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About Rutgers

@rutgersal Apologies for some of the nasty replies. Iowa fans are generally nice folk but there are some despicable rodents on this board. They should be taking their anger out on the Ferentz clowns, not opposing fans who’ve gone out of their way to provide insight.

Thanks for the writeup. Hoping for an injury free contest and a good game. Go Hawks
 
As a neutral observer who has watched both teams with more than a passing glance (I now live in NJ so yeas I watch RU)...

Both punters are actually damn good...it's close enough that you don't have to be a super-homer to pick your guy...

With that said, I'd take the Iowa punter. His ability to drop a kick ("directional kicking") inside the 5 is kind of mind blowing...the RU punter does it to but the frequency at which the Iowa guy does it is just insane
 
YOur comments about the punters proves you are an idiot.
Al is a lot of things but idiot isn’t one of them.
He’s a great fan and better person.
He’s just completely delusional when it comes to Rutgers.
Our punter could be the best in the country at kicking from our own 40 forward…he’s a master.
From our end zone out he is very average and why he will never sniff the NFL.
He hasn’t turned the ball over since he’s been here, and the only chance of flipping field position is if you don’t field the punt and roll.
Smart teams have two guys back and fair catch his 40 yard end over end punts
 
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On paper, this one has all the obvious signs of a low scoring defensive slog with multiple punts. A thoroughly ugly game with no entertainment value for anyone who enjoys watching competent offense. Should be right in KFs sweet spot.
 
Appreciate the write-up @rutgersal, this one could be an offensive slog for both teams, I think it likely comes down to who best takes care of the ball or possibly an unexpected defensive score.

Go Hawks!
 
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I mean I learned my lesson in 2016 about completely writing us off against Michigan….but….if we are in that game at the end…I will be just as surprised and delighted as I was then.
I was more confident when I thought it would be a night game against M. We'll miss the mojo of Kinnick at night...
 
The Iowa fan base is as angry as I have ever seen it. By far worse than 70's. We were resigned to it then. Now we have multiple generations who have not experienced bad Iowa. Iowa fans that know FXL know better, but we are old now.
We are so damn mad, we filled Kinnick last weekend! And it was loud with cheering! So mad. Way worse than the half empty stadiums of the 1970s.
 
As a neutral observer who has watched both teams with more than a passing glance (I now live in NJ so yeas I watch RU)...

Both punters are actually damn good...it's close enough that you don't have to be a super-homer to pick your guy...

With that said, I'd take the Iowa punter. His ability to drop a kick ("directional kicking") inside the 5 is kind of mind blowing...the RU punter does it to but the frequency at which the Iowa guy does it is just insane
I'll add to your comment ellobo. Another reason that Taylor is so effective is we have a couple of All conf level gunners in T Roberts and CDJ who have made an art out of getting beyond the ball and covering inside the 5 yard line or catching uncontested balls before they hit the ground. This is an athletic skill, and props to them and to coach Woods for their hard work....
 
After spending the last 8 years in the College Football abyss, Rutgers is 3-0. Our players, pass the eye test, thanks to Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jay Butler, who is worth every penny we're paying him. After three years of hard work, the team looks finally competitive, from a Strength and Conditioning perspective. Three weeks ago, we beat Boston College, because we were stronger and better conditioned. This was best illustrated on our game winning 96 yard drive, where we ran the ball 11 times, and there was nothing BC could do about it. Last Saturday, we had a 7 minute drive in the fourth quarter, and that was key to our ability to hold onto victory. Program wise, we're in year 3 of what is expected to be a 5 year building program. The talent has been significantly improved across the board, but we're not quite where we want to be, as we're not as deep as we'd like to be, especially at quarterback. We are offensively challenged, but do have a tough defense. We are going to try to run the ball, stop the run, and play tough defense.

