Tag: Rutgers Football

LISTEN: Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s postgame remarks following big win at Rutgers

LISTEN: Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s postgame remarks following big win at Rutgers

For the second consecutive week, Wisconsin has dominated its opposition from start to finish.

On Saturday, the Badgers decimated Rutgers 42-7, and head coach Luke Fickell caught up with the Big Ten Network’s Brooke Fletcher after the game. Here’s his assessment of the offense:

“You’re seeing more balance,” Fickell said. “[We’re] relying upon those big guys up front and establishing some things running the football as well as being able to take some shots down the field. This is the complimentary football we’re talking about…we came out in the second half and did what we needed to do.”

Fickell also offered some thoughts about offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s play calling and scheme against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.

“He’s doing a great job,” Fickell said. “The sign of a good coach, the sign of a good team is guys that continue to get better. This is a team that continues to get better because of the leadership in that locker room, they’re want-to, and then everybody around us, they’re want to as well.”

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For the second straight game, Wisconsin allowed seven or fewer points on defense. They also did so in their 52-6 thumping against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium last weekend.

“It’s eliminating the big plays,” Fickell said. “We gave up a couple today, but we were strong in the red zone. We want some of those things back to be a bit greedy, but another group that is really grown and seeing their best ball as we continue to move forward.”

Wisconsin can continue to flex its offensive and defensive muscle against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois, on Oct. 19.

Wisconsin running back posts career rushing performance in win over Rutgers

Wisconsin running back posts career rushing performance in win over Rutgers

Wisconsin veteran running back Tawee Walker stole the show for the Badgers its their 42-7 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.

The North Las Vegas, Nevada, native totaled 24 carries for 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the blowout win. He also reeled in one catch for three yards to eclipse 200 yards from scrimmage in Wisconsin’s 35-point win.

With the effort, Walker became the first Wisconsin running back to rush for at least 198 yards in a road game since Jonathan Taylor did so against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Nov. 16, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The output was also the most by a Badger since Braelon Allen accumulated 228 on the ground on Nov. 20, 2021.

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Walker has scored eight rushing touchdowns in the last three weeks of action. He reached the end zone twice against USC on Sept. 28, finished with 94 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against Purdue on Oct. 5 and added three more touchdowns against a stout Rutgers defense on Saturday.

In total, Wisconsin racked up 309 yards on the ground between Walker, Cade Yacamelli, Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones and Braedyn Locke. The Badgers appear to have discovered their identity on offense, and Walker figures to play an integral role in those schematics during a challenging upcoming stretch with games against Northwestern (away) No. 4 Penn State (home), Iowa (away) and No. 3 Oregon (home).

Best photos from Wisconsin’s impressive win over Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Best photos from Wisconsin’s impressive win over Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated Rutgers 42-7 on Saturday afternoon on the road in Piscataway, New Jersey. The team improved to 6-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, while impressively notching its second-straight contest with 40 points and more than 500 total yards.

Running back Tawee Walker had himself a monster day, turning 24 carries into 198 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. It was his third straight multi-score game, as he’s notched eight rushing touchdowns over the last three contests.

As a whole, the Badgers churned out 309 rushing yards in the game, while both quarterback Braedyn Locke and running back Darrion Dupree also scored touchdowns with their legs.

As a passer, Locke completed 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown while also throwing an interception in the victory. Locke and wide receiver Will Pauling connected on a 16-yard score early in the first quarter, giving the Badgers an early 7-0 lead.

Wisconsin was also dominant on the defensive side of the ball, holding quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to 12 completions on 32 pass attempts for 103 yards and an interception (Preston Zachman, 3rd quarter). Additionally, Rutgers star running back Kyle Monangai was limited to just 72 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The Badgers will look to make it three wins in a row when they head to Evanston to take on Northwestern in Week 8. In the meantime, here are some of the best photos from Wisconsin’s impressive win:

Five upcoming Wisconsin opponents land among nation’s best in defensive stop rate

Five upcoming Wisconsin opponents land among nation’s best in defensive stop rate

Five upcoming Wisconsin football opponents land within the top 25 of defensive stop rate vs. FBS opponents, per TruMediaSports.

Those five teams are Rutgers, No. 4 Penn State, Iowa, No. 3 Oregon and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers boast the No. 7 spot in the hierarchy with a stop rate of 79.6% while the Scarlet Knights, UW’s next opponent, lands at No. 14 with a 75% stop rate.

