Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Rutgers Scarlet Knight season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Rutgers Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 1-11 overall, 0-9 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Chris Ash, 4th year, 7-29
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUTGERS OFFENSE
– The offense that finished 127th in the nation and dead last in scoring – averaging 266 yards and 13.5 points per game – actually has a reason to hope for a big improvement. In comes new offensive coordinator John McNulty from the San Diego Chargers’ staff, and the former RU OC knows how to get a ground game going. He’s got a whole lot of experience to play around with.
– The Scarlet Knight have the running backs. Junior Raheem Blackshear is a do-it-all speedster who can make big things happen with a little bit of room, and Isaih Pacheco averaged close to five yards per carry with 551 yards and three scores.
Blackshear is the better of the two, but they’ll both see plenty of work behind an O line that loses LT Tariq Cole and gets everyone else back. It’s not a massive group, but it’s experienced and it did a great job of keeping defenses out of the backfield allowing just 16 sacks.
– Can Artur Sitkowski grow into a real, live Big Ten quarterback? He sputtered and struggled as a freshman – throwing four touchdown passes and 18 picks – but he had a good offseason and has the job all but locked down.
– Blackshear was the leading receiver, and he’ll be a key check-down part of the passing game again, but the receiving corps needs more out of Bo Melton. He has to play up to his upside and prep hype after catching 28 passes and not doing much of anything explosive, and a slew of big young targets – particularly 6-3 sophomore Daevon Robinson – have to rise up. McNulty is a terrific tight end coach – he’ll get production out of former star quarterback recruit Johnathan Lewis.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUTGERS DEFENSE
– Five of the top seven tacklers are done and six starters have to be replaced from a defense that had little to no pass rush – generating just 16 sacks – but allowed a not-that-miserable 401 yards and 31 points per game. The offense provided absolutely zero help whatsoever, but the D improved enough to allow 20 points or fewer in three of the last five games.
– The linebackers were a strength with Trevor Morris and Deonte Roberts combining for 196 tackles, but they’re done. Junior Tyreek Maddox-Williams came up with 47 stops at an outside spot, and the middle will be fine with 240-pound Tyshon Fogg a thumper who’s ready for a bigger role. Michigan transfer Drew Singleton is eligible to play right away – he’ll find a gig on the outside.
– The defensive line has to be a whole lot better. It got hammered on too easily against the run and didn’t generate a pass rush even with experience and size at all four spots. Willington Previlon will be a key to the defense on the inside along with 282-pound junior Julius Turner, who made 33 tackles on the nose.
Elorm Lumor is back on the outside after leading the way with seven tackles for loss, and as long as there’s a bit more production at getting to the quarterback …
– There’s promise in the secondary. Losing S Saquon Hampton and CB Isaiah Wharton isn’t a plus, but Avery Young is a potential all-star at one corner after finishing third on the team with 67 stops as a freshman. Senior Damon Hayes is a solid option on the other side, but if he’s at corner, the safety jobs have to be locked down by underclassmen in fall camp.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP RUTGERS PLAYERS
Best Rutgers Offensive Player
RB/KR Raheem Blackshear, Jr.
A dangerous weapon no matter how he got the ball in his hands, the 5-9, 192-pounder led the team with 586 rushing yards and three scores, and caught 44 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. An all-star in the classroom as well as on the field, he’s a team leader who’ll combine with Isaih Pacheco to give the Scarlet Knights – potentially – a real, live ground attack.
2. RB Isaih Pacheco, Soph.
3. PK Justin Davidovicz, Jr.
4. WR Bo Melton, Jr.
5. QB Artur Sitkowski, Soph.
Best Rutgers Defensive Player
CB Avery Young, Soph.
The 6-0, 193-pounder stepped up right out of the gate as a freshman and turned into the team’s third-leading tackler. He made 67 stops at corner with ten broken up passes, but he didn’t generate an interception. Quick enough to be used as a punt returner and mature enough to handle himself when thrown to the wolves, he’ll soon rise up into an All-Big Ten-caliber performer.
2. S/CB Damon Hayes, Sr.
3. LB Tyshon Fogg, Jr.
4. DE Mike Tverdov, Soph.
5. P Adam Korsak, Jr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Rutgers Offense
The passing game has to do something. The running backs are good enough to shine if the blocking is there, but they also need defenses to not tee off against the ground game. That only happens if the passing game isn’t the least efficient in college football.
The Scarlet Knights completed just 49% of their passes for 1,586 yards with five touchdowns and 22 picks, bottoming out with a 2-for-17, eight-yard, five-interception day against Maryland. The emergence of Artur Sitkowski into a more accurate pass is a must, but the receivers have to help the cause.
Biggest Key To The Rutgers Defense
The pass rush has to be better, especially on third downs. The Scarlet Knights only came up with 16 sacks and never seemed to generate any pressure when needed. The defense was 124th in the nation at third down stops, allowing teams to convert a whopping 48.7% of the time – it allowed 50% of more six times.
It all tied together – the offense didn’t do anything, the defense couldn’t get off the field, and the whole machine consistently broke down.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Artur Sitkowski, Soph.
He’s got 6-5, 224-pound size, he’s got an arm, and he’s got enough talent to eventually grow into a solid Big Ten starter. But after throwing four touchdown passes and 18 picks, Rutgers has to get better play out of its quarterback.
He had a good enough spring to solidify the starting position, and it’s all freshmen behind him. He’s it. He’s the starter. He’s the guy the offense will sink or swim with, at least for this season. The line will give him time to work, and the running backs are there to help. Now he has to be better.
Key Game To The Rutgers Season
at Iowa, Sept. 7
It’s only the second time in the history of the two schools that they’ve met – Iowa won 14-7 in 2016. This time, it’s the Big Ten opener, and it’s on the first weekend of September – this is when Rutgers has to show have things have improved and changed.
Iowa will almost certainly win, but it’s more about being competitive for Rutgers. Last season it came up with a few moral victories and close calls, but it was usually because the other side couldn’t do anything offensively. For an offense that failed to score more than 17 points in the final 11 games of the season, merely getting the O going in Iowa City will be enough.
– Rutgers Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Rutgers Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 68 – Rutgers 16
– Touchdowns Scored: Opponents 49 – Rutgers 19
– Interceptions Thrown: Rutgers 22 – Opponents 9
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. RUTGERS WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
In the 150th season of college football, and with Rutgers having played the first game, the spotlight will be on, and the program has to finally be something other than truly miserable.
For all the issues and problems on offense last season – scoring 14 points or fewer seven times – there were chances to do something interesting. There was the 24-17 loss to Indiana, the 18-15 game against Northwestern that was there for the taking, and the 14-10 dogfight at Michigan State to end the season.
Eventually, the Scarlet Knights are going to start being on the right side of a few of those again.
The offense can’t and won’t be worse. There will be a passing game under new offensive coordinator John McNulty, and the good running backs will get their chances to shine.
The kicking game will be among the best in the Big Ten, and the defense will be plucky as long as there’s more of a pass rush.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 4
It’s not that crazy a goal, and it’s even possible to expect five or even a bowl-eligible six with a few breaks. The 2017 team went 4-8, and so did the 2015 squad. There’s going to be a pivot.
The Scarlet Knights will beat UMass, and they’ll take down Liberty. That matches last season’s win total, and yeah, there will be a few close games that go their way this time around with Boston College, Maryland and Minnesota at home, and Indiana and Penn State on the road.
Don’t expect miracles – the team still lives in the Big Ten East – but for a young group looking for something positive, this season will be it.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