It all starts up front with the biggest, strongest, and most athletic Offensive Linemen we've ever fielded, courtesy of the portal. They have proven to be adept at run blocking, but have struggled at times with pass protection. Once they make contact, they have been able to eliminate the defender, but defenders have eluded them at times.
These guys are not only big, but they are agile, NASTY, and they can run. Our Guards, in particular, are much bigger than those who previously played the position.

LT Willie Tyler 6-5 320 lbs
LG JD Direnzo 6-6 315 lbs
C Ireland Brown 6-4 300 lbs
RG Curtis Dunlap 6-4 335 lbs
RT Hollin Pierce 6-7 330 lbs

Overall, the OL is averaging 6-5 320 lbs. Of particular note, Willie Tyler started his football career at Texas. JD Direnzo was an All American at Sacred Heart. Ireland Brown transferred in from Boston College, and was solid playing Guard last year. Curtis Dunlap played extensively at Minnesota, before injuries derailed his career there, and he transferred to Rutgers. Hollin Pierce was a walk on from Trenton, a couple of years ago. He lost 70 lbs, and has subsequently earned a spot in the Rutgers OL starting lineup, and is now at a trim 330lbs. I believe that offensive line performance will determine the outcome of our games, so these guys will be key for us.

Rutgers rushing attack is spearheaded by Kyle Monangai, small, powerful back, who played at Don Bosco in Ramsey, NJ, during high school. Monagai is especially adept at running between the tackles, demonstrating exceptional vision, and taking what the defense gives him. Kyle reminds me of Ray Rice, and he should have a decent chance of getting drafted, if he can stay healthy, which was a challenge for him last year. Al Shadee Salaam is our 2nd String back, and he has demonstrated tremendous vision and burst, especially on his 28 yard TD run which beat Boston College. As long as he can stay healthy, and get better every year, he'll be playing in the NFL. Kyle also figures to be complemented by Freshman Sam Brown, a big, powerful back, who has the potential to be the best to ever wear Scarlet. Sam Brown is our third back and goes roughly 6-1 220 lbs, and has that extra gear to take the ball to the house. Sam could be the next Johnathan Taylor, and I expect him to have an especially productive career at Rutgers. He has excellent burst, runs through tackles, gets yards after contact, and has a tremendous stiff arm. Guys like this don't usually come to Rutgers. They usually wind up at Alabama or Georgia. IF he can stay healthy, he'll be here three years tops, then move on to the NFL.

Our Quarterbacks have been Gavin Wimsatt and Evan Simon. Their passing numbers have been somewhat pedestrian, as we have been mauling teams on the ground. Through three games, Evan Simon has completed 27-40 passes for 266 yards, which works out to a 67.5% clip. Gavin Wimsatt is completing 43.5% of his passes, but has better wheels. I expect both to play Saturday, though Wimsatt was injured at Temple, and may not be available. Our usual starter, Noah Vedral, is expected to be out with a hand injury, though we all hope he will return soon.
He hasn't played yet this year.

Thanks to transfers, Rutgers has a deep WR corp. Rutgers WR Corp is led by Aron Cruickshank, a 5-10 sparkplug who was one of the top kickoff returners in the country, having been First Team All Big Ten, in 2020. He hasn't been returning kicks recently, to reduce the chance of injury. Joshua Youngblood is particularly fast, so looking forward to seeing what he can do Saturday. Shameen Jones, Isaiah Washington, Chris Long, Sean Ryan, and Rashad Rochelle should also see extensive action.

Rutgers tight ends are led by Senior Jonny Langan, who previously played quarterback at Boston College, and sometimes goes behind Center to mostly run the ball. I like to refer to him as our offensive swiss army knife. He does whatever he's asked to bring home the 'W'. I wouldn't be surprised if he runs the ball extensively in the 2nd half, Saturday, just as he did against Temple and Boston College. For his career, Johnny surprisingly has >800 rushing yards. Love Johnny, and he just might be the toughest player on the team. Matt Alaimo is the other tight end, who is solid. Victor Konopka has the highest ceiling of the tight ends, and at 6-7, he is also the biggest. He broke out in the Gator Bowl with 4 catches for 52 yards, and if he continues to get better, he should have an NFL opportunity.

