Things are starting to look bleak in Piscataway. Following two blowout losses to Kansas and Buffalo in back-to-back weeks, there are major questions about Chris Ash and the future of the Rutgers football program.

On Monday, Ash addressed some of those concerned.

Ash kicked off his weekly press conference by apologizing to the fanbase, saying he understands the frustration regarding the start to the season. The Scarlet Knights are 1-3 on the year, but have failed to be competitive in their last three outings.

“We understand your frustration,” Ash said, talking about Rutgers fans. “We are just as frustrated.”

As if that statement alone wasn’t enough to describe the state of Rutgers football at the moment, one reporter had a very direct question for Ash. He asked the Scarlet Knights head coach if players had given up.

“No, absolutely not,” Ash responded firmly. “I watched the tape, the effort is there. We’re making too many mistakes. There’s not an effort issue. We’re making too many mistakes.”

It’s easy to understand why that question was asked, after Rutgers lost 55-14 to Kansas and 42-13 to Buffalo the last two weeks.

Before that, the Scarlet Knights fell to Ohio State 52-3.

Ash has made it clear that Rutgers is still in the process of building a program. He said that it could take four, five or even six years before the Scarlet Knights are in the position they want to be in to sustain success.

Even if that’s true, these last three weeks are still incredibly ugly marks on the resumé.