We didn't play to win - but that's ok

[Plum Street]

Game management was conservative and I really felt we didn't play to win, but played to be competitive. To me winning is really all that matters at this level, but in this case we are ok with a moral victory. Ash hung his team in there with one of the best teams in the country and the final score was very respectable . We probably don't win anyway with really aggressive game management and the score is worse .
You have to learn to walk before you can run. But we need the specials to get better, those mistakes will lose us games.

 

[JRZEER]

Game management was conservative and I really felt we didn't play to win, but played to be competitive. To me winning is really all that matters at this level, but in this case we are ok with a moral victory. Ash hung his team in there with one of the best teams in the country and the final score was very respectable . We probably don't win anyway with really aggressive game management and the score is worse .
You have to learn to walk before you can run. But we need the specials to get better, those mistakes will lose us games.

IMO they did a great job slowing the game down. Keeping UW offense off the field. If this team plays defense the way they did tonight, this year is going to be a major major improvement. Remember last year RU lost some close games in the 4th quarter mostly due to lack of depth. I see a bowl game for you guys this year.

 

[MORRISCOUNTY]

When the offense does not play to win it is degrading to the rest of the team.

The defense burns out and gets tired and the special teams are not pumped up like they are when you are trying to win a football game.

The first half was acceptable the 3rd was a disgrace, and the announcers and everyone in the stands knew Rutgers was trying to slow the game down. Pathetic.

 

[TMCB]

Second half we should have opened it up

 

[MORRISCOUNTY]

Washington did not look like a top 10 team to me.

This was not like the Indiana Ohio State game where Indiana played great in the first half and then Ohio State's talent overwhelmed them.

Washington does not have the roster Ohio State has.

Play to win--Please !!!

 

[shields]

Also first game of year and traveling across the country.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

I agree for the most part with Opie, except I thought we had a good game plan that put us in a position to win. Where I think we were too conservative was on 3rd down in the second half and we ran the ball virtually every time. Also, we had a few 2nd-and-short and we didn't take a shot downfield, and that's where I thought we were hurting ourselves. We didn't keep the defense honest or open them up much at all.

Even with that, we could have won this game since the biggest contributing factors weren't our offense or defense or game plans, it was that their punter pinned us twice at our own 1, their returner, Pettis, bobbled a punt and still ran it back for a TD, and Bolin threw two picks that were completely avoidable (one was into triple or quadruple coverage). If we were able to get a turnover, or one of those punts didn't pin us at our 1, the game could have turned out very differently. All in all I'm like the majority of RU fans I've spoken with--we are happy with the effort and that we made progress toward putting the last two years behind us.

 

[wheezer]

at some point when you are playing surprisingly even with a better team, you should lose a bit of respect for them, and call a game to win

 

[bac2therac]

the two punts on 4th down basically were raising the flags that the coaches felt it was about keeping it close rather than take the risk of losing

 

[jtung230]

You can't win if you are getting blown out. Fans always want to "play to win" but taking stupid risk is not the way to do it.

 

[PSU_Nut]

There is no such thing as playing not to win. If they truly did that (they didn't) then they should resign or he fired today. In reality sometimes playing conservative put you in the best position to win the game. They knew they couldn't get in a track meet with Washington. So they wanted to slow down the game and hopefully get a break to win it at the end.

 

[yesrutgers01]

I am a bit torn on the game. Much like 2012, the only way to win sometimes is to be very conservative on offense, allow your D to get a breather on the sideline and hope to keep it close and win a few of those. If not for the punt return, it very much could have come down to a last drive.
On the other hand, would have loved to take a shot at some point.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

We did not play to win?
well - a few less mistakes - a lucky bounce or two and Rutgers would have pulled off an upset .. that highlight video hit on Jake Browning looked for a second like it would have turned everything upside down.... and if the ball had bounced in a different direction an RU player might have scooped it up.
Don't think for a moment that this game plan is an automatic concession of the game - if you go way back - this approach had a lot in common with one of the greatest upsets of all time - Jets over Colts - that was a stunning departure from a typical Namath game - Matt Snell run, Emerson Boozer run, Matt Snell run, quick pass to Sauer, Matt Snell run..... rinse & repeat

One of the things that Kill & Ash had to hope for - would have been that the workout that the Rutgers offense was giving Washington would take a toll - in the first half Rutgers had possession for 20 minutes - - do that against a lesser team & you are doing successive 10 yard runs like Martin did at the close of the first half - all through the second half.

If last night is any indication, this team is on the right track .

 

[wheezer]

There is no such thing as playing not to win. If they truly did that (they didn't) then they should resign or he fired today. In reality sometimes playing conservative put you in the best position to win the game. They knew they couldn't get in a track meet with Washington. So they wanted to slow down the game and hopefully get a break to win it at the end.