For too long, Rutgers defense looked like it was playing on roller skates, but that thankfully hasn't been the case since Schiano has returned. There have been times where the defense tired out, because the offense did nothing. It's the Big Ten. You leave the defense out there for an extended period of time, it's going to tire out eventually. But with a much improved offense, I don't think that will be the case.

Rutgers Defense is led by DL Aaron Lewis who has gotten better every year, and has the potential to be a double digit sack performer. I went up to him and told him to his face, that he had an NFL future, as long as he worked hard to be the best player he could be. He had a monster game against Temple, notching 11 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. I like to think that he took my advice :). As long as he can stay healthy, he should have a very productive year. Lewis is complemented on the other side by Wesley Bailey, who hails from Canada, and is seeing action due to a season ending injury to mohamed toure, who would have started. Excited about the Defensive Tackles, Ifeanyi Maijeh, Mayan Ahonatu, Kyonte Hamilton, and Troy Rainey. Maijeh is especially tough against the run. Hamilton is a budding star. All will rotate extensively, to keep themselves fresh. The Defensive Line is probably the deepest, most talented unit on the team, which is why we are much improved.

The Rutgers Linebacking Corp was hit by graduation and injuries, so we will probably only be playing two, though they are good ones. Deion Jennings will be starting extensively for the first time. He has terrific instincts and a good nose for the ball. He is complemented by Tyreem Powell, who will be a star one day. Unfortunately, Linebacker is our thinnest position, and we'll be crossing our fingers that we can avoid injuries. Austin Dean, Anthony Johnson, and some of the other walkons will probably play if injuries mount. Murphys law always seem to happen to Rutgers, so sadly, we have to be prepared for that possibility.

Rutgers Defensive Back Group is deep, and we will likely be playing 5 defensive backs. The group is led by seniors Christian Izien and Avery Young, both safeties with NFL potential. Izien in particular, is a heavy hitter, and has been playing like a linebacker, close to the line. Max Melton is the stud of the group, and possible All American, and will likely be matched up against your best receiver. His technique and cover skills are outstanding. The other Corner figures to be Kessawn Abraham, who was the Defensive MVP last year. Desmond Igbinosun will be the Rover and will play in the box, at times, and is a heavy hitter. Robert Longerbeam has provided blanket coverage, and leads the team in interceptions with 2.

As far as Special Teams go, we've got perhaps the best punter in the nation, and a new kicker. Cruickshank is an especially adept returner. Our kicker is a newcomer, Jude McAtamney. Korsaks penchant for pinning opponents deep, flipping field position, will be especially valuable, given our improvements on offense and defense.

Previously, we could not always capitalize on his stellar punting because the defense At times struggled to contain opponents. With better talent and more depth, the defense should be better at containing opponents when Korsak pins them deep and the offense will be better at capitalizing on opportunities when presented with good field position thanks to our improvements in running and passing the ball.

For the last 8 years, we've been knashing our teeth in college football's abyss. That changes this year. We are going to compete, and give everyone a good game. May the best team win Saturday.

Better summary....Rutger's is still a bottom feeder, but more competitive than year's past.
 
After spending the last 8 years in the College Football abyss, Rutgers is 3-0. Our players, pass the eye test, thanks to Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jay Butler, who is worth every penny we're paying him. After three years of hard work, the team looks finally competitive, from a Strength and Conditioning perspective. Three weeks ago, we beat Boston College, because we were stronger and better conditioned. This was best illustrated on our game winning 96 yard drive, where we ran the ball 11 times, and there was nothing BC could do about it. Last Saturday, we had a 7 minute drive in the fourth quarter, and that was key to our ability to hold onto victory. Program wise, we're in year 3 of what is expected to be a 5 year building program. The talent has been significantly improved across the board, but we're not quite where we want to be, as we're not as deep as we'd like to be, especially at quarterback. We are offensively challenged, but do have a tough defense. We are going to try to run the ball, stop the run, and play tough defense.

