Tag: Greg Schiano

Rutgers tops the nation in turnover margin

Rutgers lading the nation in turnover is a good thing, but the Scarlet Knights didn’t force a single takeaway in Saturday’s win. That’s something that is disappointing for head coach Greg Schiano.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

For the first time this season, Rutgers defense failed this past Saturday to generate a turnover.  For a defense that through the first two games of the season has been aggressive in getting after the ball – to the point of leading the nation in turnover margin – it was frustrating for head coach Greg Schiano to not see a similar impact in Week 3 from the group.

In wins over Temple and at Syracuse, Rutgers combined for seven turnovers, an impressive start from the defense. But in Saturday’s 45-13 win over FCS program Delaware, Rutgers didn’t generate a single turnover. Given the level of competition, it was a surprise to not see the aggressive defense put the ball on the ground or get an interception.

With No. 19 Michigan on the schedule for Saturday, Schiano’s defense will need to up their turnover intensity if they hope to stay in the game and potentially get a road upset.

“There’s this stat of if you don’t turn it over, and then the even more strong stat is when you win the net turnover margin. ‘Plus Two’ is the magic number – if you’re plus two, you’re going to win, and I don’t know the exact percentage, but it’s way up here,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.

“Right? So, Saturday we didn’t turn it over but we didn’t take it away either, which was disappointing to me. – and I think very disappointing to our defense. First two games we took the ball away, and I don’t buy into that, ‘Well, it’s kind of a streaky thing.’ It’s a bunch of baloney. You do your job you do it right and you get takeaways. I mean Delaware was not a superior ball security team and we didn’t take advantage of it. So that’s on us. We let an opportunity slip away.”

The good news in all of this is that the Rutgers offense has yet to turn the ball over yet, something that is hopeful for the Scarlet Knights as they head into Big Ten play.

Rutgers is tops in the nation in ‘Team Turnover Margin Per Game’ at +3.5. Michigan is No. 31 at +.7.

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano praises student section after win

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano praised the student section for another strong turnout.

[mm-video type=video id=01ffzj9brr14r8mxpx2y playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ffzj9brr14r8mxpx2y/01ffzj9brr14r8mxpx2y-a588f691e709c46bd4ddb587238d0c46.jpg]

The first thing Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano wanted to talk about following Saturday’s impressive win over a good Delaware team wasn’t necessarily any x’s and o’s with regards to his team or even the predictably lopsided nature of the final score. It was the fans. Schiano wanted to talk about the fans

In particular, the student section, which was led on Saturday by the hardcore group known as ‘The Riot Squad.’

The student section has been very good through the season’s first two games, filling up in numbers not seen for several years. They showed up early and were loud as Rutgers rolled to a 45-13 win over the Fightin’ Blue Hens, the No. 6 team in the FCS.

Rutgers is now 3-0 as they head into Big Ten play on Saturday at No. 19 Michigan. Both home games for the Scarlet Knights have been blowouts.

“Well, it was good to get back home in front of our fans. I thought the student section was outstanding,” Schiano told reporters after the game.

“They got here early again and stayed for a better part of the game which I was really pleased with.”

 

As might be expected, given the program’s struggles the past few years, the atmosphere on game day has suffered for Rutgers. And with COVID-19 restricting crowds last season, there hasn’t been a true home-field advantage at SHI Stadium for quite some time.

But Schiano has made that a point of emphasis since his arrival back at Rutgers. Speaking two years ago at a basketball game as part of his return to the program, the head coach made it a point that he wanted the Rutgers students to create the best section in the country.

He also has posted on social media, encouraging the students to come out for gameday, and made an appearance before the season opener at convocation where he emphasized the need for a large and loud student section.

To their credit, the student section arrived on Saturday early – always a point of contention for Rutgers fans – and stayed well into the second half, even as the game got well out of reach for Delaware.

Rutgers’ Schiano: ‘Michigan is back to being Michigan’

This game could be more interesting than people expected during the offseason.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Just like everyone predicted, the Week 4 Big Ten opening contest between undefeateds Michigan and Rutgers is a powerhouse matchup for conference supremacy.

OK, maybe not really.

Still, both the Wolverines and Scarlet Knights have impressed in the first three weeks of the college football season and neither has tallied a loss thus far. The two teams went to triple overtime a year ago, and certainly it could be yet another close game in Ann Arbor when they meet again. Certainly, Michigan fans won’t believe the hype, at least not fully, until the team starts beating good teams. While Rutgers might not yet qualify given its track record since 2015, it still could end up being a quality win assuming Michigan gets the job done.