The Nittany Lions (77.1%), Hawkeyes (72.9%) and Ducks (71.4%) are ranked at No. 10, No. 21 and No. 25, respectively. All five squads will look to inflict this type of defensive havoc on Luke Fickell’s squad for the remainder of the 2024 slate.

The Badgers thus far have scored 21 first half points against the USC Trojans, a team that holds a 73.1% stop rate. The crew also amassed an impressive 52 points against Purdue.

When blending the steady run attack with a few explosive passing plays, the Badgers can certainly muster a fair number of points when executing their game plan. If Wisconsin wishes to succeed against a batch of the nation’s best, Braedyn Locke will need to get the ball to his playmakers in space. It’s that simple.

UW will take on the unranked Scarlet Knights in New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 14, before taking a trip to Evanston for a game against the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 19.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin (3-2) travel to face Rutgers (4-1) in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday at noon ET, 11:00 a.m. CT. It will be the sixth all-time meeting between the two programs.

The Badgers have gone a perfect 5-0 against the Scarlet Knights all-time, winning their most recent matchup 24-13 at home last October. In that game, Wisconsin relied heavily on their run game with Braelon Allen leading the way with 21 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, cornerback Ricardo Hallman provided the highlight of the day, intercepting a pass and returning it 95 yards for a touchdown right before halftime.

Rutgers enters this week coming off of their first loss of the season, falling to Nebraska on the road 14-7. The Scarlet Knights were unable to get running back Kyle Monangai into the end zone for the first time this season. Defensively, Rutgers has allowed just 15.8 points per game, which ranks tied for 17th in the nation with BYU.

Wisconsin is coming off of a dominant 52-6 win over Purdue at home last weekend and they’ll look to build off of that performance against the much tougher Scarlet Knights. The Badgers are 1-1 in the Big Ten so far this season and currently sit in 11th place in the conference.

Expert score prediction: Nebraska vs. Rutgers

What’s your prediction?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers return home following a 28-10 bounce-back win over the Purdue Boilermakers. However, the win wasn’t pretty. Penalties and missed field goals riddled the first half before the Huskers cleaned up in the second. Now, they’re facing a team that thrives on opponent’s mistakes.

Rutgers is 4-0 on the season, but several key moments in their last two wins went in their favor. In the Scarlet Knights’ win over Virginia Tech, the Hokies struggled in the first, which saw a punt return fumble that became a Rutgers touchdown.

Virginia Tech also failed a fourth-down conversion and coughed up a safety, giving Rutgers a 16-7 lead. The Scarlet Knights scored a touchdown out of halftime and almost did it again after the Hokies fumbled on the next drive. Rutgers failed on fourth and goal.

The Scarlet Knights managed to get a go-ahead field goal after Virginia Tech tied the game 23-23. But were it not for some of the Hokies’ mistakes, Rutgers would not have snatched the win.

The same occurred in last week’s bout against Washington. The Huskies only punted twice on their 11 drives but missed three field goals and failed two fourth-down conversions.

The play of the game, however, occurred when Washington allowed a blocked field goal to turn into a Rutgers touchdown due to a 12th player coming onto the field in celebration following the block. Washington also coughed up penalties that halted drives, resulting in points scored. 

These scenarios are too similar to Nebraska’s win over Purdue, which the Huskers cannot allow to happen again. Nebraska continues to control its own fate each game, and the same applies here.

The offense needs to be clean and stop letting penalties halt drives. The defense can’t let Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis go off in his third game against the Huskers. The same can be said about Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai, who averages 6.1 rushing yards off 97 total carries. Finally, Nebraska needs to capitalize on field goal opportunities, not allowing any blocks or misses.

If the Huskers can carry their second-half play against Purdue into this game, they’ll be fine.

Score Prediction: Nebraska 24, Rutgers 14

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Kickoff time, TV channel revealed for Wisconsin Badgers’ Week 7 game at Rutgers

Kickoff time, TV channel revealed for Wisconsin Badgers Week 7 game at Rutgers

The Wisconsin Badgers will square off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at noon ET on Oct. 12 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The game will mark Wisconsin’s third conference game of the 2024 season: the first two were against No. 11 USC (a 38-21 loss) and Purdue (Oct. 5). The game against Rutgers will be carried on the Big Ten Network.

