PISCATAWAY – The frustration was evident on Greg Schiano’s face. While discussing the issue that’s ailing his Rutgers football team more than anything right now, he tightly gripped the sides of the lectern and shook it as if trying to keep every emotion he could possibly have in check.
“We just cannot turn the ball over,” Schiano said. “You can tell it’s getting maddening to me. But we’ll fix it.”
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The Scarlet Knights have no choice.
Schiano had just watched his team lose 42-35 to No.12 USC at SHI Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19 for its third straight loss, and what made this loss so frustrating, so disappointing, so heartbreaking for Rutgers was that the game was right there for it to win.
But the Scarlet Knights can’t stop turning the ball over, and twice against USC it led to touchdowns for the Trojans.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano reacts after a Scarlet Knights touchdown during the first half against the USC Trojans at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
That’s now 10 turnovers through three games for Rutgers. That’s an unacceptable amount, and it’s especially unacceptable for a coach who abhors turning the ball perhaps more than any coach in the country. It nearly eclipses the mark the team had in all 12 games last season.
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“We’ve got to stop turning the ball over,” Schiano said. “Now we’re at 10 in three games and we turned the ball over 11 times the entire year last year. We can’t do that and win.”
That’s been the case for Rutgers for a long time now.
The Scarlet Knights can’t win on talent alone – not in this conference, not when so often the team on the other side of the field will have a higher roster budget and more talent of its own.
Rutgers can’t afford to give away chances – chances that it doesn’t come by easily to begin with.
Here the Scarlet Knights were trailing USC by six early in the third quarter. First-and-goal at the 9-yard line. A chance to take the lead.
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Lonergan took the snap and threw into the end zone for Jourdin Houston. Except The Trojans‘ Prophet Brown picked it off at the 1 and ran 99 yards for a pick six. Instead of potentially going up by one, Rutgers now trailed 13.
“Just a bad read on my part,” Lonergan said. “I’ve got to take better care of the ball.”
That was the second costly interception he threw.
The first came on the Scarlet Knights’ second offensive play of the game. Rutgers had second-and-9 at its own 26. Lonergan threw a pass intended for KJ Duff, but Christian Pierce picked it off at the 40 and returned it 16 yards.
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The Trojans needed two plays to get into the end zone.
Those two interceptions followed up the three Lonergan threw against UMass in the disastrous season opener, as well as the four picks Surace threw against Boston College.
But as things appear right now, Lonergan is Rutgers’ starting quarterback.
Lonergan is confident he can correct this. He has to.
“It’s just going through the film,” Lonergan said. “Knowing where to put my eyes on certain plays and not making those same mistakes or making errant throws.”
Rutgers isn’t a good football team right now. Its 0-3 record shows that.
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These interceptions?
They’ve played a major part in that ugly start to the season.
The frustration nearly boiled over for Schiano Saturday night.
The turnovers have to stop.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: At 0-3, this is the biggest issue Rutgers football needs to fix immediately
