Tag: Big Ten football

Rutgers football announces homecoming game opponent and date

UCLA football is the homecoming opponent for Rutgers football.

Rutgers football has locked in their annual homecoming game, and it will be against a team that they’ve never played against in the Big Ten.

The annual homecoming game for Rutgers football will be on Oct. 19 against UCLA. This fall, the Big Ten is adding four teams from the Pac-12 in UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon.

UCLA is coming off a season where they went 8-5 (4-5 in the Pac-12) and took home the LA Bowl with a win over Boise State. They went through an offseason of transition with head coach Chip Kelly, who left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

First-year head coach DeShaun Foster, a former standout running back at UCLA who spent seven years in the NFL, will lead the Bruins this season. Foster has spent the last seven years on the UCLA staff as their running backs coach.

Rutgers finished last year 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) and won the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Miami. It was the first time since 2014 that Rutgers was outright bowl-eligible.

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Rutgers has seven home games in 2024. Games in bold are against Big Ten opponents:

  • Aug. 31 vs. Howard (season opener)
  • Sept. 7 vs. Akron
  • Sept. 28 vs. Washington
  • Oct. 12 vs. Wisconsin
  • Oct. 19 vs. UCLA (announced on Tuesday as the homecoming game)
  • Nov. 9 vs. Minnesota
  • Nov. 23 vs. Illinois

A quarterback competition for Rutgers football? It is a matter of progress says Greg Schiano

Rutgers football has a quarterback competition and signs of progress.

There is a quarterback competition for Rutgers football, with Saturday’s scrimmage the latest chance for Gavin Wimsatt and Athan Kaliakmanis both showing flashes.

The incumbent starter, Wimsatt took a developmental step forward last year, his first season as the starting quarterback at Rutgers. In a season where he led Rutgers to an impressive bowl victory over Miami, Wimsatt still has plenty of room to improve and take a step forward.

He threw for a career-high yards last year and also marked an improvement in completion percentage. Wimsatt also put up some staggering numbers running the ball and threw more touchdowns than interceptions – all very strong signs of development.

But the completion percentage is still low by Power Five standards and has to improve if Rutgers is going to continue its rebuild.

With the arrival of Kalaiakmanis in the transfer portal from Minnesota, Rutgers now has two quarterbacks with significant Big Ten experience. And unlike last year, there is a true quarterback competition for the Scarlet Knights.

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Saturday’s scrimmage was what head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] saw as the next step in that process of not just evaluating the quarterbacks but also developing them. It is a process that Schiano says goes back further than just spring practice.

“I think it’s not only the spring, I think they’ve made progress from when we got back in January all the way through,” Schiano told reporters last Saturday in talking about the quarterbacks.

“I’m pleased with their progression. Still plenty to go. But as long as you keep taking those baby steps, a little bit every week. We’ll get there eventually.”

It wasn’t a flawless performance from either quarterback, but there is a real genuine competition between Wimsatt and Kaliakmanis.

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Despite transferring in from Minnesota, Kaliakmanis knows this system well. Two years ago as a freshman at Minnesota, his offensive coordinator was Kirk Ciarrocca.

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And it was Ciarrocca, now in his second year at Rutgers, who recruited Kaliakmanis to transfer within the Big Ten this offseason.

“The quarterbacks – I think they all did good stuff. We had some good completions, made some mistakes,” Schiano said.

“Had two interceptions today. Look, here’s some stuff to learn from the tape. Plenty of plays to learn from and watch. Everybody can watch themselves which is important. I think they did well, it’s starting to take shape”

This past season showed some of the potential that Kaliakmanis brings to Rutgers. As a sophomore at Minnesota, Kaliakmanis completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,831 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Saturday’s scrimmage was the second of spring practice for Rutgers. The final spring scrimmage is the Scarlet-White Game this Saturday.

Veterans like Flip Dixon believe that the Rutgers football defense can be even better this year

The Rutgers football defense, good last year, can be even better.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With most of their starters returning, the Rutgers football defense has the potential to take another step forward as a unit. One of those returning pieces is safety Flip Dixon, who had a strong first season with Rutgers in 2023.

An addition out of the transfer portal, Dixon had 76 total tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and five passes defended last year for Rutgers.

With a number of big pieces opting to return, the Rutgers defense is arguably the most experienced in the Big Ten. They were seventh in the Big Ten in scoring defense and sixth in yards allowed per game.

