Greg Schiano speaks to media ahead of season finale for Rutgers football
Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano addressed the media yesterday ahead of traveling to face Maryland on Saturday. This matchup will serve as the season finale for the Scarlet Knights (4-7, 1-7).
Schiano started his press conference praising the Terrapins (6-5, 3-5).
"Maryland — a really talented football team," Schiano said. "(Head coach Mike Locksley’s) doing a very good job to put together a group of players and coaches. I think that they really understand who they are and what they want to do. So it's gonna be a huge challenge going on the road, going down there to College Park."
The coach also spoke about the talent of Maryland’s quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.
"I thought he was good last year," Schiano said. "He gets a lot of attention for his mobility, and this is related to creating plays, but I think he's also a very good pocket passer — a field general, runs their offense with real confidence. It doesn't look like there's anything that he's not comfortable with ... He's at this stage in his career where things are clicking for him."
Junior running back Aaron Young and sophomore defensive lineman Rene Konga will both miss the upcoming matchup with the Terrapins. Konga left the loss against Michigan State with a lower-body injury, and Young will have a procedure at the end of this week. Schiano said he "(doesn’t) think it’s going to be a major one, but just to take care of something."
In other injury updates, senior defensive back Kessawn Abraham is dealing with a "lower-extremity issue," according to Schiano. Junior offensive lineman Ireland Brown will likely be a game-time decision as Schiano said they will have to wait and see, but he noted that Brown is going to do everything he can to play in this game.
Schiano also talked about how senior offensive lineman Reggie Sutton is still battling an injury suffered last year, noting that Sutton’s had "one of the roughest, toughest injuries (he's) ever seen," and that Sutton is an incredible warrior.
Following Saturday’s loss to Penn State, Schiano noted that the Rutgers program has had 11 surgeries since the spring. He said the team has definitely faced many challenges due to injuries.
"This is about as many as we’ve ever had," Schiano said. "But you know what, that’s the way it goes. Some years it’s that way. I think it usually balances itself out ... But it is what it is. The guys that are playing are giving everything they got, and they're doing a heck of a job in the preparation."
The Knights will kick off their season finale against Maryland at noon, and the game will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network along with 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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