Rutgers Football

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano played down any significance to the heated exchange he had with Ohio State's Ryan Day on the field Saturday.

Schiano told reporters it was merely "two coaches who protect their players":

It’s not Ryan Day and I. My player was in a sea of Ohio State players and it was closing fast. I wanted to make sure of two things: I wanted to stop our team from coming across the field (because) that’s how things get very ugly, and I wanted to make sure our player got out of there safely. We’re both very competitive guys. I have the upmost respect for Ryan. We’re good friends. We’re good. There’s no problem between us.

Up 39 points in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes ran a fake punt. Jesse Mirco went for 22 yards and was hit after going out of bounds. That triggered a brief shoving match between members of the two teams.

Rutgers/Ohio State players and coaches had to be separated on the field after this late hit. pic.twitter.com/NPZ0lN3lcy

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 1, 2022

Schiano walked toward the OSU sideline as well and had some choice words for Day.

Things are getting heated in Columbus 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ogLILcOKX

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 1, 2022

Like his counterpart, Day was quick to move on from the matter.

"You know, it's one coach defending their side against another coach," he told reporters. "No hard feelings at all. Talked to him after the game, and I have an unbelievable amount of respect for him."

Along with coaching in the same conference, Day and Schiano spent two seasons together on the Ohio State staff. Prior to succeeding Urban Meyer, Day was the Buckeyes' co-offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018, when Schiano was an associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

Ohio State rolled over the Scarlet Knights 49-10 at Ohio Stadium. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Buckeyes have scored 49-plus points in nine straight contests against Rutgers, the longest such streak by one team over the same opponent since 1936.

Wake Forest ended 2021 on a high, beating Rutgers 38-10 in the Gator Bowl on Friday at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Demon Deacons' 11 wins tie a program record set in 2006.

They steadily wore down the Scarlet Knights, rolling up 453 total yards and scoring 24 unanswered points to close out the contest.

Head coach Dave Clawson and his staff only had around a week to draw up a new game plan after Rutgers replaced Texas A&M, which was forced to withdraw because of COVID-19-related issues.

In retrospect, the Big Ten may have wished Rutgers sat this one out. The result is the conference's first bowl loss of the 2021 season.

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Notable Performers

Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest: 23-of-39, 304 yards, three touchdowns; six carries, 21 yards

A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest: 10 receptions, 127 yards, one touchdown

Johnny Langan, QB, Rutgers: 2-of-2, 21 yards; six carries, 20 yards; six receptions, 57 yards

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Hartman Exorcises Bowl Demons

Last year, Sam Hartman had a bowl season to forget. He threw four interceptions in the second half as Wake Forest suffered a 42-28 loss to Wisconsin in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. 

The redshirt sophomore explained to ESPN's David M. Hale how he began to prioritize his mental health following that defeat, reflecting how he wishes he had earlier in life.

Hartman clearly wasn't weighed down from any memories of last December as he threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter against Rutgers.

Captain 👉 captain

The second career touchdown for @Bchap1997 🎩 https://t.co/H5kjLAviCn pic.twitter.com/6XY71wt1w0

— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) December 31, 2021

ACC receivers with 15 touchdowns in a season:

◾️ @atorian_perry - 2021
◾️ Kelvin Benjamin - 2013
◾️ Calvin Johnson - 2006
◾️ Andre Cooper - 1995

Tied for fifth in ACC history 📈 pic.twitter.com/RUcM6WF37T

— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) December 31, 2021

With the Demon Deacons offense sputtering a bit in the second half, Hartman broke off a 35-yard run on third down in the fourth quarter to get inside the red zone. Four plays later, he found Brandon Chapman for their second touchdown connection of the day.

His 50 total touchdowns in 2021 are the second-most in a single season by an ACC quarterback.

Hartman headlines a long list of starters set to return to Wake Forest in 2022. A second successive 10-win season is an attainable goal for next season.

Wake Forest in 2022 will be a classic test of brand bias in rankings. They return nearly everyone on offense from from a Top 10 offense and an 11-win team. Sam Hartman should be first-team All-ACC. Will voters believe?

