Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald talked to the media Monday ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wisconsin. He is not looking for himself or the team to look down on themselves after their 31-13 loss to Nebraska; instead, he and his coaching staff are fixing the mistakes that cost them the game in all three phases.
Pat Fitzgerald’s Message After the Nebraska Loss
“I don’t really care about feelings. I care about production,” Fitzgerald said. He added that the staff went back to the players directly, in all three phases, on the calls they would like to have back.
Fitzgerald showed the team the plays he and the coaching staff considered critical errors, then showed them the plays where they did the simple things, which had to do with trusting themselves. Fitzgerald wants the team to be confident in themselves and the game plan. A lack of trust can lead to second-guessing and costly mistakes.
Fitzgerald Trusts His Running Backs Without Cam Edwards
Fitzgerald announced Monday that starting running back Cam Edwards would miss the rest of the year after a leg injury against Nebraska. He is trusting his players to step up in his absence.
“Anytime there’s adversity like Cam (Edwards) is facing, it’s horrible for that person, but part of the next man up opportunity is to be ready for the opportunity when it presents itself,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought Jaz (Patterson), I think Marv (Parrish), I think that whole room is being very well coached. And I think they’re all ready for whatever opportunities present themselves at running back.”
Fitzgerald doesn’t plan to change the offensive game plan because Edwards is out. He believes the running back room will step up in the presented opportunity. While it’s still to be seen who the lead running back will be against the Badgers, Jaziun Patterson stepped into the role against Nebraska. Patterson got 16 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, his first game with over 10 carries as a Spartan.
Fitzgerald Wants Alessio Milivojevic To Learn From His Mistakes
“He’s (Milivojevic) a guy that I think number one really cares. You know, his care and concern for the team and his teammates is at a very high level,” Fitzgerald said. “So you know, you can’t be too high when it’s going well, and you can’t be too low when you’re making some momentary mistakes.”
Fitzgerald doesn’t want Alessio Milivojevic to move on from the downs but instead learn and grow. Mistakes happen throughout a season; Milivojevic needs to understand why they happened instead of moving on and forgetting.
Milivojevic will need to bounce back from his stretch of poor play ahead of Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Madison. In the last two games, he has thrown three interceptions with zero touchdowns. His offensive line will also need to step up, as he has been sacked nine times over those same two games, which has contributed to his recent struggles.
The Michigan State Way
“You’re going to get knocked down, and there’s only one choice, and that’s to respond and get up and go to work,” Fitzgerald said. “I think that’s the Michigan State way. I’ve met our fans, I’ve met people in this community; they get up and go to work.”
