Three takeaways from Rutgers football's loss against Iowa
Under the Saturday night lights in front of a sold-out crowd, the Rutgers football team could not find a way to win, losing to Iowa 27-10.
While the fanbase was electric in the stands for the first time in a while, they could not do anything to help the Scarlet Knights (3-1, 0-1) get out of their own way. The No. 6 ranked Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0) defense was seemingly too much to handle for Rutgers, causing three turnovers.
Here are three key takeaways from the game.
The Knights' offense shows signs of life on the opening drive
After sophomore quarterback Gavin Wimsatt was injured in last week’s 16-14 win over Temple, there were questions about who would start tonight’s game at the position. While all quarterbacks warmed up during pre-game, sophomore quarterback Evan Simon got the start for the Knights.
The offense did not look impressive in week three, so it was important for Rutgers to start the night off strong. Simon made a crucial pass to senior tight end Johnny Langan on the opening drive and an even more impressive long throw down the sideline.
But the biggest play came on a run-pass-option when Simon tucked the ball away and gained 15 yards. While the Knights did reach the Iowa red zone, they had to bring out their field goal unit after a three and out.
An offsides penalty by the Hawkeyes gave Rutgers 5 yards to make it a manageable fourth and goal. Head coach Greg Schiano flirted with the idea of going for it, but the offense ran out of time and had a penalty for a snap infraction.
Even though the opening drive ended with 3 points, it was an offensive showing fans had been looking for all week against a dominant Iowa defense.
Costly turnovers lead to early points for the Hawkeyes
The Knights looked good on their opening drive. After that, Iowa's defense clamped down and caused two crucial turnovers. The first one happened in the first quarter. With a defender in his face, Simon threw a pass that Cooper DeJean intercepted. He ran the ball back for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes the lead.
Then with more than 8 minutes to play in the second quarter, Rutgers gave the ball up again. Back in his territory and trying to get positive yards, Simon threw a pass to junior receiver Joshua Youngblood, carrying him up the field. While getting tackled, Youngblood fumbled the ball, Iowa recovered and the team ran it back for a touchdown.
Having one quarterback is not the winning formula — at least for now
This football team is young. They still have inexperience at the most crucial position on the field: the quarterback. A big reason the Knights have had success on offense to start the season is their carousel at signal caller.
Wimsatt is always a threat to run when he is in the game. In week two against Wagner, he had six carries for 62 yards. Without Wimsatt in the backfield, the offense was forced to become traditional and one-dimensional with Simon.
Without him in this matchup, the Hawkeyes defense never feared the threat of a mobile quarterback. That forced Simon to throw from the pocket and make mistakes. He finished the game completing 28 of 49 passes for 300 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Fans hope Wimsatt can be the answer the offense needs to score points moving forward. If Rutgers felt comfortable starting Simon against Iowa, the program could possibly do the same for Wimsatt once he’s healthy in a one-quarterback system.
For more updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
