The Knights Watchman

Giovanni Rescigno (scarletknights.com) Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Advance Media is reporting that "multiple sources" have told them that Giovanni Rescigno will get the nod as Rutgers' primary quarterback today. Johnathan Lewis could potentially start the first series, and is likely to have an expanded role, but that Rescigno will be the primary QB. Check out his article here. I have a few thoughts about this. The first is that it makes sense because it confirms the reports that Gio was getting more reps during this past week of practice. Second, it could be that the Rutgers sources are trying to throw the media off and that Lewis will actually play more reps. And third, on the chance that Rutgers opens the game with Lewis at quarterback with the intent to play Rescigno the most, those plans could change if Lewis were to drive the ball down the field on the Scarlet Knights' first drive. Should be interesting game. Go Knights!

scarletknights.com After two-weeks to work on fundamentals, get a bit healthier, and prepare for Saturday's showdown with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini , Rutgers finally gets the chance to go back to showing the improvement that we saw at the start of the season. Coach Ash said that the staff "took a hard look at all three phases." The Scarlet Knights head into the contest at Memorial Stadium in Champaign to face what appears to be the most beatable opponent on the remaining schedule. Saying the Illini are beatable and then going to their home field and doing that are two different things. Like Rutgers , the Fighting Illini have recently been embroiled in a quarterback controversy. Sophomore Jeff George, Jr., just wrested the job from junior Chayce Crouch. George gives the Illini a QB with a very strong arm who can sling the ball downfield, much like his father. However, in the small sample of his play, he's also been prone to interceptions...

The Nebraska game has been in the books for almost a week now, with the Scarlet Knights having come out on the wrong end of the 27-17 score. This was a strange game to watch. Going into the game, I felt it would be a winnable contest, especially with Nebraska program seemingly reeling from its 1-2 start. On the other side of the equation was the reality of an equally struggling Rutgers team taking a fairly young roster on the road in front of 80,000 Cornhuskers fans desperate for a win. Then you have to add in that Rutgers would be without Janarion Grant, the team's top playmaker. As a Scarlet Knights fan it was frustrating to watch in the sense that the win was there for the taking, but Rutgers was unable to connect on enough plays to win the day. The Scarlet Knights simply didn't score enough to win the game, or make enough first downs to keep the Nebraska offense off the field in the second half and give the defense a rest. In addition, it seemed Rutgers shot themselves ...

The Scarlet Knights take on the Cornhuskers today in Lincoln , Nebraska , in what is the Big Ten opener for both teams. A few hours before game time, Nebraska is an 11 point favorite over visiting Rutgers . In many ways the Cornhuskers season has mirrored that of the Scarlet Knights. Both teams are 1-2, with Nebraska having won a close opener vs. Arkansas State and then having dropped two close games to Oregon and Northern Illinois . Unaccustomed to a 1-2 start, Nebraska fans are calling for the head of Coach Mike Riley, and the school's athletic director was shown the door yesterday. The Rutgers coaches, in their media appearances this week, stressed the importance of continued improvement. Last week's 65-0 blowout victory over Morgan State allowed the Scarlet Knights to send 71 players out to see some action, especially many true and redshirt freshmen who logged their first bits of playing time. Obviously, the most impressive of the freshmen was quarterbac...

Hi all: I've had an extremely hectic week or so and have been unable to post a review of the Eastern Michigan game, a preview of the Morgan State game, an update on Rutgers players in the NFL, etc. However, I plan on posting a review of Morgan State by Monday at the latest, and a preview of the Nebraska game by the middle of next week. So, check back in a couple days for more updates. Best, The Knights Watchman

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights take on the Eastern MichiganUniversity Eagles at 3:30 pm EST today at High Point Solutions Stadium . Rutgers took a step in the right direction last week with a hard-fought loss to Washington, a top-ten team. The Eagles are coming off a bowl appearance last season, finishing the year 7-6. In its first game this season, Eastern Michigan defeated Charlotte of Conference USA , 24-7. According to Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, EMU is "very well coached" by Chris Creighton, who like Ash, spent time at Drake University . Ash added, "we expect to get their best shot here on Saturday afternoon." Ash understands that MAC schools will be highly motivated for the chance to knock off an opponent from a Power 5 school. Ash said it seems every other year a MAC school beats a Power 5 school and "we don't want to be on ESPN for that." The coach said the goal for Rutgers this week is to avoid mental errors. "That's wha...