maybe we're overdoing the negativity

[retired711]

The team is not doing well -- to say the least -- and so naturally fans focus on blaming the head coach and QB.

I used to be a fan of KF. But Contactgate soured me on him. He should leave. He is not a man of integrity. I am not sure he's as bad a coach as many posters think, but I really don't care about that.

I think people are putting too much emphasis on CL. Somehow the team scored 63 against Norfolk State, 55 against Indiana, 34 against Washington State, and 24 against Michigan State. The offense must be working some of the time. Maybe HR would be a better QB, but there's no way to know.

The truth of the matter, I think, is that we are simply not competiitive with the better teams in the B1G. That's true of *all* phases of the game. So focusing on CL misses the point. He can't be his own offensive line or receiver, and both of those areas are not good enough. Moreover, the team is particularly poor on the road in unfamiliar (and big) stadiums like Michigan's. Our only devastating home loss was to Ohio State, and they are in competition for the national championship.

We need to become competitive because otherwise being part of the B1G will just alienate the fan base. (Notice the postings by people who say they no longer want to watch). That in turn will destroy the program.

I think we are asking for too much too soon. We were misled by our success last year at home against Michigan, and by our close game with Penn State. It's going to take time before we can surprise a first-tier B1G school on the road.

So what should we do? First, stop being so focused on CL. He's a problem, but far from the only problem. And second, try to be patient. The team is now only in its second year against competition that is a lot stronger than in the Big East (at least the Big East after Miami and Virginia Tech left) and the AAC. If you want Rutgers to play big-time football, you're going to have to accept that it's going to take time for the Scarlet Knights to be at that level. Anyway, that's my two cents -- if it's worth even that.

 

[brgossRU90]

It's crystal clear that we are in a distinctly lower tier than the top half of the conference. That's precisely the problem. This coach doesn't even give a tiny hint of being able to compete with the big boys--ever. If we are resigned to not even trying to get into the top tier and are happy to settle for being another Purdue then we should keep him. If we have any ambition, however, he has to go.

 

[ScarletDave]

7 of 9 DBs are Freshman. We are good against the run but can't stop the pass at all. We got blown out last year because of being new to playing the Big name teams I really feel, once the first one happened it started the ball rolling. But this year, I really think we don't get blown out with the secondary we were supposed to have. The fact that we even have a chance to make a bowl with no secondary, Carroo playing 3.5 of the first 9 games, Darius Hamilton playing 0.5 of 9 games, and a not exactly 100% healthy Paul James, is amazing. The chance to do anything more than what we "should" this particular season was gone when our defense decided to rob a house, our star WR got framed, and our HC was suspended for a quarter of the season.

 

[RU5781]

No.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

The team is not doing well -- to say the least -- and so naturally fans focus on blaming the head coach and QB.

I used to be a fan of KF. But Contactgate soured me on him. He should leave. He is not a man of integrity. I am not sure he's as bad a coach as many posters think, but I really don't care about that.

I think people are putting too much emphasis on CL. Somehow the team scored 63 against Norfolk State, 55 against Indiana, 34 against Washington State, and 24 against Michigan State. The offense must be working some of the time. Maybe HR would be a better QB, but there's no way to know.
.

Here's why our O worked in those games::

- NFSU FCS 3-6
- Total D 84th Pass D 74th
- IU Total D 119th Pass D 103rd
- MSU Pass D 85th

 

[AreYouNUTS]

7 of 9 DBs are Freshman. We are good against the run but can't stop the pass at all. We got blown out last year because of being new to playing the Big name teams I really feel, once the first one happened it started the ball rolling. But this year, I really think we don't get blown out with the secondary we were supposed to have. .

Our secondary was awful last year and was going to be pretty bad, regardless, this year.

 

[lighty]

"MaybeHR would be a better QB, but there's no way to know."

There's actually been an easy way to know all year long...

I'm not say he's the answer, but he should have been given a shot early on. Laviano has struggled too much to have no pressure on his job.