For Dixon, there is a belief that the unit can take a step forward in 2024 and be even better.

“I’m very excited. We got a lot of people coming back. Basically, the whole defense just about – so I’m very excited to see what we can do,” Dixon said on Thursday following practice.

“I know we will do better than last year, for sure.”

One of the pieces not returning for Rutgers is Max Melton.

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The defensive back, who had one year of eligibility remaining, opted to declare for the NFL draft. An All-Big Ten selection, Melton is appearing in mock drafts in the top half of the NFL draft and is popular as a second-round pick.

The loss of Melton will hurt the secondary, given that he was an elite cornerback in the Big Ten.

“I love Max. He’s a great player, phenomenal,” Dixon said.

“You know, he, he’d been here for well, he helped me get used to it here. And it was a great time with him.”

No group is more experienced than the safeties room, with Dixon and Des Igbinosun both returning as starters. For safeties coach Drew Lascari, this is quite the luxury to have.

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The safeties will be relied on this upcoming season for Rutgers as a foundational unit. With two players who are All-Big Ten caliber (Dixon was an All-Big Ten selection last season), this Rutgers defense has the potential to be a top-tier unit in the Big Ten.

“I think for us, the expectation of our room now is to take the next step and what is the next step?” Lascari said on Thursday.

“Well, that’s the next step with everything. Okay, we want to take the next step with our nutrition, with our rehab, with our recovery, with our sleep. And then on the field, our playbook.

“So, with two returning starters that we have a lot of faith in. We’re really excited about the next steps that we’re going to take as a group.”

Rutgers football’s Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw on and off the field

Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — There is nothing left for Kyle Monangai to prove, the Rutgers football running back emerging last season as one of the top players in college football. That doesn’t lower the expectations though for Monangai ahead of his final season at Rutgers.

And for running backs coach [autotag]Damiere Shaw[/autotag], perhaps the greatest skill Monangai showed on his way to a record-breaking season at Rutgers was a mental and physical toughness. Those attributes impressed Shaw last year as Monangai looks to build on his breakout season.

Following a season where Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing, and played a huge role in Rutgers making a bowl game, there isn’t much left for the running back to prove. His 1,262 rushing yards are the most yards for a Rutgers running back since the program entered the Big Ten in 2014.

Shaw, in his second year as the Rutgers running backs coach, was impressed with Monangai’s performance last year

“He does a lot of things well, but here’s what I’ll tell you: Kyle was a very, very tough kid.- mentally tough, and the way he carried the ball and maintained his health the entire time – a lot of people can’t do that,” Shaw said on Tuesday.

:So I think the biggest thing for Kyle was his toughness.”

Monangai’s work ethic has been praised by head coach Greg Schiano. Several times last fall Schiano singled out Monangai as being not just the team’s best player but also their hardest worker.

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Monangai’s resilience made him the perfect running back for Rutgers. His character very much align themselves with the core values of a Scarlet Knights team that Schiano repeatedly calls a “developmental program.”

Coming out of high school, Monangai only had two Power Five offers

“He’s obviously brilliant,” Shaw said.

“He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around ever coach but he’s just a tough tough dude. He keeps going.

Report: College football top executives discussing new ‘Super League’ model

Report: College football top executives discussing new ‘Super League’ model

College presidents and college football executives are discussing a new private equity-backed ‘Super League’ model from a group called College Sports Tomorrow, according to a report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand and Stewart Mandel.

The proposed model would take the sport away from the College Football Playoff and NCAA’s governance, and create a separate league consisting of the top 70 programs — every former Power Five conference member plus Notre Dame and SMU. The programs would be divided into 10-team divisions, joined by an eighth division consisting of second-tier programs.

That second tier, put simply, would be like the European soccer model of promotion and relegation. Schools on the outside of this model would get the chance to play their way into the league, while struggling teams would be sent down.

For Badgers fans: Wisconsin would be firmly entrenched in the proposed 70-team league and would not be at risk of relegation.

The group, College Sports Tomorrow, includes Brian Rolapp (the NFL’s No. 2 executive), Philadelphia 76ers owner David Blitzer and Len Perna of TurnkeyZRG search firm. It also includes collegiate leaders Kent Syverud (Syracuse chancellor) and Gordon Gee (West Virginia president).

There have been rumblings since conference realignment began about a future model like this one. College football needs a firm structure and firm governance, even if it means becoming a de-facto professional league.

