The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are officially 4-1 with their blowout win against the Wagner Seahawks. Wagner now falls to a 2-3 record, and Rutgers remains undefeated at home. While this was a game that the Scarlet Knights were expected to win, they still put up 52 points and only allowed three. Here is a look back at the win and what is next for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers’ Offense Spreads the Ball
At the heart of this Scarlet Knights offense is their run game. As long as it works, Rutgers will continue to run the ball down the opposing teams’ defenses, and they did just that against Wagner. In total, the Scarlet Knights rushed the ball 52 times for 268 rushing yards, according to ESPN. They ended up with six total rushing touchdowns; Two were from quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. The other rushing touchdowns came from Kyle Monangai, Aaron Young, Ja’shon Benjamin, and Samuel Brown V.
Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt (9) – Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Monangai was the team’s leading rusher, with 19 carries for 87 yards. His longest run of the game was for 21 yards. Something that helped this team was the way they rotated the carries between numerous players. It is evident that Monangai is the top running back on the offense, and rightfully so, but he was able to get some rest, too. It also helps that the score went up by so much, giving more of a reason to give other guys chances.
Rutgers also gave Wimsatt more opportunities to pass the ball this week. He ended up with 12 completions out of 19 attempts for 146 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. It wasn’t much, but the passes were deeper than they started out this season. Wimsatt is getting more comfortable with throwing the ball, which is leading to these opportunities. His longest pass of the day went for 41 yards to Jackson. With Wimsatt being able to complete these passes, there are now receivers finally getting more opportunities on the field as well.
While it was at the end of the game while running out the clock, fans got their first look at quarterback Ajani Sheppard. Evan Simon was questionable heading into the game, and instead of risking it, the team put Sheppard in. He ended up completing two passes, only attempting two, for 23 yards. He also rushed the ball for ten yards. It was not much by any means, but the young quarterback looked calm in the pocket, which could mean the future is bright for Rutgers.
Rutgers WR Christian Dremel (6) – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Rutgers’ Defense Makes Major Stops
The Scarlet Knights held the Wagner Seahawks to just three points in this game. They also held Wagner to just 106 total yards. There were no turnovers, which would have been the cherry on top, but there were times when it looked like Wagner could get down the field, and the defense continued to push them back.
The Scarlet Knights’ defense ended up with 51 total tackles, three tackles, and five tackles for loss, according to ESPN. Two of the sacks came from Aaron Lewis, who had a big game this weekend. Wagner ended up only attempting eight passes, as each time a quarterback dropped back to pass, they were immediately under pressure. Between Steven Krajewski and Damien Mazil, the quarterbacks completed just five passes for 23 yards. Even their rushing game couldn’t get going with this Scarlet Knights defense. They had a couple of big runs, the longest being for 18 yards, but ended up with just 83 total rushing yards.
While it would have been great if there were a forced turnover or if Wagner did not score at all, this defense deserves credit for how they have been playing this season.
Rutgers DL Aaron Lewis (71) – Adam Hunger/freelancer/Associated Press
What’s Next for the Scarlet Knights?
Yes, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights were the favorites heading into the game against Wagner. They did what they were supposed to do by winning by a large score difference. Upsets happen in football, and the important thing is that the Scarlet Knights did what they were supposed to do. Next up, Rutgers will head to Wisconsin to face the Badgers. This is a Big Ten opponent that Rutgers does have a chance against, but it won’t be easy. Wisconsin will be home and coming off of a bye week. The game will take place on Saturday, October 7th.
