The Rutgers Scarlet Knights opened their season with a 44-7 win over the Howard Bison that has some saying the team has improved.
The Scarlet Knights have a combined record of 19-28 over the past four seasons, but aim to put the past behind them moving forward. Coach Greg Schiano has worked hard on both sides of the ball to bring a different Rutgers team to the table, and for some it has been just that. During a recent episode of the Joel Klatt Show, Klatt expressed his excitement over the ‘vastly improved’ Scarlet Knights team.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Aiming to Display Improvements on Both Sides of the Football
The Rutgers football staff and coach Greg Schiano have worked relentlessly to improve the beloved Scarlet Knights. Schiano previously spent ten seasons with the Scarlet Knights from 2001-2011 and won five bowl games during his tenure. Schiano had his best season with Rutgers in 2006, winning 11 games and eclipsing at the 12th spot in the AP rankings during the season.
Since rejoining the program and assuming the same role in 2020, the Rutgers football team has not been the most successful program out there. The Scarlet Knights have lost eight games twice in the last four seasons and have gone 1-1 in their bowl appearances. Schiano previously needed five seasons before he was able to turn Rutgers around and begin to become a perennial bowl contender.
The Rutgers staff has a talented roster this year that includes transfers Athan Kaliakmanis and Dymere Miller. Miller was regarded as one of the top wide receiver transfers available, and Kaliakmanis was also regarded as one of the top transfers at quarterback. Rutgers scored big with both players, but now need each player to perform on the field.
In the first game of the season, Kaliakmanis recorded 147-yards through the air along with three touchdowns. The quarterback added 47-yards rushing and looked as if he has been settling into the dual-threat quarterback role. Miller led the receivers with four receptions and 37-yards along with a score against the Bison.
What Did the Rutgers Football Team Do Well Against the Howard Bison?
According to Joel Klatt and other analysts, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have shown major improvements during their first game of the season. A year ago, Rutgers opened the season with a gritty 24-7 win over the Northwestern Wildcats. This season, however, there were no issues for the Scarlet Knights as they ran through the Howard Bison.
Klatt briefly spoke about Rutgers during his Big Ten breakdown episode yesterday where he stated, “The Scarlet Knight look vastly improved early on this season.” Rutgers displayed one of the more inconsistent offenses in the conference last season, scoring 35-points against Virginia Tech but then managing to score nothing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Scarlet Knights scored less than 20-points in four of their five losses last season, with the lone 20-plus point loss coming against Maryland.
The Rutgers football team scored with ease against Howard and look to click all over the offense. The rushing game was dynamic, with running backs Kyle Monangai and Samuel Brown V leading the charge. Rutgers managed to rush for 329-yards on the ground against Howard and recorded nearly 490-yards of total offense.
The real test of whether or not the Scarlet Knights have ‘vastly improved’ or not will occur soon when Rutgers faces Virginia Tech, September 21st. The Hokies are dark horses to win the ACC and have a dynamic quarterback in Kyron Drones who can seriously damage defenses. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are going to need to play their best football to beat the Hokies in Virginia.
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