April 12--To become more competitive in the Big Ten, Northwestern players must become more competitive among themselves while vying for starting positions.
That's coach Pat Fitzgerald's belief.
"There was nobody who was out on the field who was first-team All-Big Ten last year," he said Saturday. "There wasn't a coach who was assistant coach of the year or head coach of the year out on the field. So we have a lot of work to do."
"If you embrace that and don't hide from it and own why we've had mistakes in the past, you can get better. ... That's what I have seen the guys do."
The Wildcats, who are coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons, wound up spring practices Saturday with a series of drills and simulated game conditions at Lakeside Field in Evanston.
"We had a little bit of everything," Fitzgerald said. "We had some good stops by the defense ... caused a big turnover ... and some explosive runs that our offense got and some nice throws on the field. So we had a little bit of ebb and flow.
"I like the competitive nature of the group. We have a long way to go until the time we get ready in (summer) camp."
For starters, the Wildcats are looking for a quarterback as Zack Oliver, Clayton Thorson and Matt Alviti battle for the spot.
"I like the way I have seen all three guys compete and progress. I look forward to seeing the next step," Fitzgerald said.
Quarterback certainly is not the only position up for grabs. The offensive line bears sorting out and the receiving corps continues to look for that go-to guy.
"I like what both centers (Brad North and Ian Park) have done," Fitzgerald said. "I am not ready to name a starter, but they are both improving and getting better. I like the spring Shane Mertz (6-foot-8, 310-pound senior guard) has had. He is the guy who going into the spring had battled through so many injuries. Geoff (Mogus, 6-5, 305) is a senior who has been incredibly unselfish to move out to tackle. Then the competition at other positions ... it's a work in progress, but I think we're starting to see some things come together."
Quality depth at running back appears to be a major strength. Justin Jackson rushed for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman. Auston Anderson, Solomon Vault, Warren Long and Malcolm Bowman each offers rare skills.
"I said something to the staff the other day. From a competitive standpoint, this is probably the deepest group that we've had, and Justin (lower-body injury) isn't practicing now," Fitzgerald said. "So to see that is great. Will they only play running back next year? I don't know. That group is going to compete to play."
Fitzgerald acknowledged the initiative to unionize college student/athletes as employees was a distraction this time last year.
"We have been able to focus on football and football only, and our team," Fitzgerald said. "To have that distraction eliminated ... for the guys (this spring) it was a lot more fun. They just tried to improve their relationships with each other as teammates ... not worrying about the things that are out of their control."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
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