Seven years ago people would ask, “Do they play Division 1 college football played in New Jersey?” Now there seems to be a quiet confidence growing in the New Brunswick-Piscataway area. Having more football history than just about every other university in the nation, beating Princeton in the first college football game in 1869, didn’t carry weight any more to the rest of the nation. The decade of the 90’s wasn’t to kind to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers compiling a record of 40-80-1, but in December of 2000 that all changed.
Enter Greg Schiano , a Jersey born, defensive coach from the University of Miami, and the mission of not only winning games, but changing the entire nation’s outlook toward Rutgers’ football program. Things didn’t get of to a flying start for Schiano and his Knights finishing the 2001 season with a 2-9 record, following that up with 2002’s 1-11 record, murmurs of a bad coaching hire began to surface.
Those that really paid attention to the first couple of seasons under Schiano saw a difference in the play of the team. Rutgers were not making the mistakes that they used to make, they were losing games because in the talent department they were outmanned. Slowly and steadily Greg Schiano was building solid (not spectacular) recruiting classes each year. Keeping his strong ties with the South Florida high schools, Schiano was able to open a pipeline that traveled from the ‘Sunshine State’ up the east coast to New Jersey.
Schiano also stated that he would do the impossible…build a recruiting wall around the talent-rich borders of New Jersey. Every year college football’s power schools would come into New Jersey and leave with talented players that would have successful collegiate careers outside of the state. Schiano is beginning to build that wall, of course a few will always get away, but the Scarlet Knights have reeled in their share of top recruits (this year landing blue chip offensive lineman Anthony Davis).
Coming off of two consecutive bowl appearances, including last year’s dismantling of Kansas State 37-10 in the Texas Bowl, Rutgers football is on the rise. This year expectations are set high, after last year’s 10-2 record and bringing back a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Ray Rice, people around New Jersey are speaking of competing for the Big East BCS bid. No one speaks of the previous decade, rendering those records B.S. (Before Schiano). "Keep chopping" Greg Schiano, "Keep Chopping".
Augustine J. Dashiell - Augustine is an aspiring sportswriter, looking to gain experience. Looking at his chosen field, he realizes experience is hard to gain and ...
