By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
Outtakes from that annual ritual known as Football Media Day. . . .
NO DECISION on who will succeed Clayton Thorson as the 'Cats starting quarterback, and it doesn't seem like it's coming anytime soon.
"It's a battle and everyone in our program knows it's a battle," said Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald, referring to the competition among a quintet of candidates that includes the highly-touted Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson and the experienced senior TJ Green. It will be a surprise, in fact, if the winner of this battle is known prior to the 'Cats sprinting out onto the field at Stanford Stadium on August 31.
AMONG THE NUGGETS Fitzgerald dropped while discussing the "battle" was, "the best part of our quarterback room right now is they're each other's biggest fans. They're really trying to help each other. They're being coaches on the field so to speak. I really like the entire group. They're great teammates."
Of course, that can be regarded as a bit of coach speak and swallowed with a grain of skepticism. However, while discussing the offense, receiver Riley Lees echoed his coach.
"They're all working together," he said without solicitation. "They're helping each other. They're all being selfless. We'll watch film together after practice, quarterbacks and receivers, and they're communicating with each other on plays and trying to help each other. Ultimately we're all in this together. We're a team. We're trying to be the best team possible, so no one's holding back in helping other people."
AN OBVIOUS QUESTION, with quarterbacks sharing reps, is whether they can achieve synergy with their receivers.
"That was accomplished long ago," said Lees, accomplished while playing pitch-and-catch in the spring and summer.
"Honestly," he said, "I don't even realize who's in at practice. It's a rotation. I'm worried about what I need to do on the play. If we're on the same page with everybody as a whole then things shouldn't be different. That's one of the biggest things that I've noticed. It seems that it's fluid regardless of who's in, which obviously is great to see."
THAT FLUIDITY, Lees also said, flows throughout the offense, and by design.
"As a group," he explained, "we're pretty in sync with each other. We've all been working together— the line, receivers, the superbacks, quarterbacks, running backs. What we're trying to focus on is being in sync with everybody, knowing where everyone wants to be. We're meeting a lot more with quarterbacks to understand what they want from us. Having that mindset as an offense that we're one unit is one of the things we're focusing on."
ALL FAMILIAR with Fitz's persona are not surprised that he is not announcing his starting quarterback. That is a sound strategy and rarely does he discuss personnel decisions before they are made. It also provides for an extremely competitive atmosphere in camp, something that has been constantly addressed since it began last week. However there was a telling timbre to many of his words and those of his 'Cats, a not-unimportant tone that reflected a well-established program that, like a fine wine, is continuing to mature.
The amity among the quarterbacks is one example of that, and so too are Lees' comments on the offense's search for synchronicity. On the defensive side, that chemistry appears to be molding together as well.
"To see the way a guy like (senior defensive end) Joe Gaziano is mentoring that young defensive line has been awesome," Fitzgerald said. "JR (Pace) and Trav(is Whillock) and Trae (Williams) in the back end, those guys are doing a great job of teaching our young guys what we expect and how to do it. Same thing at linebacker. That's how you really build competitive depth. It's one thing to put plays and scheme in the bank. It's another thing to really invest greatly in your teammates and create a rock-solid brotherhood for when you face adversity. That's what I'm seeing across the board in our squad and specifically in our defense. Every year that group is becoming increasingly, increasingly more selfless, and amazing teammates willing to give their wisdom and knowledge."
"It's our schemes, mostly," Gaziano said when asked about his tutoring. "But it's also our values as a program. What's important is when you step on the practice field. You've got to be hydrated, stuff like that. But it's also taking the extra step and going that extra mile. It's something you have to have as a defensive line. You have to have that heart. You have to have that continuous motor, that relentless motor. It's something we try to instill into young guys early."
Going about your business as a pro is a core idea of what Fitzgerald and his staff are instilling into the minds of each player from the weekly starters to the practice squad.
"This off-season was the most I've seen any group— we basically lived in this building," he said, referring to the new Walter Athletics Center. "Guys were in early. Guys were leaving late. Guys were dedicated to getting better. It wasn't a sometime thing. It wasn't a couple guys. It wasn't just the older guys. It was everybody, top to bottom, every year, every position. Guys were coming in doing extras, trying to get better, putting in extra effort."
FITZGERALD, unexpectedly, did send a valentine to one personnel group, his secondary.
"They may be the best we've had, quite honestly," he said. "I'm excited about that group. I'm really excited. I think, number one, it learned a lot last year. We had to play a lot of guys because of injury. I think the young guys that played a year ago, they learned from that. They're really hungry to improve."
Fitzgerald's words serve as a picture to describe a team in the midst of maturation, exemplified in this case by the junior safety Pace.
