The Rutgers Football team has two games left in the regular season in 2022-23. Up first is a home contest against No. 11 Penn State at 3:30 p.m. inside SHI Stadium in Piscataway.
The Nittany Lions are 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big Ten play while the Scarlet Knights are 4-6 overall and 1-6 in league action. Penn State has won two games in a row against Indiana and Maryland and three of four when you add a victory over Minnesota in the mix.
"They are a very good team," Rutgers head coach Greg Schianos aid. "It's not just defense. It's all three phases. Certainly defensively they played extremely well last week. Suffocating. They can cover. They play a lot of either man or multiple, which turns into man once the routes declared. I think the thing they are doing the best, they are second in the Big Ten in sacks only to Michigan by one. So they are getting after the passer and you know, pass coverage and pass rush usually go hand in hand. So they are doing both very well.
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"Offensively, I think their freshman tailback is an elite player. Really good at the skill positions and I think the line has really developed quite a bit. If that was a weakness at one point early in the year it's not anymore. And then the special teams, they are pretty complete in the kicking game. I think what you are looking at is, you know, what they are. They are one of the Top 15 teams in America. They are playing at that level now. That's what I would say the biggest thing is they have gotten better over the course of the season and they are playing at a high level run."
Last time out at Michigan State, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt had his best game as a collegiate player. Wimsatt registered a 70.2 grade per PFF, and completed 20-of-34 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. All were career bests.
Wimsatt, a redshirt freshman, continues to develop and is getting more comfortable reading defenses and making calls which has allowed him to play better after his fourth start and third in a row.
"He didn't read everything correctly but he read everything out," Schiano said. "There was a couple times in the Michigan game we just guessed. As a quarterback, you can't guess. He's learning. And he works credibly hard at it. Like this isn't a guy who just shows up and relies on his athletic ability. This is a guy who grinds the tape. He grinds in his preparation and he's only going to get better. I think (Nunzio Campanile) is doing a really good job leading him along the path and learning how to get better as a quarterback."
How Wimsatt has adjusted to Campanile's temporary offense isn't much of a shocker. Schiano said he saw Wimsatt's work ethic even before he arrived to Piscataway.
"Well, initially we just felt really, really good chemistry between our staff, he and his family. But then after he committed, we started teaching him our offense, and teaching him football and talking football. He was very quick at picking things up, and understands he has a unique spatial awareness. That's why I say, if he can read it out, he'll right it right most of the time.
"Defenses, you're talking about the Big Ten East now. There are some really good defensive coordinators that are tricky and show you one look and then take it away. For a young quarterback it can be a little bit confusing but as long as he reads the right thing, and that's the difference, on each play, there may be a little subtle difference on what you're reading."
Figuring out high school defenses compared to Big Ten defenses is a new ballgame, and Wimsatt is getting the hang of it.
"So he has to know what that is and then he has to know what it's going to look like. That's why the film study is so important, yet there's a danger to too much film study because you think you know it and that leads you to more than anticipate," Schiano said. "There's that land, look at it as a football player, when you anticipate, you'll click faster. When you guess, you're all right or you're all wrong. It's great when you're all right but when you're all wrong, it's ugly. We rely on anticipation and that's what all the preparation is for, so you can be a click faster to the read, to the fit, to whatever it is you're doing."
Rutgers generated its top offensive game against the Spartans and will look to keep it going. The unit set season highs versus FBS competition with 79 plays run, 460 yards of total offense, 25 first downs, 224 rushing yards and eight third-down conversions.
Schiano, though, remains firm that he'll determine the next offensive coordinator after the season.
"We'll evaluate the whole thing at end of the season. I said that when we made the change. Right now we are so busy trying to get ready for Penn State, one of the elite defenses I think that we've played. And early on, their defense may have not been that. So when you look at some national rankings in certain areas, they are not.
"But I know what I look at on film and I know when I look at them in Big Ten rankings. I think you've got to really be careful when you look at national rankings because that takes into play all those early season games. When you get into Big Ten play, especially Big Ten East play, you're talking about the elite of the elite. I watch what they have done in thinking Big Ten games. They have really played at a high level."
Rutgers had a new starter along the offensive line in left guard Kobe Asamoah. He filled in for JD DiRenzo who shifted to left tackle. Willie Tyler was benched, however he did still play.
"We felt like we had an opportunity to run the ball against these guys, and that turned out to be true. Kwabena has really gotten better," Schiano said. "When I talk to you guys about we'll be a better team in November than they were in September, well, there's no doubt we are. The competition is better in November than it was in September but no doubt we are better. Part of that is I knew our talented young players would continue to get better and better and better. Kwabe could not have gone in a game and been an effective player he was against a Big Ten and what a way to break into Big Ten having No. 64 over your head. He may be one of the strongest players in the Big Ten. Feels like he's been playing forever, right.
"I was proud of the way Kwabe responded. As I mentioned Saturday, we played several people. We were rotating guys in and look, when you're building something, we're into this thing almost three seasons. Until you're an established group, which means you've been doing it for a while together, the whole program is died in the wool of your culture and every guy in the program has been in it for a bit, you need to do whatever it takes and if it means unconventionally subbing, we'll do that. I don't sweat any of that stuff. Like what do I care? Trying to win a game and we'll do whatever it takes to win the game within the rules."
Gus Zilinskas also saw a good chunk of time at center and Kamar Missouri, David Nwaogwugwu, and Tyler Needham saw spot duty as well.
And how would Schiano rate the O-line play?
"I think we are getting better and it's not just the true freshmen, it's the guys that came in the year before, as well. I think we are getting better. I thought you saw Gus Zilinskas go in the game. Gus played his freshman year because he had to. He wasn't ready to play last year. He has improved and now when he got a chance to play, you could see that improvement. That's what I'm talking about. Give him another year in the weight room, he's a second-year player playing in the Big Ten Conference and he was a little under developed when he got here. For him to have to play last year wasn't fair but it's what we needed and he's an unselfish guy who did it. To see what he did it Saturday is really exciting for us because we believe he's going to be a great center. We think he's got all those tools including a real head on his shoulders. So.
"It's exciting and it gives you a reason to say, maybe he should play a little bit more, too, right. If he can do like he did Saturday, then he deserves to play. So if we play seven or eight offensive linemen, so be it."
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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