The D is a disaster of epic proportion and there has to be accountability for that across the board. No team gets to the QB and then lets him scramble away and make a play more than use. If that were a stat, we’d have to be breaking the NCAA record for it. Or close to it. That’s not coaching, scheme, talent specifically - I don’t know what it is. It just stinks.
When do we go with Surace?
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The D is a disaster of epic proportion and there has to be accountability for that across the board. No team gets to the QB and then lets him scramble away and make a play more than use. If that were a stat, we’d have to be breaking the NCAA record for it. Or close to it. That’s not coaching, scheme, talent specifically - I don’t know what it is. It just stinks.
I just went back as far as 2011, a Rutgers QB has only thrown for more than 386 yards in a game twice. Nova did it vs Arkansas (397) and Laviano did it vs Indiana (387). And following this game, which wasn’t even one of AK’s better ones were saying replace him? Come on OP.
We have reached a new level. People are now clamoring for the second string QB when the starting QB is playing well. The answer to RU's problems is always on the bench.
And there's no guarantee that Surace provides more offense. The offensive issues in the games RU is losing are not QB problems. They're coaching problems. The biggest issue in these games is the utter lack of defense. They've turned almost every opposing QB into a combination of Josh Allen and Tom Brady.
I agree with all the "positives" regarding AK.
However, as an RU fan/investor I also recognize that 2025 is on life support and it's time to start preparing for the 2026 season, hence I agree with Surace starting to get some meaningful playing time, even if it's at AK's expense. ( and to that point, others who may not be at RU in 2026);
This may sound harsh, but IMO, once these players starting taking $$$, they also lose some of the "college kid loyalty"
If RU fans want to see some "linear progression" that has been promised, it's time for some of these kids to get some real game time experience the rest of 2025.
However, as an RU fan/investor I also recognize that 2025 is on life support and it's time to start preparing for the 2026 season, hence I agree with Surace starting to get some meaningful playing time, even if it's at AK's expense. ( and to that point, others who may not be at RU in 2026);
This may sound harsh, but IMO, once these players starting taking $$$, they also lose some of the "college kid loyalty"
If RU fans want to see some "linear progression" that has been promised, it's time for some of these kids to get some real game time experience the rest of 2025.
Linear progression led to this season. Maybe try to win where you can to preserve recruiting fundraising and draft potential. Throw in the towel to develop for a future that may never arrive and there are potentially unintended consequences.
Rutgers spent multiple seasons developing varied players. Some developed. Some didn't. Some left. Some got injured. Staying competitive is the best best thing after winning for the program.
Rutgers spent multiple seasons developing varied players. Some developed. Some didn't. Some left. Some got injured. Staying competitive is the best best thing after winning for the program.
100%. And while it’s coaching issues in the sense that we seem to just stall in the red zone often and we’ve had some careless mistakes and special teams disasters directly lead to losses. We would’ve won that Iowa game if not for those special teams mistakes and that stupid defensive holding penalty that had nothing even to do with the play. That play on its own was arguably the difference in the game.
our record is not at all reflective of how the offense has played on a whole.
No - winning still matters because selling a 5 win team is easier than selling a 3 win one. Period. You don’t want to lose every game from here.
Poor recruiting and portal acquisitions led to this season
Please refresh my memory on who are the various players that were being "developed"
Really?- Ian Strong, KJ Duff, Athan, Ben Black, Felter, Needham, Antwan Raymond, Jashon Benjamin, Djabome---and this list is far from complete.
Yea you can copy and paste the entire roster. Even the portal transfers are “development” type players. Not sure fire plug and play studs. When your coach consistently says we are a developmental program, and that’s the way he wants it. You have to take his word for it.
That wasn't my point, and maybe I missed the point of the poster I replied to. I thought that poster was implying that Greg and staff have not developed any players. They have, and they have done that nicely on offense and until this year, special teams.
Injuries and transfers out caused a lot of spots to be filled on defense. And it appears the evaluation of several of the players they brought in from the portal are misses. In addition, some of the players that have been on the team have not developed to the level of the defenses of years past (prior to 2024).
Similar to the offense a few years ago, the defense needs to be rebuilt. There was too much reliance on the 2020 class and a group of 2021s and they carried the D for a long time.
We saw the issues last year when the injuries hit. The transfers haven't moved the needle enough.
Everyone needs to understand that it's going to take another year or two to get on track again as some of the young guys start entering the lineup on D.
Agreed. I had no idea where he was going with that comment. I took a more literal approach. Which is not usually my style. Haahahah. But I stand by my post. The whole roster is full of players that need to be “developed”.