"A big thing for me is urgency," Pace said. "There were a couple times last year when I was kind of casual on the field. It's something I've kind of battled with throughout my career, and I've started to hunker down and realize what it is. It's playing with urgency consistently, flying around every play."
Was he taking plays off?
"It's not taking plays off. It's realizing that at this level things happen so fast, you have to make so many adjustments, you have to make so many calls, you've got to be urgent. You can't be lackadaisical, loafing around. You've got to be able to react and make plays. Building that urgency into my game consistently will help me play faster and make more plays."
LAST SPRING, after they wrapped up their final practice, Fitzgerald stressed to his 'Cats to use the wisdom they gained while making their way to the 2018 Big Ten title game to prepare themselves for the season that awaits.
"Starting fast has been difficult for us. That's something we don't want to repeat," Gaziano said. "Then when we did start fast, like the Michigan game— we had a great first half (leading by 10) but the second half we kind of let up on the gas pedal (and lost by three). So if we do start fast, continue that pressure and keep the pedal down. Then different games. The Holiday Bowl. We just didn't quit (winning by 11 after trailing by 17 at the half). No mater what the score was, no matter what the situation was, we were able to get ourselves from under a tough spot. So having that relentless motor once again. Being aware of the situation you're in and fighting your'e way out and coming out on top."
"To attack everything, whether it be meetings, practice," Lees said when asked the same question. "Not taking any days for granted. Just embracing the struggle. And I think, as a team, we've attacked every day, and it's helping us all get better. If the defense is going at it with us, that's helping us. We're getting a good look, they're getting a good look, and everyone's getting better. Ultimately it's just football. And it is tough. It is a grind. But the end result is worth it."
Getting a taste last year, does that make it easier to invest?
"I think it motivates," he says. "We've talked in the receiving room— walking off that field, watching Ohio State celebrate, obviously it hurt, it sucked being so close. But we know what we're capable of and that's obviously our goal every year. But that adds a little more to it this year."
AND FINALLY, Gaziano, on the 'Cats current condition:
"It's fun to be in a program— every year since I've been here we've taken another step. We've won bowl games, then we went to the Big Ten Championship, and now we're hoping to take that next step. It's kind of cool to see this program on the rise, starting to win more and more games each year. It's been a fun ride. To be able to experience that first hand is one of the best parts of playing football right now."
NUsports.com Special Contributor
Outtakes from that annual ritual known as Football Media Day. . . .
NO DECISION on who will succeed Clayton Thorson as the 'Cats starting quarterback, and it doesn't seem like it's coming anytime soon.
"It's a battle and everyone in our program knows it's a battle," said Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald, referring to the competition among a quintet of candidates that includes the highly-touted Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson and the experienced senior TJ Green. It will be a surprise, in fact, if the winner of this battle is known prior to the 'Cats sprinting out onto the field at Stanford Stadium on August 31.
AMONG THE NUGGETS Fitzgerald dropped while discussing the "battle" was, "the best part of our quarterback room right now is they're each other's biggest fans. They're really trying to help each other. They're being coaches on the field so to speak. I really like the entire group. They're great teammates."
Of course, that can be regarded as a bit of coach speak and swallowed with a grain of skepticism. However, while discussing the offense, receiver Riley Lees echoed his coach.
"They're all working together," he said without solicitation. "They're helping each other. They're all being selfless. We'll watch film together after practice, quarterbacks and receivers, and they're communicating with each other on plays and trying to help each other. Ultimately we're all in this together. We're a team. We're trying to be the best team possible, so no one's holding back in helping other people."
AN OBVIOUS QUESTION, with quarterbacks sharing reps, is whether they can achieve synergy with their receivers.
"That was accomplished long ago," said Lees, accomplished while playing pitch-and-catch in the spring and summer.
"Honestly," he said, "I don't even realize who's in at practice. It's a rotation. I'm worried about what I need to do on the play. If we're on the same page with everybody as a whole then things shouldn't be different. That's one of the biggest things that I've noticed. It seems that it's fluid regardless of who's in, which obviously is great to see."
THAT FLUIDITY, Lees also said, flows throughout the offense, and by design.
"As a group," he explained, "we're pretty in sync with each other. We've all been working together— the line, receivers, the superbacks, quarterbacks, running backs. What we're trying to focus on is being in sync with everybody, knowing where everyone wants to be. We're meeting a lot more with quarterbacks to understand what they want from us. Having that mindset as an offense that we're one unit is one of the things we're focusing on."
