Category: Rutgers football

Syracuse’s Duce Chestnut outstanding in first collegiate start

Syracuse football’s Duce Chestnut had a monster debut last week and may be looking to prove a point against Rutgers football this weekend.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football could well face a motivated Duce Chestnut on Saturday, the Syracuse football cornerback coming off a big performance this past weekend and looking to prove yet another point.

A true freshman, Chestnut had a big first game for Syracuse in a 29-9 win at Ohio on Saturday night. The Camden, NJ native had eight tackles, a pass defended and an interception in his collegiate debut. The outstanding effort saw him named the ACC Co-Rookie of the Week.

The performance left Syracuse head coach Dino Babers amazed.

“Sunday in the team meeting, Duce Chestnut got the game ball on beat, and 35 years, I’ve never seen anybody -I’ve never even heard of anybody getting a game ball in the first collegiate game,” Babers said in media availability this week.

“I’m sure there’s some guys out there but they were never on my teams. So, it really really is an amazing deal. It’s something that you don’t anticipate, you could have never thought of and doggone glad it happened. We’re really happy to see it.”

Chestnut was the only player from New Jersey in Syracuse’s 2021 class. He also was the only four-star recruit for the Orange in last year’s class.

 

There could well be a bit of fire from Chestnut when Rutgers plays at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. Chestnut was originally offered by previous Rutgers head coach Chris Ash but was reportedly never re-offered when Greg Schiano returned last season as the Scarlet Knights head coach.

Chestnut held 20 offers including Baylor, Boston College, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina and Pittsburgh among others.

Rutgers football is honoring these 37 alumni with 9/11 uniforms this weekend

Rutgers football will honor the 37 alumni who were victims of the September 11 attacks.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football will wear special unforms for Saturday’s game at Syracuse to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

There were 37 victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon who attended Rutgers. Their names will be placed on decals and worn on the helmets of the Scarlet Knights players for Saturday’s game.

The phrase “Never Forget,’ so meaningful to those who mourn the nearly three-thousand individuals killed in the attacks, will appear on the Rutgers helmets as well as the players’ gloves.

  • Paul A. Acquaviva RC’94
  • Evan J. Baron NCAS’81
  • David O. Campbell RC’72, GSM’74
  • Alexander H. Chiang GSNB’82
  • John R. Cruz RC’93
  • Brian T. Cummins GSN’91
  • Gavin F. Cushny UCN’85
  • Michael A. Davidson LC’97
  • Jayceryll M. de Chavez LC’99
  • Michael A. Diaz-Piedra III NCAS’74
  • Patrick J. Driscoll GSNB’75
  • Judy Santillan Fernandez UCNB’97
  • Stephen J. Fiorelli ENG’80
  • Colleen L. Fraser LC’74
  • Jeffrey B. Gardner CC’87
  • Alayne Friedenreich Gentul RC’78
  • Barry H. Glick NCAS’63
  • Richard J. Guadagno CC’84
  • Charles H. Karczewski RC’89
  • Brendan Mark Lang LC’89
  • Ming-Hao Liu GSNB’89
  • James A. Martello LC’83
  • Brian E. Martineau NCAS’88
  • Michael J. McCabe UCNB’83
  • Virginia A. Ormiston ENG’81
  • Dominique L. Pandolfo RC’96
  • Jon A. Perconti LC’93
  • Donald A. Peterson GSM’67
  • Patrick J. Quigley RC’82
  • Tom B. Reinig GSM’78
  • Richard D. Rosenthal GSM’75
  • Maria Theresa Santillan NCAS’96
  • Scott M. Schertzer LC’97, SMLR’97
  • Neil G. Shastri RC’98, RBS’98
  • Michael C. Sorresse NCAS’89
  • Kristine Marie Swearson UCNB’96
  • Gregory K. Wachtler RC’98

 

 

Rutgers football 2021 schedule

The complete Rutgers football 2021 schedule including nine Big Ten games.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It is a season of anticipation for Rutgers, the return of fans to SHI Stadium heralding a new era in Scarlet Knights football.

There is also the return of head coach Greg Schiano, whose presence last year was a tremendous boost for a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2014. That year, under former head coach Kyle Flood, was the last time the Scarlet Knights had a winning record (8-5). The 3-5 record in the Big Ten was also a program-best for wins in their new conference, an accomplishment which Schiano matched in the shortened 2020 season when Rutgers went 3-6, all in the Big Ten.

The expectation for Rutgers is a similar record in the Big Ten along with a strong showing in their three out of conference games. That could have the Scarlet Knights in bowl contention. Rutgers hasn’t played in a bowl game since the 2015 season.

The 2021 Rutgers football schedule features three out of conference games and nine games in the Big Ten. Also included are four Big Ten football teams that were ranked in preseason.

