Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano called a timeout on Saturday seconds before a 58-yard field goal attempt by Illinois kicker Ethan Mokulski. Rutgers led 31-30, and if not for Schiano's timeout, the score would have remained even after Moczurski's kick went wide left.
A timeout nullified the play, allowing Illinois head coach Bret Bielema to see from the sideline how the wind affected the kick. Bielema brought the offense back down the field instead of retrying the kick, and the team scored the game-winning touchdown on Pat Bryant's 40-yard catch. Illinois State won 38-31.
Schiano had to take a timeout in what was criticized by fans in one of the most shocking and avoidable losses of the college football season.
“Looking back, I wish I hadn't done that,” Schiano told reporters about the timeout decision.
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano reacts during the first half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Calchietta)
Still, Schiano defended the decision.
“But, you know, I'm not going to sit here and say I wish I hadn't done it because it didn't work out. If it worked out, I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Oh, I'm glad I did it.' I would say.” “I’ve said it before, I said it was a bad decision because it worked and it didn’t work. You create it,” Schiano said.
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At the time, Rutgers was bracing for the possibility of a kick from a player whose career field goals were 59 yards and one yard longer than it would take to beat Rutgers on his own.
Still, the wind was so strong that the nearby flags were waving furiously, and the kick would have gone flying into the wind.
The 58-year-old coach also explained how and why his team came to the decision to take a timeout before the kick.
“I was going to take a timeout anyway. Maybe I should have taken a timeout before he kicked the ball,” Schiano said. “So we couldn't have said, 'Hey, it's windy. I can't hit that kick.'” But we needed to make sure we knew what we were doing, so we said, “Time out. I have one,” he said. So no more media timeouts. I said, “That's fine, I'll go.” Call timeout. ”
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As the Illinois offense took the field for the next play, Schiano's defense exploded, leaving fewer players to cover potential passes down the field. The pass to Bryant was on a crossing route and didn't make it to the end zone, but Bryant outran the Rutgers defenders and scored.
Schiano reiterated that it was his intention to win the match.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano during the first half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Calchietta)
“It was the right decision to do it and win the game,” Schiano said.
“I don't defend it, I don't pat myself on the back when it's a good decision. It's your job to make decisions. You're the decision maker. I just feel like… As I said earlier, the most important thing is the final scene at that stadium. I think it hurts that they weren't able to go home with the W. They accomplished a lot, but I really wanted it for them. In life you don't always get what you want.
Rutgers fell to 6-5 and has already qualified for a bowl game. Illinois improved to 8-3 and maintained its spot in the national rankings.
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