Rutgers, Howard coaches at odds over final play after Scarlet Knights score touchdown instead of taking knee
Rutgers was up 38-7 before the final play
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Rutgers Scarlet Knights led Howard, 38-7, when they got the ball back with 15 seconds . One knee would have put the clock at zeroes.
However, Greg Schiano opted to play until the final whistle, and ran the ball twice, the latter of which resulted in a touchdown as time expired.
Rutgers won the game, 44-7, after they didn't bother to kick the extra point. Depending on when you placed your wagers, the touchdown was very important to spread bettors. (Some books had the line at 36.5 in favor of the New Jersey school.)
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano gestures towards an official during the first half against the Howard Bison at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA Today Sports)
Schiano's handshake with Larry Scott was a bit contentious, with Scott having words with Schiano, who has been involved in similar situations before. And while he refused to tell the media what he had said to reporters, he made it clear he wasn't a fan of the playcall.
"I think we're both two competitive people," Scott said. "And in that situation, I would choose to handle it a little bit differently. I can't speak for him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Howard Bison head coach Larry Scott looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA Today Sports)
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"I have a lot of respect for Coach Schiano, what he's done and what he's been able to do. But we're both competitive. And in that situation, you know, just a little bit of frustration came out because I thought it would have been handled differently. But he might as well."
Schiano, unsurprisingly, was unapologetic, denying he was "running" up the score.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Guys practiced all training camp. They deserve to play," Schiano said. "There was no running it up. If it was running it up, you don't use timeouts when you have the ball. You let the game end. That wasn't retaliatory. We were going to run plays. We bring a team in here to play us. We bring them here. We bring them in, we've got to win, and we've got to get reps. And they were there, we took them."
Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano looks on during the second half against the Howard Bison at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-USA Today Sports)
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Back in 2012, while coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Giants (ironically, in New Jersey after his first sting with Rutgers) Eli Manning took a knee to run out the clock, but the Giants offensive line was bullrushed. Tom Coughlin wasn't pleased with Schiano, who told his team to "fight until they tell us game over."
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