This will also mark the third time Wisconsin has played at noon ET this season. Luke Fickell’s crew played in the early window against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 3 before hosting the Boilermakers at noon.

UW will most likely enter the game against Rutgers at 3-2. The Scarlet Knights, however, boast a 4-0 record on the season after trouncing Howard, Akron, Virginia Tech and Washington by a combined 75 points.

This will be the fifth game played between the two conference foes since 2014. Wisconsin has won all five of the previous games rather easily, including a 52-3 win in New Jersey in 2021.

Rutgers received several votes in the latest release of the Associated Press’ Week 6 Top 25. This could become a must-win scenario if UW hopes to contend for the remainder of the season against other Big Ten juggernauts such as Penn State and Oregon.

Nebraska-Rutgers football game time announced

Nebraska currently has a six-game win streak in the series.

The time is officially set. The Nebraska-Rutgers game will be on Saturday, October 5, at 3:00 p.m. CT and televised on FS1.

The two programs have a long history with each other, dating back to 1920. Nebraska currently has a six-game win streak in the series. The Huskers defeated Rutgers by a 14-13 margin in New Jersey in October 2022. They also beat Rutgers in the matchup before their last one by a 28-21 margin in December 2020.

The Huskers may be looking for their second win in conference play by this point. They will take on Purdue this coming Saturday before playing the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is currently 3-0 on the year, coming off a thrilling victory over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg by a 26-23 margin.

The Huskers will look to right the ship against Purdue this Saturday after losing to Illinois in the opening contest of conference play.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Howard coach Larry Scott gave Rutgers’ Greg Schiano an earful for running up the score

Greg Schiano seemingly ticked off Howard’s Larry Scott to start the 2024 college football season.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano courted a bit of controversy during his team’s season opener against Howard on Thursday night.

As the Scarlet Knights held a 38-7 lead with just seven seconds to go in the fourth quarter against the Bison, Schiano opted to go for a touchdown rather than just kneel it out and walk away with the home win.

Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond got the handoff and ran it in for the score, which gave the team a 44-7 victory in the end.

Well, that didn’t thrill Howard coach Larry Scott, who seemed to give Schiano a piece of his mind during the postgame huddle.

Look, it’s hard to say anything else than Rutgers was just trying to run up the score — even if they didn’t kick the PAT — which isn’t a great look in a season opener against an opponent you were expected to beat and had already lost by the time you snapped the ball.

“I think we’re both two competitive people,” Scott said postgame, per ESPN. “And in that situation, I would choose to handle it a little bit differently. I can’t speak for him. I have a lot of respect for Coach Schiano, what he’s done and what he’s been able to do. But we’re both competitive. And in that situation, you know, just a little bit of frustration came out because I thought it would have been handled differently. But he might as well.”

It makes sense for Scott to be a bit miffed at Schiano, who got the win but looked like a bad sport in the end for not just running out the clock.

“Guys practiced all training camp. They deserve to play,” Schiano said of the late score. “There was no running it up. If it was running it up, you don’t use timeouts when you have the ball. You let the game end. That wasn’t retaliatory. We were going to run plays. We bring a team in here to play us. We bring them here. We bring them in, we’ve got to win and we’ve got to get reps. And they were there, we took them.”

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Georgia offers Rutgers DL commit

The Georgia Bulldogs are in the mix for elite defensive line recruit Braxton Kyle, who plays football for North Gwinnett High School

The Georgia Bulldogs have extended a scholarship to Rutgers defensive line commitment Braxton Kyle. Georgia offered Kyle shortly before the Bulldogs lost a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Christian Garrett.

Braxton Kyle is a big defensive lineman that plays high school football for North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive lineman is considered to be a three-star recruit. Kyle is the No. 1,360 recruit in the country and the No. 146 defensive lineman in the nation. The North Gwinnett star is the No. 145 prospect in Georgia.

Georgia is also targeting five-star in-state defensive linemen Justus Terry and Elijah Griffin. The Bulldogs currently have commitments from three-star defensive linemen JJ Hanne and Stephon Shivers. Five-star edge rusher Isaiah Gibson is also committed to UGA.

Kyle announced his scholarship offer from Georgia via social media.

Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia have the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class in the country right now. UGA has 22 total commitments.