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CFI Top 25 | Week in Review | 3rd & Ten

PISCATAWAY, NJ – An opportunity to make a statement after playing weaker competition in the first two games and facing a team that had several players suspended sounded enticing.

Unfortunately, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-1, 0-0) were unable to capitalize when it counted most and ended the day losing 17-13 to a North Carolina (1-2, 0-1) team that was there for the taking.

The inability to capitalize at the most opportune times—two late drives in the fourth quarter—and mental mistakes—two interceptions, a lost fumble and 11 penalties—allowed a vulnerable Tar Heel team to leave New Jersey victorious.

“It’s tough. You turn the ball over…we turned it over twice in the red zone, we miss a field goal, we get a punt blocked…those are hard things to overcome,” Head Coach Greg Schiano said after the game.

“We certainly had our opportunities to win that football game, but were unable to do it. Coaching, playing, offensively—we just didn’t do well enough. North Carolina played just a little bit better than we did, so they go home with a win and we don’t.”

Offensively, sophomore quarterback Tom Savage did not seem comfortable, nor could he find any rhythm with his receivers. Maybe it was due to the increased use of the wildcat formation—the Knights ran the formation 23 times for only 69 yards—although their lone touchdown of the day came when sophomore Mohamed Sanu took a direct snap and scored from 10 yards out late in the first quarter.

Savage also sustained a rib injury late in the second quarter and didn’t start the first series of the second half.

“I could tell that he was hurting a little bit,” wide receiver Mohamed Sanu said of Savage.

When asked if he was concerned about Savage’s performance, Schiano said he was concerned, “more physically, than mentally.”

So on a day when the offense didn’t gel (87 rushing yards and 157 through the air), Rutgers’ defense had to step up.

And they did a pretty solid job, holding North Carolina to just 91 rushing yards.

“We had it in our hands and we let it slip away,” said linebacker Antonio Lowery. “We kept fighting. Unfortunately it didn’t come out our way, but we kept fighting.”

This game showed that Rutgers may be in trouble when it comes to playing better competition (they went 2-0 to start the season against Norfolk State and Florida International), even when North Carolina had six reserves starting on defense due to suspensions.

“We’re a young football team. Hopefully we can learn from these types of experiences,” Schiano said. “We left too much on the table today. It’s disappointing, but this is a young team that’s going to stick together and we’re going to get better and learn from these examples.”

The season is still young, as are the playmakers on offense, but the Knights will need to find an identity—especially on offense—quickly before the losses start to stack up and the season is unsalvageable.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ciszak Rutgers Athletics