Here is Rutgers football 2021 schedule:

Week Date Opponent Time
1 9/2 vs. Temple 6:30 p.m.
2 9/11 at Syracuse 2:00 p.m. 
3 9/18 Delaware 3:30 p.m.
4 9/25 @ Michigan 3:30 p.m.
5 10/2 Ohio State 1:00 p.m.
6 10/9 Michigan State 12:00 p.m.
7 10/16 @ Northwestern 12:00 p.m.
8 10/30 @Illinois 12:00 p.m.
9 11/6 Wisconsin 1:00 p.m.
10 11/13 @ Indiana 1:00 p.m.
11 11/20 At Penn State 1:00 p.m.
12 11/27 Maryland 1:00 p.m.

 

 

Game Two, Rutgers vs Syracuse: What to Know

Rutgers football renews an old Big East rivalry with a trip to Syracuse this weekend.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football continue their out of conference schedule as they head to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York to take on the Orange from the ACC. Although they haven’t met on the gridiron since 2012, the Scarlet Knights have a long history with the Orange dating back to 1914. Rutgers haven’t won much in the overall history, but they have taken the last two games in the series, including an overtime victory at Syracuse in 2011.

The Orange started their season with a victory after beating Ohio 29-9 on the road on Saturday. Syracuse was in control of that game and in their home opener, should be playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Gus Edwards, former Rutgers football running back, suffers ACL tear: report

Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards, a former Rutgers football star running back, suffered an ACL tear on Thursday in practice.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Rutgers football running back Gus Edwards has reportedly suffered an ACL tear in practice on Thursday, likely sidelining the Baltimore Ravens featured back for the rest of the season.

Edwards was assumed to be the starting running back in Baltimore given the ACL injury suffered by rookie J.K Dobbins suffered a week ago. Now with the injury to Edwards, it appears that former Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell will take over as the primary bell cow.

This past offseason, Edwards signed a new two-year, $9 million contract with the Ravens. After four years at Miami where he was primarily a change-of-pace running back, Edwards joined the Scarlet Knights as a graduate transfer.

In his one season at Rutgers in 2017, he featured heavily in the Big Ten, running for 713 yards and six touchdowns on 164 carries. The Ravens signed Edwards as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft.

Last season, Edwards set a career-high with the Ravens in rushing yards (723) and rushing touchdowns (six). He played in all 16 regular season games.

What has Syracuse’s Dino Babers worried? Rutgers football’s speed on offense

Rutgers football has speed on offense and special teams, something that Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said his team will need to counter.

[mm-video type=video id=01ff65q1tw4qzyvxhq0b playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ff65q1tw4qzyvxhq0b/01ff65q1tw4qzyvxhq0b-9b774f176223ffb0aad71f78b7a42e37.jpg]

After watching Rutgers season opening win, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers walked away impressed with the Scarlet Knights. In particular, Babers said that Rutgers is a fast team on offense as well as special teams.

Rutgers beat Temple 61-14 this past Saturday in a game where the offense wasn’t necessarily lights out but was efficient. A strong defensive effort, including five forced turnovers, as well as big contributions on special teams, helped spur Rutgers to a blowout win.

Early in the third quarter, the Scarlet Knights held a 26-14 lead over the visiting Owls. Rutgers then began to roll over a tiring Temple side, in particular dominating along the lines to get the win.

Syracuse played a tighter game, beating MAC opponent Ohio 29-9 on the road in what was a loud and festive environment.

“They’re a good team they scored a lot of points. They scored and they got on them in the second quarter, really close to halftime and then they extended it in the third quarter,” Babers told reporters on Thursday.

“Once they had them they took them out – you know once they got them on the ropes, they took them out.

“So, this is an explosive crew. Their skill is really, really good; really fast. They can do things on kickoff returner and [with their] punt returners. This is a very, very skilled unit…We had some opportunities in the Ohio game when some guys got out and we could run them down and it gives you a chance and you have an opportunity to play goal line defense, and our defense did a fantastic job of keeping them out of the end zone. If they get out, they’re going to be really hard to go get. They’ll probably get all of it so we got to really get really cross our t’s and dot our i’s.”

Against Temple, junior wide receiver Aron Cruickshank had a big afternoon on special teams for Rutgers. He had two punt returns for 55 yards and had four kickoff returns for 113 yards.

Eric LeGrand on Johnny Langan: He’s confusing defenses

Eric LeGrand explains why Johnny Langan is more of an offensive weapon than one might think.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Part of what makes Johnny Langan so dangerous when he enters the game for Rutgers football is as much about the threat he is with the ball in his hands as it is the confusion he brings to opposing defenses.

