Tag: Rutgers preview

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell gives status update on two key starters ahead of matchup vs. Rutgers

An injury update on two starters:

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell met with the media today in advance of his team’s upcoming home matchup against Rutgers. During the session, he gave updates on the injury status of both starting center Jake Renfro and starting defensive lineman Isaiah Mullens.

Fickell first noted he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Renfro playing on Saturday. The Cincinnati transfer hasn’t played yet this season, and missed all of 2022 due to injury. Back in 2021, he started all 13 games for the Bearcats and earned First-Team All-AAC honors.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 5: Wisconsin remains in the top five

Tanor Bortolini has started each of Wisconsin’s first four games at center. Renfro’s return would likely see a reshuffle with Bortolini moving out to guard.

Second, the Wisconsin head coach also said he doesn’t yet know if Mullens will play Saturday — though he sounded less optimistic. Mullens has also missed each of the first four games of the season. The Badgers have badly missed his presence along the defensive line.

Wisconsin welcomes in a sneaky-good 4-1 Rutgers team on Saturday. It needs a win to jumpstart its conquest to win the Big Ten West in the division’s final season.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rutgers season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rutgers season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Rutgers Schedule Analysis
– Rutgers Scarlet Knights Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 3-6 overall, 3-6 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Greg Schiano, 2nd year, 13th year at Rutgers overall, 71-73
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 60
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 85
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 123

Rutgers Scarlet Knights College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– Well hello, offense. It’s been a while. The 2019 Scarlet Knights scored 159 points in a 12 game season – it failed to get to 17 points nine times. The 2018 team managed 162 points in 12 games and only got past 17 points once.

In just nine games, 2020 Rutgers scored more points than any previous version since 2015, and that team played 12 games. By the way, 2020 Rutgers scored more than 17 against everyone but Penn State.

With 11 starters expected back and a few interesting position battles, there’s a chance to do a whole lot more than 339 yards and 27 points per game. It all starts with …

– The offensive line has to be better. It’s the part of the puzzle that takes the longest to build back up, but Greg Schiano and his staff were able to get what they could out of what they were given.

There’s talent in place – all five starters are back – but there will be some shuffling around left tackle Raiqwon O’Neal and junior Reggie Sutton, who spent time at tackle but will likely work at guard. Now the group has to stop someone from getting into the backfield.

The running backs are there as long as the staff doesn’t forget to keep feeding Isaih Pacheco the ball. Aaron Young is a decent 205-pound option who can catch, and Jamier Wright-Collins is a young 215-pound back who can thump.

– Noah Vedral had his moments. The former UCF and Nebraska transfer threw eight picks and made too many mistakes, but he’s the guy the the team will ride with. Because of it, backup Artur Sitkowski is now at Illinois putting the pressure on Evan Simon to grow into a role. Watch out, though, for the team to be active in the transfer portal for another options.

The Scarlet Knights have receiver weapons. Bo Melton was the team’s leading receiver with 638 yards and six scores on 47 catches, and there’s too much speed and playmaking ability in Aron Cruickshank – he’s an elite return man, too – and Shaman Jones to both average under nine yards per catch. If the 6-3, 200-pound Isaiah Washington can get it going, look out.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Rutgers Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Rutgers Scarlet Knights College Football Preview 2021: Defense

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College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, looking ahead to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– 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.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense 3 Things To Know

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