STATE COLLEGE, Pa. --- Earlier in the week, Pat Fitzgerald said he would know where his team stood following Saturday's game. After a 39-28 loss to Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, the Northwestern coach was asked to assess his team after six games.

"I think we've got a damn good football team," he said. "We didn't get their 'B' game today. We got their 'A' game and we went toe-to-toe and Joe-to-Joe with them all the way to the end."

Fitzgerald said his team's youth showed up in missed tackles and lack of execution. 

"They're not very happy about it right now and I'm really glad their not," Fitzgerald said when asked to summarize the mood of his players. "We've got to play better to win."