35-14 a little better than 78-0. Improvement is what we wanted to see and we're seeing it.

[RU848789]

Well, 35-14 and 28-14 after 3 quarters is at least pretty competitive. A couple of plays (and calls) go differently and it's even closer. HUGE improvement over last year's UM game and it was especially nice to see us not give up when it went to 28-7. I think we win at least one more this year and 4-8 would clearly represent significant improvement over 2-10 and would hopefully show recruits that we're on the upswing. Now let's go beat Maryland next week and see if we can get to 5 wins.

 

[RUboston]

Improvement!

 

[scarlet_ty]

While not happy with the final score and those homer Zebras, I am happy with the progress of this team. 78-0 was flat out embarassing and demoralizing to the program last season but I can live with 35-14. I honestly expected worse.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Well, 35-14 and 28-14 after 3 quarters is at least pretty competitive. A couple of plays (and calls) go differently and it's even closer. HUGE improvement over last year's UM game and it was especially nice to see us not give up when it went to 28-7. I think we win at least one more this year and 4-8 would clearly represent significant improvement over 2-10 and would hopefully show recruits that we're on the upswing. Now let's go beat Maryland next week and see if we can get to 5 wins.

How much is it RU getting better vs UM getting worse? Both are happening.

 

[RUinOhio]

How much is it RU getting better vs UM getting worse? Both are happening.

ya and at home this could have been a winnable game. Hell it was winnable until the end of the second quarter. and the refs were criminal in this game. Many calls directly lead to Michigan points.

 

[jvgrad02]

I wish the safety did not drop the ball. He could have taken it to the house and they would not have scored. The Defense played great but offense still a work in progress. Offensive line could have played better and also the QB. There was a massive improvement and competitiveness but we still lost. Love that they played their hearts out.

 

[RU848789]

How much is it RU getting better vs UM getting worse? Both are happening.

I think it's more us improving, especially since we won 2 B1G games this year vs. none last year and were competitive in every other game (except OSU) and should've won EMU and could've won at NE.

 

[realhoops2]

I wish the safety did not drop the ball. He could have taken it to the house and they would not have scored. The Defense played great but offense still a work in progress. Offensive line could have played better and also the QB. There was a massive improvement and competitiveness but we still lost. Love that they played their hearts out.

The defense did no play great!.

 

[rutgersdave]

Always need a better QB and offense.

 

[RUScrew85]

Yep. Maybe this coach knows what he's doing...

 

[AreYouNUTS]

“A LITTLE better”??

Wasn’t it 43-0 at HALF last year lol??

 

[NotInRHouse]

Much better. Gio is definitely part of the difference but overall there are strides.

 

[ru75]

How much is it RU getting better vs UM getting worse? Both are happening.

We played with a handicapped QB...had Gio been the dual threat he needs to be, this game would have been much closer. We are clearly better than we were and UM is not as good as they were but surely you can see our progress.

This game was watchable against a top 25 Michigan team in their house.

 

[RU old timer]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

 

[G- RUnit]

Win Maryland. That's the whole season. Then maybe Indiana as icing.

We have shown improvement but let's not forget a few short years ago we beat Michigan.

 

[RUTrack94]

I think we beat Maryland (no passing game) and take care of Indy.

 

[RUBOB72]

RU old timer...for what it’s worth ... most RU fans see a B1G difference... we are 1 good lass from being in and winning 6 or 7 games...Ash deserves the next 2 years... sorry but your incessant negativism reeks...

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

Only thing “pathetic” in this thread is your post.

 

[kapyoche]

I saw this game and Rutgers is still pretty bad. They just don't have the players. We are still very weak on both lines to scare any Tier 2 teams in the BIG.

We have to play close games for us to say we are improving. Michigan had a freshman QB and still manhandled our defense.

We lack speed, strength, size and toughness. We are at best an average Tier 3 team in the BIG.

 

[TMCB]

We hung in there without a QB, Blacksherre, a few DBs,

 

[RU old timer]

I disagree with about everything you have said over the year, Are You Nuts. I am a die hard fan, season ticket holder for decades just as I'm sure you are...it is just amazing that two Rutgers fans--you and I-have disagreed about just about EVERYTHING about Rutgers football. The best thing I can say is we agree to disagree. You have been largely satisfied with Rutgers football over the years. I've been largely dissatisfied. We are just completely different Rutgers fans. But Rutgers fans.

 

[BlockR]

Less then 200 yards in offense 100 yards in passing..little to no WR production. Michigan pounded the ball at will.its a combo of RU being a little better on defense and Michigan struggles on offense playing their 3rd string qb or 2nd strung QB.Ru needs more skill players on offense to compete with above average B10 squads.

 

[RUfubar]

Again I'm amazed how some fans don't see the dynamic ebb and flow of recruiting and a new coaching staff ....all they see is black and white.... win and don't lose ....like it should happen overnight magically .. in the B1G nevertheless...we need to get the quality and quantity of players necessary to recruit in this league and developed them. I feel better about the coaching staff being able to do that now than I did a few months ago.

 

[rurichdog]

Less then 200 yards in offense 100 yards in passing..little to no WR production. Michigan pounded the ball at will.its a combo of RU being a little better on defense and Michigan struggles on offense playing their 3rd string qb or 2nd strung QB.Ru needs more skill players on offense to compete with above average B10 squads.

We need linemen before skill players. If the QB is running for his life, it doesn't matter how good your receivers are.

