Rutgers football: 2019 success hinges on one word – Control
By Ed Stein
Control what you can control
There are so many things a football team can ‘t control. First and foremost a team can’t control what the other team does. Rutgers has to do what they do best and let their opponents plan against them.
For example, if Ash thinks he has a running team, then, by all means, run the ball. Let the other guys stop it, or they can get out of the way. On defense, the linebackers are the strength of the Scarlet Knights defense. Use them in coverage, blitz them, clog the inside rushing lanes. Have the other teams worry about blocking them.
Next is the media. Rutgers gets fair coverage locally. In the conference and nationally, the media is not as kind to the program. There will be harsh comments, some deserved, some not and cheap shots. Ash and the team have no control over what is said. They do however have control over how they respond.
Use those negative comments as motivation. If the media supporting another school is unfair or unkind, put it on the bulletin board and prove the naysayers wrong. Should Scott Van Pelt on ESPN run another five-minute segment on how he’ll never pick the Scarlet Knights again, let it go. It’s his opinion and one day he’ll apologize.
Finally, fans can be cruel. Most fans of the other Big 10 schools consider the Rutgers football program a joke. There will be mockery and heckling all season long. Keep control on the sidelines and in social media. Don’t take the bait. Stay classy.
Next. The Knicks are in better shape than the Lakers. dark
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