Rutgers Football HC Greg Schiano's Minnesota Postgame Press Conference
Rutgers Football head coach Greg Schiano met with the media following the Scarlet Knights’ loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday afternoon at Huntington Bank 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 fifth game of the season.
Schiano’s Press Conference
Full Press Conference Transcript
GREG SCHIANO: Again, guys, thanks for traveling out here to cover us. I’ll answer any questions that I can. Right now we’re in a situation where we’re struggling to consistently execute as a team.And consistency is, in my experience, the last thing that comes. So we just have to stick to it. It’ll come.
And understand that consistency of execution is not a player issue, and it’s not a coaching issue, it’s an us issue. We coach the players. We have to find ways to get them to consistently execute.We have to give them schemes, techniques. There’s gotta be a camaraderie, there’s gotta be a bond. All those things contribute to consistent execution.
We have a great group of guys that are really hurting in there right now. A great group of coaches that are really hurting, but we’re just coming up a little short. And I’m well aware that today there was issues with the pass game. 300 and something yards throwing, right? So we need to go back to work and figure out what’s the best thing for us to do with the current people and the staff. And that’s my job, I’m in charge of that. And we’ll do that, but it sure hurts for those players.And we need to consistently execute as a program. Right now, that’s where we’re missing. So I’ll open it up for questions.
Q: I guess from your view, where did you see the defensive breakdowns were that allowed them to keep regaining momentum after you guys were getting?
GS: Well, number one, we didn’t take them taking the ball away. We’ve done a poor job. We’re trying. Some tipped passes, we’re just not coming up with them right now. As I tell them, you just gotta keep getting your hands on it. There were some balls that were moving around in the ball carrier’s hands. We’re just inches away from getting it. So you just gotta stay after it. Again, we are not tackling the way that we’re capable of tackling, but today was about coverage.
I thought that we just didn’t cover the way we’re capable of, but until you do it consistently, it’s just what you think, right? Right now, you would say that’s an issue that has exposed itself. So that’s something that we certainly have to go to work on. And the bye week is a time that we can really dig in. And as I talked to the team about, we need to really look in the mirror, every person, starting with me, of am I doing everything I can to give this team the best chance to win? And that question can be for everybody in the program. And that’s the question that I challenged everybody with, starting with this guy, because we’ve lost a turnover battle. We don’t win when we don’t win the turnover battle.We don’t win when we turn the ball over, right? Some uncharacteristic things of our program, but they are what they are and we gotta change them.
Q: Have you seen anything in this defense that gives you confidence that they can’t get better as the season goes on?
A: Yeah, I mean, sure I have. If you look, I mean, I think they’re definitely improving.It’s just not fast enough. We’re playing in the big tent. It’s not a training ground, you know? Would they rush for 37 yards? The guys played good run defense, but if you can throw the ball the way they did, maybe you just give up on the run.
I thought that they did a good job. I’m not taking credit away from Minnesota. I thought they did an excellent job throwing the ball.I thought they did an excellent job protecting. They did some things that I thought helped them protect. But at the end of the day, we have to be able to cover or we have to change what we do.And I see us do it, but then I see us not do it. So what’s the inconsistency? That’s where we have to get to the bottom of it.
Q: Maybe too soon after the game to ask this, but just what happened on that snap at the end of the game there? And then, I guess, what caused that issue?
A: Yeah, I mean, just what you would think, right? It was noise, it was a communication mishap, and very unfortunate play. But one that, again, to me, I put that on me. Look, those are situations that you train your team for. Did we have all the things you need? Sure, we had the crowd noise going this week. We knew what the environment would be on third down especially and at the end of the game. That we didn’t execute. That’s what I mean when I say execution. There’s a fine line when you play in the Big Ten Conference. There’s a fine line as you witness winning and losing. And we’ve come out on the short end two times because we just haven’t executed well enough.
In our coverage, we’re getting holding penalties or that kind of thing. Those kill you. Those are automatic first downs. And then the shot play we gave up today, we can’t give up those big plays, those explosive plays, but we have. So we can’t, but we have, so we need to. And then uncharacteristically also, we gave up seven sacks. Now, part of that is coverage and part of that is rush. And do they have some good rushers? They sure do. But we did some things execution-wise that we haven’t had any trouble with. So that makes me concerned as well. So we gotta, look, there’s two things you can do. You can roll up your tent and say, this isn’t our year, and you guys know that ain’t the case. I mean, we’re gonna go to work and we’re gonna get this fixed. And we’re gonna take them one at a time, just like we always do. We’re 0-1 in this season, and we’re gonna have a bye week, and then we’re gonna have the Washington season, and that’s the way it is.
Q: Do you anticipate any changes in the bye week, whether that’s play caller, that’s who plays on defense, or any drastic changes defensively?
A: Way, way too early to even think that way. Like I said, the first thing I gotta do, and I got a nice long plane ride home, is look in the mirror and say, how can I do a better job for our entire program? That’s where it starts. And then after that, I’ll dig in deep, and we actually have a little time to do that, which you normally don’t. Yeah, but we will be back. There’s a great, great group of people in there. And they’re gonna stick together and they’re gonna work really hard.We’re gonna continue to get better. People don’t wanna hear this, because it’s not an answer, but it’s, to me, it is the answer, incremental improvement over time.
And it’s like this, little bits, and we just keep doing it, and we’ll get there.I’m not, I can’t say I’m not concerned, I am concerned. I feel like we need to figure this thing out in a hurry, and that’s what we’re gonna do.
Q: Just a two part on the kicker situation. Are you concerned with Jai Patel? It’s now three straight field goals he’s had, either blocked or missed, and the decision to go with Dane Pizarro at the last kick, as opposed to Jai?
A: Yeah, I mean, the first kick was not a good kick. It is what it is, and that is a concern, because that’s been an issue the last couple weeks.And that has not been an issue, so we’ll work. Now, I think he worked on it during the game, and he improved, and he kicked well. The end of the game, that’s a 56 yard field goal.That’s not in Jai’s range. So we’ve always had a long range kicker, and that’s what Dane was. And as you saw, he hit it plenty long enough, he just missed it a little right.But yeah, that’s why that was done. Again, guys, I appreciate you taking the time to come all the way out here and cover us. And we will be back, I give you my word. Thanks.
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