For Rutgers, it appears to be a tall task, head coach Greg Schiano says.

[lawrence-related id=44337,44331,44292]

After the Scarlet Knights took down Delaware in impressive fashion in Week 3, Schiano previewed the matchup with the Wolverines, noting that what he’s seen thus far has echoed the past when Michigan would destroy most teams in its path.

From our sister site Rutgers Wire:

“They’re good, they’re a really good football team, I guess it was pretty one-sided today. I didn’t see any of it; I just heard the score, so we know what we’re up against,” Schiano told reporters after the game.

“Sounds like Michigan’s back to being Michigan, and we had our crack last year and didn’t do it. So now we’re going on the road and we got to find a way against a very good football team.”

If Michigan wins, it can continue its momentum against a typically tough Wisconsin team. Should Rutgers pull off the upset, perhaps the Wolverines aren’t back quite yet, and/or the Scarlet Knights really have taken a turn for the better under Schiano’s rule.

Michigan hosts Rutgers at The Big House for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff on Saturday. The game will be nationally broadcast on ABC.

[listicle id=44328]

Rutgers Greg Schiano on Overlooking FCS Teams: ‘You’re Foolish if You Even Think That Way’

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano knows from experience the danger posed by an FCS opponent.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

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.”

Delaware Head Coach Danny Rocco on Greg Schiano: ‘The Perfect Guy for That Job’

Danny Rocco, head coach of Delaware, praises the job being done by Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Delaware head coach Danny Rocco acknowledged the tall mountain his team will need to climb this Saturday at Rutgers. He also had high praise for Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano in the second season of his return back to the Rutgers football program.

Schiano has guided Rutgers to a 2-0 start the season, beating Temple in their home opener and then grinding out a 17-7 win at Syracuse this past Saturday.

Last year in his return to Rutgers, Schiano surprised many in the college football world with a 3-6 record, all in Big Ten play.

Rocco called Schiano “the perfect guy for that job.”

“I would say you talk about that perfect guy for the job, that mindset. I think in a lot of ways, Greg is that,” Rocco told reporters on Monday in his weekly media availability.

“He’s been there before. He has got background, history, relationships, knowledge, and obviously a great resume and experience. So all those things are kind of thrust into a second cycle where things probably were going to happen a little more quickly than if he was new to the area and maybe new to the job and the university. Recruiting wise, his connections with his staff, their connections to him, their connections to the state of New Jersey, the region, and things like that. Now the challenge for them is how quickly can they climb?”

Delaware, despite being in the FCS, is certainly no slouch of a program. Rocco is one of the best head coaches in the region and has his team among the best in the FCS last season. Last season, Rocco was named the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year.

Currently, Delaware is 2-0 after beating St. Francis (PA) this past weekend. They went 5-0 in their regular season last year (played in the spring due to COVID-19), winning the Colonial Athletic Conference for the second time in program history and earning a berth in the FCS Playoffs.

In the postseason, they beat Sacred Heart and Jacksonville State before losing to South Dakota State in the semifinals.

Rocco said that Saturday’s game at a Big Ten opponent will be “business as usual…it’s not a week where I have to do a whole lot of motivating.”

“We’re certainly going to have to go up there and play our best game to feel like we can come out of there with the win,” Rocco said.

“Ultimately, that is the formula: go up there, be at your best, be really good in the biggest moments, the special situations – the third down, the red zone, the kicking game. These things have got to be really good for us. And then find a way to stay in it, keep it tight and find a way to be in at the end to be in a position to make plays to have a chance to win the football game.

“College football is a beautiful thing, I mean it is any given Saturday. You start all over every week, you really do. It’s something I love about the job.”

Greg Schiano on Gavin Wimsatt’s transition: ‘It’s like drinking out of a firehose’

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano sees freshman Gavin Wimsatt acclimating to the fast-paced world of college football.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Last week, Gavin Wimsatt went from high school football player to Rutgers quarterback, all in less than 48 hours. It was a rapid change to go from Friday night lights to Big Ten athlete, one that Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano says is understandable coming fast and furious for his newest freshman.

It is a transition and learning curve that Schiano says is being helped by Wimsatt’s new teammates at the college level. So far, the Scarlet Knights head coach is pleased with Wimsatt’s ability to handle the changes and the progress that has been made so far.

