PISCATAWAY – Greg Schiano still remembers the hit, and it wasn’t one that came on the field.
The Rutgers football coach in 2011 asked Steve Belichick, then a long-snapper on the team who was helping out the coaching staff to gain experience for his own career, to stand next to him on the sideline during games. If Schiano, who called the defense, issued the same signal twice in a row, Belichick was supposed to give him a tap to let him know.
“The first time I signaled it two times in a row with the same signal he punched me in the ribs so damn hard,” Schiano recalled this week. “I’m like, what the heck are you doing? He’s like, ‘You told me to.’ I said, ‘I know, you can just tap me. You don’t need to lay me out.’”
Now 13 years later, Schiano and Belichick will be going up against each other when Rutgers hosts Washington on Friday night (8 p.m., FOX) at SHI Stadium with a chance to improve to 4-0 with a win.
Belichick, the son of Bill Belichick, is in his first season as Washington’s defensive coordinator and he’s leading a unit that ranks among the best in the nation.
He’s come a long way from his days standing next to Schiano on the sideline.
Belichick, who played lacrosse at Rutgers for four years before joining the football team, spent a decade working on his father’s coaching staff with the New England Patriots.
“Obviously he grew up around the on the game his whole life,” said Schiano, who’s good friends with Bill Belichick. “He really decided that is what he wanted to do, so it was kind of an internship in coaching. And then the great success he had at New England, Super Bowl champions and all those things and running a defense there. It’s not a shock to me how well they’re doing defensively. As a matter of fact, that’s what I thought he would do. But I am proud of him.”
Watch Rutgers football vs. Washington on Fubo (free trial)
Date: Friday, Sept. 27
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FOX. Tim Brando will be on play-by-play alongside analyst Devin Gardner with Josh Sims reporting from the sidelines.
Radio: The game will be broadcast on WFAN 660AM/101.9 FM, FOX Sports New Jersey (93.5 FM/1450 AM), SiriusXM 83, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app).
Series history: Rutgers and Washington have played twice previously, with the Huskies winning each time. Their last game was Sept. 1, 2017 and Washington won 30-14 in Piscataway.
Weather: Forecasts are calling for mostly cloudy skies for Friday night in Piscataway with temperatures of around 63 degrees and wind gusts of 12 mph.
MOREAfter ‘surreal’ play vs. Virginia Tech, Rutgers gets big lift with Tyreem Powell’s return
Washington players to watch vs Rutgers
Will Rogers, quarterback
After transferring from Mississippi State, Rogers has had a strong start to the season for the Huskies. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Rogers is 84-of-111 passing (75.7 percent) for 1,048 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. He’s not the type of dual-threat quarterback that Rutgers faced in its first three games, but he has a big arm and he’s been accurate. He hasn’t made too many mistakes.
Jonah Coleman, running back
When Rogers does hand the ball off, he gives it to 5-foot-9, 229-pound running back Jonah Coleman. Coleman through four games has rushed for 373 yards on 56 carries (6.7 yards per attempt) with four touchdowns. An Arizona transfer, Coleman has good athleticism – twice he hurdled over a defender during Washington’s win over Northwestern last week.
Carson Bruener, linebacker
In his fifth season with Washington, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Bruener has 21 tackles (two for loss) with one interception. The Huskies have a strong defense under coordinator Steve Belichick, and Bruener’s right in the middle of that success.
Rutgers football players to watch vs Washington
Kenny Fletcher, tight end
The Delran product has continued a smooth transition to tight end. Fletcher had seven catches for 61 yards against Virginia Tech. He now has 12 catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns through three games. Fletcher is still learning the position after moving from defensive end late last season, but his productivity so far has been encouraging for a Rutgers offense that hasn’t had much consistency at the position in a while. Against a defense as good as Washington’s, Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis is going to need all his weapons.
“I’m anxious and excited to see him get better and better,” Schiano said. “Nobody is working harder and nobody wants to do it right more than him. (Tight ends) Coach (Scott) Vallone and he have a great relationship and I just continue seeing that get better.”
Sam Brown, running back
Brown looked the best he has in a while against Virginia Tech, running for 60 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. The 6-foot-1, 222-pound Brown runs with toughness and several times moved the pile – much like starter Kyle Monangai. Brown’s productivity forms a formidable 1-2 punch with Monangai, a big advantage for a Rutgers offense that is always going to look to run the ball.
Wesley Bailey, defensive end
Bailey returned to game action against Virginia Tech after missing the first two games and he made a big impact. Late in the second quarter, with the Hokies facing third-and-8 from its own 5, Bailey rushed off the right side and pushed the right tackle into VT quarterback Kyron Drones for the sack and safety. Rutgers is going to need to contain Will Rogers and Bailey’s speed off the edge is going to be critical.
Questions facing Rutgers football vs Washington
1. Can Rutgers get off to a fast start?
It should be a great environment inside SHI Stadium. Rutgers has to hope it’s going to be a tough atmosphere for Washington to play in after making a cross-country flight. The Scarlet Knights need to get the crowd going early to keep things raucous. Getting an early lead and securing momentum would go a long way toward doing that.
2. How well will Rutgers move the ball against Washington’s defense?
The Scarlet Knights’ offense is clearly improved this season with Kaliakmanis leading the way, but Rutgers hasn’t been tested as much as it will be on Friday. Yes, Virginia Tech’s defense was pretty solid, but the Huskies are on another level, ranking 11th in the country in total defense and near the top of the Big Ten in nearly every defensive category. It’s not going to be easy for Rutgers to move the ball consistently, but if Monangai and Brown can wear down the defense as the game progresses, the Scarlet Knights could get some big opportunities in the second half.
3. Can Rutgers move to 4-0?
If the Scarlet Knights beat Washington, they’ll be 4-0 for the first time since 2012. Rutgers that season won its first seven games and finished the season 9-4.
Rutgers football vs Washington prediction
This isn’t an easy game to predict – it’ll be the toughest opponent either team has faced so far this season. If the Scarlet Knights can get off to a fast start and keep the crowd roaring, that should give them a pretty good advantage. But it’s going to come to limiting any potential big plays by Will Rogers and finding a way to move the ball effectively against a high-level defense. Most importantly? Don’t turn the ball over. Rutgers 21, Washington 17
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