As many have commented on this board, one of the hallmarks of a Schiano defense was pressure on the quarterback , heavy dose of blitzes, and a very aggressive attacking style. The Rutgers defense was often described as a swarming defense. Not now .....When you have 66 pass attempts and suffer just one sack, very few hurries and no interceptions, you know the RU defense was reacting passively to Leach's offense with its bend but don't break mentality rather than attacking the QB. Why they didn't choose to pressure the Wazzoo QB during the last 95 seconds ( and throughout the game) is beyond me. There is a reason RU has only one interception this year and that was thrown by the Norfolk running back , not its QB. That's because there's very little blitzing and the d-line just has not generated much pressure with Hamilton out and Turay not being 100%. Combine that with DB's playing off receivers and not pressing and you have a very passive and reactive defense and little opportunity for turnovers. This defensive scheme is also the reason Rutgers had very few interceptions last year. One final note --when Rutgers does blitz they often use one of their LB's. Unfortunately none of them have the explosive burst that Turay or a DB might be able to add.
Misc. comment: I prefer that Rettig start not just due to his stronger arm but what appeared to be his calm under pressure. He read his progressions and looked off receivers. Granted it was against Norfolk but I saw enough to give him a chance. On the other hand, Laviano's play was adequate. He did nothing to stretch the field and often seemed late in his delivery but I was impressed that he improved as the game progressed, especially in the second half. His first half however was awful. Nevertheless, had penalties not caused 2 TD's to be taken off the board, the end result would have been different.
Misc. comment: I prefer that Rettig start not just due to his stronger arm but what appeared to be his calm under pressure. He read his progressions and looked off receivers. Granted it was against Norfolk but I saw enough to give him a chance. On the other hand, Laviano's play was adequate. He did nothing to stretch the field and often seemed late in his delivery but I was impressed that he improved as the game progressed, especially in the second half. His first half however was awful. Nevertheless, had penalties not caused 2 TD's to be taken off the board, the end result would have been different.