And it isn’t just a transition for Wimsatt as Rutgers is learning this process as well, as unique of an opportunity as there is in college football. The four-star quarterback is now the second player since the institution of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in the NCAA to accelerate his senior season and graduate early.

Wimsatt was able to graduate by the third game of his senior season, allowing him to make this move to Rutgers and college football a year early.

“Well, I think we’re still in the middle of it,” Schiano told reporters on Monday when asked about this transition for Wimsatt.

“I mean he’s only been here for less than a week, right? No, just over a week.

“But I think he’s doing a good job of just finding his way. Get his books, get to class – he’s been to some classes, he’s kind of living in college life now. But you can imagine it’s like drinking out of a firehose right? One minute you’re playing in a high school football game and the next minute you’re sitting in a college class. So, we’re just kind of helping them along and I think the guys – really the players have done a great job accepting him and helping him learn to learn the ropes.”

And of course, there are obvious questions about eligibility. There is significant excitement and hype about Wimsatt’s arrival and the expectation, perhaps a bit premature, is that the freshman could see some run this season.
Schiano noted that in terms of being integrated into the program, Wimsatt is eligible to be a part of the team.

With FCS opponent Delaware coming into town this weekend, Schiano was asked if Wimsatt could potentially suit up and play. It is a complicated question and answer for sure.

Ten days ago, Wimsatt was a high school senior. Now he’s in college practicing with future NFL players. He has talent but hasn’t had a training camp.

It isn’t as simple as throwing him in at the end of a game to get some live experience.

“Gavin is eligible to do everything now. He’s eligible to practice in full pads, he’s eligible to dress for the games and everything,” Schiano said.
“So he’s an eligible player by NCAA rules.”

Rutgers football ranked No. 16 in FoxSports.com poll

Following a big win at Syracuse, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights climbed up in a national poll.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Following a 17-7 win at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, Rutgers football took another step forward in terms of the credibility of their rebuild under head coach Greg Schiano with a road win over an ACC opponent. They also took another step forward – or make that a leap – in a poll released early on Sunday morning.

Rutgers is now No. 16 in the nation according to FoxSports.com in a poll by national college football writer R.J. Young. Rutgers jumped eight spots in Young’s poll from a week ago.

The Scarlet Knights are now 2-0 and play Delaware on Saturday at SHI Stadium. They are one of five Big Ten teams in Young’s top 25 for FoxSports.

Iowa (2-0), by virtue of their win over Iowa State, is the highest-ranked team in the Big Ten as they moved up five spots to No. 4 in the ranking. Penn State (2-0) dropped a single spot to sixth in the poll as other teams moved up around them. Ohio State (1-1) tumbled six spots to No. 9 after a home loss to Oregon.

Michigan State entered the poll and is No. 18 after beating Youngstown State.

Young raved about the team put together by head coach Greg Schiano in what is the second year of the Scarlet Knights rebuild:

Rutgers has forced eight turnovers, notched seven sacks and outscored opponents in two games. You better watch your pockets when you play in Piscataway because these men are liable to empty them.

Last week following a 61-14 win over Temple, Rutgers received votes in the ‘Week 1: USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.’

Watch: Rutgers tight end Jovani Haskins’ touchdown catch from an endzone camera

A perfect pass from Noah Vedral and a strong drive into the end zone from tight end Jovani Haskins gave Rutgers football a 14-7 lead in what would become an important Week 2 win over Syracuse.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

If Rutgers football is going to make a bowl game in 2021, then they had to win on Saturday. And should Rutgers actually make it into the postseason, then Jovani Haskins’ touchdown catch at Syracuse is likely to be one of the big reasons.

A 17-7 win at Syracuse is a jolt of credibility for the Scarlet Knights and their bowl hopes as their record stands now at 2-0 on the season. With a game against Delaware on Saturday where Rutgers will likely be a heavy favorite, the idea of starting the season with three wins in as many games is not far-fetched. Also not far-fetched is the idea that Rutgers could make a bowl game for the first time since 2014.

Also, the last time Rutgers was 2-0 to start a season? 2014 under then head coach Kyle Flood.

With 23 seconds left in the third quarter and the game tied at 7-7, Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral threw a tight pass to a wide-open Jovani Haskins. The senior tight end caught the ball at the 3-yard line and fought his way into the endzone for what would become a 14-7 lead. The 30-yard touchdown pass from Vedral to Haskins crushed Syracuse’s momentum at the time.

