Rutgers Football: Chas Dodd To Start Over Tom Savage This Week?

After fans had been clamoring for Rutgers to make the switch at quarterback for weeks, it finally happened in the second half of the homecoming game against Tulane.

Now, the official word is that incumbent starter Tom Savage sat out due to an injury to his throwing hand.

However, head coach Greg Schiano could not have been much more ambiguous when asked if Savage could have went back into the game.

“In a limited capacity.  I mean, if he went in, I don't know what he would have been able to do. But we'll see.” 

So, was Savage actually benched due to poor play, or was he really hurt that extensively?

In all likelihood, no one outside the Rutgers locker room will ever know.

And either way, it does not really matter.  The real issue here is that Chase Dodd finally came in for extensive relief duty.

While some have reacted as if Dodd’s play was amazing, the reality was that he was slightly above average at best.

This is coming from a guy who has been a huge Dodd supporter from day one.

His stat line was 13 for 29 yards for 176 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

While his completion percentage was under 50 percent and, therefore, a little worse than what Savage has done this season, it was his first time legitimately running the offense.

Additionally, unlike Savage, Dodd was not afraid to take shots down the field.  A lot of these throws were off target to be honest, but as least Dodd was trying his best out there.

Next, Dodd threw for 176 yards in one half, more than Savage has thrown for in any one individual game this season.  That is something the coaches really need to take notice of, especially when one hears about Savage’s statistics from the first half: two completions in five attempts for 29 yards. 

Sad but true. 

Also worth noting is that Savage’s season quarterback rating is 96.8, while Dodd’s is 95.6, so essentially the same thing. 

Keep in mind though that Savage has played 14 quarters, while Dodd has played two.

What is the point regarding all these numbers?  Dodd is the better quarterback right now, not by a huge margin, but enough to be acknowledged.

One would be hard pressed, at this point, to go out and find a Rutgers football fan who would not feel comfortable having Dodd start over Savage following the abomination that was the 2010 homecoming game.

Schiano has basically told the media that he is keeping his quarterback situation a secret until both Rutgers and UConn are on the field in Piscataway during Week 6 of the season.

The most he would delve into the situation was saying that Savage was a “game-time decision", a phrase that can have many meanings in football.

Coaches say this when they know a player will not see a down, when they know a player will be in every play and every situation in between.

If Schiano actually wants to give Rutgers a prayer in the Big East conference this year, he will use Savage’s injuries (his ribs are still bothering him) as an excuse to start Dodd against UConn.

This way, if Dodd underperforms, Schiano can at least use the argument that Savage was too banged up to play.

Dodd underperforming shouldn't be a legitimate concern anyway. When comparing the two quarterbacks, Dodd is the more poised player, does not hold onto the ball as long in the pocket, and is willing to take more calculated risks (as opposed to stupid ones like throwing to Sanu in triple coverage). 

Dodd easily could have won the homecoming game for Rutgers, even with the play calling remaining pretty poor.

Unfortunately, the Scarlet Knights wide receivers are still dropping passes way too often.

Despite the shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball, Dodd gives Rutgers the best chance to win right now.

Should Savage sit on the bench the rest of the season? Not necessarily. If Dodd struggles, then Savage absolutely deserves another shot.

But for the time being, if you are not starting the player that gives you the best chance to win… well, then the bottom line is that you do not want to win.  And if you are playing to lose... then why are you even playing in the first place?