Notes from Pat Fitzgerald's Cal press conference

- NU will alternate sidelines this year, but will start on the west side.

- Fitz said Eric Olson and Jack Konopka have both "had a good camp." Konopka started last year but Olson has taken all of the first team reps in camp. The fact that they're listed as co-starters is surprising.

- Fitz said Jack Mitchell hit 80 percent of his field goals in camp. That wasn't true in Kenosha, but Fitz said that Kenosha isn't an ideal place for kickers.

- Sean McEvilly is out for the year with a foot injury and will apply for a medical redshirt. That's a big, big loss, as NU has a big hole at defensive tackle.

- NU will play "a lot of guys" at defensive tackle with Sean McEvilly not in. Fitz has been particularly impressed with Greg Kuhar, who will start against Cal. Chance Carter, who started next to McEvilly last year, is the backup behind CJ Robbins.

- On the allegations of faking injuries against Cal last year: "It's not something we do, and that is what it is."

- Fitz prefers eight conference games and thinks that the conference coaches voted 12-0 for that, but now they're going to nine. He would rather have ten than nine, though. He also thinks all conferences should play the same number of conference games.