College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Rutgers Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-9 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Greg Schiano, 1st year, 12th year at Rutgers overall, 68-67
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 103
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 123
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 75
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense that finished second-to-last in the nation in both total yards and scoring, Rutgers needs to find a positive identity under new offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson. He comes in from Oklahoma State, and he’s all but starting from scratch.
The team only scored 159 points, and 92 came in two games. You were promised there wouldn’t be any math here, but that means the O scored just 67 points over the other ten games, averaging fewer than seven points per outing.
The program has come up with ten points or fewer in 11 of its last 15 games and scored more than 21 just six times in the last 33 games – that’s not very good. But there’s a positive – at least the O returns a ton of experience.
CFN in 60 Video: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview
– And the starting quarterback is … Artur Sitkowski? He was in the transfer portal, and then he wasn’t. He only threw for 429 yards and a touchdown with two picks, and then it was up to then-freshman Johnny Langan to step and and take his cuts.
Langan ran around a bit – with 391 yards and three scores – but he only threw for 840 yards and four scores with nine picks. On the way is Nebraska grad transfer Noah Vedral to throw his dual-threat hat into the ring.
A slew of targets bolted, but almost all of the top receivers from last year are back, and Wisconsin transfer and return star Aron Cruickshank will add some flash.
Bo Melton is back after leading the way with 30 catches for 427 yards and two scores, and Isaiah Washington is a big 6-3 sophomore who was second among the wideouts with 18 grabs. Also in the equation is former star quarterback prospect Johnathan Lewis, who’ll likely work at tight end.
– The offensive line is going to take a while. It was a a problem last year – Rutgers was dead last in rushing offense – and it loses two starters to graduation, C Michael Maietti to Missouri, and a few other reserves to the transfer portal. The recruiting class addressed the line a wee bit, but this part of the puzzle will take the longest to put together.
Losing flashy RB Raheem Blackshear to Virginia Tech stinks, but junior Isaiah Pacheco isn’t a bad back when he gets room to move, and sophomore Aaron Young is a speedster with a little experienced.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense 3 Things To Know
– New defensive coordinator Robb Smith is a veteran with pro experience, comes in from Texas A&M, and worked with Schiano during the 2010s, spending 2012 as the DC.
The D wasn’t the worst in the Big Ten, but it wasn’t great – it didn’t get a lick of help from the offensive side to stay on the field. Fortunately, the top 11 tackles are expected to be back with a decent-looking linebacking corps to start with.
– Three of the top four tacklers were linebackers, starting with 6-1, 237-pound senior Tyshon Fogg, and with 6-1, 229-pound Olakunle Fatukasi coming up with 85. The depth is decent, and there’s enough athleticism to consider this one of the team’s biggest positives.
They’re all working behind a line that has to learn how to get into the backfield. A few transfers are coming in – Malik Barrow from UCF, Michael Dwumfour from Michigan, and Ireland Burke from Boston College – to help 280-pound bowling ball senior Julius Turner in the interior. There’s size and experience on the ends, but there has to be some disruption from somewhere.
– The secondary only came up with five interceptions, but it was a really, really young group that got enough time in to potentially be better. Safety Christian Izien is the leader of the bunch after making 78 tackles, and getting Brendon White in from Ohio State helps. Avery Young isn’t a bad corner to work around.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Rutgers Scarlet Knights Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Rutgers Scarlet Knights Players
Best Rutgers Scarlet Knights Offensive Player
RB Isaih Pacheco, Jr.
There wasn’t a whole lot happening with the offense, but with Raheem Blackshear skipping most of the year before leaving, the team needed a running back and some sort of a weapon to count on. Pacheco gave it a shot.
The 5-11, 210-pounder led the team with 729 yards and seven scores – four of those touchdowns came in the opener against UMass – with his workload being decreased in game after game because of the team getting behind and needing to throw. He hit the 100-yard mark three times – Rutgers won two of them.
2. WR Bo Melton, Sr.
3. WR/KR Aron Cruickshank, Jr.
4. QB Noah Vedral, Sr.
5. PK Justin Davidovicz, Sr.
Best Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defensive Player
LB Tyshon Fogg, Sr.
The leader of the team in just about every way, he was one of the only Scarlet Knights to get any sort of all-star recognition, and he did it both on and off the field.
The 6-1, 237-pounder led the team with 104 tackles, and while he didn’t do much in the backfield, that wasn’t his job in the middle. Coming up with 11 tackles or more five times, he eats up everything between the hashmarks.
