Rock Bottom: Rutgers Loses to Connecticut

 I try to be as optimistic as possible about Rutgers football, but there is nothing positive to say about this game or really this season. Everything started to collapse two months ago when they blew a three touchdown lead in the fourth quarter against SMU, and they have not been able to recover at all. They are in a free fall and there is a very good chance they won't even make a bowl game after starting 4-1. This team is flat out playing bad football, and they could easily be 2-9 right now if it wasn't for a few miraculous plays by Gary Nova and Leonte Carroo. Change the quarterback, blame the injuries, say the secondary is too inexperienced, it doesn't matter. Bottom line is Kyle Flood is doing a terrible job leading this program, and they are dangerously close to falling off a cliff.

Rutgers offense now consists of throwing shit against the wall and seeing what sticks. With Chas Dodd starting at quarterback, they spread the defense out much more than we have seen this season prior to this game, and for some reason they ran a bunch of read options with an immobile quarterback. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work at all. Paul James was hurt again early in the second quarter, and the running game proved again to be non existent. The offensive line was getting no push and the backs themselves didn't do anything. Dodd was also shaky passing the ball, but he did complete a couple deep balls to Quoron Pratt. Ruhann Peele also made a nice run after catch a crossing route and had a touchdown nullified by a penalty. As poorly as Gary Nova has played this year, he at least dominated bad teams. Can't say the same about Dodd after this one. The Scarlet Knights first score came on a fake field goal from holder JT Tartacoff to Tyler Kroft, and the other Rutgers touchdown was a six yard run by Justin Goodwin.

The defense --surprise!-- sat back in cover two for the entire game and was torn to shreds by Casey Cochran who is a red shirt freshman and started the season as a third stringer. Rutgers has been all about attacking offenses with blitzes over the years, and they have gone away with that for no apparent reason. Yes, their secondary is a mess and the soft zone coverages are there to protect them, but guess what? It's not working. At all.They need to get back to what has made them a successful defense for the past decade. If your corners get beat, so be it. It's disgraceful seeing every god damn team throw 15 yard digs at will as they march down the field against this defense every week. They know what's coming, and they exploit it. I would also like to know the rationale of taking Darius Hamilton off the field on third down. He is by far their best pass rusher and arguably their best player on defense. Leave him out there on the field in every situation. Maybe he can generate a pass rush since they refuse to blitz. The defense was very strong against the run --Connecticut averaged a hair over 2 yards per carry-- and they recorded 8 tackles for loss. Hamilton, Steve Longa, Kevin Snyder and Dwajny Mera all had pretty good games.

This loss might have been the most embarrassing game in school history. At least Connecticut was a 5-7 team last time they lost in East Hartford.I don't know where the team goes from here, but I really, really hope they don't just give up and pack it in against USF. They desperately need to win so they receive the extra fifteen practices they would get if they reach a bowl game. They may be playing for their head coach's job on Saturday too. How they come out to play will be a big indication of the handle Flood has on his team.