News

Rutgers football future after Rate Bowl loss: What’s next?

Published

3 days ago

December 29, 2024

Rutgers football future after Rate Bowl loss: What's next?

PHOENIX – They quietly walked again towards the locker room within the bowels of Chase Subject, some with surprised seems on their faces. Members of Rutgers soccer crew left pissed off and upset after a Charge Bowl victory slipped proper via their grasp.

Up 17 factors within the second half, just for Kansas State to stage a comeback that ended with a 44-41 victory for the Wildcats – a loss that may sting Rutgers for some time.

The Scarlet Knights’ protection struggled. An offense that was virtually unstoppable within the first half grew to become stagnant within the second.

Miscues. Misplays. Errors.

They piled up.

So as an alternative of celebrating a bowl win, Rutgers walked off the sphere and into no matter comes subsequent.

This recreation supplied glimpses of each promise and concern.

As a result of whereas the offense did wrestle to maneuver the ball after halftime, it clearly has potential. The protection, although, faces questions, the largest of which centering on who precisely will lead it as coach Greg Schiano seems for a brand new defensive coordinator to switch Joe Harasymiak.

“Dropping Joe Harasymiak definitely wasn’t a terrific factor for us,” Schiano mentioned. “Everyone labored very laborious to attempt to make it work. I’m not going to hurry to rent any person to simply do it for the bowl recreation. We’re going to get the correct man for the long run right here. We are going to.”

Rutgers wants it.

Rutgers soccer’s protection faces questions heading into future

The Scarlet Knights’ efficiency on Thursday was discouraging – though Kansas State’s offense is a stable unit.

The Wildcats had 542 yards of whole offense. That they had 347 speeding yards, with 196 of them coming from working again Dylan Edwards. They made huge play after huge play within the second half particularly to tug off the comeback.

Maybe nothing mirrored that greater than Edwards scoring on a 65-yard run on the primary play of a third-quarter drive that reduce into Rutgers’ 17-point lead.

The Scarlet Knights’ protection will lose key items in linebacker Tyreem Powell, defensive finish Aaron Lewis, defensive deal with Kyonte Hamilton, cornerback Robert Longerbeam and security Flip Dixon, amongst others.

It has expertise returning – together with linebacker Dariel Djabome and security Kaj Sanders – however a lot of that expertise is comparatively inexperienced and unproven.

Overcoming that will probably be a part of the brand new coordinator’s problem, and together with Schiano he’ll have to fill holes at a number of spots with switch portal additions.

For a lot of this season, the protection underperformed, however accidents undoubtedly performed a serious half in that. They piled up in ways in which Schiano mentioned he had by no means witnessed in his teaching profession. Harasymiak rebuilt the unit in the course of the crew’s second bye week and that helped spur the crew’s 3-1 regular-season end, which helped the Scarlet Knights safe this journey to Arizona.

“I want I might’ve carried out a greater job, I want all of us might’ve carried out a greater job,” Schiano mentioned. “However once more, we did every part we might, simply got here up somewhat quick.”

Rutgers’ offense reveals potential to construct on

Offensively, Rutgers confirmed promise and potential.

The unit this season was the most effective the Scarlet Knights have had in years.

Was it all the time good? Completely not. But it surely was largely productive with quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis making sustained strides.

Rutgers scored no less than 30 factors in its remaining 4 video games and no less than 40 factors in its remaining two, one thing it hadn’t carried out in opposition to consecutive FBS opponents since 2005.

The Scarlet Knights averaged 28.9 factors per recreation, the very best since averaging 29.0 in 2008.

MOREHeadset debacle contributes to Rutgers soccer offense’s 2nd-half points in Charge Bowl

Star working again Kyle Monangai opted out of the Charge Bowl to keep away from harm threat as he heads for the NFL Draft course of, however true freshman Antwan Raymond stepped up with 113 yards and three touchdowns.

Second-year receiver Ian Robust caught 5 passes for 105 yards. True freshman wideout KJ Duff had 58 receiving yards.

The Scarlet Knights produce other promising receivers, together with freshman Benjamin Black. They’ve an offensive line that’s improved significantly, they usually’re bringing in additional weapons like Florida Atlantic switch working again CJ Campbell Jr. and North Texas switch receiver DT Sheffield.

Extensive receiver Christian Dremel has seen so much in his six seasons with Rutgers – that features the progress of an offense that not too way back was anemic.

“It simply reveals progress,” Dremel mentioned. “This offense is barely going to get higher. A number of guys coming again. An ideal quarterback coming again. I’m excited to observe them as a result of I really feel like we had been capable of lay a basis these previous two years and this yr towards the tip we had been capable of see it. I believe the sky’s the restrict. There’s extra meat on the bone, nonetheless.”

With Rutgers’ 2024 season over, its future begins now.

It has inquiries to reply defensively and potential to construct on offensively.