Rutgers vs Howard: Complete opponent preview

As a new feature in 2016 at On The Banks, we will be thoroughly previewing each one of Rutgers’ opponents. Up next are the Howard Bison of the FCS.

Brief Overview

Ranking: N/A

Head Coach: Gary Harrell (18–27)

2015 Record: 1-10

2016 Record: 0-1

Current Streak: L4

SB Nation Site: N/A

One Big Thing

Howard is interestingly enough coming off of a loss to Rutgers’ rival Maryland. The Terps won 52-13 behind 300+ rushing yards. It is interesting to see if the Bison are worn down from playing against a B1G team or if they are better prepared to face a team like Rutgers and give the Scarlet Knights a fight.

Key Players

QBs Kalen Johnson/Jason Collins

The Bison run a two-QB system and these are their guys. Interestingly enough, they don’t have a runner and a passer, as neither of these guys really run the ball. They seem to have pretty similar skill sets so it will be interesting to see how they are deployed against Rutgers.

WR Kyle Anthony

Although only a true freshman, Kyle Anthony is the star playmaker of the offense. He had 7 catches for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns against Maryland. He was a decent 3-star rated recruit and had offers from FBS schools Marshall and Miami (OH) so he is easily one of the more talented players on the roster. Given their secondary struggles against Washington, Rutgers cannot take Anthony lightly, as he is a type of player that can cause an unprecedented upset.

SS Craig Johnson

In doing my research, I found that Johnson has been a guy that has contributed a lot to this defense over the past 3 years. Additionally, he led the team with 10 tackles against Maryland with 1 TFL. He is the star of their defense and is a guy that Chris Laviano should always be aware of.

A few more notes

• This is the third time in the last 5 years that Rutgers has played Howard
• Rutgers has never lost to Howard
• The last time these two teams played, Rutgers barely squeaked by, 38-25

Note: Since Howard is an FCS team, information is incredibly scarce and difficult to attain.