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 31, 2021

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Rutgers Offense Runs Into Same Problems

The Scarlet Knights entered Friday at 118th in total offense, averaging 313.8 yards per game. They were also 109th in offensive SP+, per ESPN's Bill Connelly.

The Rutgers offense engineered a 12-play, 75-yard drive on its first possession of the game. Aaron Young capped it off with a 12-yard touchdown run.

Aaron Young runs it in for the touchdown ‼️

The 12 play, 75-yard drive ties the game at 7 with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter. @aaronyoung04 | #CHOP pic.twitter.com/JHxIsIqmTB

— Rutgers Football 🪓 (@RFootball) December 31, 2021

That wasn't a sign of things to come.

The Scarlet Knights were set up with a 1st-and-goal at the Wake Forest 10-yard line but had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Valentino Ambrosio to make a 14-10 game. Their next trip into the red zone ended in an interception by Wake Forest defensive back Gavin Holmes.

After Hartman's touchdown passes, the Rutgers defense did a good job of stymying Wake Forest for stretches. The offense failed to capitalize, though, and that put far too much pressure on the defense over time.

All things considered, this wasn't a bad performance from Greg Schiano's team.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1476973189293084673

Rutgers got a bunch of practices and a trip to Florida.

Hung around with Wake for a little while.

Good deal, all things considered.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) December 31, 2021

Broadly speaking, Schiano has the program headed in a positive direction. On Friday, Rutgers was simply overmatched by a better team.

Wake Forest has reportedly found its new opponent for the Gator Bowl after Texas A&M withdrew from the game because of COVID-19 issues within its program.

Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reports that Rutgers will receive and accept a bid to face the No. 17 Demon Deacons on Dec. 31 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Auerbach noted that the Scarlet Knights have the highest APR among 5-7 teams. The NCAA oversight committee is expected to make the news official on Thursday.

Rutgers was 3-0 in non-conference games but ended the season with three losses in its last four contests. The team's last win was a 38-3 victory over Indiana on Nov. 13. In their last two losses of the season, the Scarlet Knights surrendered a combined 68 points while scoring only 16. 

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said on Wednesday that his team hoped to find a new opponent by Friday. After a stellar 10-3 season, the Demon Deacon players let Clawson know they still want to play in the game. It would be the program's first Gator Bowl appearance since 1946.

"Overwhelmingly, the captains, they want to play in the Gator Bowl," Clawson said. "That's what they said. We've worked really hard to get to a bowl of this caliber, of this prestige."

Clawson added that over 90 percent of the team has received a COVID-19 booster shot and the team is taking extra precautions such as wearing facemasks indoors, social distancing and limiting contact to ensure they'll be able to play.

Rutgers cornerbacks Chris Long and Malachi Melton have been suspended by the program after being arrested by university police on Tuesday morning. 

Per James Kratch of NJ.com, Long and Melton were charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. 

Head coach Greg Schiano explained in a statement the incident involved a paintball gun. 

"I was informed that Chris Long and Malachi Melton were taken into police custody early this morning as a result of an incident involving a paintball gun," Schiano said. "Both players have been suspended immediately."

Citing municipal court records, Kratch noted the incident took place on Monday night and the two players were taken into custody on Tuesday morning. 

According to Kratch, Rutgers Police have not yet responded to NJ Advanced Media's request for the incident report.

Schiano gave no indication how long the suspensions for Melton and Long will last. Both players are freshmen for the Scarlet Knights. 

Melton appeared in all nine games and made six starts last season. The New Jersey native has four pass breakups and two interceptions in three games so far in 2021. 

Long has yet to record a statistic this season. He appeared in two games last year, against Ohio State and Maryland. 

Rutgers (3-0) is scheduled to take on No. 19 Michigan at The Big House on Saturday.    

Thursday night's scheduled college football game between Rutgers and Temple in Piscataway, New Jersey, has been moved to Saturday because of flooding caused by Hurricane Ida, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the game will kick off at 12 p.m. ET.

