It did not come pretty but Rutgers escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a 16-14 victory against Temple to improve to 3-0 and give head coach Greg Schiano the most wins in program history (79), passing Frank Burns.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
LOYAL UNTIL THE END
While games are not typically won or lost on one play, it is hard to argue that Shaquan Loyal’s 43-yard pick-six in the second quarter did not play a pivotal role in giving Rutgers the victory.
“I saw that his eyes got really big,” Loyal said. “I knew he was about to give me the delivery so I just put my hands up and made the play.”
Up to that point, the Scarlet Knights seemed to be in a malaise as it closed the first half with 70 total yards and two first downs. Rutgers was also 0-6 on third down and completed three passes for 21 yards. Although Rutgers still ended up having to hold on for dear life, Loyal’s play provided enough of a spark to push the Scarlet Knights to the finish line.
AN UGLY OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE
Whether they are holding back until conference play begins or this is what their offense is, this was not the type of showing the Scarlet Knights will want to put on its resume. Not only did Rutgers finish with 59 passing yards, but the duo of Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt combined to complete 10 passes.
“On a day when you are not throwing your fastball you have to be good enough to find a way to win and that’s what we did today,” Schiano said. "Defensively we made some big stops. Offensively we did what we had to do to end the game.”
Going forward, Rutgers will need to see significant improvement offensively if it hopes to survive the gauntlet known as the Big Ten. In the end, having its lone touchdown come via the defense will likely not cut it against the likes of Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Coming in as an 18-point favorite against a quarterback making his first career start, Rutgers being held to 201 total yards and outgained 215-59 through the air is cause for concern when the path only starts to get tougher from here on out.
“We’re in the middle of building something special,” Schiano added. “I’m excited about those guys being a part of it with me.”
However, at the end of the day this game still gets filed into the win column and the Scarlet Knights find themselves heading home for a prime-time matchup with Iowa where they will look to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2012.
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