So far this season, we’ve witnessed two weeks of Rutgers football. In their first two games, Rutgers delivered an impressive offensive performance, winning by an average score of 46.5 to 12. While their initial opponents were among the weaker teams they’ll face this season, these games still provide insights into how Rutgers may perform moving forward. Here are a few highlights from the Knights’ first two outings.
What We Saw From Rutgers
#1 The Running Game Is Back At It
In the first two games, Rutgers’ rushing attack has dominated their opponents. In the season opener against the Howard Bison, running back Kyle Monangai matched his personal best with 165 rushing yards. Overall, the Knights recorded 329 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 46 attempts, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis also contributed, rushing for 43 yards on six carries.
The trend continued in the Knights’ matchup against Akron, where Monangai surpassed his previous record of 165 rushing yards. He finished with 208 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Overall, the Knights accumulated 285 rushing yards and scored four rushing touchdowns.
#2 The Defense is Solid but Banged Up
The Rutgers defense has shown itself to be a dependable unit. When the offense struggled at the beginning against Howard, the defense rose to the occasion, providing the support needed to spark the offense. Takeaways have played a crucial role for the Knights this season, with their first score coming from a pick-six. They’ve managed to secure one takeaway in each of their two games so far.
That said, the defense is quite banged up. Mohammed Toure, a key leader, is sidelined for the season. Both Tyreem Powell and Wesley Bailey, important contributors to the Knights’ defense, are dealing with injuries and working to return. Star defensive back Flip Dixon missed the first game and was a last-minute decision for the second. Fortunately, these two games provided an opportunity for backup players to get significant playing time.
#3 Passing Game Better Than Last Year, Need To See More Improvement
In the season opener, Kaliakmanis did something that Rutgers fans haven’t seen from their quarterback in quite some time: throw three touchdowns in a single game. While the passing attack wasn’t extremely dynamic, the Knights demonstrated significant improvement in their aerial game, largely because Kaliakmanis made few poor decisions. The single interception he threw appeared to be a miscommunication between him and the receiver, rather than a failure to read the defense. His most questionable decision of the night even resulted in a touchdown caught by KJ Duff.
For the Knights, the passing game doesn’t need to be flashy; it just has to make key plays and avoid turnovers.
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