Rutgers would never look back.

 

Now, should Rutgers win at home over Delaware on Saturday (certainly far from a foregone conclusion as the Fightin Blue Hens are 2-0), it puts Rutgers at the very least in the discussion for a bowl game.

Last year in the first season under head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers went 3-6 in a season that only featured Big Ten play. The same Big Ten record this season coupled with three out of conference wins would put Rutgers in position to finish the season 6-6 and be bowl eligible.

Still lots of football to go but even having a conversation about Rutgers possibly making a bowl game in the second year of a rebuild is a testament to what Schiano has been able to do in such a short amount of time.

Rutgers football’s 2-0 start hinged on a surprising moment from Syracuse’s Dino Babers

Rutgers football is 2-0, thanks in no small part to a surprising loss of composure from Syracuse head coach Dino Babers.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The biggest moment from Rutgers football’s 17-7 win over Syracuse on Saturday didn’t happen on the field. It was a meltdown moment from Syracuse head coach Dino Babers that had a large part in turning the game towards Rutgers.

It may well have shifted all the momentum towards the Scarlet Knights.
With the game scoreless and 7:22 left in the third quarter, the end result turned on what would be a poor moment from Babers. Rutgers was piecing together their best drive of the afternoon and had the ball on the Syracuse 22-yard line. Facing a third-and-14, Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral threw an eight-yard completion to wide receiver Shameen Jones that should have seen the offense coming off and the Scarlet Knights kicking unit running out onto the field.

Instead, offsetting penalties were called resulting in Rutgers facing another third-and-long.

Not fast.

That’s when Babers did the inexplicable, berating the officiating staff and earning an unsportsmanlike penalty that moved the ball up to the Syracuse 11-yard line. On the next play, running back Kyle Monangai bounced outside, found space and Rutgers had a 7-0 lead.

“Yeah, I didn’t, I didn’t see it, I don’t know how it happened but, you know, I know that’s one of the points of emphasis this year is coaches,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano told reporters after the game.

“I had my own issues.”

Babers had Syracuse playing relatively well up until that point, even as they (like Rutgers), struggled at times to move the ball. It was a shocking loss of cool from Babers, who doesn’t have a reputation as being particularly hard on game officials or excessive on the sideline.

Schiano might have been referencing his own argument animated discussion with the officials a few moments before. The Rutgers head coach, although visibly frustrated, did not draw a penalty.

In his postgame press conference, Schiano wouldn’t go into details about what got him upset with the officials.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve often said that I made more mistakes today – you know, I was so mad at myself the way I coached. And so, who am I to think that these officials – and they’re going make mistakes too,” Schiano said.

“We all make mistakes. It’s just in the heat of the battle you get upset when you think that you were wronged. But look, everybody’s got a job to do, we’re all trying to do it. I felt the officials, really did a pretty good job. Just a grimy game. It was tough.”

Greg Schiano Rutgers football’s punter Adam Korsak: ‘he’s special’

For Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano, watching Adam Korsak in a win at Syracuse led him to liken his punter to a golfer with his ability to control the ball.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It was a game ball type of effort from Adam Korsak as the Rutgers football punter changed the course of the game in helping the Scarlet Knights beat Syracuse 17-7 on Saturday afternoon.

Korsak’s ability to change fields was a huge reason why Rutgers defensively was able to limit Syracuse to 285 yards of total offense. On six punts, Korsak averaged a staggering 52.2 yards.

Perhaps even more impressive was the Scarlet Knights punter landing the ball five of six times inside the 20-yard line.

After the game, head coach Greg Schiano likened Korsak to “a really, really fine golfer” with his ability to place the ball where he wants it.

“Now there was some really great punting again. I mean, he is – he’s phenomenal, right?” Schiano told reporters after the game.

“He had [six] punts, [five] of them inside the 20 and a 50-yard average I mean, he’s special.

“And he changes the field position several times in that game so we’re very fortunate there. But overall we did not capitalize on some of the things that I felt we could on special teams, and obviously on offense, well you know we have work to do.”

Last week in Rutgers season-opening win over Temple, Korsak punted six times and averaged 49.7 yards per punt. His efforts last week saw him named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week. The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the nation’s top punter.

On the season, the senior is averaging 51 yards per punt.