----
when you punt with a yard to go, you are just playing defensive chess.....I call that, not playing to win for the time being....

I repeat that I would wager the coaching staff is sorry for punting twice

 

[Rutgerscc]

Lmao

We played to stay close to one of the best teams in the country.

Some of you guys are beyond clueless.

 

[Rutgerscc]

The first half was acceptable the 3rd was a disgrace, and the announcers and everyone in the stands knew Rutgers was trying to slow the game down. Pathetic.

Exhibit A. Clueless.

 

[MORRISCOUNTY]

It is now official. Some on here believe that you don't play to win because at the end it might be close and you should try to win in the last 2 minutes only if it is close.

Washington is not Ohio State. Washington did not have so much talent that Rutgers had to be very cautious in everything they did so they would not get blown out.

Washington is not a top 10 team.

This is not the way you grow a Fan Base.

If the game had ended at the end of the 1st half with Washington winning I would have said Rutgers looked much improved. After the 3rd I could not believe what I was seeing.

 

[Knightmoves]

Sorry but I don't understand the use of the words "disgrace" and "pathetic" to describe the team strategy last nite.

Yes we had a conservative passing game, probably because our coaches felt their front seven was too much for our OL and that Bolin would not have time to throw the ball downfield. I don't disagree with that strategy.

As RU fans I believe that the team played far better than I expected. Upgrades thru transfers at QB, RB, WR, etc brought some experienced skilled guys who can make plays for us. Also the OL and DL were able to match Washington from a physical standpoint. This team looks bigger, stronger and more athletic than last years team. I give credit to Ash for bringing in the transfers and playing some freshmen last nite.

Not a moral victory for us, but lots of good signs shown last nite by the team to indicate that we can compete effectively in the B1G this season. That is my goal for this season, compete in every B1G game. If we can do that then the Wins will come.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Curious to comments about Washington not being a top team or OSU level. Where are you guys getting that? Is it because you don't want to give our team any credit?
Washington has AA level players, potential Heisman level QB and first round pick and absolutely great coaching.
We held our own with them.
Cripes, we have fans creaming themselves wanting to be like Indy they other night and after we do better then Indy did, instead of creaming themselves about our future, they want to say it is because our opponent isn't that good. SMH
We are a 2 win team that just held our own against a top team. Call them playoff, top 10, top 25...don't care. They are a talented and well coached team.

 

[Yeah Baby]

Game plan was sound. We made mistakes and they made us pay for them. If the game plan was a shootout we had 2% chance of winning. The game plan we went with gave us a much better chance.

Hopefully we develop a WR who can go deep. We had two of those on the sidelines in Mitchell and Harris. I think Melton is a third candidate and maybe Wormley.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Game management was conservative and I really felt we didn't play to win, but played to be competitive. To me winning is really all that matters at this level, but in this case we are ok with a moral victory. Ash hung his team in there with one of the best teams in the country and the final score was very respectable . We probably don't win anyway with really aggressive game management and the score is worse .
You have to learn to walk before you can run. But we need the specials to get better, those mistakes will lose us games.

Mind...blown...well put Plum!

 

[RUMBA-JK]

Going in - If this was boxing, most state commissions would have not permitted Rutgers to get in the ring with Washington....
But the battle was held and Rutgers proved worthy.
Pretty sure there will be a few U of W opponents who truly get thrashed this season.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

I am a bit torn on the game. Much like 2012, the only way to win sometimes is to be very conservative on offense, allow your D to get a breather on the sideline and hope to keep it close and win a few of those. If not for the punt return, it very much could have come down to a last drive.
On the other hand, would have loved to take a shot at some point.

That "sounds" about right. ;-)

 

[Jersey383]

Personally i don't think it's fair to say we didn't play to win. Ash and company crafted a game plan to keep it close till the end and if we made enough plays we would have a shot to win. We kept it close but just didn't make enough plays.

 

[tico brown]

So if Rutgers hanging with the #8 team in the country, a 2016 playoff team, with one of the best coaches in the country, and after the 2016 season they had is not good enough for you, I don't know what else to say. Yes Rutgers did damm well and the defense played out of their minds in the first half. But there's a reason why Washington is one of the best teams in the country... why Rutgers still has a long way to go to becoming a top B1G program.

And there's a reason why the kicking game is SOOOOO... important but never valued by many (Washington's 2 punts to the one, the punt return for a TD vs Rutgers missed FG). This was a teachable game for Rutgers players and coaches that should help them for this season and beyond.

I mean damm... Washington and Petersen has been there while Rutgers and Ash will get there if they keep improving.