Rutgers gets another shot at a breakthrough on Saturday, and the setup is hard to ignore. The Scarlet Knights are back home to face Nebraska at 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network, with the Cornhuskers arriving on a four-game skid and an offense that has gone cold enough to cost Dana Holgorsen his job.
Nebraska opened the season 5-0, leaning on a defense that has held up well in Big Ten play. The Cornhuskers rank sixth in the league in scoring defense at 16 points per game and fifth in total defense at 310 yards in conference games.
But the last month has been ugly on the other side of the ball, with Nebraska averaging just 16 points per game during its four straight losses. That slump led head coach Matt Rhule to fire Holgorsen days after calling him “one of the best minds of our generation.”
Rutgers, meanwhile, is still chasing history. The Scarlet Knights have never beaten Nebraska, dropping all seven meetings since the 1920 season. They come into this one at 2-7 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten play, with the Cornhuskers listed as 13.5-point favorites and the over/under set at 52.5.
Steve Politi pointed to just how difficult it has been for Rutgers to cash in as a heavy underdog under Greg Schiano. “This stat is gobsmacking: Rutgers is 1-60 under Greg Schiano in his 18 years at Rutgers as an underdog of 10 or more points.”
He also noted that the Scarlet Knights have had Nebraska on the ropes before under Schiano’s second stint, even if the results never flipped. Rutgers has played the Cornhuskers close in all three meetings since Schiano returned: a 14-7 loss in Lincoln, a 14-13 loss in Piscataway and a 28-20 loss in front of no crowd during the pandemic.
Politi sees another tight one coming, even with Nebraska’s recent collapse. “The Scarlet Knights keep throwing away opportunities to beat a “name” opponent and salvage something from this season, and with Nebraska cratering to 5-4 following five straight wins to start the season, they’ll get another one at SHI Stadium on Saturday. It is hard to pick them to win given all their problems, but the 13.5-point spread is a bit too high given the Cornhuskers’ own collection of offensive problems.”
His final read: “This figures to be another low-scoring slugfest, and once again, Nebraska will narrowly come out on top.”
In Other News...
Nebraska Heads To Rutgers With A Defensive Problem It Must Solve
Nebraskas trip to Rutgers comes with both sides forced into lineup changes, and that usually means the first few series can tell you a lot about how well each staff has adjusted. The Cornhuskers are trying to patch together their defense after injuries hit linebacker Owen Chambliss and defensive back Andrew Marshall, while Rutgers is also reshuffling its offense with other players set to step into bigger roles.
For the Scarlet Knights, the most noticeable absence is at wide receiver, where KJ Duffs injury has thinned out a passing game that already had to account for Nebraskas defensive issues. Rutgers will need production from elsewhere to keep its offense on schedule, and Nebraskas replacements on the back end and in the middle of the field will be tested early by a team that knows it has to find answers of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Walks Into A Rutgers Mess With Schiano Under Pressure
Rutgers heads into its matchup with Nebraska carrying a familiar mix of frustration and uncertainty, and the conversation around the program has only grown louder as the losses pile up. Michael Cavallo, a Rutgers football analyst, laid out the state of the team ahead of the game, pointing to the Scarlet Knights losing record, the pressure surrounding Greg Schiano and the uneven performance of the roster as reasons the outlook has darkened.
The offense has taken another hit with the recent injury to star wide receiver KJ Duff, adding to a stretch where Rutgers has struggled to find traction in key areas. Even with Schiano still in place, the questions around the program are hard to ignore, and Cavallos read on this one leans toward Nebraska, based on how the two teams have performed and the changes each has made recently. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Just Added A Recruit Who Raises The Bar For Pikiells Rebuild
Rutgers kept building its 2027 class with another notable addition, as four-star prospect RJ Moore signed his letter of intent to join the Scarlet Knights. Ranked No. 60 nationally, Moore gives Steve Pikiell another high-end piece in a class that already includes Brandon Woodard and Korey Francis and sits No. 12 overall.
For a program still working through a rebuild, the addition matters beyond the ranking. Moore arrives as one of the more accomplished recruits Rutgers has ever landed, a sign that Pikiell and his staff are continuing to punch above their weight on the trail while trying to turn momentum into something more lasting. The next question is how this class will come together once the pieces get on campus and the real work begins. [Read more 🡒]