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With a Rutgers football Week 5 game scheduled against Washington on Friday night, the nation will witness the school's biggest game in years. Ahead of the Rutgers-Washington game, we'll be making our Rutgers Week 5 predictions.
Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano has built quite the legacy in Piscataway, New Jersey. The 58-year-old has now risen the program from the ashes twice, and his work is still far from over. While Rutgers hosted the first-ever American football game against Princeton on November 6, 1869, the program has often struggled with the game it helped create. The Knights had just one bowl game appearance before Schiano's first tenure with the team began in 2001.
Schiano finally led the long-tortured program to glory, marching to a 9-0 start in 2006, including the greatest upset in school history. The Knights beat then-third-ranked Louisville at home in a victory known as “Pandemonium in Piscataway,” vaulting it to seventh in the AP Poll, its highest ranking in school history and first since 1976. The 2006 Big East Coach of the Year then lead Rutgers to five Bowl victories before departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012.
Schiano's successor was Kyle Flood, who led the Knights to a Big East title victory in 2012, their only conference championship trophy to date. The former offensive lineman also led the team to three Bowl games, winning 2014's Quick Lane Bowl against North Carolina. Flood then left, though, for an assistant offensive line coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons, and that's when the trouble began.
Flood's successor was Chris Ash, who ran the program back into the dark depths it was in pre-Schiano. Rutgers was in the Big Ten at this point, sharing a conference with national powerhouses like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. This made it all the more embarrassing to once again be one of the worst high-major programs ever.
Luckily, Schiano returned in 2020, rebuilt the program, and lead the Knights to a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami in 2023. Now, Rutgers is primed for another successful season in 2024, with a 26-23 Week4 road victory over Virginia Tech putting the nation on notice. Now, the Knights have a chance to beat the Huskies in primetime, who were last year's National Championship runner-ups.
With that being said, let's roll with our Rutgers Week 5 predictions.
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Rutgers football will win the coaching battle
Schiano is a defensive mastermind who employs an old-school football mindset. The former linebacker often uses man coverage while rushing the passer from the second level, which can lead to big plays, like Week 4's safety against the Hokies. However, he also mixes up his play designs to keep the offense guessing.
Washington's new defensive coordinator is Steve Belichick, who was Rutgers' long-snapper under Schiano 13 years ago. The latter coach taught Steve, who's the son of legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick, plenty of knowledge about defensive schemes. In fact, Steve warned Schiano on the sideline whenever he called the same play twice in a row.
Schiano, who's friends with Bill, is proud of Steve, via The Asbury Park Press's Chris Iseman.
“Obviously he grew up around the on the game his whole life,” Schiano said. “He really decided that is what he wanted to do, so it was kind of an internship in coaching. And then the great success he had at New England, Super Bowl champions and all those things and running a defense there. It's not a shock to me how well they're doing defensively. As a matter of fact, that's what I thought he would do. But I am proud of him.”
The Huskies' defense has been stupendous, holding Northwestern to just five points in Week 4. However, expect Schiano and Knights offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca to dial up a mixed blend of pass and run plays to neutralize Washington's unit. Experience goes a long way in coaching, and Schiano has much more of it than Belichick. Ditto for Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, who only has three years of head coaching experience from his recent stint at Arizona.
Rutgers' seasoned coaching staff and its talented players like quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and running back Kyle Monangai will help the squad score at least 24 points.
Rutgers won't turn the ball over against Washington
Kaliakmanis has thrown just one interception this season, and the Knights have lost just one fumble. Rutgers is unlikely to call an aggressive game plan with deep shots down the field out of the gate. Rather, expect the Knights to play for ball control, utilizing Monangai out of the backfield to set up play-action and intermediate passes. For example, Rutgers took a wide-receiver screen 63 yards down the field in its game-winning drive against Virginia Tech. Instead of testing the Huskies' vaunted defense, the Knights will rely on their talent to execute safe plays and take care of the ball.
Rutgers will rush for at least 150 yards
Not only do the Knights have a former second-team All-Big Ten honoree in Monangai, but junior tailback Samuel Brown V is another threat. Brown was more efficient than Monangai in Week 4, totaling 60 rushing yards on 14 carries for two touchdowns. Monangai has 26 carries for 84 yards and a score.
Rutgers is unlikely to be down big in this game, which means Kaliakmanis shouldn't throw more than 30 passes. Running the offense through the tailbacks is the best way to control the time of possession and keep the ball out of harm's way, with the option to throw over the top if Washington sells out to stop the run. The Knights ran for 153 yards on 52 carries against the Hokies, so they'll hope for a more efficient performance in Week 5.
