VRBO CITRUS BOWL: AUBURN VS NORTHWESTERN

January 1, 2021

Paddy Fisher

Camping World Stadium

Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern Wildcats 35, Auburn Tigers 19

Q. What was it like to send Hankwitz out with his 400th win?

PADDY FISHER: It was awesome and very emotional, too. I sort of remember in high school when I was getting recruited by Northwestern and I committed and I was actually in the lunch room having lunch and Coach Hankwitz called me and we were just talking on the phone and whatnot.

He means the world to me and just to be able to play for him is just so awesome. It's just truly a pleasure and a blessing and something that I've never taken for granted. It's just amazing.

Q. Wanted to get your thoughts on a couple different aspects of what the defense did today. In the red zone and then on third down, what were you guys doing on third down that you held them to I think 1-of-10 on third down and 0-of-2 on fourth down? What made you feel successful in those situations today?

PADDY FISHER: We just executed the game plan. Again it goes back to Coach Hank and him drawing up the third down calls throughout the week in preparation for the game. Put us in great position to make the play and we did a very good job executing.

Q. When you look back on your Northwestern career, what stands out to you in terms of what you learned and the lessons that you learned as a player and yourself in your time here?

PADDY FISHER: I think some of the lessons I've learned about myself is how I respond, when I'm at the very lowest rock bottom so to speak when I'm just grinding in the winter workout and it's hard and school is piling up and everything and you're missing home and whatnot, and how I respond as an individual.

You know, one thing I'll never forget is just the brotherhood that we have here, and especially for me, I've been highly fortunate to have great friends, great family members and friends that I can say are family, to be there by my side through thick and thin, high and low, and you know, if I need anything, or they need anything, we are there for each other.

Q. You make the play there on that big fourth and short sneak from Bo Nix and you get the tackle. Can you take me through what's going through your mind pre-snap as you try to figure out what's going on and once the play quickly develops, how you react and make that big stop?

PADDY FISHER: So we had a pressure on and it was an inside pressure with the inside linebackers. It was our short yardage call that we had going into the week for third and fourth down, one or two yards, inches. I saw the guard, he was very light on his feet and I just shot the gap. I knew he was going to pull and they were running some sort of read in the backfield so I had a little bit of time to get to the ball, and thankfully I did, and made the play.