After a stunning loss to a team that didn’t win a game last season, Rutgers heads to Boston looking to salvage its season and get back on track against Boston College.
Friday night could answer a lot of questions for Scarlet Knights fans. Was the loss to UMass simply a really bad night, or is this a really bad Rutgers team?
Give UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak credit. He remade his roster and rode an excellent performance from transfer quarterback William “Pop” Watson to a stunning victory over his former team.
Now it’s up to Greg Schiano to get his team off the mat.
Rutgers was dominated in the trenches, with both the offensive and defensive lines getting pushed around by UMass. The numbers were ugly: Rutgers managed just 27 rushing yards while UMass piled up 200.
UMass recorded five sacks. Rutgers had zero.
UMass committed no turnovers. Rutgers turned the ball over four times.
After the opening-night performance, Schiano’s is now sitting firmly on the hot seat.
Rutgers now has to put the embarrassment behind it and square off against another struggling team. Boston College is coming off a loss to Cincinnati and is picked to be at the bottom of the ACC. On paper, this looks like a matchup Rutgers can handle with BC only being favored by 3.5 at home.
The Scarlet Knights may get a boost with a change at quarterback. AJ Surace has been announced as the starter for Friday night, giving Rutgers another potential spark as it tries to put the loss behind them.
Schiano needs answers and he needs them quickly.
A victory Friday night can quiet some of the noise for now.