PISCATAWAY, N.J. — He isn’t Teflon, but Gavin Wimsatt has learned the importance of letting things slide. The Rutgers football quarterback, still just 19 years old, needs to have a short memory to be an effective quarterback at the Big Ten level and the ability to bounce back is important in his development.
And with another Big Ten game this weekend for Rutgers (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) against Michigan State, it will be important for Wimsatt to be able to process if he is to progress.
This past Saturday in a 24-13 loss at Wisconsin, Wimsatt overcame some first-half struggles to finish 16-of-35 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was an uncharacteristically shaky display from Wimsatt, who has been very solid and steady this season.
To his credit, Wimsatt looked and played more composed in the second half, overcoming an interception on the stroke of halftime to help the Rutgers offense move more efficiently down the field. A lot of attention has been given this season to Wimsatt’s development on the field, and rightly so, but his mental strength has also grown since last fall.
“I think he’s definitely matured in that way like we all would going through it repetitively,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said on Wednesday.
“But I think his understanding of what he’s doing allows him to have that confidence to bounce back. Hey, look they’re on scholarship too, as I always tell him. (When) they make a play, we just got to (say) ‘Hey, next play.’ You know, when you make a play, you don’t stop so why do you stop when you don’t make a play? And he’s learned not to.
“He’s learned to just keep chopping away. And that’s been really good. That’s something that a quarterback needs to be able to do because it’s going to be up and down. There’s no doubt.”
In his third year at Rutgers, Wimsatt has made a progression each and every year within the program. This year, his first under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, has seen a greater poise in the pocket.
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This has led to increased awareness and better decision-making. He is running better and more effectively because he understands what he is seeing.
And he is making smarter throws as he is learning to read defenses.
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On Monday, Schiano talked about talking with his young quarterback in the game setting to get a better understanding of what Wimsatt sees in the pocket. It is a patient relationship, one that has seen Wimsatt grow in confidence this offseason.
“There’s a lot to learn from him – he’s been doing this a long time,” Wimsatt said on Wednesday of Schiano.
“So sometimes there’s something that he might notice that I may not…I take those conversations (and) I try to really think about them because he’s a very, very wise coach. He knows a lot about the game. (I) just try to take everything (and) apply it to what I’m actually doing.”