Nebraska welcomes another undefeated Big Ten foe to Lincoln on Saturday. Rutgers is 4-0 for the first time since 2012 and is seeking its first win over the Huskers in program history.

Head coach Greg Schiano is in his second stint with the Scarlet Knights after an 11-season tenure from 2001-2011. Yet again, he’s rebuilt the program from the ground up. Rutgers won a bowl game last year for the first time since 2014, defeating Miami to finish 7-6 and secure its first winning season in nearly a decade. 

The Scarlet Knights are fresh off a Friday night win over Washington in their Big Ten opener. A raucous crowd of over 54,000 watched their squad defeat the defending national runner-ups 21-18. The momentum is palpable in Piscataway.

Here’s more on the Scarlet Knights: 

The Rushing Regimen

It’s no secret: Rutgers loves to run the ball. The Scarlet Knights hand it off on nearly 63% of snaps, good for 11th most in the FBS. 

With senior running back Kyle Monangai at their disposal, who wouldn’t? The 5-foot-9, 209-pound bowling ball ranks third in the nation in yards per game with 147.3. He’s also a yards-after-contact machine, with 363 on the season, good for 9th-most among FBS running backs. 

Samuel Brown V provides a nice supplement to Monangai, adding 5.2 yards per carry and three touchdowns himself. Those two operate behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the country, allowing Rutgers to control the game effectively on the ground.

The Scarlet Knights rank No. 8 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten for time-of-possession. They have no issue slowing the game down and winning ugly. 

Nebraska’s run defense bounced back last week with a dominant outing against Purdue. The Huskers held Devin Mockobee, one of the most efficient backs in the country, to just 41 yards on 13 carries. Expect them to load up the box again this week and try to slow down Monangai in a similar fashion. 

Notable Quotable

“[Dylan Raiola] is incredibly talented. You don’t usually see a freshman that’s capable of doing the things that he’s doing right now. They’ve got three really big wideouts in [Isaiah] Neyor, [Jahmal] Banks and [Janiran] Bonner. I mean, each one’s bigger than the next. They’re gigantic. They’ve drawn a lot of DPIs as you can imagine because of their size and the way they move DBs around.”

Greg Schiano on Nebraska’s offense

How The Scarlet Knights Stack Up

Transfer Portal Mania

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis – The Blackshirts will get a third crack at Kaliakmanis after he led Minnesota to wins over Nebraska in 2022 and 2023. Though the Scarlet Knights lean on the run game, Kaliakmanis has been efficient when called on, particularly in the short to intermediate passing game. He’s on pace for the best season of his career, largely thanks to being kept clean in the pocket over 72% of the time.

Wide receiver Dymere Miller – The Monmouth transfer has been Kaliakmanis’ favorite target through four games. Miller put up a monster 2023 campaign at the FCS level with 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns before joining Rutgers this offseason. The Scarlet Knights lacked a standout WR in 2023, but Miller — along with Ian Strong — has contributed to an improved passing attack.

The X-factor: Cash In Opportunities 

In the first half against Purdue, Nebraska’s offense moved inside the Boilermakers’ 25-yard line four times. Thanks to missed field goals and penalties, it came up empty on all four opportunities. The Huskers can’t afford to repeat that effort this week.

Rutgers sports the second-best red zone defense in the country, allowing opponents to score on just 54.6% of their chances. It’s a daunting matchup for Nebraska with a red zone offense that ranks in the bottom 30 nationally. 

The Scarlet Knights have been the embodiment of ‘bend don’t break,’ particularly in their win over Washington last week. The Huskies racked up 521 yards of total offense — over 200 more than Rutgers — and didn’t turn the ball over once.

So what went wrong? Washington finished 2-of-5 in the red zone with three missed field goals. That’s eerily similar to the Huskers’ final output against Purdue.

Two failed fourth-down attempts in Rutgers territory, including a fourth and goal stop, cost the Huskies a game they should have won. The Scarlet Knights had six three-and-outs and only three drives of over four plays but cashed in on every scoring opportunity. 

Nebraska must find a way to avoid the same fate.

Scarlet Knights To Watch

PFF Numbers To Know

Short Yardage

***Rutgers only has four sacks on the season, tied for the second-fewest in the country. Their pass rush has struggled to get home with only 58 pressures and 39 QB hurries according to PFF. Raiola has a 77.5% completion percentage when kept clean, ninth-highest among qualified QBs (20+ dropbacks) 

***Rutgers’ offensive line coach Pat Flaherty was the New York Giants’ O-line coach when Matt Rhule was an assistant with the team in 2012. Rhule said Flaherty was a mentor to him during his short stint in New York. 

***Rutgers running backs coach Damiere Shaw coached under Rhule at Temple and in 2020 with the Panthers. 

***Under Schiano, Rutgers has blocked 41 punts, 17 field goals and 13 extra points. The Scarlet Knights have yet to block a kick this season but are only allowing their opponents to hit 33% of their field goal attempts. 

***Rutgers has 14 runs of 10+ yards when rushing outside of the tackles. Monangai is averaging 15.3 yards per carry when rushing outside of the right tackle. 

***The Scarlet Knights are extremely disciplined, having committed just 16 penalties for 131 yards on the year. Nebraska is nearly tripling that number.

***Tight end Kenny Fletcher switched from defensive line during bowl practice last season. Fletcher is Rutgers’ third leading receiver on the year. 

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