Rutgers heads back on the road Saturday, Nov. 7 at 4:15 looking to bounce back from a 28-21 loss to Michigan, but the matchup in Madison brings another familiar problem. The Scarlet Knights are 2-5, Wisconsin is 5-3, and the Badgers are coming off a 30-0 loss to Iowa. With both teams dealing with quarterback uncertainty and Rutgers still searching for answers on offense, the OnTheBanks staff sees a tough afternoon ahead for the Scarlet Knights.
Andrew Rice sees a Wisconsin defense that looks a lot like Michigan’s, only with a strong pass rush attached. He pointed to AJ Surace completing just three passes against Michigan and said Dylan Lonergan will be unavailable again, leaving Surace in line to start once more.
With Sebastian Cheeks leading the Badgers’ pass rush, Rice expects Rutgers to have a hard time moving the ball through the air. He thinks the Scarlet Knights can score, but not enough to keep pace as Wisconsin leans on its ground game and gradually pulls away.
Wisconsin 28, Rutgers 10
Bob Cancro didn’t sound optimistic about where Rutgers is right now, saying, “I’ve come to realize that I’ve been perseverating. Perseverating about Schiano being gone.
And, actually, it is almost as I feel nothing else is happening. And maybe nothing is, at least not positively.
This team is really the same team that took the field against UMass, but now without key pieces. I don’t feel that we’ve seen any real development from any part of the roster.”
He also noted Rutgers’ road history since 2021, including nine road wins and a 1-2 mark away from Piscataway this season. Cancro said he has more faith in Luke Fickell than Greg Schiano to handle roster issues and expects Wisconsin to play a steady game and pull away over time.
Wisconsin 34, Rutgers 13
Ryan Castellano focused on the passing game, or the lack of one. He called Surace’s three completions against Michigan the scariest part of Halloween weekend and said there is no reason to expect much from Rutgers through the air without KJ Duff or Dylan Lonergan. Castellano believes Wisconsin will crowd the box all day and force Rutgers to live with Antwan Raymond and Clay Thevenin carrying the offense.
He also expects the Badgers to keep the ball on the ground with true freshman Ryan Hopkins making his first start. In his view, both teams will run heavily, the clock will keep moving, and the game could fly by. Castellano thinks Wisconsin’s line will eventually wear down a thin Rutgers front and produce four rushing touchdowns and a field goal.
Wisconsin 31, Rutgers 14
Arnav Sarkar sees a matchup shaped by injuries on both sides, with Hopkins starting for Wisconsin while Colton Joseph recovers and Surace again under center for Rutgers as Lonergan remains out with the head injury he suffered against Northwestern. Sarkar also pointed to a long Rutgers injury report, including Kobe Asamoah out for the season, Tyler Needham doubtful, and KJ Duff doubtful after reaggravating his ankle injury against Michigan.
He recalled how Wisconsin has controlled this series in recent years, including the 2023 game decided by a 95-yard pick-six in a 24-13 Badgers win and the 2024 42-7 result at SHI Stadium, when Tawee Walker ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Sarkar expects Wisconsin’s defense, ranked 17th in the country in yards allowed, to make life difficult for Rutgers while the Badgers’ run game finds room against a Rutgers defense giving up 418 yards per game and more than 194 rushing yards per game. He still thinks the Scarlet Knights can cover, but not win.
Wisconsin 24, Rutgers 10
Greg Patuto framed the game as a battle between teams missing their starting quarterbacks. He noted Wisconsin will turn to a true freshman and that Lonergan remains sidelined for Rutgers. Patuto also said KJ Duff’s status is another major issue, whether he is out or limited.
He pointed to Wisconsin’s physical style and Rutgers’ repeated trouble handling it, saying the Badgers’ size and power have long been a bad matchup for the Scarlet Knights. In his view, that dynamic has not changed this season.
In Other News...
Rutgers Now Faces A Nebraska Offense In Sudden Turmoil
Rutgers is catching Nebraska at an awkward moment, with the Cornhuskers trying to steady an offense that has suddenly lost its footing. Matt Rhule made the move after the loss to Illinois, and the timing matters for a Scarlet Knights defense preparing for a unit that looked far different in September than it does now.
Nebraska had opened the season 5-0, but four straight losses have turned the conversation in Lincoln from momentum to damage control. Glenn Thomas now steps into the play-calling role, and Rutgers will have to sort through what changes, if anything, in an offense that is suddenly in transition. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Must Solve A Sudden Offensive Problem Without A Key Veteran
Rutgers is suddenly dealing with a thinner offensive picture at a bad time, with guard Kwabena Asamoah set to miss the rest of the season after surgery for a high ankle sprain. The veteran lineman has also exhausted his eligibility, and while he is expected to recover fully and begin preparing for the NFL Draft, his absence leaves a hole in the line that will have to be filled immediately.
The timing only adds to the challenge for the Scarlet Knights, who are already preparing for the next game without wide receiver KJ Duff because of a lower-body injury. Starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan will also miss the game, putting even more pressure on Rutgers to piece together a workable plan on offense and find answers fast. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Settled Down And Delivered A Win That Meant More Than Usual
Rutgers opened the regular season with a steady 81-54 win over New Haven, and for a team still adjusting to life without Steve Pikiell on the sideline, the result carried a little extra weight. Acting head coach Brandin Knight guided the Scarlet Knights through some early defensive lapses before they settled in, leaned on contributions from Tariq Francis, Jamichael Davis and Rasheed Jones, and used a pressure defense that forced 17 turnovers to take control.
The performance looked like the kind Rutgers can build on, especially because the defense tightened as the game went on and the offense found enough rhythm to separate after the shaky start. For Knight, it was also an important step in a difficult stretch for the program, with Pikiell away during cancer treatment and the Scarlet Knights trying to keep moving forward while the season begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]