The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are off to a hot start during the 2024 season with a big 44-7 win over the Howard Bison at home.
The visiting Howard Bison put up a fight and kept it a tight 17-7 game heading into the half-time break in New Jersey. Rutgers kicked their offense into second gear in the second half, scoring 27 unanswered points and keeping the Bison to just a lone touchdown. The Scarlet Knights are entering a pivotal season as they arguably have enough talent to make noise in the Big Ten Conference.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Take Down Howard Bison, 44-7, Behind Kyle Monangai
The Scarlet Knights are off to a terrific start to the 2024 season after defeating the Howard Bison, 44-7, behind their rushing performance. Running back Kyle Monangai once again proved why he is one of the best at his position in the country. The dynamic rusher tore through the Howard defense and made it look easy with his quick rushing ability.
Monangai is coming off of a 1099 yard season with seven touchdowns on the ground and 217 total carries. The running back was a workhorse a season ago for Rutgers, and now aims to fill the same role during his final season of eligibility. The 5-foot-9-inch running back quickly got to work against the Howard Bison and broke off a big 39 yard rush.
The running back finished the contest with 165 yards and one touchdown after carrying the ball 19 times against the Bison defense. Monangai averaged 8.7 yards per carry and forced multiple broken tackles during the first of what could be many games to watch from the running back. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis also joined in on the rushing party and started to run different option plays he had not previously used with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Kaliakmanis earned the starting job on the Rutgers football team this past offseason after a tough battle. Rutgers believes Kaliakmanis can transform their offense with his combination of both pocket passing qualities and the qualities of a scrambling quarterback. If the offense and Kaliakmanis can get things to click like they did against the Bison all season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights could be a scary team to face.
What Went Right For the Rutgers Football Team Against the Howard Bison?
For the Scarlet Knights, the game against the Howard Bison can truly be summed up by speaking about intelligent football. Both the Scarlet Knights and the Bison played intelligent football against each other, and while the Bison may have lost by double-digits, they played tough football until the bitter end. Rutgers did not make mistakes against the Bison and avoiding shooting themselves in the foot did wonders for the talented team.
Rutgers football quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was the talk of the game heading in after he won the starting position over Ajani Sheppard. Sheppard is a big, physical rusher with a strong arm, but the Rutgers staff elected to go for the student of the game in Kaliakmanis. The new starting quarterback did just what the staff asked him to do against Howard, and it worked like a charm.
A season ago, Kaliakmanis struggled when starting for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and got himself and the team into some sticky situations. The quarterback threw nine interceptions last season and completed just 53.1% of his passes while taking 21 sacks. Kaliakmanis struggled to hit open receivers and took some big hits at times that he truly did not need to take.
During his first outing with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the quarterback delivered three passing touchdowns and recorded 147 yards through the air. There were times where Kaliakmanis could have potentially kept the ball on read option and made big plays, but that aspect of play will come with time in the new offense. The quarterback recorded 43 yards with his legs and had a long rush for 16 yards against the Bison defense.
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