College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Rutgers Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-9 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Greg Schiano, 1st year, 12th year at Rutgers overall, 68-67
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 103
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 123
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 75
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense that finished second-to-last in the nation in both total yards and scoring, Rutgers needs to find a positive identity under new offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson. He comes in from Oklahoma State, and he’s all but starting from scratch.
The team only scored 159 points, and 92 came in two games. You were promised there wouldn’t be any math here, but that means the O scored just 67 points over the other ten games, averaging fewer than seven points per outing.
The program has come up with ten points or fewer in 11 of its last 15 games and scored more than 21 just six times in the last 33 games – that’s not very good. But there’s a positive – at least the O returns a ton of experience.
CFN in 60 Video: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview
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– And the starting quarterback is … Artur Sitkowski? He was in the transfer portal, and then he wasn’t. He only threw for 429 yards and a touchdown with two picks, and then it was up to then-freshman Johnny Langan to step and and take his cuts.
Langan ran around a bit – with 391 yards and three scores – but he only threw for 840 yards and four scores with nine picks. On the way is Nebraska grad transfer Noah Vedral to throw his dual-threat hat into the ring.
A slew of targets bolted, but almost all of the top receivers from last year are back, and Wisconsin transfer and return star Aron Cruickshank will add some flash.
Bo Melton is back after leading the way with 30 catches for 427 yards and two scores, and Isaiah Washington is a big 6-3 sophomore who was second among the wideouts with 18 grabs. Also in the equation is former star quarterback prospect Johnathan Lewis, who’ll likely work at tight end.
– The offensive line is going to take a while. It was a a problem last year – Rutgers was dead last in rushing offense – and it loses two starters to graduation, C Michael Maietti to Missouri, and a few other reserves to the transfer portal. The recruiting class addressed the line a wee bit, but this part of the puzzle will take the longest to put together.
Losing flashy RB Raheem Blackshear to Virginia Tech stinks, but junior Isaiah Pacheco isn’t a bad back when he gets room to move, and sophomore Aaron Young is a speedster with a little experienced.