After the first road trip of the 2024 season to West Lafayette, Indiana, the Nebraska Cornhuskers return home for their homecoming game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Scarlet Knights are coming off their first winning season since 2014, their first season in the Big Ten conference. Head coach Greg Schiano has finally found success in his second stint in New Jersey. Lets take a peek at the 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Know the Huskers foes 2024: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
A successful 2023
Led by the Big Ten’s leading rusher, Kyle Monangai, Rutgers finished the 2023 regular season 6-6 (3-6 B10). The Scarlet Knights started the 2023 season 3-0, including two wins over power five opponents (Northwestern and Virginia Tech). Things changed quickly as Rutgers first opponent of conference play (excluding Northwestern) was the eventual national champs Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines took care of the Scarlet Knights, winning 31-7 but Rutgers was able to turn it around in week four against FCS Wagner, winning 52-3. The Scarlet Knights became bowl eligible by the end of October with a win over the Indiana Hoosiers to improve to 6-2. However, Rutgers would turn around and lose its final four games of the season to Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State and Maryland. What made the season successful was in the Pinstripe Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes. The Scarlet Knights defeated the Hurricanes 31-24 to have their first winning season in nine years.
Statistically, Rutgers’ defense was the key to its success, with only allowing 21.3 points per game and 350 yards per game, which was its best since 2021. Linebacker Deion Jennings led the team with 95 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Mohamed Toure led Rutgers in sacks with 4.5 on the season. Outside of Monangai, the offense was hit or miss. They averaged 23.2 points per game and 306 yards of offense per game. The passing offense was led by Gavin Wimsatt. Wimsatt finished completing 138 of 289 passes for 1,789 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Scarlet Knights’ top receiver was Christian Dremel, who caught 36 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns.
Overall, the season was a success for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were projected to only win four games in 2023 and were able to exceed those expectations. Now the question is, can Schiano and Rutgers carry on the success into 2024.
Will the success continue through 2024?
In the first year of the new Big Ten conference, the Scarlet Knights get an opportunity to take on three of the new four conference members. Despite that, Rutgers has a favorable schedule. They will avoid playing Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State for the first time since joining the conference in 2014.
Here is the OFFICIAL 2024 #Rutgers Football schedule!
👉 https://t.co/3ZnU2LYrUq pic.twitter.com/Bzj8AUJgM6
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | TheKnightReport.Net (@RutgersRivals) November 2, 2023
On top of the favorable schedule, they have 16 starters from 2023 returning for another season. The main starter returning is Monangai. He was the main weapon on the offense in 2023, but a big part of it was due to the passing offense’s failures. However, that could change in 2024 as former Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis transferred to the Scarlet Knights over the offseason. Kaliakmanis projects to be the starting quarterback this upcoming season with Wimsatt leaving for Kentucky. Kaliakmanis has the potential to raise. The offense will have its best receiving core in a while. Rutgers brought in Monmouth receiver Dymere Miller and Western Illinois star receiver Naseim Brantley on top of Christian Dremel returning for another season. In the trenches, both the offensive and defensive lines are very experienced, which could give Rutgers an advantage against some fellow Big Ten opponents and for sure against Howard and Akron during the first two weeks. The defense will most likely be the Scarlet Knights strong suit led by senior linebacker Mohamed Toure.
With an easier schedule compared to the past few seasons, Rutgers should get to six wins. The question will be can the Scarlet Knights win games that they shouldn’t. They have a “cupcake” matchups for week one and two before an early bye week. The bye will allow Rutgers to prepare to go into Blacksburg, Virginia to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, which won’t be a gimme. Conference play starts off difficult, hosting Washington before going on the road to Lincoln. After taking on the Huskers, they return home for two straight weeks against Wisconsin and UCLA before going on the road to USC for a Friday night game. Rutgers starts November on a bye week before facing Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois and Michigan State to close out the season. The Scarlet Knights might not get six wins before November, but you shouldn’t be surprised if they have at least six wins by the end of the night on Nov. 30.
Matchup against Nebraska
The Oct. 5 matchup between Nebraska and Rutgers will be the seventh all-time matchup in school history. The Huskers hold the series lead 6-0, with the last matchup in 2022 when Nebraska took down the Scarlet Knights 14-143 in Piscataway, New Jersey. This will also be Rutgers first trip to Lincoln since 2017. This won’t be an easy game for the Huskers, as they will have their work cut out for them against the very experienced Scarlet Knights. However, there is still a long time till these two teams meet so, who knows what both teams will look like by week six.
Nebraska and Rutgers face off on Saturday, Oct. 5 at either 11 a.m, 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln for Homecoming.
Main Image: © Mark Smith-USA TODAY Sports
