Rutgers football does not have a long history with the Big Ten, having joined the conference for its first season last year.
It’s had about as much success in the conference as it’s had history in it.
Stuck in the same division as Ohio State, Michigan State and the rejuvenated Michigan, Rutgers faces an uphill battle in competing for the Big Ten East title. After finishing fourth in the division last year with a conference record of 3-5, the Scarlet Knights are currently 5th in the conference at 1-3. They are coming off a shellacking by Ohio State on primetime television.
However, Rutgers’ biggest issues are not on the field, but rather off the field as this season has been mired in scandal. First, six players were arrested for various theft and violence charges around campus, and were subsequently dismissed from the team. Then, head coach Kyle Flood was suspended for three games after it was revealed he intimidated a part-time professor into giving a player extra opportunities to raise his grade in order for him to be academically eligible.
Amidst rumors of a lack of control and direction in the Rutgers locker room, the team has been very inconsistent in Big Ten play this year. They have been blown out by Penn State and Ohio State, narrowly lost to a very good Michigan State team, and won a shootout against an Indiana team that has not won a game in the Big Ten.
The Knights are led into battle by redshirt sophomore quarterback Chris Laviano, who boasts an impressive 69 percent completion rate and a solid 12:6 touchdown to interception ratio. His favorite target, and the best player on the team, is senior receiver Leonte Carroo, who leads the team in catches and yards and has nine of their 13 receiving touchdowns. Carroo is a nightmare for opposing defenses, although the Badgers did well against him last year.
The major shares in the running game are split evenly between sophomore running backs Robert Martin and Josh Hicks, with both rushing for just over 400 yards and both scoring four touchdowns this season. Before their blowout loss to Ohio State, Martin was coming off a three touchdown performance against Indiana the previous week. Rutgers’ running game, 35th in the nation in yards per game, is key to opening up the field for Laviano and Carroo.
But the defense is the downfall of this Rutgers team. Ranked 81st in total defense, they have struggled to generate a pass rush this year, only sacking opposing quarterbacks ten times, good for 92nd in the country. And while they have a top 20 rushing defense, their lack of a pass rush has caused Rutgers to struggle mightily defending the air game, allowing 321.2 yards per game, good for 118th in the country. The lone bright spot for them has been junior defensive back Anthony Cioffi, who has three interceptions this year.
With a Wisconsin offense that has become more reliant than ever on the passing game this year, Joel Stave or Bart Houston will need to have a field day on the weak Rutgers secondary. The defense will also have to limit big play opportunities for Carroo, in order to ensure the Badgers get the win this Saturday.
