NU injury report and practice observations

OUT:
RB Stephen Simmons (ankle)
RB Scott Concannon (head)
LB Bryce McNaul (leg)
OL Mike Boyle (back)

Questionable:
DT Jack DiNardo (shoulder)

What it means:
Northwestern is down to three healthy running backs presuming the Wildcats intend to keep the redshirt on freshman Mike Trumpy (who, incidentally, caught a nice, long pass from freshman quarterback Evan Watkins in Wednesday's practice while working with the scout team against the first-string D).

What I saw:
Near the end of practice, superback Josh Rooks caught a touchdown pass. Fellow superbacks Mark Woodsum and Brendan Mitchell joined him for an un-NU-like choreographed celebration.
Woodsum got down on one knee, whipped out his white towel, put Rooks' foot on his knee and gave him a shoeshine. Meanwhile, Mitchell pretended to brush lint off Rooks' shoulder pads.

What else I saw:
Like a kindergarten teacher, Pat Fitzgerald apparently is motivating his troops with little stickers that he hands out after practice. It's meant to be silly and light, of course, but it was weird to see Fitz carrying a sheet of smiley-face stickers with inspirational captions. I don't recall Halas handing out post-it notes (yes, I know they weren't invented at the time) with messages like, "You aren't quite as awful as I suggested during today's practice."

Anyway, when Fitz asked the post-practice media assemblage if they wanted stickers, I asked, "Are they Buckeyes?"

Apparently he didn't hear me because he slapped a "You did it!" smiley face on my shirt. Skip Myslenski received an "Excellent!"

NU media relations kingpin Mike Wolf, on the other hand, got a smiley face with a "Nice try!" message. Keep plugging away, Wolfie. You'll get there someday.

LW