The most insane 45 seconds in recent Rutgers football history -- and, let’s face it, that’s a pretty high bar to clear -- started with a routine five-yard pass on a fourth-and-32 play against Indiana that should have ended this game.
That’s when the crazy started.
Receiver Shameen Jones lateraled the ball to give the team’s hope of an impossible comeback alive for another second, and then it was lateraled again ... and again ... and again ... and again ... and again ... and again ... and again ... and again.
The Rutgers players insist that they practice this situation every week, and given their detail-oriented head coach, you should absolutely believe them.
But I’m pretty sure they don’t practice a situation where a 300-pound left tackle hurls the football over his head like a bride tossing her bouquet at a wedding.
No, really, that happened. Raiqwon O’Neal, with three Indiana defenders hanging off his massive frame, heaved the ball about 30 feet in the air behind him. And, after all nine of those holy-cow-did-you-see-that laterals, that ball somehow ended up in the hands of the fastest player on the team, receiver Bo Melton, and in the end zone.
I’ve watched it no fewer than 31 times, and I’m still not quite sure how it happened.
This is where the sad trombone comes in: The touchdown did not count. Jones, during his second go-around on this carnival ride, was caught throwing an illegal forward pass as he fell to the ground. Not that it would have mattered in this game -- Rutgers was down by 16 points, hopelessly out of it, even if instant replay hadn’t ruined the moment.
But, for two reasons, the play certainly does matter in the bigger picture as Greg Schiano tries to rebuild this Rutgers football program:
1. It is likely the only replay that any casual sports fan -- and plenty of recruits -- are going to see from this otherwise ho-hum 37-21 Indiana victory.
2. It is one example that this Rutgers team is not going to quit with Schiano in charge in a game that was filled with them.
The second point is a reason that the Scarlet Knights' first loss of the season is nearly as important as the win over Michigan State that preceded it. Schiano has to rebuild the talent on his roster to get Rutgers to a point where it can compete with a ranked team like Indiana, which could take years.
Before he does that, however, he has to rebuild the culture. And that involves driving home the message to his players that he will never quit on a game, regardless of the score and situation, as long as the team still has a heartbeat.
“I didn’t come back here to lose,” Schiano said. “I’m not saying we’re going to win every game or win them all right away, but we’re going out there and we’re playing to win. If it means going on fourth down, if it means going for two, whatever it means, that’s what we’re going to do. I promised these kids that, and as hard as they’ve worked, they deserve that.”
If that play-to-the-end mindset seems like it should be obvious, well, you must have slept through the last few seasons.
How many times did Rutgers punt in its opponent’s territory under previous head coach Chris Ash as it tried to avoid a blow out? How many times did the coach practically beg for a game to end with his decision making before the score got too embarrassing?
I can’t say for sure what would have happened last season when Rutgers, with its offense struggling and its defense winded, fell behind 23-7 early in the second half against a very good Indiana team. But it would have been hard to foresee this:
The Scarlet Knights not only bouncing back to score on a 37-yard Kay’Ron Adams run, but Schiano going for two -- twice -- to cut the margin to eight points with 5:34 left in the third quarter. A penalty negated the first conversion, but even after his offense was backed up five yards, Schiano rolled the dice again. Isaih Pacheco rewarded him with a brilliant dive for the pylon.
But this wasn’t about just one decision. Schiano went for it twice on fourth down deep in Indiana territory, made sure quarterback Noah Vedral kept his foot on the gas despite a 22-point deficit and went for an onside kick down 16 points with three minutes left.
The Scarlet Knights were not going to win this game. But that didn’t stop them from -- insert gasp here -- trying to anyway.
“I think it’s everything,” Vedral said when asked about the aggressive approach. “As a quarterback, it makes you feel good because they believe in us even when things aren’t going the best. It’s really, really, really positive to have a coach who’s behind you like that.”
Rutgers did not play well enough on Saturday, with three turnovers, nine penalties and a bunch of defensive breakdowns, to beat a more talented team. That was no surprise. The Scarlet Knights are still at the bottom of a steep hill looking up -- and, with No. 3 Ohio State up next, it’s only going to get steeper.
This season is all about setting a foundation, and for that reason, the crazy play in the final minutes against Indiana was more than a viral video. It’s a message to players and everyone else that, if there’s a heartbeat, Rutgers will keep fighting.
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Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com.
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November 01, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Crazy ending is proof that Rutgers won’t quit under Greg Schiano | Politi - nj.com
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