Daily Targum Football Wrap 10.20.17

Griffin Whitmer Associate Sports Editor

The Rutgers football team will look to make it two Big Ten wins in a row when it takes on Purdue in its Homecoming game this Saturday.

The Scarlet Knights (2-4, 1-2) are coming off a 3524 win over Illinois where they rushed for 274 yards and 5 touchdowns in a dominating performance on the road.

The Boilermakers (3-3, 1-2) are coming off a hardfought 17-9 loss against then-No. 7 Wisconsin and are much improved from a year ago when the team went 3-9 and had just one Big Ten victory — a 34-31 overtime win over Illinois.

Here is what to watch for when the two teams face off at noon on Saturday.

See HERO on Page 5

October 20, 2017

Gameday Page 2

KNIGHTS GAMEDAY RUTGERS VS. PURDUE

GAME 4: High Point Solutions Stadium, Noon TV: BTN

RADIO: Rutgers IMG Sports Network/WRSU

Maietti emerges in strong offensive line Griffin Whitmer Associate Sports Editor

The Rutgers offensive line turned heads in the first game of the season when it held its own and played a strong game against Washington, a team with one of the best defensive lines in the country.

But that success wasn’t there when it lost against Eastern Michigan and especially in a loss to Nebraska, when the team only ran for 68 yards, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. A week after that, the Knights were held to 2.9 yards per carry against a stout Ohio State defensive line.

But the unit bounced back in a big way against Illinois last week, pushing around the Illini to the tune of 274 rushing yards, while the running backs averaged 6.4 yards per carry. More importantly, Rutgers came away with the win.

“It’s fun as a coach (and) for them,” said offensive line coach AJ Blazek of the team’s performance against Illinois. “You only get 12 games. You’re only guaranteed 12 days. That’s 353 you have to work.

The other 12 you get to have fun.

It’s fun to watch them go out and enjoy it. They were having fun, the feedback was good on the sidelines.”

Sophomore Jonah Jackson entered the season as the starting center, but, due to a surgery after the team’s game against Ohio State, will not play on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Michael Maietti assumed the starting role against Illinois but wasn’t inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination.

Blazek shuffled around his unit, having Maietti start the team’s game at Nebraska while moving Jackson to guard. Maietti has been the starter since, with Jackson suffering his injury as the starting right guard.

Blazek had nothing but high praise for Maietti after Tuesday’s practice, citing his quick development after being a late addition to the 2016 recruiting class.

“He’s cool and he’s calm and he says nothing,” Blazek said. “But our guys all trust him, they know he knows his stuff. Its gonna be fun to watch him play throughout his career.”

Maietti was a 2-star recruit coming out of Don Bosco Prep and was ranked as the 62nd best player in New Jersey.

That didn’t matter to Blazek, though. He only had a few weeks to recruit, as the staff was put together with just a month until National Signing Day. He said there are only three qualities he looks at in offensive linemen and Maietti met the criteria.

“Smart, tough, dependable.

That’s is all I care about,” Blazek said. “Mike Maietti is all of those. ... If you have those three things, o-line’s a position you can make yourself.”

Purdue has seen its share of tough offensive lines, as it is

coming off a game against No. 7 Wisconsin in which the Badgers — a team whose history is based on big, tough offensive linemen — ran for 295 yards.

In comparison, the Knights may not be at that level, but are playing with a ton more confidence than the group of players that they will line up against.

“We still got things we got to clean up and they were able to recognize that Sunday and started off with a good practice looking forward to this week,” Blazek said.

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @GriffinWhitmer and @TargumSports on Twitter.

INSIDE the

NUMBERS RUTGERS (2-4, 1-2) PASSING CMP YDS G. Rescigno 58.3% 112 RUSHING NO. YDS G. Edwards 93 407 51 R. Martin 255 RECEVING NO. YDS J. Washington 16 141 J. Grant 15 162 D. Mitchell 9 122 DEFENSE T. Morris D. Roberts K. Gray

