Can Rutgers crowd lead upset of Ohio State?
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The White Out at Penn State against nationally ranked SEC power Auburn two weekends back was a stunning example of how important homefield advantage is in college football.
It might not have shown up on the stat sheet, but the frenetic atmosphere clearly played a role in a huge victory for the Nittany Lions.
And for a growing program like Rutgers, generating that same level of enthusiasm in the stands at SHI Stadium is a critical part of the process. Because a 12th man is a must-have in the Big Ten, leveling the playing field in a league where a hostile environment awaits every time you hit the road.
What better time for Scarlet Knights’ fans to take it to another level than the first post-pandemic Big Ten home game, with No. 10 Ohio State coming to town Saturday afternoon.
“I think we’re doing just that,” said coach Greg Schiano, who said he works with program staffers who oversee the game day experience for fans. “I’m very focused on what we’re doing, but I spend time on that part of the program with people that that’s their job ... because when you build a program as you’re mentioning, it’s everything. It’s the recruiting, it’s the coaching, it’s the scheme. It’s also the game day environment.”
It can be as important as any piece of the weekly game plan, with decibel levels capable of harassing opposing offenses, or aiding your own attack with deafening silence.
In two test runs against non-conference foes Temple and Delaware, Schiano was impressed with the student section, which sets the tone for a chaotic gameday environment.
“The students are so important,” he said. “I want our students to have something they can come here and be proud of, first of what we do on the field but enjoy the day. We have a great student section, and I have been really proud of them. They’ve gotten here … I’m really proud when I look up there in our warmups and they are in there. That to me is really cool. Especially when we had the early game and they were in there. People say they won’t do that, well they did, that day, and that is what we need.”
It was during Schiano’s first stint on the Scarlet Knights’ sideline that a $102 million stadium expansion, including 11,500 seats in the South end zone that now makes up the student section, was completed in 2009. It also served to enclose the stadium, thus ramping up the noise level.
Nothing fires up a team like racing onto the field in front of revved-up home fans prior to a game. And this year the Scarlet Knights are pushing that experience to a different level with lights and a sound system in the tunnel leading from the locker room.
“It’s a cool thing for our players, sure it is. There’s music thumping in the tunnel,” Schiano said.