It's been a long time since Rutgers University even had a chance to smell the poison.
But with 14 returning starters, a Big Ten-proven starting quarterback and a fortunate schedule that doesn't feature any of the conference's top five teams, expectations are high that the Rutgers football team may have its best season in nearly two decades.
ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit even named the Scarlet Knights a dark horse in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
“We don't listen to that kind of talk. I address it right away,” head coach Greg Schiano told The Post. “Praise is fine, but it's like poison. If you leave it on the table, it won't do you any harm. If you drink it, you have to be careful. The reason our players won't drink it is because they know how tough it is to go 7-6.”
Rutgers finished last season with its first winning record and postseason victory (Pinstripe Bowl vs. Miami) since 2014.
Wins since then include retaining current Big Ten Conference rushing leader Kyle Monangai and acquiring Minnesota transfer Ahsan Kariakmanis, who threw for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.
“Building a program, winning a bowl game and ultimately having a winning record are milestones, metaphorically speaking, because we're in New Jersey. It's not an exit point to aim for,” Schiano said. “You just keep moving forward, the reality is there is no exit point. I hope there are expectations. If there aren't expectations, there's definitely a downward spiral. But if you can lose yourself in the process, it relieves a lot of that pressure.”
Because of the realignment, Rutgers will not play Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan for the first time since joining the Big Ten.
Iowa State and newcomer Oregon State, one of four states that opted out of the PAC-12, are also not on the schedule.
The season opener at home against Howard University on Thursday at 6 p.m. will be a welcome distraction for a campus still searching for answers following the sudden resignation of athletic director Pat Hobbs for health reasons.
“Our potential is going to be greater the more we work,” said receiver Ian Strong, a Coram native. “If we do all the right things and listen to Coach Schiano, I think we'll have a big year. I definitely feel like Coach is driving us.”
Strong is one of 11 New York players on this year's roster and is expected to become the new No. 1 receiver after making a foot-stomping touchdown catch in his collegiate debut.
“It's really a great thing to bring New York into New Jersey,” Strong said.
Kaliakmanis also feels at home at Rutgers — and not just because the Illinois native has relatives across the state — and he'll be reunited with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who recruited Kaliakmanis as a quarterback at Minnesota and coached him as a freshman.
“I know I can do this. [Big Ten] “It's about doing my best and playing my best football because I feel like I haven't done that yet,” Kariakmanis said.
For one reason or another, Rutgers has used five different starting quarterbacks in the first four seasons of Coach Schiano's second tenure.
Once-highly-touted rookie Gavin Wimsatt started all 13 games last season but transferred to Kentucky after losing a spring training battle with Kaliakmanis.
The hope is that Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, can help stabilize the position, and he and Ciarrocca already speak the same schematic language.
“I know Ahsan played his best when Coach Ciarrocca was coaching him,” Schiano said. “I see the chemistry, I see the things that excite me. He sees it quick, he lets it go quick, he's precise with the ball. If we can do that, we'll be light years ahead of where we were before.”
Rutgers has traditionally been strong on defense and special teams, but the best days of Coach Schiano's first tenure — which saw five consecutive bowl appearances and wins over teams ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the country from 2005-09 — featured a complementary offense led by star running back Ray Rice.
Monangai held off on the NFL Draft to get a chance to build on last season's breakout performance.
“He understands the run game even more than he did at the end of last season,” Schiano said. “Kyle's a great worker, a great leader and a great player. Those are three things you can say about him.”
Rutgers has received a lot of good reviews about its potential this season and the poison is under control.
“I had to come here and earn this job,” Kariakmanis said. “My experience throughout my playing career has been just staying in the moment and not looking back to the future or the past.”