TD 0 TD 4 2 TD 1 1 0 TKL 45 44 30

INT 0 LNG 25 22 LNG 27 40 33 SCK 0 0 1

PURDUE (3-3, 1-2) RTG 37.3 AVG 65.5 40.7 AVG 23.5 40.5 20.3 INT 0 0 1

YDS 769 YDS 269 152 YDS 228 154 253

TD 6 TD 2 0 TD 4 0 1 TKL 46 41 40

INT RTG 3 128.2 LNG AVG 39 87 24 25.3 LNG AVG 35 38 22 25.7 39 42.2 SCK INT 0 1 3 1 0 1

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25

PASSING CMP E. Sindelar 52.9% RUSHING NO. T. Fuller 43 D. Knox 28 RECEVING NO. J. Anthrop 23 G. Phillips 17 A. Mohoungou 16 DEFENSE J. Bentley M. Bailey T. McCollum

Washington EMU Morgan State Nebraska Ohio State Illinois Purdue Michigan Maryland Penn State Indiana Michigan State

L 30-14 L 16-13 W 65-0 L 27-17 L 56-O W 35-24 Noon Noon TBA Noon TBA TBA

Sept. 2 Sept. 8 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25

Louisville Ohio Missouri Michigan Minnesota Wisconsin Rutgers Nebraska Illinois Northwestern Iowa Indiana

L 35-28 W 44-21 W 35-3 L 28-10 W 31-17 L 17-9 Noon 7:30 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA

Key Matchup

Rutgers Secondary vs. Purdue Passing

The Rutgers secondary was once a strength of the team, but due to injuries to 3 different starters, is severely depleted. Purdue’s offense is reliant on passing the ball, as the Boilermakers are sixth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game. If the secondary can step up and neutralize Purdue’s air attack, the Boilermakers will struggle to move the ball. With safety Kiy Hester likely returning, the Knights’ defensive backs should receive a boost.

Rutgers Athletics Creed

Redshirt freshman center Michael Maietti has proven himself as the starting center with his strong play against Illinois last weekend.

We are Scarlet Knights, the most PASSIONATE fans in college athletics.

We CHEER our teams, win or lose.

We STAND when our teams enter and exit the field of play.

We WELCOME our opponents and their fans as guests in our university home.

We RESPECT all student-athletes and celebrate their efforts.

We know our ENTHUSIASM on game day helps to recruit the nation’s best.

We STRIVE to make everyone’s experience enjoyable.

We are the STATE UNIVERSITY and BIG TEN proud.

This is RUTGERS.

DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

BO MELTON WIDE RECEIVER

TARIQ COLE LEFT TACKLE

DORIAN MILLER LEFT GUARD

MICHAEL MAIETTI CENTER

MARCUS APPLEFIELD RIGHT GUARD

KAMAAL SEYMOUR RIGHT TACKLE

JEROME WASHINGTON TIGHT END

DAMON MITCHELL WIDE RECEIVER

GIOVANNI RESCIGNO QUARTERBACK

JANARION GRANT WIDE RECEIVER

GUS EDWARDS RUNNING BACK

Freshman 5’11”, 185 lbs.

Junior 6’6”, 320 lbs.

Fifth-year senior 6’2”, 300 lbs.

Freshman 6’1”, 292 lbs.

Junior 6’5”, 308 lbs.

Sophomore 6’6”, 312 lbs.

Junior 6’4”, 258 lbs.

Graduate transfer 6’2”, 213lbs.

Junior 6’3”, 228 lbs.

Fifth-year senior 5’10”, 178 lbs.

Graduate transfer 6’1”, 235 lbs.

DAMON HAYES CORNERBACK

KIY HESTER STRONG SAFETY

KJ GRAY FREE SAFETY

ISAIAH WHARTON CORNERBACK

Sophomore 6’1”, 198 lbs.

Junior 6’0”, 208 lbs.

Sophomore 6’1”, 205 lbs.

Junior 6’1”, 205 lbs.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

KEMOKO TURAY DEFENSIVE END

SEBASTIAN JOSEPH NOSE TACKLE

JON BATEKY DEF. TACKLE

KEVIN WILKINS DEFENSIVE END

TREVOR MORRIS WLB

DEONTE ROBERTS MLB

ROSS DOUGLAS SLB

Fifth-year senior 6’5”, 252 lbs.

Fifth-year senior 6’4”, 305 lbs.

Junior 6’3”, 300 lbs.

Junior 6’5”, 306 lbs.

Junior 6’1”, 232 lbs.

Junior 6’1”, 235 lbs.

Fifth-year senior 5’10”, 205 lbs.

