Greg Schiano, Wesley Bailey address media ahead of Homecoming showdown against Michigan State
Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano and junior defensive lineman Wesley Bailey addressed the media ahead of the upcoming game against Michigan State on Saturday. After their defeat to Wisconsin, the Scarlet Knights (4-2, 1-2) will attempt to bounce back this weekend.
Schiano opened the press conference with an immediate comment regarding Rutgers' tough loss against the Badgers (4-1, 2-0). He did express optimism by sharing that every week offers a fresh opportunity for the Knights.
"Our guys came out yesterday, and we had a really good practice after we went through the autopsy of the (Wisconsin) game," Schiano said. "We're 0-1 in the Wisconsin season, but the great thing is we've got a chance this week to go 1-0 in the Michigan State season."
Evaluating Rutgers' offensive performance against Wisconsin, Schiano gave the Knights a mixed rating, addressing that they did both good and really poor things on the field. Schiano defined Rutgers' level of performance as "inconsistent."
"We need to build consistency. I know we're capable. I know that," Schiano said. "We just need to do it under pressure in a game against really good personnel."
Defensively, Schiano gave the Knights' defensive line his full trust, expressing that he believes that the front has a chance to be really good. By keeping the players on the defensive front fresh and rotated, it creates more opportunities for them to exhibit their abilities.
"I think the cumulative repetitions, again, are going to pay off in the back half of the season if we can stay healthy," Schiano said. "They are good players, and as they hone it more and more, hone their skills and abilities trust their thing, they are just going to keep making more and more plays. So we just need to ride that front."
The Spartans (2-3, 0-2) have lost three consecutive games but are coming into this matchup off of a bye week. Coming out of the bye week, there may be changes made in Michigan State's quarterback room.
Regardless of which quarterback(s) play during Saturday's game, Schiano shared that it is necessary to be prepared for any possible scenarios that the Spartans may present. He mentioned that they could potentially play a variety of quarterbacks this weekend.
"They're a little bit different in style. So we may see both, and we have to be ready to defend them both," Schiano told the media yesterday.
Completing two sacks and four tackles against the Badgers, Bailey has been a big help to Rutgers' defensive line.
He spoke to the media about the significance of communication within the defensive line. Bailey believes that effective communication is essential to get the job done during games.
"At the end of the day, defense, it's all just about being a family," Bailey said. "One guy makes a mistake, the whole defense makes a mistake, so we just got to be able to stay together and stay connected and just do our jobs."
Briefly focusing on Michigan State, Bailey said, "It's big-time football," and the Knights know they are going against a good football team. But he said he is mainly focusing on his own surroundings and not on the Spartans.
"I'm excited because I trust this defense and I trust this team," Bailey said. "I know who I have beside me, behind me and in front of me. I'm just grateful to be around these guys, and I'm just happy to be with the Rutgers football team."
Rutgers will face Michigan State on Saturday for its annual Homecoming game. The matchup will kick off at noon and will be aired on Big Ten Network, Fox Sports and 88.7 WRSU.
"We're just not there yet. We're getting there," Schiano said. "We're a much improved team. We'll get there. We've just got to keep going."
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