Rutgers has spent the opening stretch of this season living in the wrong kind of spotlight, but Friday night should give the Scarlet Knights a chance to change the conversation.
Howard comes to SHI Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network, and Rutgers is expected to be a heavy favorite. After a 0-3 start that already includes the stunning loss to UMass, anything short of a Scarlet Knights win would be a major shock.
The matchup also carries a milestone angle for Greg Schiano. A victory would be his 100th at the helm in Piscataway, a neat marker in a season that has gone sideways almost immediately. Rutgers opened with that eye-opening defeat to UMass, a team it was favored by four touchdowns to beat, and the pressure to avoid another slip-up is obvious.
Schiano made the urgency plain earlier this week: “We’re desperate for a win,” Schiano said Tuesday.
Howard arrives at 1-2 and has already taken a 55-0 loss to defending national champion Indiana, followed by a 28-21 defeat against fellow FCS program Richmond. On paper, this is the kind of game Rutgers should handle comfortably - and, after the early-season mess, it needs to.
The bigger question is what kind of win it gets. Does the defensive line finally start producing pressure?
Can the offense put together a clean, mistake-free outing? And does Schiano’s potential 100th victory feel like a turning point or just a brief reprieve before the Big Ten schedule tightens again?
The Rutgers Rant hosts are still looking for their first win in the weekly picks, too.
Here are the current standings:
Brian Fonseca: 0-3 straight up; 0-3 against the spread.
Steve Politi: 0-3 straight up; 0-3 against the spread.
Steve Politi
Rutgers won’t lose to Howard. The result, however, should tell us a lot about whether or not this will be the team’s last victory in 2026.
Will this defensive line breakthrough and get pressure? Will the offense finally play mistake-free football?
Will Greg Schiano’s 100 th win be an encouraging result or one that leads to major concerns about the upcoming Big Ten slate? For now, I expect the former, but I’ve been wrong three times so far.
Brian Fonseca
For the first time this fall, Rutgers will have a worry-free afternoon with something worth cheering about. While the fans who make their way to SHI Stadium will want to see the Scarlet Knights put together a complete effort, a victory will be worth celebrating no matter how it comes. And for Schiano, the chance to celebrate a landmark 100th win will be a welcome distraction from the noise surrounding his status.
In Other News...
Rutgers Coaching Rumors Just Made Schianos Situation Feel Much Bigger
Brian Kellys name has started to circulate in the coaching market again, and that alone has turned a tense Rutgers start into something with a little more weight. Kelly, now working as a CBS Sports analyst after head coaching stops at Notre Dame and LSU, is reportedly motivated to get back on the sideline, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Rutgers tries to steady itself after an 0-3 start.
For Rutgers, the intrigue is not just about whether Schianos seat is warming, but about how complicated any change would be if the school decided to go there. Contractual and financial issues would factor into any move involving Schiano, and those hurdles make the situation feel bigger than a simple hot-seat discussion. For now, the speculation is just that, but it has added another layer to a season already searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Finally Has One Encouraging Sign But A Costly Problem Remains
Rutgers finally got the kind of night up front it has been searching for, and it came against a top-12 opponent. The offensive line turned in its best performance of the season against USC, allowing just one sack and one tackle for loss while helping the Scarlet Knights pile up 460 total yards. Antwan Raymond took advantage, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown and posting season highs in both yards per carry and longest run.
Greg Schiano acknowledged the progress, but he also made clear the larger issue is still hanging over the program. Even with the improved line play, Rutgers has been hurt by turnovers throughout the season, and that remains the costly problem it has to clean up quickly. The Scarlet Knights now turn to a Friday night matchup with Howard, where Schiano said there are key players on the other side worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Diving Has A Core Worth Trusting As One Big Change Looms
Rutgers diving enters the new season with a familiar kind of stability, built around a roster that includes senior Amelia Scott and juniors Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill, and Madilyn Varnum. That kind of continuity matters in a program where consistency on the board can carry as much weight as talent, and it gives the Scarlet Knights a solid base as they get ready to open in October at the Rutgers Preseason Invitational.
The summer only reinforced that feeling. Three Rutgers divers tested themselves at the USA Diving Summer Nationals, and Sturgill came away with a bronze medal in the Synchronized 3M event, a strong sign that the group can compete beyond the conference stage. With five divers in the program and a season-opening meet at home, Rutgers has reason to trust its core even as one notable change looms ahead. [Read more 🡒]