Gameday Page 3

October 20, 2017

KNIGHT KNUGGETS

BY THE NUMBERS

44.5

Graduate transfer punter Ryan Anderson is averaging 44.5 yards per punt, good for first in the Big Ten. The Rutgers all-time record is 44.1 yards per punt, a record he is well in-reach to break this season.

13

Purdue’s rushing defense ranks 13th out of 14 teams in the conference, while Rutgers’ biggest strength on offense is its ability to run the ball with 4 different players. This matchup could decide the outcome of the game.

41.9

Rutgers’ kickoff unit is averaging 41.9 net yards per kickoff, which is third in the Big Ten, where Penn State leads with 42.1 yards per kick. Last year, the Knights ranked dead last with 34 net yards per kick.

247

The Boilermakers average just under 247 passing yards per game, good for sixth in the Big Ten. Rutgers is 14th and last in the conference with just 141.3 yards per game, 20 yards less than 13th ranked Maryland.

BIG QUESTION Can the Rutgers offensive line continue its strong play?

AJ BLAZEK Offensive Line Coach

The offensive line played very well against Illinois despite not having starting right guard Jonah Jackson. If the offensive line can continue the strong play, it will give the Scarlet Knights a very good chance of winning.

THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO OFFENSE

Purdue has a formidable passing attack that has produced more yards than that of Rutgers. The Boilermakers have been significantly more consistent moving the ball, which is why they have the advantage here.

DEFENSE

Sans the game against Ohio State, the Rutgers defense has been very strong. It caused a lot of problems for Washington early in the season and ranks ahead of Purdue in total offense, giving up around 25 less yards per game.

COACHING

Jeff Brohm inherited a very similar situation as Chris Ash, but has already overachieved in his first year. He has gotten a lot more out of his limited talent than Chris Ash has in his first two seasons on the Banks.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Rutgers is much improved on special teams from a year ago. Justin Davidovicz has been a huge boost as the kickoff specialist and Ryan Anderson leads the Big Ten in punting yardage. Plus, Janarion Grant is one of the best kick returners in the nation.

X-FACTOR

Purdue is an all-around solid team. The Boilermakers are very well-coached, but don’t have a player that brings the electricity of Janarion Grant. He can score every time he touches the ball and can change the game on just one play.

MOMENTUM

While Purdue played a really good game against then-No. 7 Wisconsin, it was a loss. Rutgers is coming off its first Big Ten win since 2015 and is playing with loads of confidence, something that will help on Saturday.

RUTGERS WINS IF

PURDUE WINS IF

The secondary holds up against Purdue’s passing game.

It can stop the run and force the Rutgers offense to throw the ball

The Rutgers secondary entered the season as a very strong unit. Injuries, however, have taken a toll and it is now an area that Purdue can exploit.

Purdue’s rushing defense is 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten. Rutgers struggles to throw the ball. If Purdue takes away the run, it takes away the Rutgers offense.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The thing that’s most impressive about Raheem (Blackshear) is just how mature he is.

The way he approaches things, and that’s not typical of a freshman just walking in the door.”

Lester Erb Running Backs Coach

TARGUM’S FINAL VERDICT PURDUE 35, RUTGERS 28 These two teams match up well on paper, but Purdue’s quarterback play will be the difference. The Boilermakers have two guys who can both sling it against a depleted Rutgers secondary.

Sophomore Jawuan Harris proved valuable in his first start at defensive back, logging 11 tackles with a forced fumble and interception. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017

Switch to DB yields success for Harris Jon Spilletti Sports Editor

It is hard to argue that the bye week could have come at a better time for the Rutgers football team.

All you have to do is look at Jawuan Harris.

Coming out of the bye week and into Champaign, Illinois, Harris had accumulated all of 4 yards in four games. It’s not the production one wants out of a wide receiver, especially when that player led the team in receiving yards (481) the year prior as a freshman.

After Saturday’s win over Illinois, Harris now has more tackles than yards, and if that output continues, it could stay that way going forward.

“Jawuan Harris was our player of the game (against Illinois),” said head coach Chris Ash. “(I’m) very happy for Jawuan to be able to get his first start on defense, really his first game playing as a DB, and to go out and have the production that he had was outstanding.”

It isn’t that Harris played well for a converted defensive back in his first game. He played well, bar none. The sophomore led both sides with 11 tackles at strong safety, forcing a fumble and collecting an interception that he returned for 26 yards along the way.

