Fitzgerald not ready to name a No. 1 quarterback

Saturday morning Northwestern’s football team practiced

outside for the first time since spring practice started on March 7. The

Wildcats held a scrimmage that actually wasn’t without drama. Superback Brett

Nagel suffered a serious injury to his left arm late in the scrimmage. He was

taken off the field on a golf cart and an air cast was placed on the arm. Long

snapper Pat Hickey is banged up, as is receiver Jeremy Ebert and superback

Drake Dunsmore.

But aside from Nagel’s injury, coach Pat Fitzgerald was happy

with his team’s overall performance and thought the defense started fast and

the offense responded well.

Quarterbacks Evan Watkins, Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian

also played with a bit more confidence.

“I thought they were fine. They are a work in progress,”

Fitzgerald said. “I want to see more leadership out of them and I thought I saw

it coming on, but its hard. We tried to make the reps even today. It’s hard to

get some momentum going. They are where we thought they’d be.”

Fitzgerald downplayed rumors from the players as to whether

or not he would name a No. 1 quarterback before spring football ends April 16

with the annual scrimmage at Ryan Field at noon.

“That’s why they’re called players and I’m called the

coach,” Fitzgerald said. “Maybe someone will separate themselves, but that has

not happened yet.”