Rutgers’ offense barely needed a full five minutes Friday night to put two of its biggest stars in the spotlight.
On the second play of the game against Howard, third-year running back Antwan Raymond broke loose for 51 yards and helped spark the opening touchdown drive. Then, on the first snap of the next possession, KJ Duff hauled in a 77-yard catch for another score. By the time Rutgers rolled to a 58-7 win, both players had crossed a major career threshold: 2,000 yards, one on the ground and one through the air.
Raymond became the 17th Rutgers rusher to reach 2,000 career rushing yards. Duff joined him as the 11th receiver in program history to get there.
“They are super players,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “They are committed players.
They are leaders on this team. To do it in the same night, that’s exciting for them.
I think there’s just a lot of great football in front of them both in the college level and then also in the professional level. I can’t wait to see how much better they get each week this season.
They’re not alone, but those guys are two special players.”
The numbers keep piling up for a pair of players who are already making a real push toward Rutgers’ record book, even with the Scarlet Knights sitting at 1-3. Duff now ranks ninth in school history with 2,059 receiving yards and 10th with 15 receiving touchdowns. If he keeps up his current pace of 137.5 yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game over the rest of the regular season, he could threaten Kenny Britt’s career receiving yards mark of 3,043 and Leonte Carroo’s receiving touchdowns record of 29.
He’s also already carved out a place of his own in the program’s history. Duff became the first Rutgers player to catch a touchdown in five straight games Friday, finishing with five receptions for 131 yards and that score. He now has seven touchdowns in four games and is on pace to challenge the single-season touchdown record of 10, which is shared by Carroo, Marco Battaglia and Brandon Coleman.
Duff said he didn’t know how close he was to any milestones, and while personal achievements “feels great,” he said he doesn’t “really want to focus on that” or “make it about myself at all.”
Even so, he made it clear the bigger picture matters to him.
“Ultimately, (legacy is) why I wanted to stay here,” Duff said.
Raymond’s night was just as loud. He finished with 140 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, moving him to 13th all-time at Rutgers with 2,136 rushing yards and ninth with 25 rushing touchdowns. Ray Rice’s school records of 4,926 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns would take at least another season to chase down, but with eight games still left, Raymond could still climb as high as sixth in both categories if he keeps producing.
“It means a lot, but none of this would be possible without our (offensive) line and our great coaches,” Raymond said. “Credit to them, really.”
In Other News...
Rutgers Is Rolling And A Few Scarlet Knights Are Making A Case
Rutgers wasted no time setting the tone against Howard, racing out to a 41-7 halftime lead while scoring on all seven of its opening drives. The start was the kind of clean, efficient burst that can make a late-season tuneup feel like a statement, and several Scarlet Knights turned it into a showcase for their own momentum.
Antwan Raymond kept the offense moving and hit 2,000 career rushing yards while scoring three first-half touchdowns, while Dylan Lonergan opened the game by completing every pass on the first drive. On the other side of the ball, Bradlee Jones made his presence felt with two interceptions, including the first pick of his career, giving Rutgers a few more reasons to like how the night unfolded. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Finally Broke Through Before A Much Tougher Test Awaits
Rutgers finally got the kind of afternoon it needed, rolling past Howard for its first win of the season in a 58-7 rout that doubled as Greg Schianos 100th victory as head coach. The Scarlet Knights piled up 534 yards of offense, with Dylan Lonergan steering the attack and Antwan Raymond helping set the tone on the ground, while the defense turned in the sort of disruptive showing that can steady a locker room after an uneven start.
The challenge now gets a lot sharper. Indiana comes to town next as the No. 5 team in the country for Rutgers homecoming game, a matchup that will tell a lot more about where the Scarlet Knights really stand after the breakthrough against Howard. The defenses sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions and fumble recovery were all encouraging signs, but keeping that momentum against a far tougher opponent is another matter entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hoover Is Bringing TCU Fans Old Concern To Indiana
Josh Hoovers arrival at Indiana has given the Hoosiers a transfer quarterback with plenty of promise, and he has already flashed the kind of arm talent that can change a game in a hurry. He has put together efficient drives and found key receivers along the way, which is enough to make Indianas offense look dangerous when everything is clicking.
The concern, though, is the same one TCU fans knew well enough, and it showed up again in a tight game against Northwestern when the passing attack never quite became the reliable threat Indiana needed. The running game has helped keep things moving, but with injuries thinning that room, the pressure on Hoover to settle in and find more consistency is growing fast. [Read more 🡒]