Last Session In The Books

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers held its last spring practice of the 2008 season on Thursday. The spring will come to a close on Saturday with the spring game. Head Coach Greg Schiano addressed the media to talk about the last practice and the session as a whole.

Thursday was a mixture of the usual drills mixed in with 11-on-11 situational drills.

"It was good, the guys were spirited and worked hard, and we had our first nice day of spring," Schiano said on the team's final workout before the game, which was held under a day boasting glorious, golden sunshine amidst bright blue skies.

Schiano was pleased with how the short pre-season stint went and felt that the coaches were able to pick up several things that will help them in assessing their team as they move on.

"I think it was a good spring, we had a very focused group of guys," he said. "I think we learned some stuff about ourselves. Fundamentally we got better and those kind of things, it was good, it wasn't perfect, it never is."

With the pads now on for the past couple of weeks, Schiano had the opportunity to take a closer look at the linemen on both sides of the ball and said it's been a battle between the two units.

"It's been give and take, [which means] it's been good," he said. "As a head coach you always want it to be give and take, you don't want it to be lopsided because then you're just an inconsistent team. You want it back and forth within the practice."

"Of the 11 days, probably eight of them were back and forth, three of them were lopsided; that's not bad, but you want it to be 11 straight."

Some of the guys that caught Schiano's attention were the "obvious ones" in sophomore running back Mason Robinson, senior defensive tackle Peter Tvedrov, senior linebacker Kevin Malast, junior wide receiver Kenny Britt and fifth year senior quarterback Mike Teel.

While those guys are the established members of the team, Schiano also saw flashes of excellence from others that aren't nearly as well known to fans and media outside the State of Rutgers.

"There were some guys like Dennis Campbell [that] I thought had an excellent spring," he said. "Dennis Smart had a very good spring, George Johnson had a very good spring."

For the spring game, Schiano announced that sophomore offensive lineman Anthony Davis, senior defensive back Courtney Greene, senior offensive lineman Kevin Haslam and senior defensive end Gary Watts will not play.

He also announced that it will be a 15 minute running clock with stoppage in play only coming on the change in possessions. Similar to Pro Day, it's just a day for Schiano to watch his players take the field.

"A lot more observing, there's not going to be a lot of coaching," he said.

For the 2008 fall schedule, the Knights have obtained the 12th game on their schedule and it will be a matchup against Morgan St.

"It doesn't matter," Schiano said on the lateness of the conclusion of who Rutgers would play. "As long as we're ready to play and have time to get tape on them and get prepared, that's all that matters."