NJ.com's Keith Sargeant first reported the game was in jeopardy because of "growing concern" about whether roads will be passable enough for fans to attend the game should it happen.

In a statement, Piscataway Township officials recommended the game be played without fans if it occurs:

"While Piscataway is a strong supporter of Rutgers University and fervent fans of Rutgers Football, if the Rutgers-Temple football game is still going to take place this evening, the Township is calling on the University to do so without fans. Township infrastructure is overwhelmed by the damage of Hurricane Ida and evacuations are still taking place this morning. Most importantly, search and rescue operations are ongoing. Piscataway Public Works and our first responders worked through the night to help residents and significant work continues today. Roadways in the Township cannot handle an influx of tens of thousands of people coming to the football game especially with the closure of Landing Lane Bridge."

Per Sargeant, Rutgers was expecting a sell-out crowd of over 50,000 fans for Thursday's game, and it's unclear if fans will be able to attend the rescheduled game Saturday. 

According to Sargeant, figures from the National Weather Service and Rutgers NJ Weather Network show that 6.53 inches of rain fell Wednesday in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

It was also noted by Sargeant that flooding of the Raritan River has led to the closure of some major roadways.

Additionally, CNN's Jennifer Gray, Brandon Miller and Taylor Ward reported that Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in New Jersey.

Led by head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers is looking to finish with a winning record in football for the first time since 2014.

With Schiano back last season for the first time since leaving after the 2011 campaign, the Scarlet Knights went 3-6, which was a step in the right direction after winning a total of three games in the previous two seasons combined.

Meanwhile, Temple is coming off a 1-6 season after finishing .500 or better in each of the previous six seasons, including 10-win campaigns in 2015 and 2016.

Per Action Network, the Scarlet Knights are 14.5-point favorites over the Owls should the game go ahead as scheduled.  

Rutgers wide receiver Carnell Davis is recovering after being injured in a fight over the weekend, which was shown in a video posted on social media Monday.

"Our main concern is Carnell's health and well-being," a Rutgers Football spokesperson told Ahmad Austin of The Press of Atlantic City on Tuesday. "He is home with his family and continues to make progress in his recovery. We look forward to getting him back on campus soon."

Rutgers WR Carnell Davis #Sheesh
If you can’t fight, don’t fight pic.twitter.com/LuuXNnpKpc

— i love you (@10kHendo) July 6, 2021

The incident took place in Margate City, New Jersey. Davis played his first three years of high school football in New Jersey before transferring to Eau Gallie High School in Florida for his final season.

Per TMZ Sports, police have charged 26-year-old Alexander Denafo with simple assault. He is due in court on July 26.

Davis, a 3-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, committed to Rutgers in Feb. 2020 and formally enrolled at the school in January, according to 247Sports. He had scholarship offers from Auburn, Baylor, Oregon and Tennessee, among others.

He was a three-sport athlete in high school, also playing basketball as well as track and field.

The person who provided the video of the fight said Davis was in the area playing football with friends when the incident occurred, per Austin.

Further details about the injuries the 6'1'', 175-pound incoming freshman suffered weren't immediately released.

Rutgers, which is also located in New Jersey, is scheduled to kick off its 2021 football season by hosting Temple on Sept. 2.

Greg Schiano is apparently the only person able to do the impossible: turn Rutgers into a winning football program.

Schiano's second tenure with the Scarlet Knights got off to the best possible start, as visiting Rutgers earned a 38-27 win over Michigan State.

The Knights entered Saturday having lost their last 21 Big Ten games, the country's longest in-conference losing streak for a Power Five team.

Michigan State all but handed the game to Rutgers, turning the ball over seven times—highlighted by a ghastly five fumbles. Including turnovers on downs, eight of the Spartans' 15 drives ended that way.

The Knights had their own turnover issues, coughing the ball up three times, but the offense put plenty of points on the board with advantageous field position to pull away. Noah Vedral accounted for 193 total yards, and Isaih Pacheco rushed for two touchdowns to get Rutgers off to a 1-0 start in the shortened eight-game Big Ten season.

