PISCATAWAY, N.J. — As the Big Ten’s leading rusher, Kyle Monangai is no longer a secret. But Monangai was no secret around the Rutgers football program.
And now in the national spotlight, Monangai just continues to put his head down and get results.
Through seven games, Monangai has 635 rushing yards on 120 attempts for seven touchdowns. His ability to continually get positive yards is a major reason why Rutgers is currently 5-2 (2-2 Big Ten) and making a push toward bowl eligibility.
On Saturday, Monangai keyed Rutgers to a needed and impressive 27-24 win over Michigan State.
For Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], he knew the potential of Monangai coming into this season. But now the actual proof, as seen on the field this year, is something that Schiano knew was in his junior running back.
“It’s not a surprise he’s doing well. I mean, you never know how it’s going to pan out, right? What I think Kyle is a great representation of is this is his fourth year in the program. He’s developed year after year,” Schiano said on Monday during his weekly press conference.
“He’s gotten stronger. He’s gotten better as a football player. He’s matured and now he’s a grown man playing running back. And I look back at over the history of the program, whether it was Ray Rice or Brian Leonard or it was Pop (Isiah Pacheco) – (all) very, very aggressive, physical backs, downhill backs, that run violently.
“And he fits right into that category of guys that as they developed, became more and more violent downhill runners.”
It was expected that [autotag]Samuel Brown[/autotag] was going to be the bell cow for Rutgers this season. But a season-ending injury last October kept Brown out of training camp and the start of the season.
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Up stepped Monangai, who has been nothing short of sensational through the season’s first seven games.
On Saturday, Monangai keyed a Rutgers comeback win that might just be one of the most poignant games in all of the Big Ten this season. And the win, where Rutgers overcame an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter, is without a doubt the most impressive win that the program has had since Schiano returned four years ago.
Monangai finished the game with 148 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter on a 21-yard run that gave Rutgers their first lead of the game. And on their final drive, Monangai fought and clawed his way to 55 yards to milk the clock.
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“It was a great win. I’m glad we got to do it at home too,” Monangai said.
“Right now, (we’re) undefeated at home. I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve been able to say that at this point in the season. It’s just a great feeling. And I wish the weather was better but it was a great feeling.”