Rutgers walks into Friday night in Chestnut Hill carrying a mess it did not expect to make for itself.
A 37-21 loss to UMass in the opener sent the Scarlet Knights to 0-1 and put Greg Schiano’s team in an uncomfortable spot immediately. Now comes Boston College, also 0-1, at Memorial Stadium, with Rutgers trying to avoid a 0-2 start that would only deepen the damage from last week’s collapse.
The Rutgers offense is the biggest reason for concern. The inability to run the ball against UMass stood out as the kind of problem that can wreck a season if it lingers.
If that offensive line performance was real and not just a one-game disaster, then the outlook gets ugly fast. But the bet here is that Rutgers can clean some of that up, lean on Antwan Raymond, and find enough stability to take control of a game it badly needs.
There’s also a simple reality to this matchup: the Scarlet Knights are facing a team that, at minimum, looks like an equal right now. If Rutgers can play better at the line of scrimmage and get KJ Duff and Raymond involved the way it needs to, it has a path out of Chestnut Hill with a win.
The predictions from the NJ.com crew split the same basic idea, though one version expects a little more drama than the other.
Steve Politi is backing Rutgers to respond after the UMass loss, pointing to Raymond carrying a heavy load and the Scarlet Knights finding a much-needed victory.
Brian Fonseca sees the same kind of bounce-back, but not without late-game tension. He expects Rutgers to get the kind of improvement it needs up front, let Duff and Raymond make an impact, and escape with a win thanks to a last-second field goal from Dane Pizzarro.
For both writers, the message is the same: Rutgers badly needs a reset, and Friday night offers the chance to get one.
In Other News...
Rutgers Must Navigate A Major Steve Pikiell Absence Before The Season
Rutgers now heads toward the season with an unexpected and significant void on the bench, as Steve Pikiell steps away to begin cancer treatment with no timetable for his return. Pikiell, who has led the Scarlet Knights since 2016, said he is confident in his medical team, his staff and his players, and he plans to stay involved with the program as much as he can while he focuses on his health.
Brandin Knight will take over as interim head coach in Pikiells absence, giving Rutgers a familiar voice in the short term but also forcing the program to adjust quickly before games start to matter. For a team built around Pikiells steady presence and identity, the challenge now is managing the day-to-day work of preseason while waiting to see how long this stretch lasts. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Heads Into Pressure Game With One Huge Question Under Center
Rutgers heads to Chestnut Hill on Friday night for the Red Bandana Game at Alumni Stadium, carrying both the weight of a lopsided all-time series and the memory of a setback it would rather leave behind. Boston College has controlled this matchup over the years, and the Eagles are coming off a difficult previous season of their own, which gives this meeting a little extra intrigue even before the ball is kicked.
The biggest storyline for the Scarlet Knights is under center, where AJ Surace is set for his first career start. For a team looking to steady itself quickly, that puts a spotlight on how Rutgers handles the moment on the road, against a familiar opponent, in a game that already feels like an early test of resolve. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Needs A Clean Response After Its Opening Week Disaster
Rutgers heads into its first road game of the season in Chestnut Hill trying to steady itself after an opening-week disaster, and the conversation around the program has already shifted from optimism to survival mode. The Scarlet Knights need a cleaner showing, and the matchup with Boston College has become the first real chance to reset the tone before the schedule starts to tighten.
AJ Surace is expected to be the quarterback tasked with helping make that happen, which gives this trip an added layer of interest for a Rutgers team still searching for a reliable response. The preview chatter has centered on whether the Scarlet Knights can turn the page quickly enough to leave Massachusetts with a win, but the bigger question is whether the offense can finally look organized enough to make that possibility feel real. [Read more 🡒]