Boos are raining down and it's hard to blame the fans

PISCATAWAY – There were a few boos at first. With every dropped pass, every poorly thrown ball or every stuffed run up the middle, the chorus grew louder.

Finally, there was ridicule as the Rutgers football team's offense unleashed a comedy of errors in Saturday's 42-7 loss to Wisconsin. The bad mood subsided midway through the third quarter when a large portion of the approximately 32,000 spectators sprinted toward the exits.

“The fans have their opinions, they have their reactions and it's their right to have their opinion,” said running back Kyle Monangai, who finished with 72 yards on 19 carries. “But we have to play better on offense – we have to do our part.”

This was a 180-degree turn from the scene two weeks ago, when Rutgers fans filled SHI Stadium before kickoff and pushed the Scarlet Knights to a thrilling victory over Washington. Even then, there were warning signs regarding the offense and particularly the passing game – a long-standing bugbear under coach Greg Schiano. Those signs lit up in neon during last week's losses at Nebraska and against Wisconsin, which came into the afternoon with the Big Ten ranked 11th^Th-Range defense (318 yards per game, including 181 through the air).

Before things descended into the garbage phase and Wisconsin led 28-0 through three quarters, the Scarlet Knights managed just 141 yards from field. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was 7 of 24 for 69 yards and one interception (he finished 12 of 32 for 103 yards). Many of his passes were either dropped or thrown wide of the goal.

“I’m sorry,” Kaliakmanis said when asked about his reaction to fans’ boos.

Rutgers' defense was equally anemic, but for at least one reason: It's riddled with injuries, including pregame scratches for two captains – linebacker Tyreem Powell and cornerback Robert Longerbeam.

By the way, Wisconsin was also shorthanded, missing its starting quarterback, its top running back and three key defensive players. Still, the Badgers have a backup who threw for 240 yards and a touchdown while completing 20 of his 28 throws.

Rutgers will go 10 years without a quarterback who can succeed at the Big Ten level. In 2014, Gary Nova threw 22 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions and completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,851 yards as the Scarlet Knights finished 8-5.

Nova caused a lot of grief among Rutgers fans, but in hindsight he was Patrick Mahomes compared to what followed.

Which brings us back to the boos from Saturday. Back in the day, watching a home crowd boo their own college athletes just didn't feel right. They weren't professionals.

This dynamic has changed. In the age of name-image similarity, fans are constantly asked to pay for player acquisition or retention. Many fans are literally invested in this team, and if they want to make judgments about that investment – about the drops, the bad shots, the offense going nowhere while Wisconsin's players run freely up and down the field – they can Do you really blame them?

“We’re going to continue to show up hoping they continue to work for us the way they have,” defensive back Kyonte Hamilton said. “I have no doubt that Jersey will obviously stand up for the team no matter what happens.”

Rutgers is 4-2, the schedule is soft and there is still a path to an 8-4 record, which would be considered progress. It should be noted that the program is 8-3 in its last 11 home games. But patience is in short supply when the offense sputters in the usual way year after year, the team is embarrassed at home in a game they wanted to win and that's where the money has gone.

“It's unacceptable to me and it's unacceptable the product that we put out,” Schiano said when asked about fan reaction. “But we will be back. We need them and we will be back.”

This isn't meant to encourage fans to boo – it still doesn't sit well. But when you blow up the college model, these are the consequences. When you ask for fans' money, you will also hear their voice.

And her voice was loud and clear Saturday.

Jerry Carino has been covering the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and college basketball since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].

Boos are raining down and it's hard to blame the fans

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