Week one of the college football season begins with an important Rutgers win. The Scarlet Knights faced the Northwestern Wildcats. The final score was 24-7. It came close to a Rutgers blowout, but Northwestern got the touchdown in the final seconds of the game. There were a couple of question marks heading into this game, such as how Northwestern would bounce back this season after a drama-filled offseason. Here is a look at the Rutgers win and what the Scarlet Knights need to do ahead of next week’s matchup.
Strong Defense
Starting with the highlight of the game, the Scarlet Knight defense did not even give Northwestern a chance. The strength of this defense will continue to be talked about regarding this Rutgers win. There were plays here and there that Northwestern was able to make something out of, but the Scarlet Knights controlled the Wildcats. By the end of the game, Rutgers had eight tackles for loss and five sacks, according to ESPN. They also had two interceptions. The defensive backs have been a great part of the Rutgers team for the past couple of years, and it looks as though that will continue.
The two interceptions in this Rutgers win were by Robert Longerbeam and Max Melton. While the defense was already playing a strong game, the interceptions were energy boosters on the field. Just when Northwestern thought they had something going, the defense stopped that. Following this Rutgers win it will be exciting to watch how this defense progresses.
Northwestern QB Ben Bryant (1) – Corey Perrine/Getty Images
Gavin Wimsatt
A lot of eyes were on quarterback Gavin Wimsatt throughout this Rutgers win. Wimsatt will need to improve on some mechanics, but he never threw an interception and had one passing touchdown. For not having a full year of starting in 2022, it was a solid game from the quarterback. He ended up with 17 completions out of 29 attempts for 163 yards, according to ESPN. He also had 33 rushing yards and a touchdown.
At the end of the day, it is a Rutgers win with no interceptions. This is a great start to the season. It was not a perfect game by Wimsatt. His decision-making will need to improve, but step one was to push his team to a win. He also came out of the game healthy, which is extremely beneficial to the Scarlet Knights after rotating between numerous quarterbacks in 2022. Next week, it will be interesting to watch Wimsatt in his second straight start.
Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt (2) – Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media
Rough Run Game
It was expected that Rutgers would be relying on their run game this season, as that was the strength of their offense in 2022. It was not a bad run game against Northwestern, but there were not many explosive plays. The longest run of the day was for 15 yards. It still resulted in a Rutgers win, but running down the middle was a struggle for this offense.
The Scarlet Knights ended the game with 122 rushing yards, according to ESPN. The important thing to note is that the place where the run game did work was in the red zone. The Scarlet Knights scored two touchdowns off the run, one by Wimsatt and one by runningback Kyle Monangai. It is only week one, and this will be expected to improve as the season progresses.
Rutgers HC Greg Schiano and RB Kyle Monangai (23) – AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Rutgers Win, What’s Next
After a Rutgers win, the Scarlet Knights are 1-0. Something about this game that should definitely be highlighted is the team’s time of possession. Rutgers had the ball for 37:56. The Offense staying on the field is such a crucial need, and they came out in week one improving on that. This kept the defense rested for big-time plays. Rutgers controlled the game, and that helped them win. This is something to keep up with next week. The Scarlet Knights offense showed a lot of potential this week.
Something to watch for next weekend is the decision-making by Wimsatt. In a second consecutive game, that should be better as well. Not only the decisions by Wimsatt but the play calls. Rutgers played aggressively on fourth downs, going three for three on attempts. This confidence in the team may have been a big factor in the Rutgers win. It will be interesting to see if the Scarlet Knights keep up with their aggression.
Next weekend, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will have another home game against the Temple Owls. Both of these teams are 1-0 and will want to keep it that way. Coming off of a Rutgers win will be a big motivation for the team, and a night game always brings extra energy. The game will take place September 9th at SHI Stadium at 7:30 PM Eastern. Hopefully, the temperature will drop by then as well.
