Rutgers Football HC Greg Schiano's Illinois Postgame Press Conference
Rutgers Football head coach Greg Schiano met with the media following the Scarlet Knights’ loss to Illinois on Saturday afternoon inside of Memorial Stadium.
Following the game, Schiano spoke with the media to offer an immediate reaction to his program’s performance and talked about what he saw in the ninth game of the season.
Full Press Conference Transcript
I appreciate you guys coming out, covering us. Certainly did not coach well enough, nor did we play well enough to give ourselves an opportunity to win the game. It’s very disappointing.
It starts and ends with me. So I need to get on this plane, get to work, get back home, get to work. And fix what we can fix now, and then get ready for Maryland.
Questions? Defensively, they scored five touchdowns on their first six drives, converted essentially every third down, fourth down. What wasn’t clicking there? What were they taking advantage of? Why were you guys not able to stop them?
GREG SCHIANO: “Like I said, we got outcoached. I got outcoached. We got outplayed. I thought they did a very good job. We stepped behind all day.
Now, give them credit. Quarterback’s a great player. As I said to you during the week, they’ve got a veteran on the line. The quarterback’s a really good player. It’s not where we didn’t have our opportunities. We certainly had our opportunities.
7-6 game with five minutes in the half. As a team, we didn’t play well enough. And as a team, as a coaching staff, we didn’t coach well enough. So, when you put those two things together, sometimes you cover for each other. Today, both sides didn’t live up. Greg, you had to shift your O-line because of injury.
How did Mo Giwa play, the young player there, and did that affect your running game today?
GREG SCHIANO: “Well, I can’t tell you how Mo played. I really wasn’t in a position to watch him. You’re never really in that great a position on the field, but I wasn’t in a position, everything that was going on today, to really watch Mo.
But I know one thing, he fought hard. He went down, got right up, and came back in. He’s a guy who’s played football for literally four years of his life, and now he’s starting his first start on the road in a Big Ten game.
So, whatever he did, he’s only going to get better. He’s very talented. We missed Taj, though, for sure.
Given the talent you guys have offensively, the experience, returning quarterback, the wide receivers, do you feel like this offense is underperforming? It’s not doing as well as it should?
GREG SCHIANO: “Well, today I think the whole entire organization started with me underperformed. I don’t get into generalizations. I think the offense has done some really great things.
Today, you know, we didn’t run the ball the way that we’re accustomed to and, you know, a little inconsistent, more than a little inconsistent in the past game. You know, we had some opportunities early, and we have to settle for field goals. And, you know, you know if it’s close, we’re going to go for it, but I didn’t feel there were situations that warranted going for it.
But overall today, I can’t sit there and say this was wrong. It was an overall we didn’t coach well enough nor play well enough.
Greg, I think it’s 24 players out of the lineup. How much is that affecting during the week practice, affecting maybe a day like today?
GREG SCHIANO: “Oh, it certainly has an effect. Like today, Kenny Fletcher is out, Salam is out at corner, and Taj obviously at tackle. But, you know what, that’s part of the business.
I mean, as a coach and as a team, you need to be able to overcome. You know, Ian played today, didn’t practice a whole lot this week, so that’s two weeks where he hasn’t been working. All those things add up, I’m sure, as you look at it and you watch the tape. I’m going to say, you know, look, this is a little out of sync here. The timing’s off here. But that’s what it is.
I mean, you don’t get to pick the situation. You’ve got to be able to go rise to the occasion. And we talk about it all the time, but we didn’t do it today. So doing it is what it’s about. Talking about it doesn’t get anything done.
Two offside penalties on crucial downs. They converted them anyway, but to have those two penalties in that situation, is that alarming that guys are making mistakes in that way?
GREG SCHIANO: “I think it was at that point in the game, guys just trying too hard probably. Yeah. I mean, literally, we had just said it right before the play.
The guys signaled back. We have signals for that stuff. Just possibly that’s a sign of our lack of ability to really focus hard enough.
You know, we call it chopping. I don’t feel like we chopped today. I didn’t feel like we were focused on in just every little detail.
Now, what does that come from? Well, that’s my job to figure that out. I know some of the things with me it comes from, and then I talk to the players and find out, watch the tape, find out. But we’ve got to get it fixed, that’s for sure.
Final question. One to five in the Big Ten, two pretty bad losses in the last three weeks against Oregon and Illinois. Are you worried that this season is going to be a hit to the perception of the program and where you guys are at in this rebuild? Yeah, I don’t get into the perception of the program or, you know, long term.
We’re in the middle of a season. We need to get everybody home, get them healthy, and whoever can play next week we’ve got to get them ready to play. And that’s literally when you start letting the future run all your decision making, you know, there’ll be a time to sit down and do that.
And that time I’m anxious to do that. But right now that’s not the time. Now’s the time to, like I said, get home, get to work.
But, again, guys, I do appreciate you covering us. And as we all are very disappointed, but not discouraged. Thanks.
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