In week 12 of the college football season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights faced another loss, this time against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The final score of the game was 27-6. Despite a great first drive, the Scarlet Knights offense could not get the ball into the endzone, especially with Penn State having a tough defense. Here is a look back at the game, and what’s next for the Scarlet Knights.
Penalties are Hurting This Team
For now two weeks in a row, offensive penalties are hurting the Scarlet Knights. The worst part is that this keeps happening in the red zone, preventing the team from scoring. By the end of the game, Rutgers gave up 6 penalties, costing them 48 yards. While not all six were on the offense, the majority were. They finally look like they are able to score, and they get pushed back all on their own. These self-inflicted wounds are what is going to continue to hurt the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights WR Christian Dremel (6) – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Continued Offensive Struggles
Penn State has a strong defense, and credit goes where it is due. Still, to only put up six points while making it to the red zone a couple of times is not good enough. There were moments when the offense started moving downfield, thanks to some great plays by the receivers, but in the end, it does not mean much unless they score.
Starting with the good, Isaiah Washington had a strong game. He had five receptions for 55 yards, according to ESPN. Aside from him, Ian Strong had two receptions for 34 yards, Christian Dremel had two receptions for 25 yards, and JaQuae Jackson had one reception for 16 yards. Washington, Strong, and Dremel each had a reception that went for 19 yards too. The receivers really showed up in this game, especially when there was a rhythm going.
Meanwhile, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt completed ten passes for 130 yards and one interception. He also rushed the ball 17 times for 31 yards. He had a great 22-yard run in the beginning of the game, the issue is that the Penn State defense figured out when he would run, and was able to prevent more big plays. By the end of the game, the Scarlet Knights ended up with just 99 total rushing yards. It is hard for the offense to gain momentum when the run game can’t do much against a tough defense.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights RB Kyle Monangai (5) – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Defense Hold On Until the End
The highlight of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights season has truly been their defense. Despite the final score, the defense played really well. Penn State had just 88 passing yards, of course, this is in part due to quarterback Drew Allar exiting the game at the beginning of the third quarter. Where the Nittany Lions had the edge is in their run game. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula primarily runs the ball and helped the Nittany Lions end up with 234 total rushing yards and three touchdowns, according to ESPN.
The Scarlet Knights defense still put up a ton of pressure. They ended up forcing two fumbles, recovering one, They also had 56 total tackles and one tackle for loss. One thing they did miss out on was sacks, but they did get pressure on Allar while he was in the game. With Pribula being a strong runner, it is difficult to get many sacks. In the end, the defense did what they could, and did hold the Nittany Lions to under 30 points.
Wisconsin RB Jackson Acker (34) – Andy Manis/Freelancer/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Where Do the Scarlet Knights Go From Here?
Next up, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will head home to face Maryland. The Terrapins are currently 6-5 following their loss against Michigan. The two teams have the same record, and it could go either way. Rutgers will need to play their hardest to push for a seventh win. This will be the final game of the 2023 College Football regular season, and it will be a big one.
