Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano's Controversial End-Game Play Calls Draw Criticism

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano's decision to run the ball twice instead of ending the game against Howard with a kneel-down sparked controversy and a contentious post-game exchange with opposing coach Larry Scott.

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano's decision to run the ball twice at the end of the game against Howard, rather than ending the game with a kneel-down, has drawn criticism and sparked a contentious post-game exchange with opposing coach Larry Scott.

With Rutgers leading 38-7 and just 15 seconds remaining, Schiano opted to keep his offense on the field instead of running out the clock. The Scarlet Knights ran the ball twice, with the latter resulting in a touchdown as time expired.

Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano's Controversial End-Game Play Calls Draw Criticism

Howard coach Larry Scott expressed his displeasure with Schiano's decision, stating that he would have handled the situation differently.

"I think we're both two competitive people," Scott said. "And in that situation, I would choose to handle it a little bit differently. I can't speak for him."

Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano's Controversial End-Game Play Calls Draw Criticism

Schiano, however, was unapologetic, denying that he was "running up" the score.

"Guys practiced all training camp. They deserve to play," Schiano said. "There was no running it up. If it was running it up, you don't use timeouts when you have the ball. You let the game end. That wasn't retaliatory. We were going to run plays. We bring a team in here to play us. We bring them here. We bring them in, we've got to win, and we've got to get reps. And they were there, we took them."

Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano's Controversial End-Game Play Calls Draw Criticism

Schiano's decision to keep his offense on the field had implications for spread bettors, as some books had the line at 36.5 in favor of Rutgers. The touchdown at the end of the game resulted in a push for those who had placed their wagers at that point.

The incident also brought back memories of a similar situation from 2012, when Schiano was coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New York Giants. In that game, Giants quarterback Eli Manning took a knee to run out the clock, but the Giants' offensive line was bullrushed, resulting in a loss of yardage and a controversial end to the game.

Former Giants coach Tom Coughlin was critical of Schiano's actions at the time, saying that the Buccaneers should have "fought until they told us game over."

Schiano has been involved in similar situations in the past. In 2007, while coaching Rutgers, he drew criticism for calling for a late field goal against South Florida, which resulted in a narrow victory for the Scarlet Knights.

Despite the criticism, Schiano has defended his decision-making, stating that he wants his teams to play until the final whistle.

"We're going to play to win the game and play the game the right way," Schiano said. "We're going to do what we think is best for our team."