It all starts up front with the biggest, strongest, and most athletic Offensive Linemen we've ever fielded, courtesy of the portal. They have proven to be adept at run blocking, but have struggled at times with pass protection. Once they make contact, they have been able to eliminate the defender, but defenders have eluded them at times.
These guys are not only big, but they are agile, NASTY, and they can run. Our Guards, in particular, are much bigger than those who previously played the position.

LT Willie Tyler 6-5 320 lbs
LG JD Direnzo 6-6 315 lbs
C Ireland Brown 6-4 300 lbs
RG Curtis Dunlap 6-4 335 lbs
RT Hollin Pierce 6-7 330 lbs

Overall, the OL is averaging 6-5 320 lbs. Of particular note, Willie Tyler started his football career at Texas. JD Direnzo was an All American at Sacred Heart. Ireland Brown transferred in from Boston College, and was solid playing Guard last year. Curtis Dunlap played extensively at Minnesota, before injuries derailed his career there, and he transferred to Rutgers. Hollin Pierce was a walk on from Trenton, a couple of years ago. He lost 70 lbs, and has subsequently earned a spot in the Rutgers OL starting lineup, and is now at a trim 330lbs. I believe that offensive line performance will determine the outcome of our games, so these guys will be key for us.

Rutgers rushing attack is spearheaded by Kyle Monangai, small, powerful back, who played at Don Bosco in Ramsey, NJ, during high school. Monagai is especially adept at running between the tackles, demonstrating exceptional vision, and taking what the defense gives him. Kyle reminds me of Ray Rice, and he should have a decent chance of getting drafted, if he can stay healthy, which was a challenge for him last year. Al Shadee Salaam is our 2nd String back, and he has demonstrated tremendous vision and burst, especially on his 28 yard TD run which beat Boston College. As long as he can stay healthy, and get better every year, he'll be playing in the NFL. Kyle also figures to be complemented by Freshman Sam Brown, a big, powerful back, who has the potential to be the best to ever wear Scarlet. Sam Brown is our third back and goes roughly 6-1 220 lbs, and has that extra gear to take the ball to the house. Sam could be the next Johnathan Taylor, and I expect him to have an especially productive career at Rutgers. He has excellent burst, runs through tackles, gets yards after contact, and has a tremendous stiff arm. Guys like this don't usually come to Rutgers. They usually wind up at Alabama or Georgia. IF he can stay healthy, he'll be here three years tops, then move on to the NFL.

Our Quarterbacks have been Gavin Wimsatt and Evan Simon. Their passing numbers have been somewhat pedestrian, as we have been mauling teams on the ground. Through three games, Evan Simon has completed 27-40 passes for 266 yards, which works out to a 67.5% clip. Gavin Wimsatt is completing 43.5% of his passes, but has better wheels. I expect both to play Saturday, though Wimsatt was injured at Temple, and may not be available. Our usual starter, Noah Vedral, is expected to be out with a hand injury, though we all hope he will return soon.
He hasn't played yet this year.

Thanks to transfers, Rutgers has a deep WR corp. Rutgers WR Corp is led by Aron Cruickshank, a 5-10 sparkplug who was one of the top kickoff returners in the country, having been First Team All Big Ten, in 2020. He hasn't been returning kicks recently, to reduce the chance of injury. Joshua Youngblood is particularly fast, so looking forward to seeing what he can do Saturday. Shameen Jones, Isaiah Washington, Chris Long, Sean Ryan, and Rashad Rochelle should also see extensive action.

Rutgers tight ends are led by Senior Jonny Langan, who previously played quarterback at Boston College, and sometimes goes behind Center to mostly run the ball. I like to refer to him as our offensive swiss army knife. He does whatever he's asked to bring home the 'W'. I wouldn't be surprised if he runs the ball extensively in the 2nd half, Saturday, just as he did against Temple and Boston College. For his career, Johnny surprisingly has >800 rushing yards. Love Johnny, and he just might be the toughest player on the team. Matt Alaimo is the other tight end, who is solid. Victor Konopka has the highest ceiling of the tight ends, and at 6-7, he is also the biggest. He broke out in the Gator Bowl with 4 catches for 52 yards, and if he continues to get better, he should have an NFL opportunity.

