The Knights Watchman

The Nebraska game has been in the books for almost a week now, with the Scarlet Knights having come out on the wrong end of the 27-17 score. This was a strange game to watch. Going into the game, I felt it would be a winnable contest, especially with Nebraska program seemingly reeling from its 1-2 start. On the other side of the equation was the reality of an equally struggling Rutgers team taking a fairly young roster on the road in front of 80,000 Cornhuskers fans desperate for a win. Then you have to add in that Rutgers would be without Janarion Grant, the team's top playmaker. As a Scarlet Knights fan it was frustrating to watch in the sense that the win was there for the taking, but Rutgers was unable to connect on enough plays to win the day. The Scarlet Knights simply didn't score enough to win the game, or make enough first downs to keep the Nebraska offense off the field in the second half and give the defense a rest. In addition, it seemed Rutgers shot themselves ...

Last week, Rutgers defensive backs coach Henry Baker answered questions about the cornerbacks. On what has impressed him most about the corners since he's been with the Scarlet Knights, Baker said, "how these guys work...these guys are willing to embrace the process of learning." On whether he's talked with the defensive backs about last year, Baker said that they only go back and watch film "to reiterate how far they've come." Asked about some of the new players, Baker said Edwin "Tank" Lopez "has the willingness to go in there and put his face in there." He also mentioned that Tim Barrow is "coming along" in terms of getting to the point where he can make a contribution. In terms of returning players, senior Isaiah Wharton is "methodical, he knows the defense" and other players "know that they can count on him to be able to do his job." Baker says that Damon Hayes is a "produ...

The crew at BTN Live stopped by Rutgers' Busch Campus Piscataway on Tuesday, August 8, to do their summer preview. They got to take a gander at the new Marco Battaglia Practice Complex, and they seemed to come away rather impressed with that and the other upgrades that have been taking shape on campus. There are a number of links to videos at scarletknights.com showcasing different interviews and commentary from their visit. Much of content features BTN Live's panel of Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, and Howard Griffith. Among those interviewed were Chris Ash, Sebastian Joseph, Blessuan Austin, Tariq Cole, and Jerry Kill. I watched most of the content and found some high points that piqued my interest, so I'm going to jump around a bit and share those. Offense Ash on the QBs: "I like the way they're competing. They've embraced the competition." DiNardo on the QB competition, which he felt was mainly between Rescigno and Bolin: "Giovanni and Bol...

Rutgers' @CoachChrisAsh fields questions from the media as @RFootball gets ready for the 2017 season. #B1GMediaDay https://t.co/M2IX2sjkur — Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) July 25, 2017 Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash took the podium on Wednesday for his Big Ten Media Day press conference and a sit-down interview with the BTN Live team. The above link from BTN.com has the complete video of the press conference. At the end of this article, you'll find the link to the BTN Live interview. The complete text of the press conference can be found at Scarletknights.com These were the things that stuck out to me: In his opening comments, Ash said that 2016 "was awful. But we've moved on." Moving on and "hitting the reset button" were common themes that Ash was imparting to the media. Ash mentioned the facilities, particularly the Marco Battaglia Practice Facility which will aid in both "recruiting and player development....

Great news came out of Chicago on Monday for fans of Rutgers football as well as college football fans everywhere. Scarlet Knights returner/receiver Janarion Grant was given a clean bill of health according to head coach Chris Ash. Via J.P. Pelzman of the Asbury Park Press , "he's 100 percent," says the coach. Grant "has been pretty much full go for the majority of the summer. He looks great, he's in great shape (and) he's put weight back on." On Tuesday, in an interview with the BTN Live team, Ash was asked about what Grant's return means for the Scarlet Knights. Ash's response, "It's everything. He brings a lot of excitement to the program...He's what I would consider our best playmaker." Asked during the players' BTN Live interview about how Grant's return affects the team, offensive lineman Dorian Miller said of his former roommate, "It means a lot." And According to cornerback Blessuan Aust...

Michigan State 49, Rutgers 0. I almost didn't post a recap of this game simply because I would prefer not to think about it. Although there was not much positive to take from the game, there were a few interesting things that came out of the post-game comments and the Monday press conferences. A clearly agitated Chris Ash took the podium in East Lansing . You can tell that he was frustrated by the performance even before he spoke. He mentioned that Rutgers "struggled to get anything going" and that the team was distracted "talking back and forth" with some of the Spartans. Michigan State "dominated us up front, that's what happened." And of the quarterback play, he simply stated that Gio Rescigno "wasn't good today" but that "we still feel he gives us the best chance to win." In terms of preparation, Ash felt the team had a good week of practice leading up to the game and he said, "I would not have thou...

I picked Rutgers to beat what went off as a 39-point spread. After one quarter I was feeling pretty good about that, with OSU on pace for about a 24-point victory. Then the second quarter happened and it never got any better. The Positive Greg Jones is okay and most of the steps taken on the field that made things look so ominous were precautionary. Chris Ash said that Jones was actually walking around on the sideline by the end of the game. Jones's replacement, Tyreek Maddox-Williams, ended up leading the team with 11 tackles. Kiy Hester and Deonte Roberts also racked up double-digit tackles (10 apiece). Hester was all over the place again. But then again, when the other team runs so many plays, some guys on defense are going to put up numbers. Rutgers had been getting its doors blown off in the first quarter during the first three games. This is two games in a row where the game was close after Q1. So, they're starting better. Concerns These are things...