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Rutgers football future after Rate Bowl loss: What’s next?

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2 days ago

December 29, 2024

Rutgers football future after Rate Bowl loss: What's next?

PHOENIX – They quietly walked again towards the locker room within the bowels of Chase Area, some with shocked seems on their faces. Members of Rutgers soccer workforce left annoyed and disillusioned after a Price Bowl victory slipped proper via their grasp.

Up 17 factors within the second half, just for Kansas State to stage a comeback that ended with a 44-41 victory for the Wildcats – a loss that can sting Rutgers for some time.

The Scarlet Knights’ protection struggled. An offense that was virtually unstoppable within the first half grew to become stagnant within the second.

Miscues. Misplays. Errors.

They piled up.

So as a substitute of celebrating a bowl win, Rutgers walked off the sector and into no matter comes subsequent.

This sport provided glimpses of each promise and concern.

As a result of whereas the offense did battle to maneuver the ball after halftime, it clearly has potential. The protection, although, faces questions, the most important of which centering on who precisely will lead it as coach Greg Schiano seems for a brand new defensive coordinator to interchange Joe Harasymiak.

“Shedding Joe Harasymiak definitely wasn’t an excellent factor for us,” Schiano mentioned. “All people labored very arduous to attempt to make it work. I’m not going to hurry to rent someone to simply do it for the bowl sport. We’re going to get the suitable man for the longer term right here. We are going to.”

Rutgers wants it.

Rutgers soccer’s protection faces questions heading into future

The Scarlet Knights’ efficiency on Thursday was discouraging – though Kansas State’s offense is a stable unit.

The Wildcats had 542 yards of whole offense. That they had 347 dashing yards, with 196 of them coming from operating again Dylan Edwards. They made large play after large play within the second half particularly to tug off the comeback.

Maybe nothing mirrored that greater than Edwards scoring on a 65-yard run on the primary play of a third-quarter drive that lower into Rutgers’ 17-point lead.

The Scarlet Knights’ protection will lose key items in linebacker Tyreem Powell, defensive finish Aaron Lewis, defensive deal with Kyonte Hamilton, cornerback Robert Longerbeam and security Flip Dixon, amongst others.

It has expertise returning – together with linebacker Dariel Djabome and security Kaj Sanders – however a lot of that expertise is comparatively inexperienced and unproven.

Overcoming that shall be a part of the brand new coordinator’s problem, and together with Schiano he’ll must fill holes at a number of spots with switch portal additions.

For a lot of this season, the protection underperformed, however accidents undoubtedly performed a serious half in that. They piled up in ways in which Schiano mentioned he had by no means witnessed in his teaching profession. Harasymiak rebuilt the unit in the course of the workforce’s second bye week and that helped spur the workforce’s 3-1 regular-season end, which helped the Scarlet Knights safe this journey to Arizona.

“I want I might’ve completed a greater job, I want all of us might’ve completed a greater job,” Schiano mentioned. “However once more, we did every part we might, simply got here up a bit of quick.”

Rutgers’ offense exhibits potential to construct on

Offensively, Rutgers confirmed promise and potential.

The unit this season was the perfect the Scarlet Knights have had in years.

Was it all the time good? Completely not. But it surely was largely productive with quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis making sustained strides.

Rutgers scored no less than 30 factors in its closing 4 video games and no less than 40 factors in its closing two, one thing it hadn’t completed towards consecutive FBS opponents since 2005.

The Scarlet Knights averaged 28.9 factors per sport, the very best since averaging 29.0 in 2008.

MOREHeadset debacle contributes to Rutgers soccer offense’s 2nd-half points in Price Bowl

Star operating again Kyle Monangai opted out of the Price Bowl to keep away from damage danger as he heads for the NFL Draft course of, however true freshman Antwan Raymond stepped up with 113 yards and three touchdowns.

Second-year receiver Ian Robust caught 5 passes for 105 yards. True freshman wideout KJ Duff had 58 receiving yards.

The Scarlet Knights produce other promising receivers, together with freshman Benjamin Black. They’ve an offensive line that’s improved significantly, and so they’re bringing in additional weapons like Florida Atlantic switch operating again CJ Campbell Jr. and North Texas switch receiver DT Sheffield.

Huge receiver Christian Dremel has seen lots in his six seasons with Rutgers – that features the progress of an offense that not too way back was anemic.

“It simply exhibits progress,” Dremel mentioned. “This offense is barely going to get higher. Plenty of guys coming again. An ideal quarterback coming again. I’m excited to observe them as a result of I really feel like we had been capable of lay a basis these previous two years and this yr towards the top we had been capable of see it. I feel the sky’s the restrict. There’s extra meat on the bone, nonetheless.”

With Rutgers’ 2024 season over, its future begins now.

It has inquiries to reply defensively and potential to construct on offensively.