Look things were looking bleak after losing 4 in a row. No revisionist history could say otherwise. Both sides of the ball were looking bad. Early confidence from the first 4 games that Athan had in his throws had disappeared. To me the confidence was so shot after the Wisconsin shellshock that Rutgers was losing the UCLA and USC games before kickoff even began. It wasnt an effort more a mentality thing. The defense was being carved up from the get go. Every drive was seemingly a score for UCLA and USC and that obviously isnt a good thing for an offense that couldnt get out of its own due to mistakes and just flat out poor play calling. Injuries certainly a factor but you cannot use that to totally excuse a freefall.
I do not know what happened in that off week but RU healed a little and Greg was able to instill the keep chopping perserverance and last week we saw a much improved effort vs Minnesota. Rutgers finally made plays on the offensive end even without Kyle and the defense finally got its act together. The question was would it carry over. Beating Minnesota would be meaningless if it did not carry over vs the Terps...and oh it did. This was the best performance and most impressive performance of the season. A total complete game we have not seen from Rutgers in years from start to finish. There was no question after years of losing to Maryland and chasing them around, Rutgers was the more talented, better coached and executed on the field with more precision than Maryland. In fact to me this would rank up there as probably a top 5 win in the GS era. No Maryland isnt very good. Thats not the point. The point is controlling the game, the balance between offense and defense, the playing to win mentality with the play calling, combined with having to prove that the 4 game skid was a speed bump is a testament to how impressive the win was. The 8:45 drive was one of beauty. A mix of running and passing and poise. The confidence in knowing that we are going to score and we are going to do it slowly and you are going to suffer through it Maryland. It was almost duplicated by another 6 minute drive in the 2nd half that severely was going to impact the possessions Maryland would get.
So important after that score to go up 21-17 for RU defense to step up and thats what they did. The 3 and out they held Maryland was enormous. The annnouncers kept talking about Maryland holding serve and they could score quick but totally oblivious to how Rutgers just went on another long drive and that would limit and put pressure on Maryland to score everytime. RU up a break would end up scoring again and all but sealed the deal with the INT set up for a fg. Up 31-17, thats when I knew it was over and was not worried about Maryland being able to come back. The Terps could not execute and their QB was simply not good enough to convert the 4th down plays and even their last drive which they easily could have cut the lead to 7 to set up an onsides kick was a complete failure for them. That 2nd half is about as impressive of a half that we have seen from Greg and Kirk or from Rutgers ever in the Big 10 thus far.
I am not an Xs and Os guy so look forward to reading some commentary on what we specifically did with play calling that we were not doing vs Nebraska and UCLA and Wisconsin. Our WR finally stepping up and executing but was their more to it.
So I went from praising Greg after the first 4 wins, to calling it same old Rutgers and admittedly ready to tune out the rest of the season at 4-4, and now he has pulled me back in at 6-4. RU is going bowling. What a rollercoaster but its one alot of us go through as fans. We do not like to get our hopes up only for them to be dashed bitterly and I think I speak for many. 8-4 is within reach but understandly 6-6 is as well. Big game vs Illinois, not a sexy name opponent but given the bowl possibilities that await, this game is likely the biggest game that the program has had since the Flood Louisville game with a trip to the Sugar Bowl on the line. Staying in the running for a New Years Day type bowl vs staying in the running for the dreaded Detroit Bowl.
I do not know what happened in that off week but RU healed a little and Greg was able to instill the keep chopping perserverance and last week we saw a much improved effort vs Minnesota. Rutgers finally made plays on the offensive end even without Kyle and the defense finally got its act together. The question was would it carry over. Beating Minnesota would be meaningless if it did not carry over vs the Terps...and oh it did. This was the best performance and most impressive performance of the season. A total complete game we have not seen from Rutgers in years from start to finish. There was no question after years of losing to Maryland and chasing them around, Rutgers was the more talented, better coached and executed on the field with more precision than Maryland. In fact to me this would rank up there as probably a top 5 win in the GS era. No Maryland isnt very good. Thats not the point. The point is controlling the game, the balance between offense and defense, the playing to win mentality with the play calling, combined with having to prove that the 4 game skid was a speed bump is a testament to how impressive the win was. The 8:45 drive was one of beauty. A mix of running and passing and poise. The confidence in knowing that we are going to score and we are going to do it slowly and you are going to suffer through it Maryland. It was almost duplicated by another 6 minute drive in the 2nd half that severely was going to impact the possessions Maryland would get.
So important after that score to go up 21-17 for RU defense to step up and thats what they did. The 3 and out they held Maryland was enormous. The annnouncers kept talking about Maryland holding serve and they could score quick but totally oblivious to how Rutgers just went on another long drive and that would limit and put pressure on Maryland to score everytime. RU up a break would end up scoring again and all but sealed the deal with the INT set up for a fg. Up 31-17, thats when I knew it was over and was not worried about Maryland being able to come back. The Terps could not execute and their QB was simply not good enough to convert the 4th down plays and even their last drive which they easily could have cut the lead to 7 to set up an onsides kick was a complete failure for them. That 2nd half is about as impressive of a half that we have seen from Greg and Kirk or from Rutgers ever in the Big 10 thus far.
I am not an Xs and Os guy so look forward to reading some commentary on what we specifically did with play calling that we were not doing vs Nebraska and UCLA and Wisconsin. Our WR finally stepping up and executing but was their more to it.
So I went from praising Greg after the first 4 wins, to calling it same old Rutgers and admittedly ready to tune out the rest of the season at 4-4, and now he has pulled me back in at 6-4. RU is going bowling. What a rollercoaster but its one alot of us go through as fans. We do not like to get our hopes up only for them to be dashed bitterly and I think I speak for many. 8-4 is within reach but understandly 6-6 is as well. Big game vs Illinois, not a sexy name opponent but given the bowl possibilities that await, this game is likely the biggest game that the program has had since the Flood Louisville game with a trip to the Sugar Bowl on the line. Staying in the running for a New Years Day type bowl vs staying in the running for the dreaded Detroit Bowl.
