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Skip Myslenski checks in with the Wildcats during their bye week, which, according to Pat Fitzgerald, represents an opportunity for the Wildcats to get healthy and to become more comfortable executing their on-field responsibilities.
Late Thursday morning, after his team's only open practice of this bye week, Pat Fitzgerald echoed the feelings he expressed late Saturday evening, after it had fallen to Nebraska. "We've got to get healthy. That's probably the number one priority. We've got to find a way to get this team healthy for a stretch run," he said back then when asked his goal for this week.
"Get healthy as best we can," he reiterated Thursday when the same question was lobbed his way. "Then get the work in we need. We have one more day physically to do that (at a closed Friday practice) and then get some more rest."
He later demurred when asked if he wanted to discuss the health of specific 'Cats. This was expected and fully understandable. But it is notable that, in this Thursday practice, the non-participants included quarterback Trevor Siemian; superback Dan Vitale; receivers Kyle Prater and Miles Shuler and safeties Ibraheim Campbell and Godwin Igwebuike.
With these absences in mind, and with uncertainty surrounding these 'Cats, Fitzgerald was asked if it was difficult to draw up a game plan for their Nov. 1 game at Iowa.
"We're going to do what we think we can do schematically first and foremost, and then match the personnel," he said. "What we need to do is get those guys who are getting the reps (in practice) to play more consistent this week because if they end up being thrust (into action) like they have been in a couple games, they've got to play better. That's probably more important than anything."
Campbell and LB Collin Ellis did not play at all against the Cornhuskers. Siemian, who has been operating on a damaged ankle since the season's second game, courageously played every offensive snap even though he was sacked four times and battered on countless other occasions. The other quartet opened that evening with integral roles in the `Cats' plans and then exited it as the game unfolded.
Their status for the team's meeting with the Hawkeyes is unknown. But, on Thursday, Fitzgerald would allow that one other goal of this bye-week is to get their backups better prepared to meet the moment in case they are again thrust into the fray. "Some (of those) guys aren't young. That's the problem," he here began.
"Some guys have been here awhile, they just haven't played, now they're getting on the field and they're not playing well. That's the reason they're still a two. Then when they get thrust into it, you become a one and either you're ready or you're not. That's where I've challenged the coaches the most. We've got to get those guys better prepared. Then in the moment, those guys have to go out and play.
"We had a bunch of guys bust (last Saturday). Basically, when we lost (Shuler) and Kyle and Danny, we had guys bust. I heard everybody's all over our quarterback. When guys don't run the right route, he looks pretty bad. When he throws back shoulder balls and guys don't stop, he looks pretty bad. I'm tired of hearing it. Those guys have got to play better. And if they don't, we're going to continue to recruit really good players and they're going to continue to be twos. So they've got to step up. That's the challenge this week for those guys. That group really needs to play better. If they do, I think we can have a successful last half of the season."
What is the biggest obstacle to them playing better?
"You've got to know the system like the back of your hand. When you don't, you're out there thinking. That's what I see. I see guys who, probably over their time, have not spent enough time preparing mentally, watching enough tape on their own. It shows up when your opportunity is there and you don't go out and do the right things. Then, in the second half, we had guys probably play as poor as they've played across the board offensively in probably a month. That's pretty disappointing. We didn't call a whole lot of different plays, and they didn't call a whole lot of different defenses. That's one of the things we've definitely got to do is continue to be more consistent."
Where specifically did guys play as poorly as they had in a month?
"All over, Skip. All over," Pat Fitzgerald finally said. "So we've got plenty of work to do."
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