Are They Ready For Some Football?

By JOHN GARRETT - RUTGERS BEAT WRITER

Rutgers has never started 0-3 in the eight years under head coach Greg Schiano, and they’d like to keep it that way.

Coming off two losses at home, in front of national audiences, the Scarlet Knights will travel to Annapolis, Maryland and face a must-win situation against Navy.
The Rutgers defense is ranked 86th overall in the nation and 96th against the run, which means they will have a true test of character come Saturday when they face a Midshipmen squad which ranks No. 1 in the land in rushing. Navy’s ground attack features the nation’s leading rusher – Shun White.

Even though the rankings point to the run defense as the biggest problem two games into the season, the major breakdowns have occurred in the secondary – producing backbreaking results against Fresno State and North Carolina. The woes are puzzling, considering the secondary was looked upon as a strength coming into the season. Luckily for the Scarlet Knights, Navy runs the triple-option. Another problem is the defense has failed to produce a single turnover through two games.

If Rutgers has any plans of salvaging this season, they need to stop worrying about what they did in years past under Schiano, and start getting their act together – quickly.