The game has passed Fitz by

[EvanstonCat]

Horse manure!

Yes it was wasn't it? That's what happens when Mike Hankwitz isn't here to cover up the stink.

 

[corbi2961]

Yes it was wasn't it? That's what happens when Mike Hankwitz isn't here to cover up the stink.

Yes it was wasn't it? That's what happens when Mike Hankwitz isn't here to cover up the stink.

Of course. Why didn’t any of us think of that? Except how do you explain the 2019 ’3-9 season when Hank was still here? Let’s see, 3-9 in 2019 with a ****** QB room and Hank here, and 3-9 in 2021 with a ****** QB room and Hank not here. Is it more logical to conclude the most determinative factor is the quality of QB play or the presence of Hank as DC?

 

[wildcatpn]

Of course. Why didn’t any of us think of that? Except how do you explain the 2019 ’3-9 season when Hank was still here? Let’s see, 3-9 in 2019 with a ****** QB room and Hank here, and 3-9 in 2021 with a ****** QB room and Hank not here. Is it more logical to conclude the most determinative factor is the quality of QB play or the presence of Hank as DC?

Both. If Hank was here this season there’s no way this defense would’ve been so bad and looked so clueless most of the time. And the QB position continues to be a mess. That’s on Fitz and staff for talent evaluation, development and flat out failure in making sure the most important position on the field is taken care of.

 

[d'son d]

Who chooses NU makes the difference as well as who we pursue. McCarthy at Mich. U chose them over us, from out own back yard as did Purdue's QB who, I don't think, we offered. Choosing them over us as well as losing recruits (see this year's losses so far) is a function of multiple factors but wind up in having slower, smaller people who are developmental rather than ready to play. The coaches have their playbook and schemes but need to fit them to the personnel not the other way. Every player is not a square peg for a square hole, some are round, some triangular, and wouldn't fit the scheme no matter what if it didn't fit their particular skill set. and sometimes we just don't have the people with the basic skill set to meet the need so place someone else in the position from where they are recruited (Coleman was a RB and recruited at LB (?) but is now a DE). It's just an overall frustrating year, and it's over. With all the verbiage from the HC I'm turning into a Missouri native and he has to show me, not tell me.

 

[Ch23701]

Both. If Hank was here this season there’s no way this defense would’ve been so bad and looked so clueless most of the time. And the QB position continues to be a mess. That’s on Fitz and staff for talent evaluation, development and flat out failure in making sure the most important position on the field is taken care of.

From Lou’s article a couple of weeks ago:

The Wildcats finally got their man in Whittaker, who was the first commit of the 2018 class, more than a year before signing day. The problem was that their man turned out not to be a quarterback. Whittaker ran a Wing-T offense at Rockford (Mich.) and put up paltry numbers, largely because Rockford just didn’t throw the ball very much. He didn’t last long as a quarterback at NU. The program moved him to tight end at the end of 2018, but then back to QB in 2019, when he made a couple game appearances. He opted out in 2020 and is a reserve tight end now.

This kid is from my home state of Michigan and not a great distance from where I reside. I’ve always wondered what happened to him. I see now….if I read correctly he’s in the transfer portal. I don’t post here often, but constantly lurk. I guess my question to all of you is why in the heck did we waste a scholarship on this guy. Shouldn’t we have seen he didn’t fit in our offensive scheme while he was still in high school!

 

[peatymeanis]

I guess my question to all of you is why in the heck did we waste a scholarship on this guy. Shouldn’t we have seen he didn’t fit in our offensive scheme while he was still in high school!

Because Fitz has an extremely outdated offensive philosophy and kept one of the worst coordinators in P5 football for at least 3 years too long which ruined our ability to recruit good high school QBs. So now we take wild swings at marginal guys and compete against Appalachian State for QB recruits.

 

[peatymeanis]

I guess my question to all of you is why in the heck did we waste a scholarship on this guy. Shouldn’t we have seen he didn’t fit in our offensive scheme while he was still in high school!

Because Fitz has an extremely outdated offensive philosophy and kept one of the worst coordinators in P5 football for at least 3 years too long which ruined our ability to recruit good high school QBs. So now we take wild swings at marginal guys and compete against Appalachian State for QB recruits.

 

[NUCat320]

Because Fitz has an extremely outdated offensive philosophy and kept one of the worst coordinators in P5 football for at least 3 years too long which ruined our ability to recruit good high school QBs. So now we take wild swings at marginal guys and compete against Appalachian State for QB recruits.

You can say that again.

 

[mcgurgmv]

Our offense has generally sucked since Fitz has taken over.

The only thing that kept us competitive was Mike Hankwitz. Now we traded the world's best DC for the world's worst. And so this year is what we get.

Agree - I think it’s funny that people keep blaming the players and recruiting. We just lost to Illinois by 30+ and have out recruited ILL for nearly 10 straight years according to rivals and ESPN. The issue is scheme and player development….and academics are NOT the issue. NW has a higher avg star rating for recruits the L5 years than Iowa, WISC, and MSU. Let’s place the blame where it truly lies and that is on the coaching. And that’s Fitz, Jake, and JON (but Jon is by far the worst). And agree our offense is boring and at best (in 2020 we were average).