Rutgers football generates excitement around campus again
The Rutgers football team is 3-0 for the third straight season. This season, though, feels different. The vibes around the team and the buzz around campus are evident, and it has not really felt this way since the Scarlet Knights (3-0, 1-0) joined the Big Ten in 2014.
In its first season in the Big Ten, Rutgers went 8-5 and secured a win in the Quick Lane Bowl. Since then, the Knights have gone 25-69 from 2015-2022. Fan frustration has reached peak heights and the hopes of competing have dwindled as the years have gone on.
But, in the 2023 season, people are actually excited for each game instead of dreading the outcome like they have in recent seasons.
Rutgers started its season on a high note, defeating conference foe Northwestern 24-7. The true potential of the head coach Greg Schiano-led defense shined as the Knights kept the Wildcats (1-2, 0-1) scoreless until the final seconds of the game.
Rutgers kept the ball rolling with a commanding victory over Temple the following Saturday. By the game’s finish, the Knights impressed with a 36-7 win over the Owls (2-1, 0-0) in a black-out game at SHI Stadium on Busch campus.
The momentum kept up for Rutgers in its third straight home game against Virginia Tech. Again, the defense stood strong as the Knights won 35-16. Junior running back Kyle Monangai made his name known nationwide with a three-touchdown, 143-yard performance. Monangai most recently won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Hokies (1-2, 0-0), the second time a player has ever been awarded this in program history.
Monangai leads the Big Ten in rushing yards and is tied for sixth in rushing yards throughout the nation.
Rutgers sits at sixth in points across the 14-team Big Ten with 95 total points and a 31.7 points per game average. The offense has been clicking early as junior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has made immense strides in his play on the field and his leadership off the field.
Wimsatt has yet to throw an interception or cough up a fumble this year. A lot of this is attributed to his decision-making, like throwing the ball out of play if a receiver isn't open instead of forcing a play to happen. His growth has been a huge factor in the team's success thus far.
Wimsatt has also been using his running ability a lot more, which has really opened up the offense for the Knights. Against Virginia Tech, Wimsatt rushed 11 times for a career-high 87 yards, along with a highlight-reel 34-yard touchdown run.
The quarterback additionally has gotten multiple receivers involved in the passing game. A total of 10 players have caught at least one pass this season, with players like senior receivers JaQuae Jackson and Christian Dremel and freshman receiver Ian Strong making a big impact early in the year.
Not to mention the offensive line who has improved in the pass and run block, allowing for holes to open up for the running backs and giving Wimsatt more time to throw in the pocket. The offensive line has only allowed Wimsatt to be sacked once so far this season.
Things have been even better on the defensive side of the ball, where the "Dark Side defense" has established itself as an empirical threat. Led by junior defensive lineman Aaron Lewis and senior defensive back Max Melton, the Rutgers defense has allowed an average of 10 points per game to opponents, putting them third in the conference in that category.
The Knights have totaled eight sacks, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, 20 pass break ups and 14 quarterback hurries in their first three games and find themselves in the top half of the Big Ten in multiple categories.
The team's success has even trickled down to their kicking game as sophomore placekicker Jai Patel recently won Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for going a perfect 3-3 on field goal attempts, including a 51-yard field goal, against Temple two weeks ago.
For the first time in years, there is hope on the Banks for the Rutgers football team. Pessimism has turned to optimism and there is legitimate belief that the Knights can win six games and be bowl-eligible this season.
The schedule will be much more challenging for Rutgers, as this week they will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to play against Michigan. The Knights have played well in recent years against the Wolverines (3-0, 0-0), and the fact that there is some optimism that Rutgers can actually compete with the No. 2 Wolverines shows the strides this team has made with the fans and with the program this season.
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