This won’t happen for some time, and there are thousands of details and legal processes to play out, but at least there appears to be a bit of progress.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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With a desire to continue his development, Hollin Pierce’s return to Rutgers football was ‘a very easy decision’

Rutgers football’s Hollin Pierce is hoping to refine his development in his final season.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — For Hollin Pierce, this last dance with Rutgers football is a chance to help the program take the next step in its rebuild. It is also ao opportunity for the All-Big Ten left tackle to take one more season to learn and develop.

Pierce’s story, from junior college to walking on at Rutgers to eventually becoming one of the Big Ten’s top offensive tackles, is an inspiring story. But there is a final chapter for Pierce to write at Rutgers, one that he hopes leads him to the NFL draft in a year’s time.

Had Pierce decided to enter the NFL draft following last year, there was a very real chance that he would have been drafted in late April.

In deciding to return to Rutgers, Pierce cites the continued progress he wants to make with his game. Getting another chance to learn and play for offensive line coach[autotag] Pat Flaherty[/autotag] factored into his decision to suit-up for Rutgers one more season.

“It was very easy to come back. I saw how much I developed, especially when a coach Flats came over,” Pierce said on Tuesday.

“I saw my development and it was like night and day looking at my past film. And I just knew I needed more time to work and just get better each and every day, you know? So it was a very easy decision.”

Pierce’s development is legendary, both on and off the field. His fitness and gains in the strength and conditioning program are the stuff of legends around Rutgers, including a massive loss in weight.

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But while Pierce checks in at a very healthy weight and has learned to better manage his diet, there is fine-tuning to his game that continues. A final season against Big Ten competition will his better his NFL draft stock for next spring.

So will another full offseason learning from one of the best offensive line coaches in college football.

Enter the aforementioned Flaherty, a veteran offensive line coach who returned to Rutgers last year. With over two decades in the NFL, Flaherty’s resume speaks for itself.

Listening to Flaherty and his NFL experience, including lessons from his two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants, is part of the process.

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So too is continuing to work on his agility and strength.

“Last year at this time, I would say I definitely wasn’t as strong as I am now. That’s like a big thing,”  Pierce said.

“I was working on strength and like I said before, just you know, getting lower, just working on my bending. That’s just like a big thing. I probably am going to be working on bending for the rest of my career, to be honest. But that for sure is what I’m working on this stuff like that.”

Following two decades in the NFL, Pat Flaherty didn’t change his coaching style at Rutgers

Pat Flaherty says he coaches Rutgers football the same way he did his NFL players.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The success that Pat Flaherty had as Rutgers football’s offensive line coach last year can be attributed to one simple truth: He coaches all of his players the same throughout his four decades on the sidelines.

It was a tremendous job undertaken by Flaherty last season in turning around one of the worst offensive lines in college football. Rutgers ended up finishing middle of the Big Ten in most of the significant offensive categories, representing a huge step forward in the offense’s ability to function.

And it was the play of the offensive line in protecting quarterback [autotag]Gavin Wimsatt[/autotag] as well as paving the way for running back [autotag]Kyle Monangai[/autotag] that doesn’t get enough attention for a season where Rutgers finished 7-6 and beat Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The improvement is noticeable, especially to those who have been embedded in the program for a while.

“I mean a lot better. A lot of guys – we have talent across the board on the o-line. Just the way we work. We work hard. Everybody’s working at things they need to work on. We’re a tight group,” senior left tackle Hollin Pierce said on Tuesday during media availability.

“We’re a tight group. I think we’re going to be a lot better.”

The impact of Flaherty on the group is clearly seen in the increased performance.

With two decades of NFL coaching experience to his resume, Flaherty has considerable clout. His two Super Bowl rings from his time with the New York Giants give him a certain cache that few college coaches have.

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When Flaherty speaks to his players, some of whom are teenagers, he point to a career that includes turning offensive linemen into All Pro players. But the biggest part of his success, he says, is found in not changing things whether he is coaching at the college level or the NFL.

“I coach these guys like any group I’ve ever coached in my career, NFL college – football is football. From that standpoint, they do a great job of wanting to learn the techniques,” Flaherty said on Tuesday.

“You know, I feel that again, they will be the best group that they can by doing the training that we can.

“And you can say, ‘Well, you can train this way in the NFL, train this way in college. I don’t believe there’s a difference in training the players.”