For too long, Rutgers defense looked like it was playing on roller skates, but that thankfully hasn't been the case since Schiano has returned. There have been times where the defense tired out, because the offense did nothing. It's the Big Ten. You leave the defense out there for an extended period of time, it's going to tire out eventually. But with a much improved offense, I don't think that will be the case.

Rutgers Defense is led by DL Aaron Lewis who has gotten better every year, and has the potential to be a double digit sack performer. I went up to him and told him to his face, that he had an NFL future, as long as he worked hard to be the best player he could be. He had a monster game against Temple, notching 11 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. I like to think that he took my advice :). As long as he can stay healthy, he should have a very productive year. Lewis is complemented on the other side by Wesley Bailey, who hails from Canada, and is seeing action due to a season ending injury to mohamed toure, who would have started. Excited about the Defensive Tackles, Ifeanyi Maijeh, Mayan Ahonatu, Kyonte Hamilton, and Troy Rainey. Maijeh is especially tough against the run. Hamilton is a budding star. All will rotate extensively, to keep themselves fresh. The Defensive Line is probably the deepest, most talented unit on the team, which is why we are much improved.

The Rutgers Linebacking Corp was hit by graduation and injuries, so we will probably only be playing two, though they are good ones. Deion Jennings will be starting extensively for the first time. He has terrific instincts and a good nose for the ball. He is complemented by Tyreem Powell, who will be a star one day. Unfortunately, Linebacker is our thinnest position, and we'll be crossing our fingers that we can avoid injuries. Austin Dean, Anthony Johnson, and some of the other walkons will probably play if injuries mount. Murphys law always seem to happen to Rutgers, so sadly, we have to be prepared for that possibility.

Rutgers Defensive Back Group is deep, and we will likely be playing 5 defensive backs. The group is led by seniors Christian Izien and Avery Young, both safeties with NFL potential. Izien in particular, is a heavy hitter, and has been playing like a linebacker, close to the line. Max Melton is the stud of the group, and possible All American, and will likely be matched up against your best receiver. His technique and cover skills are outstanding. The other Corner figures to be Kessawn Abraham, who was the Defensive MVP last year. Desmond Igbinosun will be the Rover and will play in the box, at times, and is a heavy hitter. Robert Longerbeam has provided blanket coverage, and leads the team in interceptions with 2.

As far as Special Teams go, we've got perhaps the best punter in the nation, and a new kicker. Cruickshank is an especially adept returner. Our kicker is a newcomer, Jude McAtamney. Korsaks penchant for pinning opponents deep, flipping field position, will be especially valuable, given our improvements on offense and defense.

Previously, we could not always capitalize on his stellar punting because the defense At times struggled to contain opponents. With better talent and more depth, the defense should be better at containing opponents when Korsak pins them deep and the offense will be better at capitalizing on opportunities when presented with good field position thanks to our improvements in running and passing the ball.

For the last 8 years, we've been knashing our teeth in college football's abyss. That changes this year. We are going to compete, and give everyone a good game. May the best team win Saturday.
Back to the abyss, my friend. If Rutgers were ever to beat Iowa, it would have been this year.

See ya at Kinnick in '23.
 
After spending the last 8 years in the College Football abyss, Rutgers is 3-0. Our players, pass the eye test, thanks to Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jay Butler, who is worth every penny we're paying him. After three years of hard work, the team looks finally competitive, from a Strength and Conditioning perspective. Three weeks ago, we beat Boston College, because we were stronger and better conditioned. This was best illustrated on our game winning 96 yard drive, where we ran the ball 11 times, and there was nothing BC could do about it. Last Saturday, we had a 7 minute drive in the fourth quarter, and that was key to our ability to hold onto victory. Program wise, we're in year 3 of what is expected to be a 5 year building program. The talent has been significantly improved across the board, but we're not quite where we want to be, as we're not as deep as we'd like to be, especially at quarterback. We are offensively challenged, but do have a tough defense. We are going to try to run the ball, stop the run, and play tough defense.

