Tag: Monangai

Sep 27, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) celebrates after a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Washington Huskies at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rutgers holds off Washington despite Huskies’ 521 yards of offense

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle Monangai rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown as Rutgers won its Big Ten Conference opener, defeating the visiting Washington Huskies 21-18 on a rainy Friday night in Piscataway, N.J.

Athan Kaliakmanis completed 14-of-24 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown for the Scarlet Knights (4-0 overall).

Rutgers’ Sam Brown V rushed for a 37-yard touchdown on third-and-4 with 10:57 remaining to help clinch the victory.

Jonah Coleman carried 16 times for 148 yards for the Huskies (3-2, 1-1), who were playing their first road game as a member of the Big Ten. Will Rogers III was 26-of-36 passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns, both to Denzel Boston.

Rogers’ 12-yard scoring strike to Boston and a two-point conversion pulled the Huskies within three with 1:40 left in the game.

Washington got the ball back with 35 seconds left and moved to the Scarlet Knights’ 38-yard line before Grady Gross’ 55-yard field-goal attempt as time expired was wide left.

The Huskies outgained Rutgers 521-299, but scored on just two of four trips into the red zone and committed six penalties for 69 yards.

The Huskies drove to Rutgers’ 2-yard line on their opening possession of the second half, but Rogers threw incompletions on third and fourth downs as the Scarlet Knights defense stiffened.

On Rutgers’ next play from scrimmage, Monangai burst free for a 40-yard run, breaking five tackles along the way. But the Scarlet Knights’ offense stalled and had to punt the ball back to Washington.

Rogers threw a 51-yard TD strike to Boston, cutting UW’s deficit to 14-10 with 4:23 remaining in the third quarter.

The Scarlet Knights took a 14-3 halftime lead on a 15-yard pass from Kaliakmanis to Ian Strong with 30 seconds left in the second quarter. The 10-play, 81-yard drive was extended when the Huskies were called for an illegal substitution on a fourth-and-5 field-goal attempt that was blocked. Taliakmanis connected with Strong on the next play.

Rutgers took its first lead on Monangai’s 1-yard touchdown run with 11:26 left in the second. That capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive.

The Huskies opened the scoring on a 22-yard field goal by Gross with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

Gross missed from 42 yards midway through the second quarter and 37 yards with 7:21 left in the fourth.

–Field Level Media

Piscataway, NJ -- April 27, 2024 -- Coach Greg Schiano and quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis during Rutgers annual spring football game at SHI Stadium.

Rutgers has high hopes as it prepares to host FCS foe Howard in opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Greg Schiano may have his most talented team in years, and between that and a softer schedule than usual, expectations in New Jersey are on the rise.

The veteran Rutgers coach will lead the Scarlet Knights into their season opener Thursday against FCS visitors Howard in Piscataway, N.J.

The Big Ten has expanded to 18 teams, and Rutgers cracked the top half of the league in the preseason media poll, voted ninth. The Scarlet Knights used to share a division with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, three nearly guaranteed losses. Now there are no more divisions, and Rutgers won’t face any of those three opponents in 2024.

A program that’s usually solid on defense and special teams may pack some more offensive firepower for a change. Former Minnesota starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns in 2023) transferred to Rutgers to team up with his former offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca. Kaliakmanis won the starting job in spring practice.

But the biggest threat is Kyle Monangai, who returns to Rutgers after leading the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,262), including three 150-yard games.

Top linebacker Mohamed Toure tore an ACL during the preseason and will miss the campaign. Schiano said Monday that other players enter the week banged up, without divulging specifics.

“There’s an old saying: You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training,” Schiano said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re trained in everything we’re doing and then we’re ready to play. Whoever’s healthy, we’ve got to go out and play.”

Howard finished tied for first in the MEAC in each of the past two seasons, and the Bison were picked second in the conference’s preseason poll.

Rutgers is the Bison’s only FBS opponent this season, but their nonconference schedule also features rival Hampton, Princeton and Tennessee State before they aim for another league title and a return to the Celebration Bowl, viewed as the HBCU national championship game.

“The schedule is certainly challenging,” coach Larry Scott told Howard’s athletics website. “We have some very tough games on the nonconference part of the schedule that will prepare for those five league games. The thing that a schedule like this does is help prepare you for adversity. It puts you in situations where you have to figure things out.”

–Field Level Media