Off the field, the group is developing in a way that is making them a more cohesive unit. As Pierce explains it, the line is now acting as one, even away from the practice field and the team facility. It is creating a level of cohesion that wasn’t present in the year prior.

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“Since I started till now, the group’s completely different,” Pierce said.

“How we care about each other, everything we do with each other, we go out with each other. On the field, we’re always looking out for each other. Just the whole intentions of our goals and what want to do is completely different and just how we approach the field.”

CFB analyst identifies Texas as perception building game for Michigan

Both Michigan and Texas will be judged on how well they perform in Week 2 matchup, but the pressure is on Michigan.

The Michigan Wolverines won a national title for the first time since 1997 last season. Despite that fact, when the Longhorns come to Ann Arbor the Wolverines could be the team facing the most pressure.

247Sports college football analyst Cody Nagel looked at what the game would mean for Michigan in 2024.

“The nation will find out early whether Michigan can remain among the college football powers in 2024. The reigning national champion Wolverines host fellow College Football Playoff participant Texas in Ann Arbor for a Week 2 headliner. Michigan owns a (22-game) win streak at home, but that run will be put to the test against the Longhorns. A non-conference win versus Texas would be a major statement for new head coach Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines.”

Fair or not, the Texas game could set the tone for how Michigan is viewed in 2024. The same is true for the Longhorns who rode a dominant win over Alabama to a College Football Playoff berth.

The Week 2 matchup is as close to a must-win game for both parties who have difficult games looming later in the season. Texas faces Oklahoma and Georgia in back to back weeks before a road battle against Texas A&M. Michigan is set to face Oregon, Ohio State, USC and Washington in 2024.

Texas will look to earn a signature victory over the blue blood program in Ann Arbor.

USC’s offense should be fine, but what about the defense against the Big Ten?

Will USC’s defense have the ruggedness and power needed to thrive in the hard-nosed Big Ten?

I recently joined Mark Rogers on the USC Voice of College Football channel for our Trojans Conquest Live Show. One of the main topics of discussion was the following question: Can USC’s offense match statistically impressive defenses in the Big Ten? The more pertinent conversation centered around how Lincoln Riley understood that he had to make drastic changes on the defensive side of the ball.

Riley told the media after the season that everything USC was going to do going forward was with the intention of having an elite defense.  Riley talked a lot about this, but people wondered if the talk was going to be backed up by action. We have seen real action and genuine seriousness about this change in method. Hiring D’Anton Lynn, Matt Entz, Doug Belk, and Eric Henderson all sent a message. Henderson was the last of the four hires in chronological order, but he might have the biggest impact on the Trojans given his identity as Aaron Donald’s position coach with the Los Angeles Rams. Donald’s recent video praising Henderson has circulated. Recruits notice. This is rapidly improving USC’s reputation. It makes Riley’s talk more than just talk. It’s a real commitment to defense at USC.

Here is more from me and Mark Rogers:

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Big Ten football news: Former Rutgers football player Stephen Belichick jokingly trolls his father: ‘I have a job and he doesn’t’

Stephen Belichick gets in a good zinger on his father, Bill Belichick.

Stephen Belichick, a former NFL assistant coach who was a long snapper at Rutgers, expertly trolled his father on Wednesday. And for those who don’t know, his father is former NFL head coach Bill Belichick, who is arguably the greatest coach of all time.

Now the defensive coordinator at Washington, Stephen Belichick comes to his new job in the Big Ten with plenty of experience. He was a standout lacrosse player at Rutgers who spent the 2011 season a long snapper for Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano.

From there, he transitioned to coaching with the New England Patriots and spent 2019 as the defensive backs coach and the last four years as the outside linebackers coach.

On Wednesday, Stephen Belichick was asked about the similarities he shares with his father, who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots. Bill Belichick left the Patriots this offseason after over two decades with the organization.

“We definitely have similarities. I got a job and he doesn’t,” Stephen Belichick said on Wednesday during a press conference at Washington.

“He knows that. I look up to my dad, he’s a mentor to me but I’m myself…I’m excited to get on the field, work with these guys, work with the kids and recruit kids. I’m going to be myself and not try to be him.”

Stephen Belichick is part of the new staff at Washington under head coach Jedd Fisch. Like Stephen Belichick (Summit, New Jersey), Fields was also born in New Jersey.

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Fisch attended Hanover Park High School (East Hanover, New Jersey) where he played tennis.