Remember when Ohio State beat Rutgers 58-0 not too long ago? Rutgers shows those days are gone
PISCATAWAY – The Big Ten suits were nervous. The conference’s top commodity, unbeaten No. 1 Ohio State, was in a life-and-death struggle with Rutgers, with a 20-yard field goal giving the upstart home team a 9-7 halftime lead at SHI Stadium.
The Scarlet Knights were threatening to mess up all the plans by taking down the team many considered the league's best shot at a national championship.
This was the moment Rutgers had been building towards since Greg Schiano returned to the sideline two years ago. The ability to stand toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in one of the country’s top conferences.
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“We gave ourselves a chance. We’re just not quite ready yet to finish it,” Schiano said. “But the sun is going to come up tomorrow, we’re going to keep working, we’re going to get better and eventually get there.
"The margin of error is real slim, we made errors and they cashed in. We had opportunities - we had the ball 10 times inside the 10-yard-line. They’re good. They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason - I don’t believe in moral victories. I believe you learn lessons, and we learned some lessons today. “
Potential Pandemonium in Piscataway for Rutgers football
In the end, it wasn’t a replay of Pandemonium in Piscataway, the fall night in 2006 when Rutgers took down No. 3 Louisville. But the 35-16 loss - much closer than the final score indicates - might end up being nearly as important.
The dramatic fourth quarter comeback win against Michigan State last month was huge, and this threatened to send ripples throughout the college football landscape. Rutgers was at the Ohio State 6-yard-line trailing 28-19 in the fourth quarter but couldn't cash in.
“I think we can go toe-to-toe with anyone but it’s the last few inches that are the hardest to get,” tight end Johnny Langan said. “When you get better the easy part is getting 95 percent of the way. It’s the last five percent is when you really have to prepare and focus on the little things. That’s where you find those inches, in the details.”
The Scarlet Knights took the second half kickoff and marched downfield. But Gavin Wimsatt tried to flip a short pass over the middle to running back Kyle Monangai in the red zone, with the tipped ball then intercepted and returned 93 yards for a score by cornerback Jordan Hancock to change the complexion of the game.
Regardless of what happened after that, this game bore little resemblance throughout to any of the previous nine meetings, all Ohio State wins, including a 58-0 beatdown in 2016, since Rutgers joined the Big Ten a decade ago.
This was the team considered’ the best anywhere, and Rutgers came out and landed its share of punches. It’s a far cry from the vibe surrounding the program a year ago, when the Scarlet Knights went 4-8, 1-8 in the league, and took a decided step backwards.
“It shows what Coach Schiano has instilled into the players, into the program,” linebacker Deion Jennings said. “There’s progress, but we’re still working hard. There’s progress to be made.”
Even after Ohio State drove downfield and took a 21-9 lead late in the third quarter, the flood gates never opened. On its ensuing possession, Rutgers marched into Ohio State territory, with a 35-yard pass to Christian Dremel setting up a 19-yard TD pass to JaQuae Jackson to pull Rutgers within 21-16 with 14:07 left.
A short pass to TreVeyon Henderson went for 65 yards before Marvin Harrison Jr. caught a TD pass to push Ohio State’s advantage to 28-16. with 12 minutes left. But Rutgers tried to answer again, driving to the Ohio State six before Wimsatt was sacked on fourth-and-goal.
What it means
Being able to hang with the Buckeyes for a little while would have been considered a victory when the game started. And the Scarlet Knights accomplished that by being in the game in the fourth quarter.
With new additions to the Big Ten next year, Rutgers, thankfully, doesn’t have to play the big three – Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State – in 2024. Granted, they have to play UCLA, USC and Washington, but you’d rather roll the dice with those teams.
There’s still a lot of work to do. The upside is somewhat limited until Rutgers can solve the issues with is passing game, which ultimately adds pressure to the ground attack and defense. The Scarlet Knights didn’t complete a pass in the first half.
But the fact that Rutgers was part of the conversation for a few hours Saturday, able to push Ohio State as hard as it did, was the latest sign of just how different things are along the banks this season.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football makes statement against Ohio State
