Nebraska heads to Piscataway on Saturday, and the trip comes with both teams carrying baggage.
The Huskers arrive at 5-4 after a rough stretch that included four straight losses and the firing of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Nebraska has scored just 54 total points over those four defeats, and Matt Rhule’s team still opens as a double-digit betting favorite against Rutgers.
Rutgers, though, is dealing with its own mess. The Scarlet Knights are 2-7 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten play, riding a three-game losing streak. Athletic director Keli Zinn recently backed head coach Greg Schiano for 2027, but she also labeled this season’s results “unacceptable.”
That’s the backdrop for Saturday’s matchup, and Rutgers beat writer Michael Cavallo doesn’t see the Scarlet Knights as a team simply waiting around for Nebraska’s problems to hand them a win. He said Rutgers is too wrapped up in its own internal crisis to treat the Huskers’ turmoil as a clean opening.
When asked to sort Rutgers’ units from best to worst, Cavallo put the offense first, special teams second and the defense last. That defense has been especially hard to ignore, and it comes into the game ranked 128th.
Cavallo also pointed to the bigger picture around Schiano, whose second run at Rutgers has not matched the success of his first. In his earlier stint from 2001-2011, Rutgers built its identity on physical defense and discipline while competing in the Big East. That formula has been much harder to sustain in the modern Big Ten, where the depth gap, portal attrition and the conference’s financial arms race have made winning far more difficult.
Still, Schiano’s place in Rutgers history is secure. He is the program’s winningest coach with 101 victories, and he retains plenty of goodwill. But back-to-back losing seasons and a 25-34 record over his last five years have pushed fan patience to the edge, making the decision to keep him for 2027 a major turning point.
As for the game itself, Cavallo sees Nebraska finding enough offense to pull away. His prediction: Nebraska 27, Rutgers 17. He said that even with Glenn Thomas taking over as Nebraska’s interim play-caller, Rutgers’ defense will give up enough explosive rushing plays to let the Huskers break out of their scoring slump, while Nebraska’s defense slows Rutgers down late.
In Other News...
Rutgers Players Are Sending A Very Different Message On Greg Schiano
Greg Schianos return for the 2027 season gives Rutgers a little more clarity at a moment when the program could have been left to wonder what comes next. It also extends his second stint to eight seasons, a notable show of institutional patience after a stretch of disappointing results that has tested the fan base and the broader conversation around the program.
Inside the locker room, though, the reaction has been notably steadier. Fifth-year senior defensive end DJ Allen made it clear the players are buying into Schianos leadership and are excited about his return, a reminder that the message in the building does not always match the noise outside it. The fact that the team heard the news before it became official only added to the sense that Rutgers was preparing its next chapter with Schiano still at the center of it. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Must Answer One Huge Offensive Question Without KJ Duff
Rutgers has spent much of the season leaning on KJ Duff as one of its most important offensive pieces, so his absence changes more than just the receiver room. The Scarlet Knights now have to sort out how they want to finish the year without one of their top playmakers, and that puts extra pressure on the rest of the passing game to absorb the workload.
Duffs injury comes at a difficult time for a team trying to keep its offense moving in the final stretch. Even with the setback, he remains a highly regarded NFL Draft prospect, which speaks to how much he had already established before the issue surfaced. For Rutgers, the immediate concern is less about his long-term future and more about who steps forward now to fill the void he leaves behind. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Heads To Rutgers With A Defensive Problem It Must Solve
Nebraskas trip to Rutgers comes with some roster uncertainty on both sides, and the timing makes it even more interesting for a game that already carried plenty of weight. The Cornhuskers are dealing with injuries in the middle of their defense, forcing them to sort out replacements at linebacker and in the secondary, while Rutgers is also preparing to move forward without one of its top offensive weapons.
For the Scarlet Knights, the absence of KJ Duff changes the look of the passing game and puts more pressure on the rest of the receiving group to absorb the workload. On the other side, Nebraskas defensive adjustments will be a major part of the story as both teams try to settle into new roles quickly, with each staff looking for answers before kickoff rather than after. [Read more 🡒]