It all starts up front with the biggest, strongest, and most athletic Offensive Linemen we've ever fielded, courtesy of the portal. They have proven to be adept at run blocking, but have struggled at times with pass protection. Once they make contact, they have been able to eliminate the defender, but defenders have eluded them at times.
These guys are not only big, but they are agile, NASTY, and they can run. Our Guards, in particular, are much bigger than those who previously played the position.

LT Willie Tyler 6-5 320 lbs
LG JD Direnzo 6-6 315 lbs
C Ireland Brown 6-4 300 lbs
RG Curtis Dunlap 6-4 335 lbs
RT Hollin Pierce 6-7 330 lbs

Overall, the OL is averaging 6-5 320 lbs. Of particular note, Willie Tyler started his football career at Texas. JD Direnzo was an All American at Sacred Heart. Ireland Brown transferred in from Boston College, and was solid playing Guard last year. Curtis Dunlap played extensively at Minnesota, before injuries derailed his career there, and he transferred to Rutgers. Hollin Pierce was a walk on from Trenton, a couple of years ago. He lost 70 lbs, and has subsequently earned a spot in the Rutgers OL starting lineup, and is now at a trim 330lbs. I believe that offensive line performance will determine the outcome of our games, so these guys will be key for us.

Rutgers rushing attack is spearheaded by Kyle Monangai, small, powerful back, who played at Don Bosco in Ramsey, NJ, during high school. Monagai is especially adept at running between the tackles, demonstrating exceptional vision, and taking what the defense gives him. Kyle reminds me of Ray Rice, and he should have a decent chance of getting drafted, if he can stay healthy, which was a challenge for him last year. Al Shadee Salaam is our 2nd String back, and he has demonstrated tremendous vision and burst, especially on his 28 yard TD run which beat Boston College. As long as he can stay healthy, and get better every year, he'll be playing in the NFL. Kyle also figures to be complemented by Freshman Sam Brown, a big, powerful back, who has the potential to be the best to ever wear Scarlet. Sam Brown is our third back and goes roughly 6-1 220 lbs, and has that extra gear to take the ball to the house. Sam could be the next Johnathan Taylor, and I expect him to have an especially productive career at Rutgers. He has excellent burst, runs through tackles, gets yards after contact, and has a tremendous stiff arm. Guys like this don't usually come to Rutgers. They usually wind up at Alabama or Georgia. IF he can stay healthy, he'll be here three years tops, then move on to the NFL.

Our Quarterbacks have been Gavin Wimsatt and Evan Simon. Their passing numbers have been somewhat pedestrian, as we have been mauling teams on the ground. Through three games, Evan Simon has completed 27-40 passes for 266 yards, which works out to a 67.5% clip. Gavin Wimsatt is completing 43.5% of his passes, but has better wheels. I expect both to play Saturday, though Wimsatt was injured at Temple, and may not be available. Our usual starter, Noah Vedral, is expected to be out with a hand injury, though we all hope he will return soon.
He hasn't played yet this year.

Thanks to transfers, Rutgers has a deep WR corp. Rutgers WR Corp is led by Aron Cruickshank, a 5-10 sparkplug who was one of the top kickoff returners in the country, having been First Team All Big Ten, in 2020. He hasn't been returning kicks recently, to reduce the chance of injury. Joshua Youngblood is particularly fast, so looking forward to seeing what he can do Saturday. Shameen Jones, Isaiah Washington, Chris Long, Sean Ryan, and Rashad Rochelle should also see extensive action.