2. LB Olakunie Fatukasi, Sr.
3. DT Julius Turner, Sr.
4. S Christian Izien, Soph.
5. LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Offense
Get to 400 yards. First, the offense under the new coaching staff has to be able to hit 300 yards on a regular basis after averaging just 273 per game.
Scoring was a problem, long drives were a problem, turnovers were a huge problem, passing inefficiency was a problem, a steady running game was a problem – everything was a problem.
But offense has been a steady issue for years. Considering the defense has rarely been a rock, and it won’t be special this year, the O just has to keep things moving.
Rutgers came up with over 400 yards of total offense just twice last year – and those were the two games it won.
The O generated over 400 yards just once in 2018 – and that was the only game it won.
Over the last four seasons, Rutgers is 5-0 when it gets to that 400-yard mark, because that’s what it usually takes just to stay alive in most games.
To take this even further, lower the bar a bit to 397 yards, and the program is 21-3 when it gets there going back to the 2013 opener against Fresno State.
Biggest Key To The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense
Rutgers defense, start by helping yourself out. The D was dead last in the Big Ten in third down stops, it was dead last in sacks and tackles for loss, and it was dead last in takeaways.
But that’s not a new thing for the Scarlet Knight.
The 2012 defense forced 32 turnovers – and hasn’t busted past 20 since then.
Last season? Ten. Ten takeaways, and six came in three games against UMass, Indiana and Ohio State. That means there were a mere four turnovers forced in the other nine games, with just two fumble recoveries outside of two generated against the Buckeyes.
Help the offense, help you, defense, with big plays and easy field position chances.
Key Rutgers Scarlet Knights Player To A Successful Season
QB Noah Vedral, Sr.
Or Johnny Langan, or Artur Sitkowski. The offense needs a playmaker at quarterback, and it just hasn’t worked for a long, long time, no matter who has stepped in.
On the plus side, the Rutgers passing game hit more than 50% of its passes for the first time since 2015. On the negative end, four quarterbacks threw a pass last season, and they were all mediocre.
Vedral was a good recruit for UCF who followed Scott Frost to Nebraska. Banged up, and with Adrian Martinez the main man under center, Vedral is looking for a home. At the very least, he’s a mobile option with a live arm to add another option to the mix.
Key Game To The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Season
at Maryland, Oct. 31
This falls under the Let’s See Where The Program Is At category. Maryland might be better in Year Two under Mike Locksley, but it’s missing a whole slew of pieces and should be in for a struggle.
That was an issue last year for the Terps, too, and they blasted Rutgers 48-7 in Piscataway. This time around, no one is expecting a run to a bowl game or anything for the Scarlet Knights, but two months into the first season with Greg Schiano back at the helm … let’s see where the program is at.
– Rutgers Scarlet Knights Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Rutgers Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 146 – Rutgers 31
– Red Zone TDs: Opponents 36-of-52 (69%) – Rutgers 10-of-26 (38%)
– Passing TDs: Opponents 25 – Rutgers 7
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview
The guy did it once before, but things are just a weeeeeeee bit different now.
Greg Schiano pushed through two brutal seasons going 3-20 overall and winless in Big East play when he took over Rutgers in 2001, and after four years things finally turned around.
As insane as it might seem now, the 2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights were knee-deep in the national championship hunt in late November. It didn’t happen – losses to Cincinnati and West Virginia ruined the fun – but Schiano took the program to six bowl games in seven seasons, won five of them.
However, winning in the Big East back then against the likes of UConn, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia and Pitt wasn’t like having to deal with the 2020 Big Ten East.
But no one is expecting miracles this time around. The goal here is merely to make the college football team not so totally and completely miserable.
For all he has done, Schiano is just 54, he’ll get a ton of time to try building this thing up, and he’s got the recruiting and resumé chops to make it happen.
Eventually.
Set The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Regular Season Win Total At … 3
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 2.5
Rutgers was able to beat UMass and Liberty last year – and it wasn’t remotely close to anyone else, with the best loss coming to Boston College by 14.
Over the last four seasons, the program has suffered through 31 losses by ten points or more. There will be more this season, but there should also be a nice pivot forward considering all the experience returning and all the young parts that saw meaningful time under former head man Chris Ash.
Rutgers will beat Monmouth. There. That’s a win to open up the season. After that, good luck, but there should be an upset or two along the way.
There’s enough experience in place to perhaps get by Temple, and Syracuse, Illinois, Maryland and Purdue are all gettable. After winning two games in two of the last four seasons, and one game in another, getting to three wins would be a good start.
Being merely competitive in more games would be better.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