ALL FAMILIAR with Fitz's persona are not surprised that he is not announcing his starting quarterback. That is a sound strategy and rarely does he discuss personnel decisions before they are made. It also provides for an extremely competitive atmosphere in camp, something that has been constantly addressed since it began last week. However there was a telling timbre to many of his words and those of his 'Cats, a not-unimportant tone that reflected a well-established program that, like a fine wine, is continuing to mature.
The amity among the quarterbacks is one example of that, and so too are Lees' comments on the offense's search for synchronicity. On the defensive side, that chemistry appears to be molding together as well.
"To see the way a guy like (senior defensive end) Joe Gaziano is mentoring that young defensive line has been awesome," Fitzgerald said. "JR (Pace) and Trav(is Whillock) and Trae (Williams) in the back end, those guys are doing a great job of teaching our young guys what we expect and how to do it. Same thing at linebacker. That's how you really build competitive depth. It's one thing to put plays and scheme in the bank. It's another thing to really invest greatly in your teammates and create a rock-solid brotherhood for when you face adversity. That's what I'm seeing across the board in our squad and specifically in our defense. Every year that group is becoming increasingly, increasingly more selfless, and amazing teammates willing to give their wisdom and knowledge."
"It's our schemes, mostly," Gaziano said when asked about his tutoring. "But it's also our values as a program. What's important is when you step on the practice field. You've got to be hydrated, stuff like that. But it's also taking the extra step and going that extra mile. It's something you have to have as a defensive line. You have to have that heart. You have to have that continuous motor, that relentless motor. It's something we try to instill into young guys early."
Going about your business as a pro is a core idea of what Fitzgerald and his staff are instilling into the minds of each player from the weekly starters to the practice squad.
"This off-season was the most I've seen any group— we basically lived in this building," he said, referring to the new Walter Athletics Center. "Guys were in early. Guys were leaving late. Guys were dedicated to getting better. It wasn't a sometime thing. It wasn't a couple guys. It wasn't just the older guys. It was everybody, top to bottom, every year, every position. Guys were coming in doing extras, trying to get better, putting in extra effort."
FITZGERALD, unexpectedly, did send a valentine to one personnel group, his secondary.
"They may be the best we've had, quite honestly," he said. "I'm excited about that group. I'm really excited. I think, number one, it learned a lot last year. We had to play a lot of guys because of injury. I think the young guys that played a year ago, they learned from that. They're really hungry to improve."
Fitzgerald's words serve as a picture to describe a team in the midst of maturation, exemplified in this case by the junior safety Pace.
"A big thing for me is urgency," Pace said. "There were a couple times last year when I was kind of casual on the field. It's something I've kind of battled with throughout my career, and I've started to hunker down and realize what it is. It's playing with urgency consistently, flying around every play."
Was he taking plays off?
"It's not taking plays off. It's realizing that at this level things happen so fast, you have to make so many adjustments, you have to make so many calls, you've got to be urgent. You can't be lackadaisical, loafing around. You've got to be able to react and make plays. Building that urgency into my game consistently will help me play faster and make more plays."
LAST SPRING, after they wrapped up their final practice, Fitzgerald stressed to his 'Cats to use the wisdom they gained while making their way to the 2018 Big Ten title game to prepare themselves for the season that awaits.
"Starting fast has been difficult for us. That's something we don't want to repeat," Gaziano said. "Then when we did start fast, like the Michigan game— we had a great first half (leading by 10) but the second half we kind of let up on the gas pedal (and lost by three). So if we do start fast, continue that pressure and keep the pedal down. Then different games. The Holiday Bowl. We just didn't quit (winning by 11 after trailing by 17 at the half). No mater what the score was, no matter what the situation was, we were able to get ourselves from under a tough spot. So having that relentless motor once again. Being aware of the situation you're in and fighting your'e way out and coming out on top."
"To attack everything, whether it be meetings, practice," Lees said when asked the same question. "Not taking any days for granted. Just embracing the struggle. And I think, as a team, we've attacked every day, and it's helping us all get better. If the defense is going at it with us, that's helping us. We're getting a good look, they're getting a good look, and everyone's getting better. Ultimately it's just football. And it is tough. It is a grind. But the end result is worth it."
Getting a taste last year, does that make it easier to invest?
"I think it motivates," he says. "We've talked in the receiving room— walking off that field, watching Ohio State celebrate, obviously it hurt, it sucked being so close. But we know what we're capable of and that's obviously our goal every year. But that adds a little more to it this year."
AND FINALLY, Gaziano, on the 'Cats current condition:
"It's fun to be in a program— every year since I've been here we've taken another step. We've won bowl games, then we went to the Big Ten Championship, and now we're hoping to take that next step. It's kind of cool to see this program on the rise, starting to win more and more games each year. It's been a fun ride. To be able to experience that first hand is one of the best parts of playing football right now."