This week’s edition of the Top 5 Rutgers Games of the 2022 season is here, and it is a big one. This will be about the game that comes in second place, out of all the other matchups this season. Of all the Rutgers games of the 2022 season, the one that comes in second place is their week two matchup against Wagner. The Scarlet Knights won this game 66-7 which was their highest score, and score difference this season. Here is why it comes in second of all the Rutgers games this season.
Top Rutgers Games: Offense
Rutgers had complete domination in this matchup on both sides of the ball. In the first quarter alone, the Scarlet Knights’ offense scored four touchdowns, the most in any quarter this season. This was by far the best game for the offense, and they should be proud of that.
The two quarterbacks in this game were Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt, and both players attempted 12 throws each. According to ESPN, Simon completed ten of his passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Wimsatt only completed four of his passes for 63 yards. Wimsatt also threw one touchdown and one interception. While he may have not been the best passer, Wimsatt did do well while using his legs, which really helped the team. Wimsatt rushed for 62 yards, his longest run being for 28 yards. Tight end Johnny Langan even threw one pass, which was caught for a 43-yard touchdown.
Rutgers did well not relying on just one receiver throughout the game. There were four different Scarlet Knights to score a touchdown off of a reception. This includes Chris Long, Aron Cruickshank, Isaiah Washington, and Johnny Langan.
A common occurrence in the Rutgers games this season is the Scarlet Knights’ offense doing well with their run game. In this game, they did exceedingly well rushing the ball. The offense had a total of 328 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Running back Samuel Brown V scored two touchdowns, and the others who scored one each were Al-Shadee Salaam, Kyle Monangai, and Rashad Rochelle.
Top Rutgers Games: Defense
No matter what the outcome of the games was this season, the Scarlet Knights’ defense always played their heart out. This game was no different. Wagner was only able to score one touchdown throughout the whole game. The defense also limited Wagner to 19 total rushing yards, due to the amount of negative yardage by Wagner, according to ESPN. The Scarlet Knights also only allowed 126 receiving yards.
The Scarlet Knights’ defense only had two sacks, but nine tackles for loss and 60 combined tackles. They also caught two interceptions. The picks game from Robert Longerbeam and Max Melton. Wagner quarterback, Nick Kargman completed just 12 passes out of 23 attempts for 126 yards. This was just the second game of the season but showed that the Scarlet Knights’ defense would have a strong year.
Top Rutgers Games: Why Second Place
This matchup comes in second place out of all the Rutgers games of the season as it was a great win. While Wagner was an opponent they were expected to beat, it was not expected to be by that big of a score difference. This was a game that both sides of the field dominated. Starting off the season 2-0 demonstrated that this team would do whatever the could to win.
The Scarlet Knights’ offense had their best game of the season against Wagner. No matter who the opponent is, putting up 66 points is a difficult task. They managed to show creativity, and let nine different players catch or rush for a touchdown. As this was the second game of the season, and this big of a score difference, this game was a huge confidence booster for the at the time undefeated Scarlet Knights.
While this was a huge win by the Scarlet Knights, it is still not ranked as number one in the Top 5 Rutgers Games of the Season. Come back next week to see which Scarlet Knights game will rank as the number one game of the season. For my past two articles, see below.
Top 5 Rutgers Games: Three
Top 5 Rutgers Games: Four
Top 5 Rutgers Games: Five
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Check out my article on the 2023 Rose Bowl. Also, check out my most recent article on this week’s Underestimated Player Spotlight. Be sure to check out these two 49ers’ articles on the standout players against the Raiders, and why their close game is not a bad thing.
