Rutgers coach Greg Schiano met with the media on Tuesday afternoon as his Scarlet Knights prepare for fall camp.

Amongst other things, Schiano expressed enthusiasm for this time of year.

“One of my favorite times of year,” Schiano said about fall camp. “We get our players with no distractions. There’s no school, they’re ours all day, no time limitations. We get a chance to really get better. I think this is the time of year when you make your most improvement.

“It really is the most important time for every football team … I think this is a critical time for our football program.”

Rutgers will be trying to improve on its 2020 campaign when it turned in a 3-6 record during the league’s Big Ten-only schedule. Despite the losing record, the Scarlet Knights were often competitive — and nearly scored upset victories over Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan.

Rutgers only won three combined games during its previous two seasons prior to Schiano’s arrival — and none of them were against Big Ten opposition.

It’s clear Schiano has his program going in the right direction. Perhaps a productive fall camp will push the Scarlet Knights to their first bowl appearance since 2014.