Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1179542
n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . I O W A 23 God forbid if we ever fall into the trap of society now. 'I've worked really, really hard. I deserve it. Give me a sticker.' You know the smiley-face stickers? Worse thing we could have done for our society. That's not the way it is. You prepare relentlessly all week. Then you've got to go make it happen on Saturday." How does he decided whether to use a carrot or a stick on a struggling team like this one? "I would say it really depends on the DNA of some guys in particular," Pat Fitzgerald finally said. "I think first and foremost you've always got to be positive, and you've got to look from ground up when it comes to fundamentals and technique. . . . Then how are they playing from an attitude standpoint. . . . Then do the guys truly know what we're doing at the snap of a finger. Right now it seems for some of the guys who've been inconsistent, the ability to not think and just go play looks to be a little bit of a detriment. So time on task, practice, continue to quiz, test, put them in those situations in practice— game days will expose you from the standpoint of whether or not you know the reasons you're doing things. . . . "So how do I look at it? I look at the DNA of the team. Some teams you can push a little harder. Other teams are like when that lamp gets delivered in A Christmas Story. 'Fra-jill-ay.' You know? So you've got to know the squad. I'd say we're somewhere in between right now. We've got some guys, from the standpoint of their confidence, who are a little fragile. . . . But the number one determining factor when I feel the team isn't where it needs to be is the effort level they're playing with. I haven't questioned the effort level of this group. But, again, I just hope they're not falling into that mousetrap, 'I've worked hard, I should have success.' "That's not the way it work. That's not life, that's not football. You've got to go compete. You've got to go make it happen. . . . You've just got to focus on that process, the mental mindset that it takes to be successful. That's where we're at right now."