Rutgers tight ends are led by Senior Jonny Langan, who previously played quarterback at Boston College, and sometimes goes behind Center to mostly run the ball. I like to refer to him as our offensive swiss army knife. He does whatever he's asked to bring home the 'W'. I wouldn't be surprised if he runs the ball extensively in the 2nd half, Saturday, just as he did against Temple and Boston College. For his career, Johnny surprisingly has >800 rushing yards. Love Johnny, and he just might be the toughest player on the team. Matt Alaimo is the other tight end, who is solid. Victor Konopka has the highest ceiling of the tight ends, and at 6-7, he is also the biggest. He broke out in the Gator Bowl with 4 catches for 52 yards, and if he continues to get better, he should have an NFL opportunity.

For too long, Rutgers defense looked like it was playing on roller skates, but that thankfully hasn't been the case since Schiano has returned. There have been times where the defense tired out, because the offense did nothing. It's the Big Ten. You leave the defense out there for an extended period of time, it's going to tire out eventually. But with a much improved offense, I don't think that will be the case.

Rutgers Defense is led by DL Aaron Lewis who has gotten better every year, and has the potential to be a double digit sack performer. I went up to him and told him to his face, that he had an NFL future, as long as he worked hard to be the best player he could be. He had a monster game against Temple, notching 11 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. I like to think that he took my advice :). As long as he can stay healthy, he should have a very productive year. Lewis is complemented on the other side by Wesley Bailey, who hails from Canada, and is seeing action due to a season ending injury to mohamed toure, who would have started. Excited about the Defensive Tackles, Ifeanyi Maijeh, Mayan Ahonatu, Kyonte Hamilton, and Troy Rainey. Maijeh is especially tough against the run. Hamilton is a budding star. All will rotate extensively, to keep themselves fresh. The Defensive Line is probably the deepest, most talented unit on the team, which is why we are much improved.

The Rutgers Linebacking Corp was hit by graduation and injuries, so we will probably only be playing two, though they are good ones. Deion Jennings will be starting extensively for the first time. He has terrific instincts and a good nose for the ball. He is complemented by Tyreem Powell, who will be a star one day. Unfortunately, Linebacker is our thinnest position, and we'll be crossing our fingers that we can avoid injuries. Austin Dean, Anthony Johnson, and some of the other walkons will probably play if injuries mount. Murphys law always seem to happen to Rutgers, so sadly, we have to be prepared for that possibility.

Rutgers Defensive Back Group is deep, and we will likely be playing 5 defensive backs. The group is led by seniors Christian Izien and Avery Young, both safeties with NFL potential. Izien in particular, is a heavy hitter, and has been playing like a linebacker, close to the line. Max Melton is the stud of the group, and possible All American, and will likely be matched up against your best receiver. His technique and cover skills are outstanding. The other Corner figures to be Kessawn Abraham, who was the Defensive MVP last year. Desmond Igbinosun will be the Rover and will play in the box, at times, and is a heavy hitter. Robert Longerbeam has provided blanket coverage, and leads the team in interceptions with 2.

As far as Special Teams go, we've got perhaps the best punter in the nation, and a new kicker. Cruickshank is an especially adept returner. Our kicker is a newcomer, Jude McAtamney. Korsaks penchant for pinning opponents deep, flipping field position, will be especially valuable, given our improvements on offense and defense.

Previously, we could not always capitalize on his stellar punting because the defense At times struggled to contain opponents. With better talent and more depth, the defense should be better at containing opponents when Korsak pins them deep and the offense will be better at capitalizing on opportunities when presented with good field position thanks to our improvements in running and passing the ball.

For the last 8 years, we've been knashing our teeth in college football's abyss. That changes this year. We are going to compete, and give everyone a good game. May the best team win Saturday.
You could of saved yourself a lot of typing. Now go win the rest of your games bestest team ever.
 
Good Game Iowa. Your tight end is a monster. Your defense forced us into two turnovers for TDs which we could not overcome, and was most of the difference in the game. Our defense held your offense to 13 points. Good Luck the rest of the way.
 
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