In this new short series, I will be going over the top Rutgers games of the 2022 season. With the season being over, it is fun to look at the accomplishments of this Scarlet Knights team. This week will focus on the fifth-best game for the 2022 season. The top Rutgers game this week is Rutgers vs Ohio State..
Top Rutgers Game: Surprises
While this game’s final score was not close by any means, this game was not bad until the fourth quarter. Ohio State scored just two touchdowns each quarter aside from the fourth when they only scored one. While normally that would seem horrible for Rutgers, this game demonstrated that the Scarlet Knights really did have a strong defense. Despite a 49-10 final score, this is still arguably a top Rutgers game this season.
Rutgers had a poor offense throughout the season. Against Ohio State, Evan Simon took the start at quarterback. Simon was a player that would throw multiple interceptions a game, but he only threw one against the Buckeyes, according to ESPN. That demonstrates that he was more disciplined. Simon ended the game totaling 10 completions from 19 attempts for 74 yards and one touchdown pass.
The touchdown came early in the game, which was much of a surprise. This was when the Buckeyes were still playing their best, yet Rutgers was still able to score on them. The Scarlet Knights offense only totaled 107 rushing yards. It may have not been a great game by the Scarlet Knights, but it was a top Rutgers game this season.
Top Rutgers Game: Strong Defense
The final score may not show it, but the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense played very well in this game, especially in the first half. According to ESPN, the defense totaled 53 combined tackles. The team only got one sack, made by Tyreem Powell, but they did get five tackles for loss. In addition to three pass deflections, there was one play that stood out the most.
In the second half of the game, Rutgers defensive back, Avery Young caught an interception thrown by Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. In this game, Stroud completed only 13 passes out of 22 attempts for 154 yards. The defense held Stroud much more than was ever expected of them, which was a huge accomplishment. This season, excluding the bowl games Ohio State will play in, CJ Stroud only threw six interceptions, according to ESPN. It is significant for Rutgers that they contributed to one of those.
Top Rutgers Game: Why Top Five
Of course, this was not the best game for the Scarlet Knights, but it was definitely a top Rutgers game. This was the matchup that people expected Rutgers to get no points on the board. Instead, the Scarlet Knights were the first ones to score in this game. Intercepting CJ Stroud was also a big deal for this team. The Scarlet Knights defense ended the season with six interceptions, according to ESPN.
It was the Rutgers defense that carried the Scarlet Knights this season. The matchup against Ohio State is a top Rutgers game because it could have been a confidence booster that the defense needed. The team only won four games this season, but this game was a prominent loss.
Stay tuned for more Top Rutgers Games of the 2022 season.
For more NFL and NCAA Content:
Read here for why the 12-team college football playoffs will help the Penn State Nittany Lions. Also, read here for this week’s NFL Underestimated Player Spotlight. Check out this article on Brock Purdy as he takes over the 49ers’ offense. Here is a past 49ers article as well.
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
