PISCATAWAY, N.J. — It was a thorough performance of complementary football for Rutgers in a 24-7 win over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon at SHI Stadium. It was the kind of performance that was reminiscent of what head coach Greg Schiano built during his first tenure with the Scarlet Knights.
A dominant defensive performance and an offense that was efficient, moved the ball well and didn’t turn it over.
Sunday’s win against a Big Ten opponent has Rutgers fans believing in the direction of this rebuild under head coach Greg Schiano. The win was about as good of a performance as Rutgers has had in a season opener since Schiano returned to the program four years ago.
Rutgers didn’t turn the ball over on offense and scored in each of their first drives. Northwestern didn’t score until their final drive and were limited to 201 yards of total offense.
Now, Rutgers has to regroup and focus with Temple set to visit on Saturday:
How does Rutgers match up against Temple? @DHenryTV talks with Rutgers reporter @KristianRDyer about their win today, their strong running game and next matchup vs Temple https://t.co/9pmgRxcZSs pic.twitter.com/glwpmoY1Kj
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 4, 2023
Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt ran the offense impeccably, making smart throws and utilizing his athleticism when needed to key a Big Ten win for Rutgers. It was an efficient and clean afternoon for Wimsatt, who threw for 163 yards on 17-of-29 passing for a touchdown.
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He also had nine rushing attempts for 33 yards including a six-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. It was the first rushing touchdown of Wimsatt’s college career.