In particular, former Scarlet Knights defensive lineman Eric LeGrand said that the insertion of Langan, listed as a quarterback on the team’s roster, can cause all sorts of scheme issues for opposing defenses. On Saturday, Langan was utilized as a quarterback, H-back and as a tight end as Rutgers beat Temple 61-14 in their season opener.

LeGrand spoke with co-host Chris Carlin on the ‘CHOP Weekly’ that airs before and after coach Schiano’s Monday press conference. He provided significant insight on the disarray that Langan can bring to a defensive unit simply because he is so versatile.

 

“That can really confuse defenses. So there’s a spotter that’s opening the box, looking at the personnel on the field. Usually when John Langan came in, he knew he was going to line up at quarterback and now that you have him lining up at tight end, it might confuse that spotter just a little bit, as they’re up in the box as they now have to account for him as a tight end or a quarterback here,” LeGrand said on the show.

“So sometimes it can be a little bit confusing. Now, if you get up to the ball fast enough, might be able to catch them off guard a little bit so we get to see a lot of mixtures and the chess games going on between the coaches and the spotters.”

Langan had a fascinating stat line in Rutgers win. He was 1-of-2 for seven yards, five rushing attempts for 19 yards and two touchdowns as well as one reception for 19 yards.

Rutgers football unveils uniforms to commemorate September 11

Rutgers football will wear special uniforms this weekend to remember those who lost their lives on September 11.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

On Saturday, Rutgers football will wear special uniforms to honor all those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Among those lost were 37 alumni of Rutgers.

The uniforms will commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the attacks that saw two of the towers at the iconic World Trade Center fall. In addition, terrorists attacked the Pentagon, blowing a hole in the side of the military facility. A fourth hijacked plane saw the passengers successfully thwart the intended target, resulting in the plane crashing in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There were 2,977 victims from the attacks that were perpetrated by terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

The uniform reveal includes the patriotic messaging on the gloves, reading ‘Never Forget.’ The message was a popular slogan in the days and weeks after the attacks.

Rutgers will play at Syracuse on Saturday, putting the two states most affected by the attacks in terms of loss of life against each other on the gridiron.

 

The days after the attacks saw an outpouring of emotion on playing fields all over the country. Of note were moments such as the New York Yankees and New York Mets wearing hats featuring the different first responders to the site of the World Trade Center. Football players carried American flags onto the field as part of pregame introductions.

All sports, from local to the big leagues seemingly commemorated the attacks and the loss of life on that day. MLS star defender Mike Petke of the then MetroStars poignantly was photographed wearing an ‘NYPD’ hat and carrying an American flag into the field prior to the national anthem when MLS returned to action after a hiatus following the attacks.

Syracuse’s Dino Babers on recruiting “that city” of New Jersey ahead of Saturday’s Rutgers game

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers discusses the importance of recruiting New Jersey ahead of Saturday’s game against Rutgers.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers underscored that Saturday’s game against Rutgers football is a big win for the program given how both states recruit the same region. This includes “that city” of New Jersey, according to Babers.

With the return of Greg Schiano as head coach at Rutgers, recruiting New Jersey has become a priority once again for the Scarlet Knights. The same can be said for Syracuse, a program that comes down south to tap the deep talent pool in the Garden State.

So Saturday’s game at Syracuse is a big one for Rutgers to further cement themselves in their home state. The Orange would like to make further inroads in New Jersey, putting plenty on the line for both programs beyond just an out of conference win.

“You know, I think it’s really obvious that New Jersey has a lot of good players and that not only us but other schools go in there and recruit that city as well,” Babers told reporters this week.

“Some of our most explosive players on this team are from New Jersey. So, we understand that it’s a recruiting battle. I think recruiting is a little bit different now because I think there’s a lot of people who go all over the country, and it’s more, it’s more international recruiting as we got people from Hawaii on our football team.

“So that being said, New Jersey guys go all over the place. It’s not like the old days, everybody would stay at home, but it’s a very important recruiting area, there’s no doubt about it and it’s one of the top recruiting areas for us.”

The humor behind these comments, of course, is that New Jersey is a state and not a city. In addition, Hawaii is part of the United States and, despite not being part of the contiguous 48 states, is not considered “international.”

The irony behind the comments is that Babers was a former running back at Hawaii for five years beginning in 1979. He then began his coaching career with his alma mater as a graduate assistant in 1984.

Last year, Syracuse had just one player from New Jersey in their recruiting class, four-star defensive back Darian Chestnut. For the 2022 class, there are two players from the state among the dozen verbals to Babers’ program.

2021 Rutgers Football Schedule: Downloadable Wallpaper

Never miss a game this season with our downloadable 2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football schedule for your smartphone.

Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2021 Rutgers football schedule. Use as wallpaper for your lock screen on your smartphone.

Also, share it with friends and let them have the schedule with them at all times too!

Download the 2021 Scarlet Knights football schedule here.