Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral (0) runs down the sidelines for a 24-yard touchdown during the first half against Michigan State on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Greg Schiano’s return to Rutgers paid immediate dividends. Already, the Scarlet Knights are assured their best Big Ten season in at least three years.
Isaih Pacheco ran for two first-half touchdowns, and Rutgers snapped a 21-game Big Ten losing streak Saturday, beating Michigan State 38-27 in Schiano’s first game back as the Scarlet Knights’ coach.
Bishop Neumann graduate and former Husker Noah Vedral threw for 169 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another TD for Rutgers.
“They have had some tough stretches, and to see the joy on their faces, how they did it, you know, because we had some downturns in the game,” Schiano said. “I don’t want to see, you know, the woe is me. I want to see tough guys that, you know, just keep going and keep chopping.”
Michigan State has a new coach too, and Mel Tucker’s debut was forgettable from the start. The Spartans (0-1) turned the ball over seven times — four in the first half — and never led against a Rutgers team that hadn’t won a conference game since Nov. 4, 2017 against Maryland.
“Those last seconds … I looked up and said, ’Wow, this is real life, you know?'” said Rutgers defensive end Mike Tverdov, a junior who redshirted the year the Scarlet Knights last won in Big Ten play. “So it’s definitely long overdue.”
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