Rebuilt from what? Schiano has preached we are a development program. We will have 4-5 year guys not 1 year mercenaries. That we would not rely on individuals but system. There should never be a void. Much less a 2-4 year void.
Ah yes, you think we live in a perfect world. Being a development program doesn't guarantee anything and results are never linear.
No I don’t live in a perfect world. But nothing should take 2-3 years to be rebuild. Especially in the portal world we live in.
In 2026. Any talk of benching athan is batshit crazy
We don't have the type of funds needed for that type of overhaul. That's why RU is a developmental program. They are never competing for the top tier talent to do what you want.
Crazy talk here benching AK. This is why this fanbase is a joke and doesn’t know college ball.
Yea at no point did I say we can do an overhaul. But you should never let a program get to a point where you have to do an overhaul. Especially in year 6. There should always be attrition. 10 new faces a year in strategic need. That’s the world we live in. And if it is a 2 year rebuild. That means you whiffed on all position groups in a 4 year recruiting window.
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How many of these "developed" players start at other B1G schools ? I'll give you Strong, Duff, Felter and maybe Djabome, but not many
futhermore, Raymond was developed when he arrived and if not for Monagai probably would have started last year.
many of your incomplete list could in all probablilty transfer down a level next year
but if your fine with 4 to 6 win seasons year after year.........., I'm not and would rather see what the "kids" have
but we're all RU fans and obviously enjoy this annual pain
That's a major leap of logic about being fine. . . . .How many of these "developed" players start at other B1G schools ? I'll give you Strong, Duff, Felter and maybe Djabome, but not many
futhermore, Raymond was developed when he arrived and if not for Monagai probably would have started last year.
many of your incomplete list could in all probablilty transfer down a level next year
but if your fine with 4 to 6 win seasons year after year.........., I'm not and would rather see what the "kids" have
but we're all RU fans and obviously enjoy this annual pain
Let's call balls and strikes here. Greg has done a nice job of identifying under-recruited players and developing them into decent players. Have you noticed that we are sending players to the NFL again? That's actually the frustrating thing- the talent is there-except something is definitely wrong on defense the last 2 years. RU should not be getting blown out by UW.
too many ate paint chips
No great QB would transfer here knowing they’ll get benched if they lose a few games even if they are playing very good. It’s not his fault the D sucks
Maybe it’s just me, but the transfers actually seemed improved me vs Washington. Jeff Elad looked way better IMO than he did a couple weeks ago, for example. Nobody was “good” in the secondary but at least he’s not allowing chunk yards after catch now.
It may be autocorrect, but it is Jett Elad. Small point. As Greg would say- I need to watch the film. I was live at the game, and it was not always easy to see who made the plays.
Yes - autocorrect. Thanks. I watched on TV and thought he looked improved. Not getting schooled the way he was previously. He’s not great, but at this point it’s our veterans that are letting us down the most.
What games have you been watching? Ridiculous. The D has "kept us close enough in most games to get a W."
Hahahahaha!
Getting AJ a series or possession is not benching AK. AK is not perfect.. he is damn good.. but has some flaws.
What I do not know is how the team would react to a series by AJ. That is, will a cadence change cause penalties? Will AJ audible properly? AK did that first play last week.. it was perfect. I do like the idea that the defense won't be able to read him, bat down passes, jump snaps based onm faliarity.
Furthermore, I would expect AJ's series to be well-practiced and different than what they saw from AK.
I really like the idea.. AJ showed he had a good arm already. Would love to see it. But not as a sign of not believing in AK.. I like it to help us win by mixing things up.
Saturday, September 5th, 2026 against UMass.
If I were a mod, I'd delete every other post in this thread and put this post in 40 point bold font. I feel dumber just for having opened and read this thread, lol.
Must be cousins with RUHappy on the pay side, he’s always complaining and anything but happy.
I think it’s a fair question the OP has asked, but I think that if the biggest issue is the red zone performance, any quarterback we put there unless it’s somebody mobile and we plan to use their mobility is going to wind up with the same results. It isn’t like Athan can’t make all of a necessary throws in the red zone and it isn’t like we don’t have receivers who are capable of making difficult catches.
From my perspective, if you’re really not going to try all that hard to score in the red zone in a traditional offense, just do what Syracuse did to us years ago and come out in a triple option and get a couple of touchdowns lol.
From my perspective, if you’re really not going to try all that hard to score in the red zone in a traditional offense, just do what Syracuse did to us years ago and come out in a triple option and get a couple of touchdowns lol.