Nov. 03--When they aren't dressing up in bizarre Halloween costumes -- like the Northwestern player who impersonated coach Pat Fitzgerald over the weekend -- the Wildcats are preparing for bizarre finishes on the field.
There have been a number of them in college football the last few weeks, from Michigan State's touchdown on a bobbled punt snap by Michigan, to Georgia Tech's return of a blocked field-goal attempt by Florida State, to the incredulous (and later determined illegal) eight-lateral kickoff return by Miami to beat Duke.
Fitzgerald tries his best to prepare his players for the unexpected.
"We talked about (unusual circumstances) today; I usually try to go over them on Monday or Tuesday," Fitzgerald said Monday as the Wildcats (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) prepare for Saturday's home game against Penn State (7-2, 4-1). "The coaches will typically -- when it is a great teachable moment -- find that tape or pull it down off the Internet and teach from it.
"You look at things analytically from the standpoint of how you would do things. And we do that every week as a coaching staff, talk about all of the situations."
In addition to the unusual special teams situations, Saturday saw Minnesota lose track of the fact the clock was running down to the final seconds before a quarterback sneak failed in a loss to Michigan.
"That's a tough one," Fitzgerald said. "You've got the elation of a celebration (of an apparent touchdown on an earlier play). Now it's a review and ... is the clock going to run or is the clock not going to run?
"Those are all tough situations. You've got to have them thought out. As a person in my role, that's my job. The management of the game is on me."
Extra points: Fitzgerald said he expects cornerback Matthew Harris, who suffered bone fractures in his face in the Michigan game, to be available to play Saturday. Offensive lineman Adam DePietro, who has been out since the Week 2 game against Eastern Illinois with a right leg injury, will not return this season after surgery. ... Former NU quarterback Zak Kustok (1999-2001), a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2001, will be the honorary captain Saturday. ... Fitzgerald announced he and his wife, Stacy, plan to donate to Jerry Kill's "Chasing Dreams" fund that assists kids with epilepsy. Kill, who has experienced numerous seizures over the past decade, announced his retirement last week as Minnesota's coach due to health concerns.
fmitchell@tribpub.com