"It has been a roller coaster," Schiano told reporters this week. "The whole thing's a roller coaster, but that's the world we're in right now.

"One of the things we talked about when this thing really hit was, it's not good enough to survive. We wanted to thrive throughout this. That was a big part of what we talked to our team about, and I believe they have. We learned a lot about ourselves."

The Knights will host their first Big Ten game under Schiano next week against Indiana.

Schiano previously spent 11 years at the helm, winning the first five bowl games in program history. He then spent two seasons coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before later becoming Ohio State's defensive coordinator from 2016-18.

Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway called out United States President Donald Trump on Thursday for attempting to get involved with the Big Ten's discussions on when to hold its 2020 football season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to NJ.com's Steve Politi, Holloway suggested Trump should be focused on the bigger issues facing the country:

"Cheap politics. I mean, it's just cheap politics. I want that person to be paying attention to matters of national security and national importance. This does not rise to that level—not for a half second. And even if it was a president that I was completely in love with that was doing this, I’d still think it would be cheap politics."

The Big Ten decided to postpone the start of its 2020 season because of the rapid spread of COVID-19, and the earliest its season could start at this point is mid-October.

Eight Nebraska football players sued the Big Ten in August in an attempt to invalidate the decision to postpone the season, secure damages and create transparency regarding how the decision was made.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Big Ten presidents and chancellors divulged that they voted 11-3 to postpone the season in the interest of "the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes."

Trump has recently been outspoken about his belief that the Big Ten should hold its season as soon as possible. Per Rebecca Klar of The Hill, Trump said: "[It's] crucial for colleges and universities to stay open, we hope that they do indeed stay open. We want to see Big Ten football, we hope it's coming back."

He also discussed the possibility of the Big Ten having its season even if all 14 members don't want to participate: "I have a feeling they may do it without everybody. But people are working very, very hard to get Big Ten football back. I'm pushing for it and it'll be a great thing for our country."

According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune (h/t MLive.com's Aaron McMann), Big Ten presidents and chancellors could meet within the next week to vote on the conference's next steps.

The FBS college football season began last week and this week will see several teams from the ACC and Big 12 play for the first time, followed by the SEC on Sept. 26.

Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their seasons, as did the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West Conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

If the Big Ten does have a 2020-21 football season, it is possible it won't be held until the spring, although no firm decisions have been made.

The number of Rutgers football players who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 28 on Tuesday, per a report from Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media. That number is in addition to multiple staff members.

A total of 15 players tested positive for COVID-19 between mid-June, when members of the team returned to campus for voluntary workouts, and July 29, per Sargeant.

As of early July, only four players had tested positive, but a spike occurred late in the month. Per Sargeant, New Jersey State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli blamed the Scarlet Knights' rise in COVID-19 cases on a party that Rutgers athletes attended in July.

Rutgers shut down workouts on July 25 and moved the team to an on-campus dorm for quarantine, per Sargeant. Players are undergoing tests every two days and receiving food from coaches and staff.

Some players have experienced symptoms related to COVID-19, while others are asymptomatic.

Rutgers is scheduled to begin a Big Ten conference-only slate on Sept. 5 against Nebraska. Head coach Greg Schiano has returned to coach the team after leading the Scarlet Knights from 2001 to 2011, going 68-67 with five bowl wins.

Conferences and individual schools across the United States have either moved to league-only slates or postponed football in 2020 entirely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in over 4.62 million confirmed cases and 154,000 deaths in the United States, per the World Health Organization on Tuesday. A total of 47,183 cases were confirmed Tuesday.

Division I-FBS is looking to forge ahead with a season, and many teams returned to campus for voluntary workouts in June.

However, some schools have reported outbreaks among teams, with Clemson announcing on June 26 that 37 Tigers had tested positive, per Matt Connolly of The State.

Maryland, Ohio State and North Carolina all paused workouts (among other schools) but have since resumed.

The Division I-FBS slate is scheduled to begin Saturday, August 29 with six games, including 2020 College Football Playoff participant Oklahoma hosting Missouri State.