Rutgers’ Ralph Friedgen to work on Gary Nova’s mechanics
By Jack Crosby
Former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen will be returning to college football this season as he will be leading the offensive charge for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. And as everyone knows, if there is one issue on the offensive side of the ball that needs to be addressed immediately, it’s quarterback Gary Nova’s penchant for throwing interceptions almost on command.
More from College Football
- Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension over NCAA violations
- College football neutral site games in 2023: Full list
- College GameDay announces surprise Week 1 destination
- College football analyst warns Oklahoma that Texas is doing better prep for SEC
- College Football Playoff national championship game locations for 2024, 2025 and beyond
But Friedgen has that under control, or so Rutgers fans hope, as he recently explained that he will be working thoroughly on the mechanics of his new signal caller.
“I’ve made one correction with his mechanics. He threw the ball on his toes, which puts a lot of pressure on your arm and can lead to arm problems. I was always taught, especially when I was in the NFL, to put your heel in the ground and push off like you’re a pitcher and then get your waist and hips right. It seems to have helped him.”
In addition to helping Nova get over his problems, Friedgen also talked about having a nice amount of balance on that side of the ball.
“What I think we have to be careful about – and I think it happened a little bit in the spring – is we can wear these kids out and not have anything left,” Friedgen said. “My philosophy is to have a balance between run and pass… If you’re only one dimensional then they’re going to make you play left-handed and I don’t like to play left-handed. I like to take what the defense gives us.”