The quarterback controversy at Rutgers didn’t last long.
Just two days after a 45-17 blowout loss at home to Cincinnati in the season opener, Rutgers head coach
Greg Schiano is making a change.
Fifth-year senior
Dom Natale is out and true freshman
Tom Savage is in for Saturday’s tilt against Howard.
“Tommy’s going to be the starter. Dom’s going to back him up,” Schiano told reporters Wednesday, according to
The Star-Ledger.
Natale looked tentative in his first career start against Cincinnati. He went 8-of-12 for 108 yards with three picks in the loss to Cincinnati and the team was booed as it headed into halftime down 31-7.
Savage, out of Springfield (Pa.) Cardinal O’Hara, entered in the second half and finished 15-of-23 for 135 yards and his first career touchdown, a 7-yard strike to
Shamar Graves.
“Every time, after a drive, Dom always gave me advice and stuff, so I have to thank him a lot for that,” Savage
told SNY after the game. “He definitely was encouraging, he definitely kept me cool out there. He told me what he was seeing out there. It was like having a second set of eyes.”
Schiano said Natale was understandably let down by the decision.
“Dom’s a competitor, he’s disappointed,” Schiano told reporters Wednesday. “But Dom’s also a great team family member here and he wants to win. He’s doing everything. He came out and practiced the way I expected him to.”
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