 

[RutgersMO]

Well, 35-14 and 28-14 after 3 quarters is at least pretty competitive. A couple of plays (and calls) go differently and it's even closer. HUGE improvement over last year's UM game and it was especially nice to see us not give up when it went to 28-7. I think we win at least one more this year and 4-8 would clearly represent significant improvement over 2-10 and would hopefully show recruits that we're on the upswing. Now let's go beat Maryland next week and see if we can get to 5 wins.

Agree....let's hope some recruits were also watching / noticing that RU is improving/ with their help could beat Michigan, Osu, Ped State.

MO

 

[newwavedave1]

Bottom line is this team is improving. Improvement is what 99% of us hoped/asked for. Patience will be needed in this painfully slow process.

 

[RUReady76]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

Pathetic is too harsh. The team is playing better and I am happy for the players. That said, we are not beating Michigan anytime soon. Or Penn State. Both are loaded with players up and down the roster. Until we significantly upgrade our recruiting, we are who we are.

 

[ru75]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

Really? Do you know what he inherited?

 

[RUaMoose]

Not impressed by what I saw today. Reminded me a little of the Washington game where the opponent took a half to get in the groove. Winning two conference games is nice but recruiting is mediocre at best so I don't see as a trend. More of an aberration. Terry Shea won two conference games in '98 too( Pitt and Temple). Everyone thought it was light at the end of the tunnel. Ash needs a signature win. Today would have qualified but at no point did I feel we were going to win.

 

[NickKnight 1]

" 35 to 14 is little bite better than 78 nothing" I totally disagree, it is a heal of a lot better.
Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[bac2therac]

We have improved greatly, we competed. However there is still a long way to go to close the gap. Michigan still physically mandled us and the game was really never in doubt especially after the QB change. This is type of game where RU can take alot of positives from instead of the 78-0 drubbings. Still need a ton of playmakers to actually have a chance to knock off the top 3 schools in the league. You see how Michigan can throw a whole bunch of different running backs on us and put up ridiculous amounts of yardage. They plug in a freshmen qb and he produces right away. That kind of depth is years away for us

 

[BoroKnight]

Certainly not an impressive performance when you allow 300 more yards than you gain against a pretty young team ...

BUT

I so want to be happy about this. We were absolutely humiliated in this game last year -- which was, you might recall, two years after beating the same team -- and to be in the game is a giant step forward.

So, while I would encourage those of you who look at this game in a vacuum to take a step back and look again, I also would caution others from making too big a deal of this. We were dominated from the line of scrimmage -- just as we were lsat week, by the way -- and we're a big play away from 30 yards rushing and 110 yards of total offense. That's awful. Really, it's awful.

But we took a step forward. Now go beat Maryland to take another one.

 

[ashokan]

HUGE improvement over last year's UM game and it was especially nice to see us not give up when it went to 28-7.

Ash's second season was always going to be about belonging on the same field vs winning a lot more games. RU didn't belong on a lot of fields last year and this year they do

 

[RUScrew85]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

Damn brah. Maybe you should front run with ND or the Cowboys.

 

[B1G54]

Watched the game. If you are not happy with the improvement Ash has given you well you will never be happy. This team went into AA during homecoming and played tough the entire game. Never gave up. Covered the spread. This is nothing like last years team. Ash is getting the Job done in the toughest division in Football. The B1G didn't do Rutgers any favors putting them in the eastern division. Would any of you thought last year Maryland and Indiana were winnable games last year?

 

[jtung230]

Who cares about improving vs last year’s game? Mich is a different team. HOWEVER, I do see week to week improvement. Baby steps.

 

[hern4144]

Maryland's QB injuries may actually save the pathetic Ash's staff. 4 wins. Great. Give him an extension. How pathetic are we?

Moronic post

 

[RUisB1Gtime]

You have to be a blind delusional idiot to not see the improvement. Yes,we are still a long ways away. But we at least have a team that fights and scraps. Last year we were not even a division 1 team....credit to ash,staff and players for the hard work they have put in.

 

[MikeR0102]

Beat Maryland, Beat Indiana. 2 teams we lost to by the scores of 31-13 and 33-27 last year. That'll be true progress. 4 conference wins.

 

[RU848789]

Certainly not an impressive performance when you allow 300 more yards than you gain against a pretty young team ...

BUT

I so want to be happy about this. We were absolutely humiliated in this game last year -- which was, you might recall, two years after beating the same team -- and to be in the game is a giant step forward.

So, while I would encourage those of you who look at this game in a vacuum to take a step back and look again, I also would caution others from making too big a deal of this. We were dominated from the line of scrimmage -- just as we were lsat week, by the way -- and we're a big play away from 30 yards rushing and 110 yards of total offense. That's awful. Really, it's awful.

But we took a step forward. Now go beat Maryland to take another one.

Yes, we were dominated on the line and yes, we only had one really big play on offense, but at the same time, we just missed on 3 other big plays, which is a good sign: Gio missed a wide-open Grant that could've been a TD or at least a 25-30 yard gain, Grant was shoelace-tackled on the return at 14-7 and would've taken in to the house, and Hester has a pick-6 if he holds onto the pass he broke up when UM was driving to make it 21-7.

Game would've been even closer if we make those plays, especially the Hester INT, since that was an important 7-point swing if he just catches it (they don't score before halftime) and could've been a 14 point swing if he caught it cleanly, as there was nobody between him and the endzone. And maybe it would've shaken Peters's confidence a bit.