little bit, but he was resilient and made a great play."
On the conversion play...
"We practice a lot of plays during the week. I think the play they ran was actually one that we have practiced. I believe we were ready for it."
On the 2013 Hail Mary play...
"It is a little bit of redemption but its just great to come out here and get a win with my brothers."
Senior Defensive End Dean Lowry
On setting Northwestern records...
"It's cool but I think it was more of a defensive effort I think today. The line was more focused on guys like Anthony (Walker) and (Jaylen) so it allowed me to be open and make some plays."
On containing Tommy Armstrong Jr....
"It was a challenge watching him on film. He is somebody that is very elusive and a dual-threat guy. At times he got away from us, but overall we did a good job of containing him."
On how much Coach Pat Fitzgerald talked to them during practice last week...
"It was a very uptempo practice. Guys were getting after it. Losing to Iowa was a very tough loss for us, but we responded well and I think guys can get through tough losses and set the tone with work ethic and attitude."
On what was said at halftime...
"Coach Fitz at halftime called the defense out and said we were beating ourselves out there, and to go make a play so that's what we did the second half."
On how they stayed fresh defensively...
"I think a big key to that was we rotate a lot. We rotate usually eight to 10 defensive linemen, so a lot of the guys who were starters felt fresh for the fourth quarter."
On being a senior with his team having six wins
"It’s a big win, it's very special playing against a historical team like Nebraska. I think that momentum is back on our side and we have to run with it."
Sophomore Linebacker Anthony Walker
On the plan for containing Armstrong...
"First I've got to give credit to him. He is a great player and kept us on our toes all day, scrambling outside the pocket. We just formed a wall and forced him into mistakes, and we made great plays and were able to capitalize on his mistakes. I give my hat off to him. He is a great player. But we were able to make some plays as well."
On knowing they are bowl eligible before their bye week....
"Just to know we are eligible for a bowl is great, but that's not the goal."
On if he was worried what way this team might go after last two weeks...
"Not at all. I knew we were a very strong team. We just needed to come out and play our game. We were able to get on track this week. Focus on us, was the main thing, just focus on us. Don't worry about what we can't control. I think we were able to do that today."
Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley
Opening Statement...
"All right, that's a really disappointing game for us. All those things that we talked about and thought were making some strides in some ways, like balance, run/pass ratio, all that stuff didn't look too good today. We threw 48 passes and it was just really inconsistent. Defensively, man we played a ton of good defense. (We made) lots of good plays. We gave up probably three or four big plays. That was probably the name of the game in that regard. A couple of quarterback runs or long passes near (Northwestern's) last score were major differences in the game. I think that was probably it. One of the biggest problems we had today was having a hard time blocking their front to run the football. That part of it was tough sledding. We ended up with some rushing yards, but a lot of them were, I think, some ad-lib stuff as we went. I think that was a key, key issue in the game."
On the lack of offensive line substitutions...
"That's probably a good point. We have historically allowed the line to get a rhythm and play together and haven't brought guys in and out. They can get a rhythm going. That's kind of been historically what we've done. With our players right now, an opportunity for them to get to play, especially with Zach Sterup back in there now and Nick (Gates) getting healthy, is going to be something we re-examine probably tomorrow and see if Nick could be ready. Zach has been playing, (we'll ask ourselves) how does that work?"
On whether there could be changes to the substitution patterns at the guard and center positions...
"Well, I would say there's some guys in there. Jerald Foster is a guy. At one time, we were really considering that with Chris Long, to do that with. David Knevel had a concussion in practice. That is one area that we don't (substitute), and we might."
On whether Northwestern's success was based on game plan...
"Well, they do a nice job of coaching it, but those guys are good, too. We had to block them, and they were coming off blocks and making plays. Their linebackers were extremely fast to the football. We didn't get them cut off, it looked to me like, often enough and that's what created their opportunity."
On Tommy Armstrong Jr.'s performance...
"Quarterbacking, and every position, is all about choices. (The interception) wasn't a great choice, he knows it, everybody in the world knows it. He made some good throws. We dropped a number of balls that really could've helped him out. When you're doing that for the quarterback, then the rhythm of stuff (goes away). He made some nice plays, but it was not enough. There was too much inconsistency within all that that helped contribute to the loss."
On whether the team showed a lack of intensity...
"I hope not. I think that, except for that quarterback run, I know I'm throwing a "but" in there, but the defense played a lot of good ball early on in the ballgame. I thought really good. We ended up losing inside containment, (Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson) breaks it. I don't know, as a general statement about our team, if that is correct. Now I would say other parts of it look like that. The opening kickoff team looked like that. Offensively, we were not in sync from the get-go, we looked like that. And then you've got to give them a little credit. That's a good defensive team. (They're) solid. I think they've been third in the league in rush (defense), third in the league in pass (defense)."
On whether the team showed a lack of urgency...
"Possibly. I think you could throw any of that in there. Like I said, I don't know if I could sit here and apply that to everybody. I don't know if that's fair."
On special teams struggles...
"I was really shocked. Contest-wise, special teams against special teams, it feels the most lopsided that we've played this year. And penalties on special teams, too, really bothered me today."
On concerns with personal foul penalties...
"The last one was just emotions at the end of the game, which is not an excuse, but that's what happened. The other one, I really only saw the end of it, where we pulled the guy down and they had a foul on the play, and then we pulled a guy down late in the middle of the field, all I saw was the end of it and the flag. No, I don't feel good about it."
On his message to the team...
"Well, I told them we're going to coach football and practice football on Monday, and we're going to continue to work to get better. Everybody that wants to do that will be there. I think that this group will be."
On changes to the practice routine to improve physicality...
"Well, we've been at the edge at a lot of positions, injury-wise, especially at linebacker. Most of your wide-open hitting would be with a group like that. Our bye isn't until the end, so there's a wear-down theory factoring in here that you have to be aware of. I think that we practice with really good intensity two hard days a week. I don't think that contributes necessarily to what that looked like. I think that we were prepared physically, we just didn't make enough plays."
On the failed two-point conversion play...
"They moved into coverage, Tommy went to the backside. The guy got a hand in on the backside route. (Tommy) got through the progression, they covered the front side of it pretty well, we had a guy coming over the middle with the back clearing it, and the guy got a hand in there and knocked the ball away."
On whether it was the same two-point conversion play that was run against Miami...
"Not quite, but close. It looked to me like a tipped pass, but we'll know more tomorrow. We'll talk about it on Monday."
On whether Northwestern's defense was the best Nebraska has played against...
"Wisconsin was good too. Similar-type deals. They had some front guys that we had a hard time with. Big #94 (Northwestern defensive linemen Dean Lowry) was a good player. Those linebackers were really active. That's a good defense."
