For the first time in quite a while, Rutgers has employed a full-time position coach with the job of focusing solely on quarterbacks. In recent years, assistant coaches have shared other duties while also coaching the quarterbacks at RU. This season, it is the Rob Spence show.

Spence is in his first year with the program as Rutgers' quarterbacks coach, although he's had previous coaching stops at Clemson, Temple and Syracuse to name a few.

He came on board shortly after Kyle Flood was hired in February and he can already see an improvement in the two quarterbacks battling for a starting job, Gary Nova and Chas Dodd.

"They have both gotten tremendously better from last year and they've come a long way from last spring to right now," Spence said.

Spence jumped right in and began working with the two quarterbacks in spring practice, which took place shortly after he joined the RU staff. There was then a three-month gap between the end of spring practice and the start of training camp.

That left the quarterbacks with time to work out on their own and Spence touched on what quarterbacks can focus on during that time.

"The player can work on his mechanics, he can fine tune his footwork. The footwork is all synchronized with the pattern concept and with the pass we are throwing so it's a lot of detail that the untrained eye doesn't notice. They have to work on the detail of what they do every single day and they do that."

One week into spring practice and Spence offered up some thoughts on how Nova is faring.

"I think Gary has gotten more comfortable, a little bit more confident. He's grown in his knowledge of the game. He's gotten more comfortable with the players on the team. He's built a better relationship with the players, he's really getting to know them and they are getting to know him. That is all a part of the process of becoming a leader."

Spence also had positive things to say about Dodd.

"If you ask anybody on our team, Chas is one of the most respected individuals on our team. Chas is really an outgoing guy who the players respect. They know he works really hard."

While the hot topic of the summer has been the position battle between Nova and Dodd, Rutgers has welcomed another quarterback to the fold in true freshman Blake Rankin.

"Blake's got a nice release, he's going to end up having a very, very good arm as he starts to physically mature. He's very, very bright. He's going to pick things up very easily. I see him doing nothing but improving the next year, setting the foundation strength-wise and knowledge-wise so at some point he can compete to play."

Like Rankin, it is still early in Spence's stint at Rutgers and he commented on what it has been like thus far.

"It's been a lot of fun, a really, really positive experience. I observe Kyle every single day and I see somebody who is really doing a great job leading our football program. He's learned how to be a leader. He's grown into this position, he's ready for this position and I really like what I see."

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