9/12/2022 football Edit

QBs Simon, Wimsatt discuss their performances against Wager

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

The main two quarterback system remained intact during Rutgers Football’s blowout win over Wagner this past weekend.

Gavin Wimsatt started the game and was on the field for 50 snaps per Pro Football Focus while Evan Simon saw 28. The reps were more even in the season opener which Simon started.

Both signal callers threw their first career touchdown passes in the game. Simon found Aron Cruickshank for a 40-yard touchdown and Wimsatt connected with Chris Long on a deep ball from 41 yards out. In fact, Simon threw a pair of scores on the day with the other one going to Johnny Langan.

Langan, a tight end, even tossed a touchdown on his only attempt -- a 43-yarder to Isaiah Washington. It was the first game three Rutgers players threw a touchdown pass since Sept. 20, 1997 against Boston College.

However, Wimsatt did throw the Scarlet Knights’ lone interception just like a week ago.

“They both did some really good things,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said of Wimsatt and Simon. “I think there’s some things we need to get better at fast. Time’s our enemy right now. Now we have two game tapes to teach from. Gavin’s interception wasn’t unlike the one he threw last week. It was late. We’ll work on all that stuff. Evan was efficient with the ball and went to the right places. Gavin was good with the zone read run game and power read. The ball he threw to Chris was a rocket shot and he made a great catch. Johnny got one too. I was really happy for him too. No matter how far he goes playing football at tight end, he’s a quarterback at heart.”

QB Evan Simon (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

Simon and Wimsatt were each glad to finally find the end zone.

“It was awesome. It was a long time coming,” Simon said. “AC’s a great player and he made a great catch.”

“It was great. I got to give credit to Chris. He made a great catch,” Wimsatt said. “Without him that play’s not happening.”

Wimsatt and Simon each tallied career highs in the passing yardage department. Simon was 10-of-13 for 151 yards while Wimsatt was just 4-for-11 for 63 yards. Wimsatt was hurt by three drops however.

“As a team our performance was very good in all aspects,” Simon said. “The offensive line did their job really well, the running backs came to play today, and the wide outs made catches. I thought (I was) solid today. Like I said, all the other position groups helped. It made my job easier. It was a good day.”

Thinking back on his performance, Wimsatt knows he shouldn’t have thrown his interception and will be better for it.

“I made some mistakes,” he said. “I should have let some plays die, but got to watch the film. I’m confident in my coaches and my room that’ll help me get better. I have to see it on film again, but I have to let some plays die.”

So far this season Simon is 18-for-26 for 214 yards, the two touchdowns, and no picks. He had the fifth-best offensive grade on PFF against Wagner (77.5) and sixth-best (first among QBs) through two games at 74.7. Simon credits the preparation not only at practice, but in meetings and with watching film, and staying locked in.

“Just locking in on the moment,” Simon said. “We call it chop the moment. Each play is its own play. You can’t worry about the past or the future. Just the present.”

He also believes the passing game can be sustained against stronger competition.

“Absolutely. Our preparation will get even better,” Simon said. “We have to keep growing closer and keep building that chemistry in practice.”

While Simon has been the better passer of the two thus far, Wimsatt has used his legs a lot of times to pick up yards. He has 102 yards on 11 carries.

“I’m just growing every day and getting better every day whether that’s watching more film or doing whatever it takes to get 1% each day,” Wimsatt said.

Both quarterbacks remain unphased by the two-QB system. In the first game against Boston College, the rotation was unpredictable with someone new coming in for almost every play. This time, they mainly took turns on entire drives.

“Whenever coach calls my number I’m going to be ready,” said Simon, who likes to read defenses and more from the sidelines when he’s not in the game. “Coach thinks that’s how we’ll win and so it’s whatever it takes.”

“I don’t think it affects it at all,” Wimsatt said. “Whatever coach needs or wants we’ll do. I feel like we pick up each other’s energy. It’s great. When he threw a touchdown I went out there and was happy for him and when I threw one he was right there to greet me back on the sidelines.”

Rutgers explored what it had offensively and worked on different plays with various personnel against Wagner. As stated earlier, three different players threw touchdown passes, four players scored rushing touchdowns, and four players caught touchdowns.

“That’s exciting,” Simon said. “There were a bunch of running backs who scored today. That’s very promising. That’s a great room. That just shows how well the offensive line did today. Toward the end of the second half the younger guys got in and they kept it going.”