In week ten of the 2023 college football season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights faced off against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Scarlet Knights lost the game 35-16, but they put up a big fight against the Buckeyes. Here is a look back on what went right for Rutgers, and when the game shifted for the worse, as well as what’s next for the team.
Big Defensive Plays
This Scarlet Knights’ defense demonstrated why they are a strong unit. It was not their best game, but for a while, they held their own. Mohamed Toure even had a clutch interception which was a big factor as to why the Scarlet Knights led at halftime. By the end of the game, the Rutgers’ defense had 61 combined tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss, according to ESPN.
It would have been nice if the defense could have gotten more pressure on quarterback Kyle McCord, but the Ohio State defense did well holding off the defensive line. McCord had just 19 completions for 189 yards but threw three touchdowns. The way the defense played the first half deserves a ton of respect.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson (32) rushing against Rutgers defense – Noah K. Murray/AP Photo
Defense Let’s up Big Play to Call the Game
There was one play that really screwed up the game for the Scarlet Knights defense. In the fourth quarter, only down by one score, the team let up a huge play instead of stopping Ohio State on third down. It was third and nine on the Ohio State 26 and McCord hit TreVeyon Henderson for a 65-yard play. The defense completely blew the coverage on this play. This put the Buckeyes into the red zone, and then eventually caused them to be up by two scores in the fourth quarter.
Offense Pulls off Big Fourth Down Play
There were a couple of strong plays by the Rutgers offense, especially when running the ball. In the second quarter, Rutgers went for in on fourth down on their own side of the field. The Scarlet Knights successfully pulled off the fumblerooski for a huge gain. Running back, Kyle Monangai rushed the ball for 45 yards on that play. The drive ended on just a field goal, but that was a gutsy great play. The play can be watched here on X.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights RB Kyle Monangai (5) – Noah K. Murray/AP Photo
Aside from that, the offense had its struggles, but there were glimmers of hope. By the end of the game, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt completed just ten passes, out of 25, but for 129 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. He also passed for one interception, which will be discussed momentarily.
Some of the completions throughout the game were big ones. Christian Dremel had a 35-yard reception. The accuracy definitely needs to improve though, as there was an overthrown pass that would have gone for the touchdown if caught. The team also rushed for 232 yards, with Monangai rushing for 159 yards himself.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) throws the ball as Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (41) pursues – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Bad Pick-Six
There has been one common trend in each loss of the season for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. In each game, Wimsatt has thrown a pick-six. This one was extra costly being that it was in the red zone. The energy completely shifted in this moment, and that was when Ohio State ran away with the game in their hands. The interception was caught off of the deflection, but Rutgers needs to be more careful with these costly mistakes. They should have walked away with at least three points, which would have extended the lead that they had.
What’s Next for Rutgers?
Next up, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will head to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes. With the loss, Rutgers sits at a 6-3 record. The Iowa Hawkeyes now sit at a 7-2 record after their win against Northwestern. Iowa is banged up on offense but still has a solid defense. Rutgers will still need to play hard if they want to defeat the Hawkeyes next weekend.