RU obviously has problems in every aspect of the program right now, but let's not pretend a QB switch couldn't have been made. Teams do it all the time.

 

[rufeelinit]

You don't have to watch too long to conclude the flood is not a good football coach.

 

[RUgrad75]

7 of 9 DBs are Freshman. We are good against the run but can't stop the pass at all. We got blown out last year because of being new to playing the Big name teams I really feel, once the first one happened it started the ball rolling. But this year, I really think we don't get blown out with the secondary we were supposed to have. The fact that we even have a chance to make a bowl with no secondary, Carroo playing 3.5 of the first 9 games, Darius Hamilton playing 0.5 of 9 games, and a not exactly 100% healthy Paul James, is amazing. The chance to do anything more than what we "should" this particular season was gone when our defense decided to rob a house, our star WR got framed, and our HC was suspended for a quarter of the season.

Well said

 

[Blitz8RUCrazy]

A change is needed. regardless of final record. Even if we go undefeated the rest of the way and get to 7 wins.

 

[RU1977]

I will say that Schiano had a much better defense playing...... It's hard watching this one, especially when you know the other team has to pass.

 

[scarletbergen]

A change is needed. regardless of final record. Even if we go undefeated the rest of the way and get to 7 wins.

Yup!!

Even if we go 7-6 with a bowl game win, Hermann and Flood both must go!

 

[ru8081]

7 of 9 DBs are Freshman. We are good against the run but can't stop the pass at all. We got blown out last year because of being new to playing the Big name teams I really feel, once the first one happened it started the ball rolling. But this year, I really think we don't get blown out with the secondary we were supposed to have. The fact that we even have a chance to make a bowl with no secondary, Carroo playing 3.5 of the first 9 games, Darius Hamilton playing 0.5 of 9 games, and a not exactly 100% healthy Paul James, is amazing. The chance to do anything more than what we "should" this particular season was gone when our defense decided to rob a house, our star WR got framed, and our HC was suspended for a quarter of the season.

The 7 to 9 dbs are getting pressured because the DL has no push, QBs have all day to make passes. You give most college QBs that much time they'll find their receivers. The lack of DL push is recruiting and training. Responsible? Coach and staff.

 

[urbanecane]

We are dangerously close to reaching that Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers in the 90s, level of incompetence. I say keep the negativity going until something is done about it.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Camden-

Good observations. I just wish there was a more tangible solution to our misery.

 

[mdk01]

So what should we do? First, stop being so focused on CL. He's a problem, but far from the only problem. And second, try to be patient. The team is now only in its second year against competition that is a lot stronger than in the Big East (at least the Big East after Miami and Virginia Tech left) and the AAC. If you want Rutgers to play big-time football, you're going to have to accept that it's going to take time for the Scarlet Knights to be at that level. Anyway, that's my two cents -- if it's worth even that.

What you say makes sense, but you're basically talking to the Paris Mob circa 1793.

 

[Raritan83]

7 of 9 DBs are Freshman. We are good against the run but can't stop the pass at all. We got blown out last year because of being new to playing the Big name teams I really feel, once the first one happened it started the ball rolling. But this year, I really think we don't get blown out with the secondary we were supposed to have. The fact that we even have a chance to make a bowl with no secondary, Carroo playing 3.5 of the first 9 games, Darius Hamilton playing 0.5 of 9 games, and a not exactly 100% healthy Paul James, is amazing. The chance to do anything more than what we "should" this particular season was gone when our defense decided to rob a house, our star WR got framed, and our HC was suspended for a quarter of the season.

a) How has our pass rush been this year? Not good. So don't think we can say the DL has been performing
b) We had arrests. Teams also have injuries. You need depth for those situations. The fact that 7 of 9 playing are freshmen goes to show how the staff has not done their job in keeping the bench stocked with replacements
c) Even if the arrests didn't happen and the players were still here, we wouldn't be in a different position, you can't win games when your starting QB hasn't led a TD drive in 3 games
d) I can say the same as b with Carroo. He didn't play. He won't play any games for us next year. Why hasn't the staff recruited any play makers to go along with him or behind him?
e) Our HC did that to himself and should have been fired on the spot
f) Amazing? Our wins are Norfolk State, Kansas and Indiana. If we make a bowl you would add Maryland (coach fired and injuries galore), Army and Nebraska (4 wins). Which of those wins is amazing?

