Rutgers Football: What’s next for Greg Schiano and Scarlet Knights after a poor 2022 season?

A dismal 2022 campaign has come to an end for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights finished with a 4-8 record after losing eight of their last nine games in Big Ten play.

In 2020, Greg Schiano returned for his second stint on the benches and tenure has hit a new low. This is not to say that the Scarlet Knights were expected to compete for a Big Ten title, but a bowl berth was within reach. It’s not the overall record that’s as concerning as the way Rutgers performed from week to week.

Let’s start in the non-conference. A Week 1 win over Boston College was impressive at this point, until we saw the Eagles turn into a mess midway through the season. Against Temple, the Scarlet Knights survived with a two-point win and this is where the concern crept in.

In Big Ten play, Rutgers scored 20 or more points only once. Skewed losses were expected for Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, among others. Rutgers was knocked out by Minnesota and Maryland, where he was outscored 68-0. The loss to the Gophers came after a win over Indiana, so the performance was even more disappointing.

Let’s not forget a pitiful performance against a Nebraska team that was battered all season. This is the play that forced Rutgers to make a change to offensive coordinator and let Sean Gleeson go. Was Gleeson ultimately the problem? No. Both shutout losses came after he was gone, but someone had to take the fall.

There was a glimmer of hope in 2020 after winning three games in a shortened season. In 2021, the Scarlet Knights were 5-5 in November. No steps have been taken this year and it’s hard to believe that some will in 2023 unless improvements are made on the sidelines.

Yes, it took time for Schiano to make Rutgers a winner in the Big East during his first tenure. In the Big Ten it takes much longer, but it’s time to see some progress.

First and foremost, the quarterback situation was handled horribly from the start. All you have to do is think back to the first offensive streak of the season. Rutgers had three different players take a snapshot during a three-and-out. The Scarlet Knights started the season with a three-way quarterback battle. That’s not the way to handle the position.

Noah Vedral struggled with an injury early on and Schiano failed to name a starter between Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt. Neither had experience as a full-time starter, but platooning a position wasn’t the way to get someone into a rhythm. When Vedral returned he spent some time starting before Wimsatt took over towards the end of the season. What a mess. It is likely that Wimsatt will be the starter for 2023, so at least he knows that when he goes in and can prepare for that. This is something Schiano should announce early in training camp rather than keep everything close to the vest. It is clear that this strategy has not worked.

Penalty kicks and playcalls also need to improve. The special teams unit had no coordinator. Outside of defense, which has been great at times this season, the Scarlet Knights declined in many ways. Schiano has been head coach for quite some time and still has plenty of work to do within the program.

Rutgers scored 17.4 points per game this season, placing 12th in the Big Ten. It was last dead in passing yards (153.9) and had the most penalties (94).

There are some aspects of the team that Rutgers can use to keep fans on board and believing in 2023. Wimsatt is just a freshman, along with Samuel Brown V, who has looked rock solid as a starter. The team was young and had a lot of inexperience. They also made a change in offensive coordinator and now have the opportunity to bring in the right candidate. It is important for Schiano to make the right hires and changes within the coaching staff.

With the attacking and special teams struggling this season, penalties remaining an issue and overall decision making going downhill, there is plenty to do in the off-season. In short, the program on and off the field needs some changes and the 2023 should show significant progress.