How Rutgers’ 2019 opponents fared in week 1

As Rutgers starts the season 1-0, let’s take a look at how their upcoming opponents fared in their matchups in week 1.

Iowa Hawkeyes - 20th ranked Iowa faced the Redhawks of Miami (OH) and won 38-14. While it may not look like it, Iowa had their struggles in the first half going to the locker room up only 10-7. Once the second half started, they never looked back, scoring 14 straight points with senior quarterback Nate Stanley leading the way. Stanley went 21-30 with 252 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. On the rushing and receiving ends, sophomore running back Mekhi Sargent led the way with 91 yards rushing on 14 attempts along with a touchdown and also receiving with 65 yards on 4 receptions. Their next game is at home against Rutgers and they opened as a 20 point favorite. They face Rutgers this weekend on Saturday at noon.

Boston College Eagles - Boston College got a hard fought victory over Virginia Tech, winning 35-28. After Virginia Tech jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, Boston College answered back with 3 straight touchdowns making the score 28-14. Then each team tacked on another touchdown in the third and fourth quarter. Boston College’s defense had 3 interceptions. Quarterback Anthony Brown went 15-26 with 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. AJ Dillon led the rushing with 81 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown while Zay Flowers led receiving with 91 yards and a touchdown. Their next game is home against Richmond where they are a 10 point favorite. They face Rutgers in Piscataway on September 21st.

Michigan Wolverines - Seventh ranked Michigan had a relatively easy win Saturday, defeating Middle Tennessee 40-21. The visitors jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but things never got going for them as the stronger Michigan powered through them. Quarterback Shea Patterson went 17-29 with 203 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Running back Zach Charbonnet totaled 90 yards and receiver Tarik Black had 4 receptions for 80 yards. Michigan’s next game is home against Army and they are a 23.5 point favorite. They face Rutgers in Ann Arbor on September 28th

Maryland Terrapins - Maryland had a huge 79-0 win against FCS opponent Howard. From the beginning, the game looked like it would go in Maryland’s favor. Quarterback Josh Jackson went 15-24 throwing the football for 245 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running backs Tayon Fleet-Davis and Jake Funk each rushed for 79 yards with Funk scoring a touchdown. Receiver Dontay Demus led the way with 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. This week, they get their first test as 21st ranked Syracuse comes to Maryland where the Orange are a 5 point favorite. They face Rutgers on the road October 5th.

Indiana Hoosiers - Indiana is coming off of a win against Ball State, 34-24. Ball State gave Indiana a fight keeping the game close the whole way. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. threw for one touchdown and 2 interceptions but totaled 326 yards. He also led the way rushing with 67 yards on 7 carries, while Indiana’s running back Stevie Scott had 48 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries. Wide receiver Nick Westbrook led with 103 yards and a touchdown. This week the Hoosiers host Eastern Illinois where they are a 34 point favorite. They host Rutgers on October 12th.

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Last Thursday, FCS opponent South Dakota State came into Minnesota hoping not to get blown out. And did they do a great job at that. Minnesota won 28-21. The Gophers went up 20-7 early in the third quarter but South Dakota State didn’t quit, scoring two touchdowns to take a 21-20 lead at the end of the third. With 5 minutes left in the game, South Dakota State had the ball on Minnesota’s 32 yard line at 4th & 10. The South Dakota State quarterback was sacked for a 7 yard loss to turn the ball over and eventually leading to a Minnesota touchdown to lose the game. No one in particular player really jumped out. Quarterback Tanner Morgan threw for 176 yards and a touchdown along with an interception in the win. Receiver Rashod Bateman led the team with 132 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota travels to Fresno State this week where they are a 3 point favorite. They face Rutgers on October 19th.

Liberty Flames - In Liberty’s first game, they hosted the 21st ranked Syracuse. The game did not go so well for Liberty, as they suffered a 24-0 loss. Their head coach Hugh Freeze was not on the sideline as he was recovering from back surgery, forcing him to coach from a hospital bed in a stadium box. Quarterback Stephen Calvert did not throw for a touchdown and threw 2 interceptions while throwing for 234 yards. The rushing numbers were not impressive as the most amount of rushing yards was 29. Receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden was one of the lone bright spots on the team with 119 yards on 6 receptions. This week, Liberty travels to Louisiana-Lafayette where they are a 13 point underdog. They face Rutgers October 26th in Piscataway.

Illinois Fighting Illini- Illinois beat Akron 42-3. From the beginning of the game, Illinois jumped out to an early lead and did not give it up. Michigan transfer quarterback Brandon Peters threw for 163 yards and 3 touchdowns while also rushing for a score. The rushing and receiving yards were split up between multiple backs and receivers with no one player standing out. In their upcoming game, Illinois travels to UConn where they are a 20 point favorite. They host Rutgers November 2nd.

Ohio State Buckeyes - Coming off a 45-21 win over Florida Atlantic, Ohio State is ready to up the competition. Quarterback Justin Fields got off to a very hot start running for a 51 yard touchdown then throwing three more all within the first 6 minutes of the game. He ended the game throwing for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Running back JK Dobbins finished with 91 yards and a touchdown, as many of the wide receivers had touchdowns of their own also. This week, Cincinnati comes into Columbus where they are a 16 point underdog. They travel to play Rutgers November 16th.

Michigan State Spartans - After beating Tulsa 28-7, there is still a big question left to answer. Is there defense really that good or was that a fluke? Michigan State’s defense allowed -73 rushing yards throughout the game and forced an interception. Quarterback Brian Lewerke threw for 192 yards and a touchdown with multiple running backs and receivers having similar performances. This week they host Western Michigan where they are a 16 point favorite. They’ll travel to Rutgers on November 23rd.

Penn State Nittany Lions - Penn State beat FCS opponent Idaho in dominant fashion 79-7. The defense held Idaho’s quarterback to just 91 yards and an interception. On offense, quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns while running back Devyn Ford ran for 107 yards and a touchdown while receiver KJ Hamler had 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. In their upcoming game, they host Buffalo and are a 30 point favorite. They host Rutgers on November 30th.