Knights enjoy much-needed bye week after 8-game grind
PISCATAWAY >> Rutgers football has completed a gauntlet unseen within the program since 2008. Among the other 13 Big Ten teams, only Iowa also played a game in eight straight weeks.
Practicing inside the school’s indoor Bubble during a crucial bye week, the Scarlet Knights resemble a triage unit with a bevy of patients.
Quarterback Gio Rescigno tightened his hamstring against Minnesota. Running back Robert Martin missed the game with an injury suffered against Illinois. Free safety Saquan Hampton, a Nottingham alum, is regaining durability after missing five games due to injury.
Even the entire Rutgers starting linebacker corps is banged up, as Trevor Morris, Deonte Roberts and Tyreek Maddox-Williams have been limited in practice in recent weeks.
“The whole team needed this just to rest up. We’ve got a lot of banged up guys, nicked up guys,” cornerback Damon Hayes said Wednesday. “The guys that aren’t playing as much, they can get their developmental work, just work on their craft a little more. It’s a big rest week.”
After resting and reviewing film Sunday and Monday, the team returned to practice Tuesday. It practiced Wednesday and will suit up against Thursday before taking the weekend off. A regular game week schedule resumes next week leading up to a home game against Indiana.
Rescigno, who replaced Chris Laviano as Rutgers’ starting quarterback last week, is maintaining precautionary measures on his sore hamstring.
“I’m just trying to get right for next week so I can be able to practice at a decent pace,” Rescigno said. “I don’t want to push anything this week and tweak it a little more than I have. I just want to get it better this week, so I’m happy we have a bye week and I can get it right.”
The redshirt sophomore suffered the minor injury in the first quarter Saturday against Minnesota. The dual-threat signal-caller remained in the game but had limited mobility. All seven of his quarterback runs were in the first half.
“Coach has been on it about me trying to slide on certain hits, but my hamstring didn’t get hurt from getting hit,” Rescigno said. “It was something that was tight before the game. I’m not really looking at it as something I’ve got to tweak. I’m just going to play how I play.”
With four games remaining in Rutgers’ (2-6, 0-5) season, Rescigno always envisioned himself earning this opportunity at some point, preparing at all times as if he would be the starter just in case.
Since spring ball, he native emphasized his mechanical footwork, arm position on throws and studying film to assess where his eyes should be on different plays based on certain coverages from the defense. When Laviano was named the starter in August, Rescigno’s resolve did not waver.
Even when Rescigno was assigned to scoutteam work two weeks ago to mimic Illinois’ mobile quarterback, the Michigan native viewed it not as a relegation, but rather a blessing in disguise. He ended up playing the entire second half that game, by far his largest body of work since entering the program in 2014.
“I want to give 100 percent, not just for myself but if they want me to go on scout team to give the defense a look, that’s what I’ll do,” Rescigno said. “I took that as an opportunity where Coach (Chris) Ash gets to watch me run the ball, which I think worked out for me well.”
Noticeably spryer and more animated after Wednesday’s practice. Rescigno is eager to guide the Knights on a path that salvages this trying season of rebuilding.
There was much to digest from Saturday’s film. The redshirt sophomore was responsible for 246 total yards, three touchdowns and three turnovers. Rutgers produced 26 points on offense and special teams against the Gophers, more than their other four Big Ten games combined.
Rescigno attributed his successful debut to chemistry and brotherhood formed with teammates during the summer, back when this chance was still only a dream. Only time will tell what lies next following this bye week, once the quarterback and his teammates are no longer on the mend.
“I just wanted to play comfortable, I wanted to play poised,” Rescigno said of his first start. “I didn’t want to be nervous. Obviously I had pregame butterflies, but I wanted to stay calm and not play nervous because I think that gives good confidence to the guys that we were know what we’re doing.”