That versatility and willingness Despite it being his first game at defensive back — and as a starter, to get out of his comfort zone is no less — Harris said there were not lost on the coaching staff, and some parts that were natural to him Harris’s performance last Saturday as a receiver, but others that needed against Illinois could mean extended time at safety beyond the Purdue game time to remedy.

“I was fine as far as in the pass- matchup this weekend.

It’s a testament to Harris’s ing game,” he said. “I just had to get that first hit out the way, and then character, Ash said, to be willing to give himself once I did, just to an entirely try to keep maknew position for ing tackles.”

“I just had to get that first the betterment Harris’s inof the team. All volvement in hit out of the way, and that could mean the secondary then once I did, just try to more time on the comes out of field for the twonecessity for keep making tackles.” sport athlete. the Scarlet “ J a w u a n Knights. Injury JAWUAN HARRIS didn’t just step has plagued the SAFETY up to fill a void, unit over the last he changed few games, as jupositions, and nior cornerback Blessuan Austin was ruled out for sometimes that’s hard to do espethe season with a torn ACL during cially if you feel like you’re pretty the Nebraska game. Junior safeties good and you add value at your Saquan Hampton and Kiy Hester natural position,” he said. “To went down with injuries against ask you to go on the other side Ohio State, though Hester is ex- of the ball and play a position pected to make a return to play in that’s not your natural position you’ve never played, that says a the near future.

Hester’s return could mark a lot about an individual.” shift back to wide receiver for HarFor updates on the Rutgers ris, though he mentioned the plan is for him to prepare for both positions football team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter. for the time being.

GROUND

Gameday Page 4

October 20, 2017

Running backs pose greatest threat against Purdue after running for 232 yards, 5 touchdowns

wild Rutgers’ running backs remain its strongest point of attack versus Purdue continued from FRont The running backs combined for 5 rushing touchdowns against Illinois, charging up the field for 232 rushing yards to grab the team’s first Big Ten win in two years. In total, the team ate up 274 yards on the ground, thanks to junior Giovanni Rescigno and freshman Johnathan Lewis.

But anyone who watched Saturday’s game knows that the offense started and stopped with the running backs.

It started, as it has all year, with graduate transfer Gus Edwards, who won the starting job out of camp in the summer from senior Robert Martin. And even with the strong performances from his teammates at the position, there doesn’t seem to be any shifting in the balance. Saturday’s game in Champaign, Illinois remains one of the best showcases of each of their talents to date, and working them into a rotation has been a strength for the offense so far.

While Edwards has not been as explosive as some of the others through the first half of the season, running backs coach Lester Erb lauds him in different areas.

His pass protection, his communication with the coaches off the field and his production when he is called on to perform remain the reasons why he falls into that starting role.

Graduate transfer running back Gus Edwards led Rutgers with 91 rushing yards against Illinois, finding the end zone twice with 2 touchdowns. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017 Ninety-one rushing yards and 2 touchdowns will do the trick as well.

But “explosive” is one of the first words many would use in describing freshman Raheem Blackshear. Unlike the others in the unit, Blackshear is proficient in speed rather than power and he highlighted his skills last

weekend when he made a few good cuts en route to a 19-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Not to be outdone in the power department, he leveled an oncoming defender before stepping into the end zone.

As with Edwards, it is the off-the-field matters that catch Erb’s attention.

True freshman running back Raheem Blackshear had the longest run by a Rutgers player this season with a 41-yard gain against Illinois. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017

“The thing that’s most impres- he had his backfield to rely on if sive about Raheem is just how ma- his passing was rocky, which was ture he is,” Erb said. “The way he bound to happen, considering the approaches things, and that’s not wide receivers’ play as of late.

Though the receivers snuck typical of a freshman just walking their way into the game at times in the door.”

Those intangibles always Saturday — thanks to the return work their way onto the field, of fifth-year senior Janarion Grant which was the case for Martin — there is still a massive dispariduring Saturday’s game. After ty in performance between them fumbling the ball in his first carry and the running backs. The “more in the opening minutes, Martin is good” tag applies here — Rutdidn’t see the field again until the gers has amassed 1,044 rushing yards this season compared to its third quarter.

