PISCATAWAY -- The maddening thing about watching Rutgers play defense from 2013-15 was that its cornerbacks offered cushions like the front-entrance greeter at Raymour & Flanigan.
When Rutgers hired coach Chris Ash, that stopped immediately.
Ash, a former safety, defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator, brought with him a belief in press man-to-man coverage. No more soft coverage and 10-yard cushions at the line of scrimmage.
The benefits showed up in the stats last season -- a jump from No. 118 nationally in pass defense in 2015 to No.