PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football’s offense took a step back in its last two games, and now the Scarlet Knights need to figure out how to get it back on track ahead of its upcoming game against UCLA.
One of the issues that has afflicted Kirk Ciarrocca’s unit?
Costly drops by receivers, stalling out the offense and eliminating potential big third-down plays.
“There’s a saying in football on defense, when you have a stop on third down, you don’t have to live to see everything that happens,” coach Greg Schiano said Monday to preview Saturday’s game (noon, FS1) at SHI Stadium. “And on offense when you get stopped on third down, you don’t get to live out everything that happens. We did some of those that would’ve been easy, clear first downs and didn’t execute.”
It’s hard to win that way and that was clear in Rutgers’ 42-7 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday – the Scarlet Knights committed at least eight drops against the Badgers.
For reference, Rutgers committed just seven drops in its first five games, according to Pro Football Focus.
So it hasn’t been a season-long issue, but when it does happen it slices the Scarlet Knights’ already thin margin of error considerably.
The loss on Saturday proved that.
Rutgers football QB Athan Kaliakmanis: ‘I could be better too.’
Those drops dented Athan Kaliakmanis’ stat line against Wisconsin – he finished 12-of-32 for 103 yards. He was inaccurate on some of his throws, but the drops didn’t help.
Still, Kaliakmanis refused to blame the receivers.
“We’re a team,” Kaliakmanis said. “I could also be better too. Whether that’s throwing after practice or just getting on the same page. Sometimes the timing’s a little different in games. It’s just us being on the same page. I could be better too. It’s not just the receivers, it’s me. I know I could put the ball in a better place.”
There are multiple factors that could lead to drops, but Schiano made it clear it needs to improve.
“Why (do they happen)? Some of it, if a ball is slightly off or a receiver – is it coaching? Some of it is we have to get them more comfortable protection-wise,” Schiano said. “It all fits together. Protection fits with quarterbacks, with running backs, fits with coverage, with receivers. We just need to do a better job coaching it.”
Correcting the issue
It’s been a surprising revelation because Rutgers does have solid receivers, but several of them seeing significant playing time are young, including true freshmen Benjamin Black and KJ Duff. Black dropped a pass that would’ve been a surefire touchdown in the 14-7 loss to Nebraska.
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“Drops, as a receiver, it happens,” said sixth-year receiver Christian Dremel, who caught two passes for 54 yards against Wisconsin. “You’re not going to catch every single ball. For the young guys, for me, it goes back to the fundamentals. We preach fundamentals and details. Sometimes you get off your chop and you’ve got to reel it back in, get back to the fundamentals and details. I think what’s what we’ve been doing a good job of this week. Getting back to those fundamentals and details, catching with extension, catching using our eyes.”
Dremel was Rutgers’ leading receiver last year, finishing with 36 catches for 468 yards and three touchdowns.
The Don Bosco Prep product has been in a more limited role this year following the addition of Monmouth transfer Dymere Miller, who’s supplanted him as the starting slot receiver.
Dremel has played 40 total snaps through five games. It remains to be seen if his role expands in the second half of the season, but Dremel said he’s fine with whatever role he’s in.
“I’m going to do what Coach asks me to do,” Dremel said. “Whether that’s catching punts, whether that’s blocking, whether that’s running routes, getting open, catching balls. Whatever it is, that’s what I’m going to do.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: Drops by receivers at issue heading into UCLA game
