I reached out on Twitter this week to the folks who run On the Banks the Rutgers SB Nation site to see if they were interested in trading some questions in preparation for tomorrow’s game. They agreed
and I was able to send some questions to Andrew Rice. Make sure to check out their site, engage in a friendly way, and get prepared for tomorrow’s clash against the Scarlet Knights.
For those readers who haven’t watched Rutgers and just see the 0-4 Big Ten record, how would you describe the team identity?
The offense can be potent, and the defense is a tunstile. The team’s identity would be to try to win in a shootout. That has not really worked so far this season. It feels like this team needs to score 30+ points to have a shot at winning.
Who are the stars on the offense and defense?
On Offense, we have WR Ian Strong, WR KJ Duff, and RB Antwan Raymond. Strong has 37 catches for 543 yards and two touchdowns, while Duff has 36 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns. Raymond has been our emerging star at running back, totaling 615 yards and nine touchdowns on 120 carries.
Defense has been really poor across the board, but if I had to pick a pair of stars, it would have to be DL Eric O’Neill and DB Bo Mascoe. While not being the pass rusher we had hoped he could be, O’Neill has been a solid run stopper for Rutgers. In coverage, Mascoe has been the best option in an otherwise porous secondary.
Which unit on each side of the ball is a strength? Which is a weakness?
For the offense, the wide receiver core. Duff and Strong have been stars so far this season. DT Sheffield has been a solid option as well, as he has recorded 29 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns this season. Behind them is Ben Black, a younger, faster receiver who can take the top off a defense. On the flip side, the tight ends have not contributed much at all, with their leading receiver being Kenny Fletcher, who has caught 14 passes for 108 yards.
On defense, it is hard to find one group that stands out because the defense has been awful as a whole. The defensive line, while not playing great at all, hasn’t been the worst out of the position groups, so I would have to go with them. Not saying that they are a strength, they just aren’t the biggest weakness. The biggest weakness is the safeties, who have been a complete disaster. Lining up wrong, missed assignments, and leaving guys uncovered are just a few of the mistakes they have been making.
As a Tampa Bay Bucs fan I have a special hatred for Greg Schiano, how has his second tenure at Rutgers been received so far?
It has been up and down. His first few years, 2020-2022, were seen as the full rebuild years. Some thought we might reach a bowl in 2022, but most expected not to. In 2023, we finally broke through and won a bowl game, and people were happy with 7-6 because it was the first winning season in 9 years. In 2024, this team had aspirations of going 9-3, 8-4 due to a relatively weak schedule, but injuries and Schiano botching game management at the end of the Illinois game led us to go 7-6 for the second year in a row. This season, his reception has been poor because it looks like this team has taken a step back. In conclusion, I would say it has been positive overall, but has been poor recently.
If you wake up Sunday and see Rutgers lost what would be your guess as to why?
The Defense couldn’t stop Malachi Singleton on the ground and gave up several chunk plays through the air, leading to several scores. Rutgers’ offense tried to keep pace but made several mistakes late in the game that led to it falling apart.
What’s your prediction for Saturday?
This game is equally important to both teams. Purdue is desperate for a win, and this is Rutgers’ last chance to “right the ship” in terms of bowl eligibility. I think both teams will score a lot, but the fact that Purdue will be down their starting quarterback gives me a little bit of hope they won’t be able to score as much. Despite Schiano claiming to have made defensive personnel changes on the field and on the sideline, I am not convinced that it will have a major effect. Despite this, Rutgers does have the offense to pile points on Purdue’s defense, making this out to be a high-scoring game. I think the point piling will be a little too much for Purdue to handle. Rutgers 31, Purdue 28
