Know Your Opponent: Rutgers is a Wounded Animal and That Could be Dangerous if IU isn't Ready
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Rutgers hasn’t been good in 2018 and IU needs to put them out of their misery Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Head Coach: Chris Ash
Overall: 7-20 (3-16) 3rd year
Bowl Appearances at Rutgers: 0
2017 Record: 4-8 (3-6) B1G East
Bowl Appearances Since 2000: 9 (6-3)
Mascot: Scarlet Knight
Colors: Scarlet
Outfitter: adidas
National Titles: 1 (1869)
Conference Titles: 1 (Big East)
Heisman Winners: 0
Last Week’s Result: Lost at home to Buffalo 42-13
2018 Record: 1-3
Statistical Leaders
Passing Arthur Sitkowski 39-80 (48.8%) 329 yards, 1 TDs, 7 INT
Rushing Raheem Blackshear 55 att. 264 yards, 4.8 YPC 2 TD
Receiving Jerome Washington 9 rec. 147 yards 16.3 YPC
Tackles Trevor Morris 35 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1.5 TFLs, 3 Pass Break Ups
Talking Points
1. Scarelt Knights are Spiraling Out of Control
Heading into the 2018 seasons, Rutgers could start to feel good about the progress that had been made during the 2017 season and on the recruiting trail. The Scarlet Knights won three conference games and doiubled their win total from 2016. They also landed a big quarterback target in Art Sitkowski. Well that momentum is now gone. The program has had to deal with an off-field credit card scheme that affected eight players and have started the season 1-3. They have been blown out in three straight games, 52-3 at Ohio State, 55-14 at Kansas and 42-13 against Buffalo at home. This situation is spinning out of control, if it hasn’t already.
Teams spinning out of control can be dangerous however as they fight for their coach’s job and their futures, but if the last two weeks are any indication the Scarlet Knights don’t put up much of a fight after falling behind.
2. Rutgers Can Throw a Block Party
Over the past 13 years Rutgers has not been as bad of a football program as people think. Since 2005 they have gone to nine bowl games and have contended for some conference titles, although just one of those bowl berths have come since joining the Big Ten in 2014. The one thing that Rutgers has done extremely well since 2009 is block kicks. They lead the nation with 52 blocked kicks over that period of time and those are the types of plays that keep bad teams in games longer than they should be. The Hoosiers have had their issues on special teams in 2018, having two kicks blocked in the first four games. Rutgers will try to exploit this weakness to the best of their ability. If the Scarlet Knights can get a paw on a kick or two it can change the game quickly.
3. Jerome Washington is an NFL Talent at Tight End
Rutgers does not have a ton of offensive weapons, which is expected for a team that has averaged just 16.3 points per game in 2018, but tight end Jerome Washington is the real deal. The senior tight end led Rutgers in receiving a year ago and is well on his way to doing that again. He has big play ability with nine catches for 147 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown, but it is just a matter of time before he gets one. Washington is a big target a 6-foot-4 and will be a matchup issue since IU could be without its top two husky defenders (Ball is suspended for the first half due to the targeting last week). If the Rutgers offense can get the pass game going with Washington, it could let Raheem Blackshear have space to run. He is a solid running back, but just has had little success so far in 2018.
4. A Talent Secondary May Give Rutgers a Chance
The strength of this Rutgers defense is in the secondary where the Scarlet Knights have two fifth-year seniors who can change the game in an instant. Despite missing an injured Blessean Austin, Rutgers returns Isaiah Wharton and Saquan Hampton, two players that have done their damage in the Big Ten. These two have combined for 36 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and five pass breakups. The Hoosiers should have enough talent at wide receiver to stay away from these two if they need to, but Peyton Ramsey needs to be careful and get the ball to his receivers quicker because these two will jump routes.