Greg Schiano Wins in Return to Rutgers Sideline

| Posted on |

Greg Schiano finally came home and, just as Rutgers fans hoped, he has things going in the right direction. In his return to the Scarlet Knight sideline, Schiano led Rutgers to a monster 38-27 road win at Michigan State.

“It’s staggering how much better they looked,” Big Ten host Dave Revsine said after the win.

He’s right. The Scarlet Knights won the game handily, with Schiano’s hallmark defense forcing an eye-popping seven turnovers and 12 tackles for loss. Perhaps most importantly, they got competent quarterback play for the first time in what feels like forever. Noah Vedral, a transfer from Nebraska, won the starting job over all the holdovers and was a steady hand in the opener. He finished with 193 total yards and two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing). It wasn’t perfect by any stretch — Vedral had a few turnovers and the offense struggled in the second half — but for a unit that’s been one of the worst in the country recently, it was a few steps in the right direction.

Schiano’s pull in the transfer market showed everywhere, not just at QB. Aron Cruickshank (transfer from Wisconsin) and Jovani Haskins (transfer from West Virginia) combined for five receptions, Michael Dwumfour (transfer from Michigan) was key to stopping the run and Brendon White (transfer from Ohio State) had the game-sealing interception.

The win, besides snapping a 21-game conference losing streak, says a lot. For one, it shows they may be on the track to belonging and changes fan perception a bit. Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014 and, save for the first season, it hasn’t gone well (9-39 since 2016; zero Big Ten wins in 2018-19). A win against a traditional Big Ten power earns some much-needed respect. Plainly put, they have been the doormat for the last few years and it hasn’t gone unnoticed among fans of longtime conference teams. It’s exactly what Steve Pikiell did with the hoops program.

Rutgers was a double-digit underdog vs. Michigan State.

Schiano was the head coach once upon a time at RU during what you’d consider the glory years. He had them ranked in the Top 10 and regularly in bowl games before taking a job in the NFL. Fans wanted him back badly, the administration delivered, and it seems to be the right call.

(Box Score)