 

[mildone]

This board always overdoes the negativity; there's no maybe about it.

Personally, I don't understand the mentality whereby people feel the need to endlessly whine about things that aren't going well but that are out of their control. Seems to me that remaining so intently focused on the source of the misery just promotes even more misery.

But whatever floats people's boats I guess.

 

[retired711]

I expected to be lynched for my original post, so I'm glad to see I have some supporters.

 

[mdk01]

I expected to be lynched for my original post, so I'm glad to see I have some supporters.

Nah. French Revolution. GUILLOTINE!!!

 

[RU2055]

In 2013 ......... Flood was a hairline away from getting canned because of FANS. The tide turned when we beat USF and folks bought into the propaganda. Had enough people kept the pressure, the Admin, deathly terrified of half empty stadiums, would have canned him.

 

[lighty]

In 2013 ......... Flood was a hairline away from getting canned because of FANS. The tide turned when we beat USF and folks bought into the propaganda. Had enough people kept the pressure, the Admin, deathly terrified of half empty stadiums, would have canned him.

Exactly. This is what confuses me about the Flood supporters. They make it sound like this is a rush to judgement, it's not. Flood's performance -- virtually every year since 2012 -- has been rather dismal. Even the 8 wins last year was rather bittersweet, beating crappy teams and getting blown out by anyone with a pulse.

It's as if the Flood supporters simply grade every year as a brand new year and don't look at the body of work as a whole.

 

[mildone]

Exactly. This is what confuses me about the Flood supporters. They make it sound like this is a rush to judgement, it's not. Flood's performance -- virtually every year since 2012 -- has been rather dismal. Even the 8 wins last year was rather bittersweet, beating crappy teams and getting blown out by anyone with a pulse.

It's as if the Flood supporters simply grade every year as a brand new year and don't look at the body of work as a whole.

What Flood supporters? Who is supporting him? I haven't seen anyone say they think Flood is the coach of the future. I see Flood haters (current loudly engaged in some form of mass hysteria) and I see non-haters who don't think Flood is the guy to make us competitive in the Big Ten but don't feel compelled to join the lynch mob either.

There's this narrative the haters keep inventing about all the "Fluddites" or the "Floodies" or whatever other pet names people have for these mysterious Flood supporters. But I don't see any of those people. It's like the haters need more fuel for their hatred so they're inventing an enemy out of anybody that isn't as deeply invested in the mass hysteria as they are.

Toe the party line or be called out, eh? Who doesn't love a little McCarthyism now and then.

 

[NotInRHouse]

LOL takes a Floodie to not know a Floodie I guess...

 

[batts]

It all boils down to recruiting, and recruiting requires seed money. In a less jaundiced view, RU needs money from other sources to hire a bigger name coach. Why aren't the boosters stepping up? Do they not like Flood? Were they ignored in the A.D. selection process? Were they alienated when Pernetti let go? Does RU have enough boosters?

 

[Kbee3]

It all boils down to recruiting, and recruiting requires seed money. In a less jaundiced view, RU needs money from other sources to hire a bigger name coach. Why aren't the boosters stepping up? Do they not like Flood? Were they ignored in the A.D. selection process? Were they alienated when Pernetti let go? Does RU have enough boosters?

