Schiano era 2.0 kicked off in a big way as Rutgers defeated Michigan State 38-27 and snapped a 21-game losing streak in the Big Ten.
Here are three thoughts after the game:
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Not your Chris Ash’s (or Kyle Flood’s) Rutgers
For so long Rutgers football has not just been the laughing stock of the Big Ten, but all of college football as well. Outside of the 2012 season in which they won a share of the Big East conference, to try and list all of the embarrassing performances from this team since Head Coach Greg Schiano left in 2011 would be an almost stomach-churning task.
“I’m really proud of our guys, coaching staff, support staff, and all our players,” Schiano said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve worked incredibly hard in a very difficult environment for a long time.”
While it is only one game, this team already looks night-and-day better compared to what Scarlet Knights fans are accustomed to from the last few years. Even if it is only for a week, for the first time in a long time folks outside of Piscataway will have to take notice and the words “Rutgers football” will no longer be met with laughter and feelings of shame.
Turnovers Galore
If there were any more turnovers in this game Michigan State might have had to change Spartan Stadium into a bakery. Whether it was the seven (yes seven) from the Spartans or the three from the Scarlet Knights, this was anything but a clean game for both offenses.
“We know that’s a way that will help us be in football games in the fourth quarter, that’s our goal,” Schiano said of the takeaways. “Can we get to the fourth quarter and have a chance to win? And if we can do that then let’s see where the chips fall.”
However, Rutgers did a better job making the most of their second chances and under a new-look offense from Offensive Coordinator Sean Gleason, the Scarlet Knights were able to make the key plays when they needed to and hang 38 points on the Spartans.
A Debut to Forget for Mel Tucker
While all of college football is still reeling from the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on the season, perhaps nobody was put behind the eight ball more than Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker considering he was hired in February.
However, there is not much room for excuses in college football and whether he was hired in February or last week does not change the fact that his squad came in looking unprepared and spotted the Scarlet Knights a two-touchdown lead early in the game.
In addition, in what may have been the turning point of the game Tucker decided to go for it on fourth down with 5:16 left in the third quarter down 28-20 rather than kick the field goal and make it a one-possession game. Much like they did for most of the afternoon, the Scarlet Knights’ defensive line overpowered the Spartans and stuffed them for a turnover on downs.
“We were just looking to be aggressive, we thought that was something we could convert,” Tucker said of the decision. “We missed a fourth down early in the game but we came back on another fourth down and scored a touchdown.”
With newfound momentum, Rutgers would go on to chew up some clock in the form of a 14 play drive that ended with a 44-yard field goal from Guy Fava. While the final score reads 38-27, it is not indicative of how well the Scarlet Knights played in Schiano’s first game back with the program.
“As we know we don’t have to look too far in our history as we beat this exact team and then the following week we went out and laid an egg,” Schiano continued. “We have to figure out how we are going to keep building.”
Rutgers will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers in a Halloween matchup at SHI Stadium at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on BTN.
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