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Greg Schiano knows just how dangerous an FCS program can be. The Rutgers football head coach has seen a season derailed in the past by a program that fans, media, and perhaps even his team underestimated.
It was the second week of the 2004 season and Rutgers had just beaten Michigan State at home in their season opener. The very next week, Rutgers was supposed to go 2-0 but lost 35-24 to FCS program New Hampshire.
Rutgers finished the season 4-7 (1-5 in the Big East).
With 2-0 Rutgers facing Delaware this weekend, Schiano was asked about the danger the FCS program poses to his Scarlet Knights. Delaware made the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs last season.
And Schiano need not go back to his first tenure at Rutgers for much motivation for his team. This past Saturday, Florida State was upset by the FCS’ Jacksonville State.
“There’s been eight FCS teams that beat FBS teams in the last nine days now make it 10, right? So you’re foolish if you even think that way, quite honestly. I told them, we don’t need to talk about it but you if you watched college football – which our guys do – it’s very clear,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.
“And Delaware – they were one of the best [four] teams in the whole country last year, that’s why they played that [semifinal] game. And as you watch them, they’re a good football team. They have good players on offense, good players on defense, and good players in the kicking game.”
Rutgers is coming off a good, solid start to the season but there is plenty of room for improvement. Saturday’s 17-7 win at Syracuse showcased a tremendous effort by the Scarlet Knights on defense and on special teams, specifically punting. But the offense remains a work in progress.
That’s where a program like Delaware that won their conference last year and is currently No. 6 in the most recent FCS poll poses a danger for Rutgers.
This is a good solid Delaware team, perhaps the best of the three opponents Rutgers football will face before the Big Team season begins next week.
It would be easy for the Scarlet Knights to look past this game and underestimate Saturday’s opponent.
“So, to me, just like it was for Temple and for Syracuse, it’s about rosters getting ready – our team getting ready to be the best that we can be and we certainly weren’t on Saturday,” Schiano said.
“You know, you never are right? But we weren’t close to playing our best football. We need to get a lot closer to it than we were. So that’s our goal. But we understand exactly what Delaware is very good football team.”