Sports
Rutgers defense shows depth, experience along front seven
Last fall, defense was a relative term for the Rutgers football team.
In their first season in a new conference, the Scarlet Knights (8-5, 3-5) struggled at times to adjust to some of the high-octane offenses produced by Big Ten programs. And the statistics reflected Rutgers' growing pains.
The Knights surrendered 5,756 yards of offense in 2014, allowing opponents to gash the defense with the running game, giving up an average of 212.3 rushing yards per contest.
This season, the front seven is stout with experience at every position, giving reason to believe that Rutgers can progress in its second year in a power-five conference.
When the Knights take on Norfolk State at High Point Solutions Stadium at noon on Saturday, they will be missing some key components, but the depth produced over the spring and summer months should allow them to plug and play.
Sophomore sensation Kemoko Turay (questionable) will likely be held out of game one after captivating the country in 2014 with his freakish athletic ability (three blocked kicks) and his penchant for pummeling opposing quarterbacks (7.5 sacks).
Fifth-year senior standout Darius Hamilton (six sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss in 2014) is already listed as “out” against the Spartans, but veteran defensive lineman Julian Pinnix-Odrick will step up in Hamilton’s stead.
Pinnix-Odrick, a junior, began his career at defensive end.Sep 4 2015
