What does Rutgers football need to do for remainder of 2023 season?
The Rutgers football team is officially at the midway point of the 2023 season. The Scarlet Knights (4-2, 1-2) will come into week seven leading in their overall record and trailing in their conference record. It's Rutgers' best first half of a season since 2014.
With the second half of the season kicking off this Saturday when the Knights take on Michigan State for their annual Homecoming game at SHI Stadium on Busch campus, there are a few things that Rutgers should focus on in the latter portion of the season.
Come out victorious in the games the team should win
The game against the Spartans (2-3, 0-2) is not just a game that the Knights should win — it's a must-win. Michigan State is in disarray right now, still reeling from the effects of the Mel Tucker firing. The Spartans are coming into Piscataway on a three-game losing streak, and have scored just 32 points in those three games combined.
Luckily for Michigan State, the team had a bye week to prepare for Rutgers. They needed the bye week as the Spartans are in the midst of a quarterback controversy. Noah Kim started Michigan State's first five games, but the team has failed to name him, Katin Houser or Sam Leavitt as a starter for Saturday.
The following week, the Knights will take on Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. Rutgers will be traveling to the Midwest with the edge over the Hoosiers (2-3, 0-2) as it has won its last two games against Indiana. In 2021, the Knights got a 38-3 blowout win over the Hoosiers, and it followed that up with a come-from-behind 24-17 victory over Indiana the following year.
This is another game that Rutgers should win.
As of today, the Hoosiers are ranked last in total points in the Big Ten with 104. The Spartans are just ahead of them with 108 points.
In comparison, the Knights currently sit in fifth in the conference with 167 total points. Rutgers has looked better than its next two opponents on the schedule, and, if it can win both games, it will have six wins and be eligible for a bowl game.
If the Knights can't win against Michigan State or Indiana, they will have to find wins against Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State and Maryland, opponents that have had Rutgers' number in years past.
Trust the defense
It's part of the motto the Knights stand for: F.A.M.I.L.Y. Trust, Chop (F.T.C.). And if Rutgers wants to have a winning percentage of at least .500, it will need to trust the defense.
The Knights' defense ranks fourth in conference points allowed with 14.7. Most importantly, the Rutgers defense has a strong identity, dubbing themselves as the intimidating "Dark Side defense."
Junior defensive lineman Aaron Lewis and junior defensive back Flip Dixon lead the Knights in the front and the back of the defense, respectively. Lewis is one of the team's frontrunners in sacks and tackles for losses. Dixon is tied for the most pass breakups and interceptions on the defense and is third on the team in tackles.
As always, look for head coach Greg Schiano and his team to put their faith in the defense in the back half of the season.
Keep feeding the offensive playmakers
Rutgers' offense has improved compared to the last few seasons, with junior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt showing growth on and off the field. But he needs to be better against Big Ten opponents, as he has thrown costly pick-sixes on the road against Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Knights must keep feeding their playmakers this weekend and beyond, which includes junior running back Kyle Monangai and senior wide receivers JaQuae Jackson and Christian Dremel.
Monangai ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 487 rushing yards and is sixth in the conference with 6 touchdowns.
Jackson has big play ability and leads the team with 253 receiving yards. Dremel is a red zone threat with a team-leading three touchdowns.
Perhaps Schiano and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca can also give freshman wide receiver Ian Strong the ball more, as his catch radius has already made him a big play threat this season.
It's gearing up to be one of the most critical second halves for the Rutgers football team since joining the Big Ten Conference. The team controls its fate and will need to grab the bull by the horns in order to earn a bowl game.
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