He spent that time reinforc- 848 passing yards, 150 of which ing why he is one of the senior have come from Edwards, Martin and Blackshear. leaders of this Their imsquad, suppact has been porting his “Our guys have to show felt in all teammates in between game up, they gotta grind and phases of the and time and earnthey gotta work and they offense, against a side ing his way back into the gotta keep trying to get like Purdue this Saturday fold in the better every week.”

— one that has second half. allowed 1,050 Like Edwards, chris ash rushing yards Blackshear Head Coach itself — there and senior is no reason Josh Hicks, to believe the Martin eventually found himself in the end backfield can’t double down on its good fortunes. zone off of a 16-yard rush.

To head coach Chris Ash, that “I just had to regroup ... cheer my teammates on and be ready,” comes with a reset button once Martin said on bouncing back the week turns over. It’s not about from his fumble. “And that’s the 274 rushing yards last week what I did. I was being patient, or the 5 rushing touchdowns.

“Our guys have to show up, cheering my teammates on, going out there and tr ying to do they gotta grind, and they gotta work and they gotta keep trying my job.”

It cannot be downplayed to get better every week,” said just how valuable the running head coach Chris Ash. backs have proved to the offense For updates on the Rutgers footthrough six games. With Rescigno assuming the starting role ball team, follow @TargumSports coming into the Illinois matchup, on Twitter.

ATTACK

Gameday Page 5

October 20, 2017

What to watch for: Rescigno starts his 2nd game of season after suffering knee injury against Illini

HERO Rescigno starts his 1st game at High Point Solutions Stadium since last year continued from back How will the quarterback position play out?

Head coach Chris Ash announced that junior Giovanni Rescigno would be the starter going forward, despite him suffering a knee injury against the Illini.

Ash also admitted true freshman Johnathan Lewis was banged up a week ago, hence why he did not see any playing time when Rescigno was healthy.

Lewis has played extensively in the team’s last two home games and should see more time against Purdue.

It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Jerry Kill rotates the two of them if Rescigno is able to run and make plays outside of the pocket.

Can the offensive line continue the momentum?

The offensive line flat out dominated a week ago and Purdue’s rushing defense ranks 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten. While the

Boilermakers have played arguably tougher competition than the Knights so far, that is still not a strength of the team.

After paving the way for 274 yards in its last game, the line is playing with loads of confidence.

Redshirt freshman center Michael Maietti had a very strong game filling in for Jonah Jackson and when Jackson gets healthy, he will likely slide over to right guard with the way Maietti has performed.

If the guys up front control the tempo of the game, it can keep Purdue’s pass-happy offense off the field and put Rutgers in a position to win.

How will the Rutgers secondar y hold up against Purdue’s passing attack?

It is no secret that Purdue will try to throw the ball all over the field against Rutgers. While the Boilermakers have played both Elijah Sindelar and David Blough this season, Sindelar played the majority of the game against Wisconsin and has thrown for more yards on the season.

As a team, Purdue has thrown for 1,481 yards and 13 touchdowns, while the Knights have just 848 yards and 4 touchdowns, to go along with eight interceptions.

Cornerback Damon Hayes struggled against Illinois and will

Junior cornerback Isaiah Wharton has emerged as the leader in the Rutgers secondary as a result of multiple injuries. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017 likely be targeted a lot on Saturday. Safety Kiy Hester should be healthy and return to the starting lineup, but he will likely be playing next to K.J. Gray, who will be making his second career start in place of Saquan Hampton. This game will be a huge test for the Scarlet Knights.

Can Chris Ash win a big game at home?

Despite Purdue not being a household name, this is a very big game for Rutgers. Both teams were abysmal last year and Ash needs to prove his team has taken a legitimate step forward.

There is no denying that Illinois is

the worst team in the Big Ten and the Boilermakers present a much bigger challenge. They are in similar stages of their respective rebuilds and this contest offers a good measuring stick for where the program is.

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @GriffinWhitmer and @TargumSports on Twitter.

The Rutgers offensive line had one of its strongest games of the season against Illinois and will look to continue its success when the team hosts Purdue this week, a team that is 13th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed. JEFFREY GOMEZ / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR / SEPTEMBER 2017

Gameday Page 6

PROGRAM

October 20, 2017

RU looks to garner 2nd straight win as Purdue visits NJ Jon Spilletti Sports Editor

There was a lot to like about the Rutgers football team last Saturday.

