PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football will finally take the field Thursday for its season opener against Howard, but the Scarlet Knights could be without some key players.
Coach Greg Schiano on Monday wouldn’t go into specifics about the injuries to avoid giving the Bison (6 p.m., Big Ten Network) a competitive advantage, but he didn’t hide the fact his team was banged up after a tough training camp.
“You’ll see some young faces out there that you haven’t seen play before,” Schiano said. “Right now there’s no other season-ending injuries, but there are some that are single- or multiple-game injuries. We’re going to have to work our way through it.”
Rutgers has already lost star linebacker Mohamed Toure to a torn ACL, while fellow linebacker Tyreem Powell’s status is also unclear. Powell suffered a torn Achilles at the start of winter workouts, and while his recovery has gone well, Schiano has made it clear he won’t rush Powell back if he’s not ready. He said Monday that whether Powell plays Thursday will be "a late decision."
When asked who his starting offensive line will be , Schiano said there are injuries with that group so it was too early to say what the unit would look like on Thursday.
Other than that, everyone will have to wait to see what the availability report says when it comes out prior to Thursday’s game.
Regardless, the Scarlet Knights are opening up a highly anticipated season following last year’s breakthrough 7-6, Pinstripe Bowl-winning campaign.
Expectations from the outside have been high – some prognosticators have pegged Rutgers as a potential nine- or even 10-win team.
But those expectations don’t take into account certain variables, especially injuries.
“You never know what’s going to unfold,” Schiano said. “It’s the way it is. I didn’t expect to not have Mo Toure. You wake up one morning and you don’t have Mo Toure anymore. I don’t ever get into that game. That’s fun for media and fans. I understand why you do it. What else you going to do all week while you’re waiting? But I’ve got a job to do all week that pertains to that score or that win that you’re talking about.”
Thursday’s game against Howard will offer some young players a big opportunity to step up.
How the injuries affect Rutgers’ road beyond the Howard game remains to be seen. The Scarlet Knights play Akron next week and then have a bye week before playing Virginia Tech on the road.
Whoever is healthy and available against Howard will need to be ready to play.
“There’s an old saying: You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training,” Schiano said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re trained in everything we’re doing and then we’re ready to play. Whoever’s healthy, we’ve got to go out and play.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football 'a little beat up' heading into season opener vs. Howard, Greg Schiano says
Local New Brunswick, NJ
Most Popular
Comments / 0