Rutgers' Greg Schiano defends timeout that led to shocking Hail Mary loss on Senior Day

Rutgers shot caput manager Greg Schiano called a timeout Saturday, seconds earlier a 58-yard tract extremity effort by Illinois kicker Ethan Moczulski. Rutgers led 31-30, and it's a people that would person held aft Moczulski's footwear sailed wide near — if not for Schiano's timeout. 

The timeout voided the play, and Illinois caput manager Bret Bielema was capable to spot however the upwind affected the footwear from the sideline.  Bielema enactment his discourtesy backmost connected the tract alternatively of trying the footwear again, and his squad scored the game-winning touchdown connected a 40-yard drawback by Pat Bryant. Illinois won 38-31. 

Schiano had to reply for the timeout aft being blamed by fans for 1 of the astir shocking and avoidable losses of the assemblage shot season. 

"Retrospectively, I privation hadn't," Schiano told reporters of the determination to telephone the timeout. 

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights caput manager Greg Schiano reacts during the archetypal fractional against the Illinois Fighting Illini astatine SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta)

Still, Schiano offered a defence of the decision. 

"But you know, I'm not going to beryllium present and accidental I privation I hadn't due to the fact that it didn't enactment out. If it worked out, I would beryllium present and say, 'Yeah, I'm gladsome I did.' I've said before. It was a bully telephone due to the fact that it worked. I've stood up present and said it's a atrocious telephone due to the fact that it didn't work. That's the mode it goes. You person astir 12 seconds to marque decisions, and you marque them," Schiano said. 

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At the time, Rutgers was preparing for a imaginable footwear from a subordinate whose career-long tract extremity was 59 yards, a gait longer than what helium would person needed to bushed Rutgers with his leg. 

Still, the winds were truthful beardown that adjacent flags blew with ferocity, and the footwear would person been going into the wind. 

The 58-year-old manager besides explained however and wherefore the squad came to the determination to telephone a timeout earlier the kick. 

"We were going to telephone a timeout anyway. Maybe I should person done it earlier helium kicked the ball," Schiano said. "So, it wouldn't person told, 'Oh, gee, that upwind is strong. We can't marque that kick.' But we had to marque definite we knew what we were doing. I said, 'Hey, we person a timeout,’ there's nary much media timeouts. So, we got to go. I said, 'That’s each right, we're going to telephone a timeout.'"

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With the Illinois discourtesy connected the tract for the adjacent play, Schiano's defence blitzed, leaving less players successful sum for a imaginable walk down the field. The walk to Bryant was connected a crossing way and wasn't to the extremity zone, but helium outran Rutgers defenders for the score.

Schiano reiterated his volition was to triumph the game. 

Rutgers Scarlet Knights caput manager Greg Schiano during the archetypal fractional against the Illinois Fighting Illini astatine SHI Stadium. ( Vincent Carchietta)

"You bash it and triumph the game, it's close call," Schiano said. 

"I don't defend, nor bash I pat myself connected the backmost erstwhile they are bully decisions. That's your occupation is to marque the decisions. You're a decision-maker. I conscionable feel, similar I said, the biggest happening is I consciousness symptom for is those guys. It was their past crippled successful that stadium, and they couldn't permission with a W. They accomplished a lot, but I truly wanted that for them. But we don't ever get what we privation successful life."

Rutgers fell to 6-5 and has already clinched a vessel crippled appearance. Illinois improved to 8-3, preserving its spot successful the nationalist rankings. 

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