It flew into Champaign, Illinois two weeks removed from a terrible loss to Ohio State and put 35 points on the board, enough to take down the Illini. The Scarlet Knights collected their first Big Ten win since 2015, when they took down Indiana on the road, 55-52.

“It was good preparation throughout the past two weeks on the bye ...

Everybody was just locked in and focused, so we went out there and it was just like second nature,” said senior running back Robert Martin.

“Everybody was just going hard and executing, and when we execute, we just put drives together.”

Martin is part of a running back corps that saw the end zone five times, but as anybody on the team would say, last weekend’s game was exactly that — last weekend.

As for this weekend, Rutgers (2-4, 1-2) will welcome Purdue (3-3, 1-2) to High Point Solutions Stadium at noon on Saturday.

The Knights play host to a Boilermaker side unlike teams of years past. The Boilermakers have already matched their win total from last season and against a difficult early schedule at that — they have come up short against then-No. 16 Louisville, then-No. 8 Michigan and then-No. 7 Wisconsin.

But even losing against those squads, Purdue kept the matchups relatively close, finishing within a score against the Cardinals and the Badgers.

Still, head coach Chris Ash is adamant on focusing on the consistency

of his team rather than the recent successes of Purdue.

“Purdue is a much-improved football team,” Ash said. “But I’m not worried about that. I’m more worried about our team being able to, again, refocus and prepare the way that they did for that Illinois game if we’re going to have a chance in this game.”

If the Knights are going to have a chance, it is undoubtedly going to come through the run game. Rutgers put up 274 yards on the ground last Saturday, and the team squares off against a rush defense that leaves a lot to be desired in Purdue’s.

The Boilermakers are ranked 80th in the country in rushing yards allowed with 1,050, and the foursome of Gus Edwards, Robert Martin, Raheem Blackshear and Josh Hicks in the backfield could find themselves repeating their efforts from last week.

For Ash, that starts with the offensive line, a unit that had considerable success blocking and paving the way for the running backs against Illinois. The group has also performed well throughout the season in protecting the quarterback — which will be junior Giovanni Rescigno once again on Saturday — only allowing five sacks so far this year, which is tied for ninth best in the nation.

“Offensively, our whole line was the unit of the (Illinois) game,” Ash said. “I thought outside of the Washington game that was the best that our offensive line had played so far this season. Outstanding in the run game, pad level was better, footwork was better, stayed on blocks better.”

Just like last week, that offensive line will play in front of Rescigno, whose status was day-to-day until

Senior running back Robert Martin recovered well from a fumble against Illinois, scoring a touchdown on a 16-yard rush in the fourth quarter. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017 a couple of days ago following a knock to his knee last Saturday.

Rescigno assumed his old starting spot for the first time against Illinois, allowing the run game to dictate the offense. Rescigno only threw the ball 10 times, posting 89 yards to go with the 41 yards he had himself on the ground.

So much of last week’s game for the offense was controlled by the four in the backfield, which makes the Purdue matchup uncertain at

best. The Boilermakers are already favored as the road team and if the running backs don’t show, another offensive unit will need to step up for Rutgers — something that hasn’t happened through six games.

And there’s always the other side — the physicality and emotion that the Knights will want to replicate in order to capture their second Big Ten win in two years.

“Get our guys to forget about it and remember about the process to

create that and what they did, how they practiced, how they prepared. ... We’ve got to be able to do that each week, and that’s a measure of a consistent head coach and a coaching staff to be able to get that done. It’s a measure of a consistent player to be able to get that done,” Ash said. “That’s really what it is.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.

­ graduate transfer Gus Edwards, The Rutgers running backs propelled the team to victory last week, running for 232 yards and 5 scores between four different players — seniors Robert Martin and Josh Hicks and true freshman Raheem Blackshear. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017

ON THE RISE October 20, 2017

Gameday Page 7

Student News Chronicles with The Purdue Exponent Griffin Whitmer

targeting ejection. Bentley is talented, aggressive and the unequivocal leader of the defense.

He also has impressive speed. His interception return touchdown sealed a victor y against Minnesota by outrunning ever yone (including a chasing wide receiver) for a 76-yard pick six.

Associate Sports Editor

Looking ahead to the Rutgers football team’s homecoming game against Purdue this Saturday, The Daily Targum reached out to the Purdue Exponent, the student newspaper of Purdue. The Exponent’s sports editor Conner Klotz was kind enough to answer some questions ahead of the matchup.