Did you ever consider the possibility that the boosters don't give two chits about college football ? Just because this board is populated by plenty of people who live and die for RU football doesn't mean that enough people care enough about touchdowns and field goals to sustain a team that competes at the highest level. I'd really be interested in seeing the results of a poll questioning what percentage of New Jerseyans...and particularly Rutgers grads... care about the success of the football team. I'm guessing it's nowhere near what you'd get from such a poll about Alabama or Ohio State or Nebraska if grads of those schools and residents of those states were asked.
And BTW, the idea that there weren't gonna be serious growing pains in trying to compete with the better teams in our new league is just laughable. Yeah....right. Just sew those Big Ten patches on the uniforms and we're ready to go. Look out Buckeyes.
This is Rutgers...and consequently it's a long uphill climb. And there's no way of being sure we can ever get there. I'm not saying Flood is the answer. I'm saying there probably isn't one. So could we cut with the hysterics a little ? Please.

 

[batts]

Kbee, I was was referring to football boosters. From reading this Board, there have been several insider posts concerning big money football boosters. My questions were directed to these boosters.

 

[shields]

If you are going to say who we beat this year, then how about the losses? Ohio State is undefeated and MSU has one loss. PSU is tough and Washington State is 3 points from being 7-2. Our schedule was hard this year with young players. But there are no playmakers when Carroo does not play and that is the fault of the head coach.

 

[retired711]

Can I correct a stupid thing I said in my original post. I said there was no way of knowing whether Rettig is better. Obviously, that's wrong; we could just play him and see. OTOH, I don't see any evidence from what we've seen to date that Rettig would be better. One long completion does not make a starting QB. And I doubt that KF is lying when he says that Rettig doesn't know the playbook -- I can't see why KF would make up a thing like that, particularly because he has reason to dislike CL because CL was suspended for a while for using a fake ID.

 

[Raritan83]

. And I doubt that KF is lying when he says that Rettig doesn't know the playbook -- I can't see why KF would make up a thing like that, particularly because he has reason to dislike CL because CL was suspended for a while for using a fake ID.

Let's say that is true. Doesn't that then also all on the coaching staff for not being able to get him ready? Also, it has been said after Wazzu lost to Portland State, Mike Leach (a much more accomplished coach than any of ours) simplified the offense for Falk and look at the results that has done for them this year.

Coaches need to be able to adapt and that is my biggest complaint of the year we have not. We have basically just done what we have since done 1 and not done a single thing differently to try and win ballgames.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

If you are going to say who we beat this year, then how about the losses? Ohio State is undefeated and MSU has one loss. PSU is tough and Washington State is 3 points from being 7-2. Our schedule was hard this year with young players. But there are no playmakers when Carroo does not play and that is the fault of the head coach.

Yes, our schedule was "hard," but we are NOT even competing in many games and shouldn't be losing, at home, to Washignton State. Enough with the freakin' excuses we are having an historically BAD year on defense, the O can't do diddly against good D's, and without Mr. Grant we'd really, really be in trouble on ST's and in the scoring column this past week.

Bottom line: this is what back-to-back-to-back lousy recruiting classes get you (and next year, on the field, COULD be just as bad if not worse...).

 

[brgossRU90]

We have a coach who 1. Recruits terribly 2. Puts terrible teams on the field 3. Violated academic rules and engaged in a comical undercover operation in a nearby town. In other words: bad at his job and dishonest, leading to yet another embarrassing scandal for the university. Why is he still working for rutgers??? What other employee would not have been fired already? The fact that he was not fired 2 months ago shows clearly how incompetent our administration is. Do they want to save money even at the cost of rutgers looking like a laughingstock? Fans and alumni have every right to be up in arms.

 

[mildone]

LOL takes a Floodie to not know a Floodie I guess...

Whatever you say, McCarthy.

 

[mildone]

Do they want to save money even at the cost of rutgers looking like a laughingstock?

Seriously? You're seriously asking that question? Hasn't the answer been incredibly obvious since the day they hired Flood to replace Schiano? I think the real question is, what evidence does anybody have to suggest that the administration's position has changed on that question?

I thought maybe the Fridge was a hint of a willingness to spend more than bargain basement money. Apparently not. And I don't see any other evidence at all that this will change any time soon.

I suppose the silver lining is that the haters, who so clearly love to hate, will have plenty to hate over the next couple years. Won't that be fun? Woo hoo!