Q: Purdue has played both David Blough and Elijah Sindelar at quarterback. Is it safe to say Sindelar has taken control of the position? What does he bring to the table?

A: I wouldn’t say it’s safe to say that Sindelar has taken control of the position quite yet, but the needle is definitely swinging in his favor. Blough only played three snaps against Wisconsin last week and the offense went nowhere. Personally, I think Brohm has been partial to Sindelar since he got hired but couldn’t justify naming him starter because of how Blough was playing. There is a lot to like with Sindelar. He’s a 6-foot-4-inch 230-pound pocket passer with a rocket for an arm. I wouldn’t call him mobile, but he can catch the defense napping with the occasional scramble. He’s a quality build for someone who could be the immediate future under center.

Q: What changes has Jeff Brohm made that have led to a 3-3 start and Purdue playing three ranked teams very closely?

A: As far as Xs and Os go, the defensive scheme plays more to the strength of the roster. Last year, the defense played a 4-2-5.

Linebackers are the best position

Head coach Chris Ash leads his team against a Purdue side that has fared well against big competition this year, facing three ranked teams already. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / OCTOBER 2017 on the team, and with only two of them on the field, the defense struggled. This year, a more conventional 4-3 allows another linebacker to get on the field. In a general sense, Jeff Brohm is a guy that everyone wants to play for. If you haven’t seen a video of him throwing chairs in speeches to the team, do that and then tell me you wouldn’t want to play for him. I promise, that won’t be your response. He has this team playing hard which is way more than Darrell Hazell ever did.

Editors Note: Please enjoy these two videos of Jeff Brohm being an absolute maniac and you will understand why his team plays so hard for him.

Q: Purdue is ranked 13th out of 14 Big Ten teams in rushing defense. Is that a result of the competition it has faced or is there reason for concern over that area of the team?

A: I think the numbers are slightly skewed when looking at the Boilers’ 13th rushing defense.

The competition has been outstanding. Louisville, Michigan and Wisconsin have top-notch rushing attacks. Particularly last weekend against Wisconsin runs either went for 20-plus yards or were stopped behind the line of scrimmage. They have been susceptible to the big play on the ground.

Michigan had a 49 yard TD late in the game. Minnesota got 91 yards

off two carries in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin broke off a 67-yard TD. So while the rushing defense isn’t as strong as it could be, it also isn’t as bad as the numbers look.

Q: Who is Purdue’s best player and what makes them so important for the team?

A: Senior linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. I wrote earlier that linebacker is the best position group on the team, and Bentley is the best of them. He has 46 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss on the season, and that’s after missing most of the second half against Michigan and the entire first half against Minnesota due to a

Q: What is the perception of this game from a Boilermaker perspective? Do fans expect them to steamroll Rutgers?

A: I think fans definitely expect a solid victory. The perception of Rutgers as a Big Ten football team isn’t as positive as it could be, and the rising tide among Purdue fans is that the Boilers need to separate themselves from the teams at the bottom of the conference with whom they’ve recently been associated (Rutgers, Illinois etc). In just six games, Jeff Brohm has reenergized the fan base and convinced them that this team is good enough to make a bowl, and bowl teams don’t lose to Rutgers.

Q: What is your prediction for the game, including a final score?

A: I think Purdue will take the win, 31-14. I’m expecting an explosive offense because last week, for the first time in Jeff Brohm’s head coaching career, his team didn’t score a touchdown. However, it is a road game, and it is homecoming at Rutgers, so the environment feels like there could be some potential for a letdown on the part of the Boilers. But, I don’t expect that to happen.

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @GriffinWhitmer and @TargumSports on Twitter.

Purdue has already matched its win total from all of last season in just six games this year. The Boilermakers boast a potent passing attack on offense and have done a good job of limiting teams from putting up big numbers on offense. COLE STECYK / THE PURDUE EXPONENT

Jon Spilletti Sports Editor

As a general rule in football, more is good.

No team is going to complain about more touchdowns. No team is going to complain about having four capable running backs at its disposal.

The Rutgers football team has yet to have the former on a consistent basis this season, but it has four capable running backs that have shown up in flashes this season.

That is until last Saturday when each member of the Scarlet Knight backfield found his role in the system and played it to near perfection.

See wild on Page 4

EDWIN GANO / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR