On the Banks - Rutgers Football: Kansas Game Week HeadquartersInsomnia for the sleeping giant.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50417/onthebanks-fav.png2018-09-15T15:29:35-04:00http://www.onthebanks.com/rss/stream/176260812018-09-15T15:29:35-04:002018-09-15T15:29:35-04:00Rutgers fails to show up at Kansas, gets obliterated 55-14.
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Rutgers at Kansas" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IDR9er7W4I3ZeMtBtwthEaHqcVQ=/0x0:5168x3445/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61413077/usa_today_11251479.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ouch. | Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Abysmal offensive performance features six turnovers, team surrenders up more points than to OSU. </p> <p id="70gb2F">Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas at 11 am local time, the Jayhawks came out with good energy. Rutgers never recovered and the final score was mostly representative of the Scarlet Knights committing six turnovers, including Art Sitkowski throwing two pick sixes in the first half. Kansas patiently waited on offense, refusing to throw the ball downfield at all, and eventually wore out the Rutgers defense. </p>
<p id="N3QWxU">It went down like this ...</p>
<p id="UEl973">Rutgers did not and was in an early 10-0 hole after Art Sitkowski threw his first pick six of the first half. Rutgers gave it right back with a <span>Jon Hilliman</span> fumble two plays later setting up the Jayhawks with field goal position immediately and threatening to really blow it open. </p>
<p id="S6tJuw">After typical zone runs and jump balls (more on those later), Kansas was forced to try a field goal. <span>Deonte Roberts</span> came so unblocked the kick practically hit him in the chest and after the ball bounced around a bit, <span>Roberts</span> scooped it up. The blocking wasn’t perfect, but <span>Roberts</span> was on a mission and would not be stopped on his way for a touchdown. After a successful extra point, Rutgers had momentum down just 10-7. </p>
<p id="It6ahK">The defense who had been on the field all quarter did a poor job keeping contain and allowed Kansas’s first real drive of the day the length of the field behind a few nice Pooka Williams runs. Kansas elected to substitute <span>Miles Kendrick</span> in at quarterback and he promptly ran a keeper to the right but was stuffed at the line. Kendrick tossed one up for grabs on second that fell incomplete and another jump ball on third was hauled in by tight end Jeremiah Booker for what would be the only passing TD for the Jayhawks on the day. Kansas did convert the PAT and led 17-7. </p>
<p id="qZTkA1">Rutgers came out firing with a long bomb to <span>Shameen Jones</span> on the first play. <span>Jones</span> had two steps on the defender and the ball was a tad underthrown, but he leapt untouched and the ball bounced off this hands on what should have been a big gain into Kansas territory. The team picked him up as Blackshear had a nice carry and a big reception by <span>Jerome Washington</span> got RU to the Kansas 42 with a nice block by Shameen. On the first down play Blackshear fought for extra yards and coughed up the ball, the Knights’ second fumble of the day. </p>
<p id="nryIsx">Kansas drove it down and a touchdown that would have made it 23-7 was called back by a lineman holding <span>Elorm Lumor</span>, so RU dodged a bullet. On the final play of the first quarter, Kansas attempted a field goal that was blocked by Jon Bateky. Rutgers could not return it to the house though and the score remained 17-7 heading into the second. </p>
<p id="Ep6otJ">Two plays into the ensuing drive, Sitkowski threw into traffic again and was intercepted. A convoy of blockers got the ball into the end zone again for Kansas’s second pick six of the game. The ensuing point after made it 24-7 and Rutgers was in deep, deep trouble. </p>
<p id="SxHjbW">With all that Rutgers burned their final timeout of the first half with 12:49 left when they could not get a punt off. Kansas failed to capitalize and punted it right back. Rutgers got good field position on the next drive but squandered it with a third down drop by <span>Travis Vokolek</span> at the sticks. Sitkowski had all day to throw (mostly true all game) and yet Rutgers could not get points. If <span>Vokolek</span> catches the pass it would have set up at worst a fourth and one from the Kansas 34 yard line. Instead Rutgers punted for just the third time and pinned Kansas at their own five yard line. Kansas got two first downs but was forced to punt after a third down deep pass went to nowhere and curiously no one even complained for an intentional grounding with the rush closing in. A 49 yard punt flipped field position yet again. </p>
<p id="HCh5sB"><span>Jerome Washington</span> made a nice catch and run on a key third down (although Rutgers would have gotten one automatically due to a questionable hands to the face call on the defense.) Then Raheem Blackshear imposed his will and paraded his way downfield with some big holes and nice stiff arms for extra yardage. Once inside the ten I almost threw something at my TV when RU decided to throw a fade to <span>Hunter Hayek</span> incomplete on first. Luckily Hilliman bulldozed his way behind some effective blocking into the end zone. Adding injury to insult, Kansas best NFL prospect <span>Daniel Wise</span> was shaken up on the play. After the extra point, the score was cut to 24-14 with 3:07 left in the first half. </p>
<p id="vNLTTW">The obvious run situation with Kendrick back in the game and Kansas wanting to play it safe seemed like RU had a chance to get the ball back with time to narrow the deficit again before half. After stuffing the first down play, Rutgers was flagged for unnecessary roughness moving the ball out to the 41 yard line. Rutgers then had the next play stacked up in the backfield, but three missed tackles somehow turned into a <span>Khalil Herbert</span> 59 yard touchdown. <span>Trevor Morris</span> was injured on the play and after the extra point it was 31-14. </p>
<p id="D6Msbb">So Rutgers took over at the 25 with 2:29 left in the half. Kansas sold out on a blitz which was disaster for Rutgers as Sitkowski was hit despite <span>Kamaal Seymour</span> getting called for holding on the play. After that it was obvious Rutgers was trying to just limp into halftime. A 42 yard punt left Kansas 53 seconds to to need only about 25 yards to be in field goal range. Rutgers avoided disaster when a Pooka Williams run was called back after an obvious holding penalty. Rutgers blew up the backfield to send the game to halftime, still down 31-14. </p>
<p id="70j1b7">The Kansas crowd was pumped at the break, believing they were poised to win back to back games for the first time since 2011. The stats were predicated on the turnovers in the first half, four for the Scarlet Knights and zero for the Jayhawks. Sitkowski was just 5 of 15 for 34 yards, while Kansas only tallied 104 yards through the air. On the ground Pooka Williams had 77 yards on 12 carries toward 168 total for Kansas with 59 on that single <span>Herbert</span> TD run, his only carry of the half. Blackshear had 13 for 89 making many fans on twitter and our game thread clamor for RU to just pound the rock. </p>
<p id="rLFH73">Kansas got the ball to start the second half and had a quick three and out after an inaccurate throw by Kendrick on third down. Rutgers ran for a minimal gain on 1st, then a Sitkowski bomb with no pass rush at all was nowhere near complete to <span>Hunter Hayek</span>. So Rutgers had a third and long but was forced to call their first timeout of the half. A well drawn up play (sail concept) had Art (again with infinite time) connect with <span>Jerome Washington</span> but he was stopped just short of a first when <span>Eddie Lewis</span> seemed open at the next level heading toward the sideline. <span>Mike Lonsdorf</span> who had returned to the lineup was injured on the play. Rutgers opted against any trickery and punted. </p>
<p id="1iYI5h">Rutgers corners played 12 yards off the line on the next play and even though Kendrick stared down his receiver before the snap and after, got 9 yards. After a first down, Kansas dodged a bullet when Herbert hauled in a screen that was tossed into traffic by Kendrick. Kansas committed another holding penalty and Kendrick did a good job to avoid being stripped on second. Pooka Williams made an awesome cut on third down but <span>Isaiah Wharton</span> made a shoestring tackled to avoid catastrophe and set up a fourth and 8. Kansas curiously ran up to the line trying to draw Rutgers offside even though a penalty would have still resulted in fourth down. A questionable coaching decision then caused the Jayhawks to call timeout with one second on the play clock rather than just take the delay of game before punting. </p>
<p id="h46Rdu">So Rutgers again was somehow still in the game, down 31-14 not even halfway into the third quarter. On second and six with plenty of time to pass, Sitkowski threw the ball directly to a defender for his third interception. The defender decided to just fall on the ground luckily for RU because had he not, it would have been another pick six. Pooka Williams did his best throw an interception on a HB option pass, but it fell incomplete as <span>Wharton</span> and Hester were there, luckily for Kansas. Kendrick turned it into a rushing touchdown for a 38-14 lead and the game was hanging by a thread. </p>
<p id="6EQZ4Y">Rutgers finally inserted backup quarterback <span>Giovanni Rescigno</span> and the Knights moved the ball upfield quite well before a fumble on the exchange between Gio and center <span>Michael Maietti</span> was recovered by Kansas. Kansas scored to go up by an insurmountable four scores and after that it was garbage time. The only major takeaway is probably that 5th year senior captain and fan favorite Giovanni Rescigno is not the answer at quarterback either. </p>
<p id="jxioFL">This was an absolutely embarrassing loss and fans need to face the reality that if Rutgers can’t do leaps and bounds better than this, they will not win another game. On the other hand, it’s just one game that featured six turnovers. Rutgers could win next week. </p>
<p id="A1B9jM"><a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=401012822">Box Score</a></p>
<p id="L3R7a4">Next up: Rutgers hosts Buffalo at noon next Saturday, September 22. </p>
https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/15/17863912/rutgers-fails-to-show-up-at-kansas-pooka-ash-blackshear-sitkowski-gio-ash-maiettiRUready4Brazil2018-09-15T11:36:28-04:002018-09-15T11:36:28-04:00Rutgers At Kansas Game Thread
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<figcaption>Scott Greenwald</figcaption>
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<p>Join us in the comment section during the noon contest </p> <h3 id="6wd8JG">How To Watch, Stream & Listen</h3>
<h4 id="EQzC5c">Rutgers (1-1; 0-1) At Kansas (1-1; 0-0) </h4>
<p id="VVJgtm"><strong>Where:</strong> Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS.</p>
<p id="uIkXIs"><strong>Kick-off: </strong> Saturday, September 15th at 12:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. local)</p>
<p id="uNTYuP"><strong>Weather: </strong>83 degrees, mostly cloudy with a 14% chance of rain, 6 mph winds</p>
<p id="VlgQgi"><strong>TV:</strong> MSG+ in the New York area (other FOX regional affiliate elsewhere); Brendan Burke (play-by-play), David Anderson (analyst - the former Colorado State wideout, not me unfortunately) and Christian Steckel (reporter)</p>
<p id="fDswrI"><strong>Stream: </strong>MSG Go, <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/program/446609/college-football-rutgers-at-kansas">FOX Sports Go</a></p>
<p id="9q9AQx"><strong>Radio:</strong> Rutgers IMG Sports Network with Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas, and Anthony Fucilli - WCTC 1450-AM, ESPN NY 98.7-FM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM, XM 199, Sirius 137. WRSU 88.7-FM (Justin Sontupe and Sam Marsdale)</p>
<p id="iinM1m"><strong>Current Spread: </strong>Kansas -3</p>
<p id="UNCCs5"><strong>Against The Spread:</strong> Rutgers 1-1; Kansas 1-1</p>
<p id="6pk6zB"><strong>Series History: </strong>Rutgers leads 1-0. (2015)</p>
<p id="ingeYG"><strong>SB Nation KU site:</strong> <a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/">Rock Chalk Talk</a></p>
<p id="ZpsslZ"><a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/14/17842828/rutgers-football-game-3-preview-at-kansas-pooka-sitkowski-ash-niemann-washington-austin-hampton">Game Preview</a></p>
<p id="F2xRSN"><a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/14/17862040/rutgers-football-kansas-game-week-headquarters-chris-ash-artur-sitowski-pooka-williams-jayhawks">Rutgers At Kansas Game Week HQ</a></p>
<p id="0L6W1e">Game three is here for Rutgers football and we will find out more about this team today than we have in the previous two games combined. Kansas is a team Rutgers needs to beat in order to march towards a successful season. Join us in the comment section during the game and hopefully they deliver their best performance of the season so far.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let’s Get It! ⚔️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHunt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheHunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/2pQ4lVNbko">pic.twitter.com/2pQ4lVNbko</a></p>— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1040960337753911296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2018</a>
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https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/15/17862032/rutgers-at-kansas-game-thread-football-chris-ash-artur-sitkowski-raheem-blackshearOTB Staff2018-09-14T11:45:02-04:002018-09-14T11:45:02-04:00OTB Staff Predictions: Rutgers At Kansas
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Rutgers at Ohio State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VMqqvmAl4AeOnCV3sdzVUr0amMQ=/0x0:2982x1988/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61397855/usa_today_11209783.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="A89Wbw">Game three at Kansas is upon us and as always, our staff make their picks for how we think Rutgers football will fare in the contest. After a solid win against a lesser opponent to open the season and a disappointing performance against Ohio State, this game should give a much better indication of where this team is truly at. Here are our thoughts ahead of the biggest game of the season so far.</p>
<p id="jAw50f"><strong>David Anderson: </strong>Which Kansas team will show up this week? The one that ran for 56 yards against an FCS opponent or the one that once Pooka Williams was added to the lineup tallied 216 against Central Michigan? Probably be more of the latter, but the Scarlet Knights are bigger, faster, and stronger than the Chippewas. Rutgers pass defense was shredded by Ohio State, but will be better against the Jayhawks. If Rutgers offense can avoid turnovers, they should score just enough points. When in doubt in early season matchups I look at the team that has faced superior competition thus far regardless of the outcome, Rutgers for sure here. The 11 am CDT kick may slow entry of the rowdiest crowd in Lawrence since 2009 and RU should have enough with or without Sitkowski at 100%. <strong>Rutgers 23, Kansas 17</strong></p>
<p id="qwtl09"><strong>Nick Kosko: </strong>My biggest concerns with this game are that the Scarlet Knights have to travel and have to deal with Pooka Williams at running back. We know in recent seasons, Rutgers has been notoriously bad against good running backs. I don’t want to overreact based on last week’s drubbing against Ohio State, but I firmly expect this to be a sloppy game. Kansas is one of the worst programs, if not THE worst program in FBS, but Rutgers will soon take that title or join them should they lose this weekend. This is an absolute must win. As long as Artur Sitkowski stands upright and delivers the ball, Rutgers should be fine, but they need to find some sort of identity on offense. A balanced attack with Sitkowski tossing around 20-25 passes should do. I would expect Raheem Blackshear to get the bulk of the carries, mixed in with some Jonathan Hillman when they need tough yards, but I want to see Isaih Pacheco get a few more touches. The kid has talent and it needs to be utilized, especially if Chris Ash and co. are going with a near total youth movement. Look for a close one between these two teams. <strong>Rutgers 21, Kansas 14</strong></p>
<p id="199zBc"><strong>Patrick Mella: </strong>Excuse my Allen Iverson like take on this week but….we’re talking Kansas? Kansas? Not Kansas basketball but Kansas football? Ok, I’ll stop. No disrespect to any Jayhawk fan reading this but come on, Kansas? Are we really incapable of beating what many consider the worst program in the Power Five Conference? Make no question this would be a catastrophic loss for Rutgers and one that could derail the season. I’m not going into X’s and O’s for my prediction this week. Simply put, Rutgers has the more talented squad whether or not Sitkowski and Austin are fully healthy. I don’t care what the line is, or that Rutgers is playing away after a loss, or Kansas home after a win, possibly injuries, etc. This is year three of the Ash era and time to start taking care of games like these. I’m tired of every year going over these games and saying to myself, “Yeah, Rutgers should win, but ehh you never know with them.” They just played an Ohio State team that is composed of many guys you’ll see on NFL rosters. And while they did get beat quite easily, it should make games like this seem much more manageable. If Rutgers is making progress, headed in the right direction and capable of doing damage to the schedule these next two months, they should handle this Kansas game and do so in convincing fashion. <strong>Rutgers 35, Kansas 7</strong></p>
<p id="BLuCLv"><strong>Jim Hoffman: </strong> Rutgers and Kansas have gone in opposite directions so far. Rutgers had a strong showing against a weak Sun Conference team, and a terrible showing against a top five team. Kansas had a terrible showing against a weak Southland Conference (FCS) team, and a strong showing against a MAC team. For both of them, as David stated above, which Rutgers and which Kansas will show up? I think that if the Kansas that played well against Central Michigan shows up against the Rutgers who played against Ohio State last week, Rutgers still has a chance to win. Similar to Rutgers, Kansas goes up against four teams currently in the Top 25, but unlike Rutgers, they haven’t faced any to date. And their toughest opponent won’t be faced until mid-November, while Rutgers faced theirs last Saturday. I guess what I’m saying is you can’t look at the wins and losses at face value to say these are equal teams. I think Rutgers will come out of the tunnel at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium with a big ol’ chip on their shoulder, and the Jayhawks are going to take it on the chin. <strong>Rutgers 28 Kansas 10</strong></p>
<p id="Cg4Gbv"><strong>Cara Sanfilippo: </strong>Ugh, do I have to? I am so glad I couldn’t watch last week’s game due to my bridal shower falling smack dab in the middle of it. I understand this is not a vent session, but we truly cannot score a single touchdown against the Big Ten elite? Anyway, upward and onward. This is a game Rutgers should win, and one I was counting as a W in my original season <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/8/27/17692558/otb-round-table-2018-season-predictions-rutgers-football-big-ten-chris-ash-artur-sitkowski">prediction</a>. On paper, Rutgers has more talent that Kansas. I would hope they are itching for some level of vindication after being strung over the racks last week. It seems as if Sitowski will play after an injury after a careless play call by McNulty. Rutgers will need to clean up their mistakes and mental errors, and execute well to make it convincing. The defense will need to keep Pooka Williams in check, and stop big gains on the run. If they can do that, and gain some traction offensively, they should come out victorious. I will want to say the team play to win, and not super conservatively after a loss last week. If they lose, honestly, I am scared for the rest of the season. <strong>Rutgers 27, Kansas 17</strong></p>
<p id="OMYlGE"><strong>Namrita Singh: </strong>Don’t want to keep repeating the others have already said. Fully expect Rutgers to win tomorrow but I don’t expect it to be by much. It’ll be sloppy and probably slow but they’ll come through. I expect them to be hungry and to come out with some fire. I’d like to see the offense get into some kind of rhythm. Limit penalties and turnovers. It is a road game and it is against Kansas but I don’t know if anything could make me feel confident in this team right now. They are an enigma. Which team will show up tomorrow? Or will we get an entirely different one? Regardless... <strong>Rutgers 24, Kansas 17</strong></p>
<p id="0D6pWS"><strong>Dave White: </strong>I have no idea what to expect. Is Art Sitkowski completely healthy? Was the offensive line completely overrun by Ohio State or will holes in the line be a problem all season long? Sitkowski got hit a lot against Texas State so it’s clear the offensive line needs to improve. Kansas is riding high after a big road win last week, but Rutgers is simply more talented. The key here is the game plan and the execution. If this game were at High Point Solutions Stadium dot com dot org dot edu Arena Stadium, I’d be predicting a ten plus point win. However, a road game could be tough. This game will be close. A coin flip. <strong>Rutgers 21 Kansas 18...but I’m not confident.</strong></p>
<p id="Dm8Z52"><strong>Aaron Breitman: </strong>This is a big test for a Rutgers team that got torched by Ohio State 52-3 last weekend. Playing a second consecutive road game is never easy. There is no way to know how true freshman quarterback Artur Sitkowski will respond after getting knocked out of the game last week on a viscous hit. The secondary is having health issues as well. However, I think the running back trio of Rutgers has success early and often in this game and the defense will bend but not break. It will be relatively close until Rutgers puts it to bed late by wearing down the Jayhawks defense. <strong>Rutgers 31 Kansas 17</strong></p>
<p id="GlCuHF"><em>What do you think about Saturday’s matchup? Are we too optimistic or too conservative? Let us know in the comment section, along with your own prediction for the game.</em></p>
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https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/14/17843568/otb-staff-predictions-rutgers-at-kansas-football-chris-ash-artur-sitkowski-pooka-williams-jayhawksOTB Staff2018-09-14T10:10:02-04:002018-09-14T10:10:02-04:00Q&A With Rock Chalk Talk On Kansas Football
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<img alt="Nicholls v Kansas" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2SYcTu-JwMqtGcx6doz2dHblKwA=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61398041/1026048324.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Find out from a KU Insider about what to expect from the Jayhawks on Saturday</p> <p id="3Khgjq">It’s been an interesting week for Rutgers football fans. After receiving the good news that true freshman starting quarterback Artur Sitkowski is okay after getting knocked out of the Ohio State game, news broke that the best player on the team, Blessuan Austin, may opt for surgery and could be out for the season. </p>
<p id="9ZgwAb">The roller coaster stops in the land BBQ and the yellow brick road on Saturday, as Rutgers is set to take on Kansas in the second non-conference game of the season. I was fortunate to speak with <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Andy%20Mitts">Andy Mitts</a> of SB Nation’s Kansas site, <a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/">Rock Chalk Talk</a>. We spoke about the program’s historic win last week, their outlook overall for the season, freshman running back sensation Pooka Williams, and much more. Let’s kick things off here.</p>
<p id="8iAOUF"><strong>AB: It’s been a bit of a roller coaster to the start of the season after losing at home to FCS school Nicholls State, then breaking the program’s record 46 game losing streak with a strong performance against Central Michigan. What were the expectations heading into this season and what is the general feeling among the fan base heading into this weekend’s game against Rutgers?</strong></p>
<p id="DInKAk"><strong>AM:</strong> Honestly, there were really no expectations for this team, mainly because we have gone into previous years with optimism, only to have our hopes and dreams crushed by compete incompetence. The level of athletic talent isn’t quite as high as it needs to be to compete consistently in the Big 12. However, this disparity has been magnified by the complete lack of coaching ability shown by the staff. </p>
<p id="3zJV9G">Really, everything you need to know is wrapped up in the fact that when the over/under for Kansas wins came out, nearly the entire rational fanbase collectively yelled “UNDER, EASY MONEY!”</p>
<p id="Xdw7oe"><strong>AB: Do you and the fan base still believe that head coach David Beaty can turn things around or is it basically inevitable this is his last season after winning just three games in his first three seasons?</strong></p>
<p id="8vIABc"><strong>AM:</strong> It would take a miracle for Beaty to keep his job. Jeff Long was hired and paid quite well specifically to hire a successful football coach. As mentioned above, we are still seeing the horrible time management and game calling issues that the first-time head coach was dealing with in year one. With no measurable progression in the first three years, it’s hard to imagine anything short of qualifying for a bowl game will save his job.</p>
<p id="3XpOt5"><strong>AB: The offense benefited from the debut of running back Pooka Williams in the win over Central Michigan. The former 4-star recruit did not play in the season opening loss and his presence bolstered the rushing attack in a big way. What made him so effective in averaging 8.9 yards per carry and does his performance raise the ceiling for this offense’s potential this season?</strong></p>
<p id="Mj8Uj5"><strong>AM:</strong> He definitely opens up more for the offense, as his pure speed is something we don’t have anywhere else on the roster. And he seems to have good vision to find the small holes that are being opened up for him.</p>
<p id="DBRbxQ">However, the main issue with the offense hasn’t been fixed. The offensive line still hasn’t been able to pass protect for any decent length of time, and the running lanes have been nearly as large as I would like them to be, so until that happens, I don’t think we can expect many sustained drives.</p>
<p id="dPRovY"><strong>AB: Quarterback Peyton Bender hasn’t been lights out in two games, but he has limited mistakes and hasn’t thrown an interception. Has he shown enough growth to be a serious threat in the passing game or is he more of a game manager at this point into his second season as the starter?</strong></p>
<p id="NAyQyu"><strong>AM:</strong> It all comes back to the OL. I think he is talented enough to pass down field accurately, but he just doesn’t have time to let the play develop. Thus, we have seen a lot of check downs and “game-manager” type plays. I expect it to continue until the offensive line can find a way to get.</p>
<p id="i3PN3k"><strong>AB: The Kansas defense forced six turnovers in last week’s win over Central Michigan. What is the strength of this unit and how much pressure have they generated in the pass rush overall so far this season?</strong></p>
<p id="fjZNxh"><strong>AM:</strong> The pass rush has not actually been that great, instead relying on super senior Joe Dineen Jr and the other linebackers to limit the gains on short yardage plays. So far, the secondary has held up fairly well, but we definitely need to see the pressure ramped up if we expect to stay in games moving forward.</p>
<p id="Neil4f">Keith Loneker has made big plays to limit runs, and freshman Corionne Harris has provided a big boost in the secondary. The defensive backfield have only been burned a few times, but we’ll see how they handle a more prolific passing attack in the coming weeks.</p>
<p id="N1nQMJ"><strong>AB: For Rutgers fans that are attending the game, what are some places and activities they should check out during their visit and on gameday specifically?</strong></p>
<p id="0tujyf"><strong>AM:</strong> I haven’t actually been back to Lawrence in nearly a decade, so I had to reach out to some of our guys who live close for some help here. These are their suggestions:</p>
<ul>
<li id="b1N3US">Since it’s an early game, breakfast at Ladybird or The Roost. Beers at Lawrence Beer Company. Usually decent live music at Lucia Beer Garden.</li>
<li id="rWS45f">If you are a music fan, hit up Love Garden. It’s the best record store in the Midwest.</li>
<li id="O4uhql">After the game, there are plenty of great restaurants on Mass street to head to for dinner.</li>
</ul>
<p id="wy69ph"><strong>AB: Prediction time, how do you see this game playing out?</strong></p>
<p id="eSPjep"><strong>AM: </strong>I’m having a hard time seeing Kansas pulling this one out, even though the crowd should be slightly juiced up due to the induction of Todd Reesing into the Ring of Honor. I’m not expecting the huge turnover differential that we saw last week, and the offense isn’t consistent enough to maintain success for the full game. <strong>Rutgers 21, Kansas 17</strong></p>
<p id="Zu8NaW"><em>Thanks to Andy for giving such great insight on the current state of Kansas football. Follow him on twitter here and for full coverage of the Jayhawks, visit </em><a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/"><em>Rock Chalk Talk</em></a><em>. To read my take and answers to Andy’s questions on Rutgers heading into this game, </em><a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/2018/9/14/17859166/behind-enemy-lines-a-q-a-with-on-the-banks"><em>click here.</em></a></p>
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https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/14/17851046/q-a-with-rock-chalk-talk-on-kansas-football-pooka-williams-david-beaty-jayhawks-rutgersAaron Breitman2018-09-14T06:00:02-04:002018-09-14T06:00:02-04:00Rutgers Football Game #3 Preview at Kansas
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<img alt="Kansas v Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O9wJMMqNLkhOy0KPZ-A5LUabCKU=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61394891/490145028.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tight ends moving the chains may be a key in this one. | Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Both teams enter the contest 1-1, one will leave with momentum.</p> <h3 id="6wd8JG">How To Watch, Stream & Listen</h3>
<h4 id="EQzC5c">Rutgers (1-1; 0-1) At Kansas (1-1; 0-0) </h4>
<p id="VVJgtm"><strong>Where:</strong> Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS.</p>
<p id="uIkXIs"><strong>Kick-off: </strong> Saturday, September 15th at 12:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. local)</p>
<p id="uNTYuP"><strong>Weather: </strong>83 degrees, mostly cloudy with a 14% chance of rain, 6 mph winds</p>
<p id="VlgQgi"><strong>TV:</strong> MSG+ in the New York area (other FOX regional affiliate elsewhere); Brendan Burke (play-by-play), David Anderson (analyst - the former Colorado State wideout, not me unfortunately) and Christian Steckel (reporter)</p>
<p id="fDswrI"><strong>Stream: </strong>MSG Go, <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/program/446609/college-football-rutgers-at-kansas">FOX Sports Go</a></p>
<p id="9q9AQx"><strong>Radio:</strong> Rutgers IMG Sports Network with Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas, and Anthony Fucilli - WCTC 1450-AM, ESPN NY 98.7-FM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM, XM 199, Sirius 137. WRSU 88.7-FM (Justin Sontupe and Sam Marsdale)</p>
<p id="iinM1m"><strong>Current Spread: </strong>Kansas -3</p>
<p id="UNCCs5"><strong>Against The Spread:</strong> Rutgers 1-1; Kansas 1-1</p>
<p id="6pk6zB"><strong>Series History: </strong>Rutgers leads 1-0. (2015)</p>
<p id="ingeYG"><strong>SB Nation KU site:</strong> <a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/">Rock Chalk Talk</a></p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saturday's <a href="https://twitter.com/RFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RFootball</a> game at Kansas will broadcast locally on MSG Plus.<br><br>Full live TV clearance report: <a href="https://t.co/yXZyIy2GfT">https://t.co/yXZyIy2GfT</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHunt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheHunt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoRU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoRU</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Os7zhgiEs">pic.twitter.com/1Os7zhgiEs</a></p>— Rutgers Scarlet Knights (@RUAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/RUAthletics/status/1039890343653720064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="Cn3yaO">Kansas Statistical Leaders </h2>
<p id="vvf0I9"><strong>Passing: </strong><em> Peyton Bender -</em><em><strong> </strong></em>36 for 61 pass attempts, 59.0%, 317 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT. <em>Miles Kendrick</em><em> -</em><em><strong> </strong></em>3 for 4 pass attempts, 75.0%, 27 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. </p>
<p id="bzVs0c"><strong>Rushing: </strong><em>Pooka Williams Jr.</em><em> - </em>125 yards on 14 attempts, 8.9 ypc, 2 TD; <em>Khalil Herbert</em> - 90 yards on 21 attempts, 4.3 ypc, 0 TD; <em>Dom Williams</em> - 67 yards on 16 attempts, 4.2 ypc, 0 TD; <em>Deron Thompson</em> - 32 yards on 4 attempts, 8.0 ypc, 0 TD</p>
<p id="BxlQEI"><strong>Receiving: </strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Kerr Johnson Jr.</em><em> - </em>7 catches for 122 yards, 17.4 ypc, 2 TD; <em>Steven Sims Jr.</em> - 8 catches for 59 yards, 7.4 ypc, 1 TD; <em>Stephon Robinson</em> - 4 catches for 43 yards, 10.8 ypc, 0 TD; </p>
<p id="2SzFrs"><strong>Defense:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Joe Dineen Jr.</em><em> - </em>30 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, 0 sacks, 1 INT’s, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries; <em>Keith Loneker Jr.</em> - 18 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, 1 sack, 0 forced fumbles, 0 recovered fumbles, 0 passes defended; <em>Bryce Torneden</em> - 12 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 INT’s, 0 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble, 0 TD</p>
<p id="m22mlA"><strong>Kicking:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Gabriel Rui</em><em> - </em> 5 for 5 PAT’s, 3 for 4 FG attempts, Long of 54 yards</p>
<h2 id="vMDLT4">Kansas Statistical Comparison Versus Rutgers</h2>
<p id="HvLUFG"><strong>S&P</strong><strong>+ Advanced Stats Profiles: </strong><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/9/9/17837688/ncaa-football-rankings-2018-week-3">Kansas <strong>I </strong>Rutgers </a></p>
<p id="yHIIqZ"><strong>Rutgers Advanced Stats Win Probability</strong> (FPI) - 56% <em>(</em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/6/21/17444210/rutgers-football-2018-preview-schedule-roster"><em>per Football Study Hall</em></a><em>)</em></p>
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<h2 id="dZzhS7"><strong>What To Watch For</strong></h2>
<h3 id="xYiVxM"><strong>Sitkowski watch</strong></h3>
<p id="Y56jGz">Week 3 of the true freshman quarterback watch has a different take as it’s all about his health. It seems half the questions in press conferences, on social media, and overall chatter revolve around this topic. While rewatching the game, my dad was pretty insistent that Sitkowski was dinged up a little bit on a hit much earlier in the game and it just got worse with every pop. Assuming he is okay health wise the rest of the way, Rutgers has a chance to win a few games. Make no mistake, Sitkowski’s ability to complete passes and place the ball on timing routes is what sets him apart. Particularly with Sitkowski, the Scarlet Knight passing attack has higher upside than Kansas does if they can get it going. On the flip side, Rutgers has a lower floor, too since their wideouts are less proven. </p>
<p id="KwiOSg">Even if Art isn’t 100% this week, Rutgers could win this game against Kansas with Gio. If Rescigno has to play a lot both teams will probably employ almost identical tactics of running with an occasional pass to shorten the game and let the best men win. Ohio State defensive backs didn’t always jam and bailed instead at times, but it was the possibly alone that disrupted Rutgers enough. The wideouts might be more prepared this week after being able to digest it. Even if they are not, as I told <a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/">Rock Chalk Talk</a>, Rutgers can reduce pressure on their offensive line, receivers, and quarterbacks if some rapport can be developed with tight ends. Against OSU, the TEs had to help block a lot while against TSU the focus was on getting the wide receivers going. Jerome Washington, Nakia Griffin-Stewart and seemingly Travis Vokolek can catch the ball if thrown in their general direction, we know this. Expect McNulty to keep that in reserve until he absolutely needs to lean on it, which hopefully won’t even be this week. By then Daevon Robinson might already be the best of the bunch. </p>
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<h3 id="Inz1q3"><strong>Can Rutgers offensive line open some holes?</strong></h3>
<p id="DtiaSv">In last week’s game, the Ohio State Buckeyes only needed a four man rush to generate pressure. In the run game, Ohio State was disrupting where Rutgers wanted to go with the ball, particularly Robert Landers who only weighs about 280. Daniel Wise is an NFL prospect for the Jayhawks, but he is not Nick Bosa nor is every other guy on the line a four star prospect at minimum. The opportunity is there for redemption. </p>
<p id="D32AYm">What Rutgers did in 2017 to regroup was shrink the playbook and allow their linemen to focus on a particular set of plays. With all John McNulty’s shifts, he could easily mask the fact that Rutgers is running a smaller subset of actual plays out of a lot of different sets. I don’t particularly recommend this strategy, but do recommend establishing an identity on the ground. Once Kansas abandoned the pass last week and their offensive line simply knew it was all run with an occasional quick pass thrown in, they were much more effective. This is far from the first time a team benefitted from more focus particularly in the run game and won’t be the last. </p>
<p id="7yuc9c">Mike Lonsdorf has not come up in much injury talk this week so he might actually play at left guard. If not, Sam Vretman seemed to get the nod in that spot and by my eye outperformed Nick Krimin. Both are still young for linemen and the next few games will be extremely influential in how the fan base feels AJ Blazek is developing linemen. It seems the team is recruiting offensive line as good as any other position group, but jury is out on the development side. Kamaal Seymour is viewed as a success story, but is far from a consistently good Big Ten right tackle. </p>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Rutgers at Ohio State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eZAi7KlsUgUZjN6BVAPRA_QJzpE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13059355/usa_today_11207841.jpg">
<cite>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>The inevitable was hard to swallow last week. </figcaption>
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<h3 id="MSaF9s"><strong>“Special” teams </strong></h3>
<p id="NWnQaD">During his Press Conference, head Kansas coach David Beaty noted how much the field position battle was an uphill climb for his team a season ago. Central Michigan did not have much distance on kickoffs and went for a lot of punt blocks. Even though Kansas was not ready for rugby style punts from the Chippewas, they avoided any turnovers and won the field position battle in the game. The Kansas placekicker did hit a 54 yarder this year, but the Jayhawks punted a few times on the edge of field goal range after he missed a 39 yarder. They may be in for a rude awakening from Rutgers in one or all areas. </p>
<p id="G4YAhg">For the criticism he got from some sources, I thought Adam Korsak was fine. Second career game, in the horseshoe and the punt returner McCall muffed two of the first three. He couldn’t muff the other because Rutgers was called for fair catch interference. Ohio State had a nice return or two, but with so many opportunities it was bound to happen that Rutgers would miss a few tackles. If Justin Davidovicz can force touchbacks so Kansas has 75 yards to go minimum on every drive, Rutgers should be in the driver’s seat. </p>
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<h3 id="9pG78G"><strong>Pooka Williams Jr., star in the making?</strong></h3>
<p id="5FQN62">Anthony “Pooka” Williams brought in the words of Chris Ash during his press conference, “a different element to their offense.” He continued later, “[Williams] has a chance to take it to the house. He’s really quick, he has good speed.” Williams is a true freshman who was ranked as a four-star prospect out of Louisiana by several sources. Despite the high ranking, <a href="https://247sports.com/Recruitment/Anthony-Williams-93793/RecruitInterests/">247 reported</a> he only held six scholarship offers, three in the Power 5 including LSU. So the assessment of his potential ranged quite a lot. </p>
<p id="rEWBqA">Per the <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/"><strong>film breakdown</strong></a> earlier in the week, Williams impressed with 125 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries against Central Michigan. It will be interesting to see how much his workload increases against the Scarlet Knights. Don’t be surprised if he catches more than one pass for eight yards like he did last week. Kansas’s offensive line kept it super simple last week and relied on Williams and the other backs to make plays. They should have to try to do more to exploit Rutgers. </p>
<p id="FaKlWi">Especially wearing jersey #1, I had a few Dri Archer flashbacks the last few days. Williams is somewhere between Archer and what Raheem Blackshear was last year. It’s hard to say for sure because he only has 14 college carries! Pooka looks small but packs a pretty good punch with an ability to accelerate into another gear at will even with a cut thrown in. He could be really, really good. </p>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Texas State at Rutgers" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_TMB6VDf-1xQT9thqJ_c0TBVIYs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13059397/usa_today_11172240.jpg">
<cite>Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Lumor has played well this season and stats show it. </figcaption>
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<h3 id="ATKw2z"><strong>Pass Rush Please</strong></h3>
<p id="ABPdoF">One of my favorite laughs in the Horseshoe was hearing Matt Millen talk about how Elorm Lumor was the best defensive player Rutgers has with Trevor Morris second. Maybe for one game, but prior to this season Lumor was nothing but potentially having potential, he never really made you even sure he had it. After a monster game against Texas State, Lumor kept his foot on the gas, undressing Ohio State linemen at least twice. Now that it starts to feel like Rutgers has a pass rusher to build around, how do they play off of it?</p>
<p id="vMnee5">Rutgers stopped the Buckeye run game enough early in the contest to make you feel like a lesser opponent would have really struggled. Jon Bateky played an excellent game against both the run and pass, drawing two holding penalties to negate big gains. So if I were Kansas I would double team Bateky (after realizing you can’t just chip him) and force Kevin Wilkins to beat me around the outside. Kansas’s offensive tackles seem tall and agile, plus willing to let a defender’s momentum work against him like Steven Seagal’s aikido moves. </p>
<p id="TEjoKw">So Jay Niemann who usually comes up with good game plans will probably combat it with Lumor and Bateky doing more of what they have been doing. Then Kevin Wilkins should use his strength to try to mostly bull rush to disrupt the pocket which he should be able to do by staying low with his freakish strength. Then mixing up a 5th rusher coming from the inside alongside Julius Turner or his backups or outside of Lumor / Wilkins should work effectively as Kansas has not been great in pass protection. The lack of time has caused most Kansas pass routes to be simple slant passes to any receiver not being jammed at the line, something experienced Rutgers defensive backs may feast on. I have been very hard on Saquan Hampton and Trevor Morris over the years, but both may have played the best games of their careers the last two weeks and should find themselves unblocked a lot against a zone scheme. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's everything you need to know for Saturday! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KUfball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KUfball</a><br><br> <a href="https://t.co/DkXnQjwby6">https://t.co/DkXnQjwby6</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ojJoqXuVY">pic.twitter.com/5ojJoqXuVY</a></p>— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1040323595824705542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="Qakred"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></h3>
<p id="zLIsLT">Writing this preview was difficult because this is one of those games where it all might go out the window; my gut feel is that only one team will show up for this game. It’s almost a straight coin toss as to which one that is. I’m sure glad Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren are not interrogating me for facts to support that feeling.</p>
<p id="ZZLtQf">Kansas has momentum off a win, while Rutgers has practically zero as Sitkowski and Bless Austin battle injury issues among others. That being said, the level of competition Rutgers faced last week is far and away better than Central Michigan. Even independent of the competition this matchup is simply not a good one for Kansas schematically unless they can significantly improve in the pass game. So other than the game being away (which actually might be better than fans who may lose interest if RU was to go down early) or Pooka being ineligible again, Rutgers asking for anything more going into this game would be plain greedy. This is why you scheduled Kansas. </p>
<p id="rXrmpW">Let’s face it, Kansas is a <a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2018/9/6/17828352/what-kind-of-coach-can-win-at-kansas-jayhawks-mark-mangino-bret-bielema-bert">tough place to build a program</a>. It’s big yet only 33rd in population (New Jersey is 11th) and they have won only four games in the last 4 years. But if Rutgers decides not to show up for this game, they will probably lose unless somehow Kansas forgets how to play also. Even if both teams try to give it away, Kansas will play like Illinois in 2016 and we know how that went. One thing that gave me even more confidence is how little Jayhawk fans believe David Beaty will make the right decisions in a close game. For all the criticism bestowed on Chris Ash, Rutgers has seemed to perform better and better each time they are actually in a close game in his tenure. Not every game has been close, but in the ones that are the coaches haven’t been the ones to blow it for the Knights. </p>
<p id="vzLBYX">Luckily, one team has to come away with a win and if it’s not Rutgers feel free to pull the panic switch until the Scarlet Knights notch their next “W”. Come on Rutgers, just <s>do it</s> play good football. If Rutgers wins this game and Art Sitkowski is healthy for week 4, almost all the heartache from Columbus will dissipate. If Kansas wins, the fan base will be irate no matter how patient the administration plans to be for the next two years. </p>
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<p id="zcyRjj">Sometimes, we have to take a step back and not think about sports like Americans to enjoy them ... </p>
<div id="HhMBJQ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2r-464KzH_k?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
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https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/14/17842828/rutgers-football-game-3-preview-at-kansas-pooka-sitkowski-ash-niemann-washington-austin-hamptonRUready4Brazil2018-09-13T16:36:25-04:002018-09-13T16:36:25-04:00Rutgers Football Facing More Than Just Kansas On Saturday
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Texas State at Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MVQ77S4OxbJK0i8KCwbtD5ECTXU=/0x0:2681x1787/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61390575/usa_today_11173570.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A win keeps this team on schedule, but they’re dealing with more than expected so early in the season</p> <p id="6BmYUW">We haven’t even hit the official midpoint of September yet and the Rutgers football season is at a critical juncture. On the face of it, this team is right where we expected them to be, holding a 1-1 record headed to play Kansas on the road this Saturday. Looking a little closer, this team has had to deal with a lot of adversity just two games into the 2018 season. With six consecutive winnable games directly ahead, Rutgers still controls their own destiny. How they handle the cards they’ve been dealt moving forward is a major factor in whether achieving progress this season is the end result or not.</p>
<p id="fWhpJg">The first major strike of adversity hit over the summer, when news of the credit card fraud investigation <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/8/22/17771184/report-eight-former-current-rutgers-football-players-charged-in-credit-card-fraud-investigation">broke</a>. Two months later, four players involved are no longer with the program and four are still in limbo, awaiting their day in court and unclear of their status moving forward until that happens. To be clear, head coach Chris Ash and AD Pat Hobbs have handled the disciplinary action appropriately, a nice change for Rutgers fans to witness, despite dealing with another scandal. All eight players were part of a defensive unit that is, in part because of them, experiencing major depth issues already. While only one starter was projected among the credit card eight, news that came out this week showed how much that loss hurts now.</p>
<p id="wldANw"><span>K.J. Gray</span> was projected as the starting strong safety entering this season. He was rightly <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/7/11/17559434/report-kj-gray-brendan-devera-dismissed-from-rutgers-football-chris-ash-big-ten-noah-joseph">dismissed</a> from the program, but his absence looms larger today than before. On Wednesday night, head coach Chris Ash <a href="https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2018/09/rutgers_blessuan_austin_may_need_surgery_decision.html#incart_river_index">stated</a> during his radio show that starting cornerback <span>Blessuan Austin</span> may end up having surgery on the knee that he re-injured in the season opener. A decision could come as early as Friday. Not having Gray prevents Rutgers from a potential move they could have made to bolster the front line of the secondary. </p>
<p id="bYD0Ms">Junior Damon Hayes converted from cornerback to safety starting at the end of spring and throughout the summer, ultimately winning the starting job left open by Gray. Hayes probably would have stayed at safety even with Gray on the team, because Ash didn’t approach <span>Kiy Hester</span> about returning to the program until the dismissal occurred. However, it’s fair to consider if Gray was still active and healthy, Ash and the staff could have potentially plugged Hayes into <span>Austin</span>’s open spot at corner. Even though <span>Kiy Hester</span> is back and held the starting strong safety spot last season, his own injury issues remain, having missed the Ohio State game like <span>Austin</span>. Therefore, keeping Hayes as the first option at strong safety is a must and true freshman <span>Avery Young</span> is the next man up at corner. </p>
<p id="5VJQYG"><span>Young</span> was thrown into the fire last weekend and was beaten for a touchdown in the first half. It’s possible once <span>Tre Avery</span> is deemed healthy, he could take over, but the point is we are only entering week three and Rutgers is struggling with depth issues in the secondary even earlier than they did last season. Don’t get me wrong, I think <span>Young</span> has a lot of potential, but the having a true freshman starting at cornerback in a critical stretch of the season was not the plan for what was once considered the strongest unit on the team. </p>
<p id="mb3pvp">The other issue is this team was <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/8/17835706/ohio-state-throttles-rutgers-again-52-3-chris-ash-artur-sitkowski-dwayne-haskins-big-ten-football">badly beaten</a> last weekend by Ohio State in a disappointing performance against a potentially great Buckeyes squad. A loss was expected, but the Scarlet Knights were drubbed all over the field in the first half, trailing 35-0 and seeing their starting quarterback laying on the ground holding his shoulder heading into the locker room. Thankfully, Sitkowski is okay and <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/10/17841082/chris-ash-declares-health-status-starting-qb-artur-sitkowski-as-day-to-day-rutgers-football-kansas">expected to start </a>this weekend at Kansas. We don’t know how effective he will be on Saturday or how limited he has been this week. It’s also fair to wonder what the confidence level of this team is after the beating they took last weekend. Mentally, this team needs to recover quickly.</p>
<p id="eDeXha">In Monday’s <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/10/17842736/recapping-rutgers-coaches-press-conference-kansas-week-ohio-state-chris-ash-jay-niemann-john-mcnulty">game week press conference</a>, Ash admitted the team cannot let their performance in Columbus be a factor in their preparation for their trip to face the Jayhawks. “We flipped the page and we got on to Kansas right away,” Ash said. “That’s our focus. That’s where we need to be. It’s our challenge not to let a game like Ohio State beat us twice, and that’s really what we’re trying to do right now.”</p>
<p id="y1x7Z3">The reality is “The Hunt” is still alive and progress can absolutely be made this season. As Walter Sobchak likes to say, “Nothing is F^cked, Dude”. The plan to get to six wins and a bowl game is still very much in play. </p>
<p id="rqcfQ5">A win, no matter the score or how many style points Rutgers gets this Saturday, all that matters is that it’s a win. The Scarlet Knights then come home for <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/8/9/17670182/rutgers-football-early-season-home-stand-bowl-hopes-buffalo-big-ten-illinois-indiana-chris-ash">a hugely important three game home stand</a> against Buffalo, Indiana, and Illinois. With a road game against Maryland, Homecoming versus Northwestern, followed by a brutal November slate against Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State, the second half does not at least on paper, breed confidence there will be a lot of wins once the leaves change color and start falling this autumn. Rutgers must take advantage of the next month and win more than they lose. Realistically, anything worse than 4-2 at the midway point will make it unlikely they’ll achieve 5 or more victories overall this season, which would make this season a disappointment. </p>
<p id="X4aiq3">Adversity can make or break a team. The verdict is still out on what will become of Rutgers football in Ash’s third season. The game on Saturday against Kansas, the worst power five program from the past decade, is absolutely a must win. For optics and perception sake, for confidence wise, for progression of this team on the field, and most importantly, for the win column. If this season is going be deemed successful, it has to include a victory this weekend. Lose and this season could snowball into a disastrous one quickly. How Rutgers responds in this game will tell us more than we know about them so far.</p>
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https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/13/17855408/rutgers-football-facing-more-than-just-kansas-on-saturday-blessuan-austin-chris-ash-artur-sitkowskiAaron Breitman2018-09-13T06:00:02-04:002018-09-13T06:00:02-04:00On The Banks Podcast Episode #12 Rutgers-Kansas Preview
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<img alt="Kansas v Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b_TZa2M2fEJ1-qFl44gvx7BGajk=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61380855/490143844.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><em>Host Lance Glinn speaks with writers Steve Politi and Jesse Newell as well as handicapping expert T.J. Jurkiewicz</em> </p> <p id="zOfunZ">As week three of the Rutgers football season is here, we are back with episode #12 of our On The Banks podcast. Host Lance Glinn helps get you ready for Saturday’s game at Kansas by speaking with Steve Politi of NJ Advance Media and Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star.</p>
<p id="UHJJoH">Lance also gives his take on what to look for in this game. Lastly, we have a new weekly feature discussing the game’s betting line with gambling pro and OTB contributor T.J. Jurkiewicz.</p>
<p id="TWtkd5">Thanks to Steve and Jesse for giving us great insight ahead of Rutgers at Kansas. Enjoy this episode and thanks for listening.</p>
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<p id="EMbHSf">To find all of our episodes, search “On The Banks Podcast” or “Lance Glinn” on Apple Podcasts/Itunes, on Stitcher, search “On The Banks Podcast” and on Soundcloud search “OTB_SBNation”.</p>
https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/13/17849978/on-the-banks-podcast-episode-12-rutgers-kansas-football-preview-chris-ash-artur-sitkowskiOTB Staff2018-09-12T06:04:03-04:002018-09-12T06:04:03-04:00Rutgers Film Review: Preparing for Kansas’s run game
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Texas State at Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x3CeVx2g7o2n8n5ppULrcHOVh-0=/0x21:2013x1363/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61315937/usa_today_11173543.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Morris and Hester are key to the matchup at Kansas. | Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Don’t sound the alarm yet on this Rutgers season. </p> <p id="SrCfXA">Several of our contributors at OTB <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/9/17836514/otb-staff-reactions-to-rutgers-blowout-loss-at-ohio-state-buckeyes-big-ten-football-kansas">gave their thoughts</a> about last week’s defeat at Ohio State. For those that avidly read our blog you probably already know that in blowouts the score doesn’t matter to me whatsoever. The takeaways come primarily from whether or not the underdog showed signs of improvement in the keys to the game; for Rutgers last weekend these results were a mixed bag. Upon rewatching the game coupled with analysis of the Jayhawks’ big plays the matchup still seems to be a good one for the Scarlet Knights. </p>
<p id="1uvBSZ">Last week heading into the OSU matchup, we broke down film of the the Rutgers passing offense as the biggest key to the game. The biggest takeaway I had was that after Texas State failed to press the RU receivers, the wideouts simply were not ready for that against Ohio State. So it will be interesting to see if they can do better because the RU offensive line absolutely should not get manhandled by Kansas.</p>
<p id="Lu41Hm">This week, the biggest key to the game is whether or not Rutgers defense can stop the Kansas rushing attack. In Kansas’s season opening loss to FCS Nicholls State, they only ran for 56 yards. This past Saturday though, Kansas played a nice game and handily defeated Central Michigan, their first FBS road win since 2009. The Jayhawks completed 17 passes for a pedestrian 145 yards, but they gauged the Chippewas for 216 yards on the ground. Kansas asserted their will from the very beginning of the game. </p>
<h3 id="1nL1pZ"><strong>14:55 remaining 1st quarter. 0-0. 1st and 10 for Kansas</strong></h3>
<p id="n0pMsC">Kansas lines up with twins left and the H-back right. Pooka Williams (more on him later) gets a carry on his first collegiate play.</p>
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<figcaption>Notice the free weak side backer who has to make this play. </figcaption>
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<p id="w7Zd4W">Note how the entire line blocks down leaving the weak side linebacker as the man the runner simply has to beat. Williams makes that weak side linebacker miss and gets to the second level before the other two linebackers get off their blocks to set up a 2nd a 3. The unblocked backside safety doesn’t even get near the play until it is over. The Jayhawks did an excellent job in several situations of strategically not blocking certain defenders over the course of the game. It will be incumbent on the unblocked linebacker, likely returning Big Ten tackling leader <span>Trevor Morris</span> to make plays like these. If he doesn’t, the safeties better read run plays correctly (more on that later). </p>
<h3 id="znBiZb"><strong>14:45 remaining 1st quarter. 0-0. 2nd and 3 for Kansas</strong></h3>
<p id="y2Iesv">On the very next play, Kansas hurries to the line then capitalizes on Central Michigan crashing the middle hard. Perhaps quarterback <span>Peyton Bender</span> saw something on film that allowed him to execute read-options so effectively. </p>
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<figcaption>Note how wide open the edges are here. </figcaption>
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<p id="aOUuRQ"><span>Khalil Herbert</span> easily bounces outside for another solid gain before being stopped by the strong safety who saved a monster gain. Note how the Kansas offensive linemen are on the taller, leaner side so Rutgers defensive linemen will need to stay low and fight pressure. Also important to notice is how on the first two plays, Jayhawk receivers drove their men back big time. Coach Beaty noted in his press conference how important this downfield blocking was to their offense. </p>
<p id="T4iJU0">Kansas’s first drive failed after back to back incomplete passes. While playing up tempo, their subsequent four drives all stalled due to incompletions, sacks, or penalties (mostly in pass protection). After good field position and a personal foul, Kansas was approaching field goal range but faced a 3rd and medium in their next opportunity. </p>
<h3 id="Nh0iNd">
<strong>5:18</strong> <strong>remaining 2nd quarter. 0-0. 3rd and 6 for Kansas</strong>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another look at the Bender to Johnson connection <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KUfball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KUfball</a><br><br> via ESPN+ <a href="https://t.co/tBzLiceMSr">pic.twitter.com/tBzLiceMSr</a></p>— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1038521888031485952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="HllER3">The Jayhawks first TD came in the pass game, but it was due to Central Michigan respecting the run or possibly just disrespecting the pass. In the tweet above, you can see the defensive back takes one step toward the play action and is burned badly deep. There was no safety help as all defenders for the Chippewas were playing run-first, even on a 3rd down and six probably daring Kansas to drop back to pass. Kansas quarterback <span>Peyton Bender</span> did a nice job recognizing this and making the play to <span>Kerr Johnson Jr.</span></p>
<p id="NJm0zA">The game remained the same on the scoreboard with a 7-0 Jayhawks lead early in the 3rd quarter. After being gifted good field position on their first drive, a missed field goal was the last straw for Beaty and his staff. It was time to take the training wheels off the true freshman four star prospect Williams who spurned offers from his home state <a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com/">LSU Tigers</a> and nearby Mississippi State. </p>
<h3 id="o3QRvX">
<strong>10:19</strong> <strong>remaining 3rd quarter. 7-0 Kansas lead. 1st and 10 for Kansas</strong>
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<p id="eQ3MoR">Kansas goes with double twins and Williams takes a delayed handoff. Central Michigan shows a “robber” look with one deep safety and a linebacker in a middle zone. All four receivers are being covered man to man, which makes it easier for all of them to block. </p>
<p id="5e0lt3">Williams goes straight up the middle as the guards and tackles blow their men back and the center easily blocks the middle linebacker. Williams could choose one of three different open lanes five yards ahead of the line of scrimmage. </p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sOMeNPH8JiTLT42jNmGIGWzKSyA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12994637/Picture3.png">
<figcaption>Notice how no defender can defeat a block. </figcaption>
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<p id="EME1OI">He makes just a simple head fake to indicate he’s going to the bottom of the screen tricking the bottom side safety and allowing the left slot receiver to impede the progress of two defenders to the ball carrier. A subtle stiff arm at high speed and somewhat weak tackling effort by #5 results in the second score of the game. Watch the entire highlight in the tweet below. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A little high-stepping to his first touchdown!<br><br>Pooka Williams finds the endzone to extend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KUfball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KUfball</a>'s lead to 14 ( ESPN+) <a href="https://t.co/cScNKY6jBO">pic.twitter.com/cScNKY6jBO</a></p>— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1038532471569055744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2018</a>
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<p id="r4HDcN">NOTE: A breakdown of how Kansas took advantage of <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article218143490.html">overpursuit by the Chippewas</a> in the Kansas City star provides more on this. </p>
<p id="5kJOO4">On the subsequent possession, Kansas came up with an INT on a 3rd and long and from there it was a one-sided affair. Two plays later Pooka got loose again.</p>
<h3 id="iRIOUk">
<strong>9:08</strong> <strong>remaining 3rd quarter. 14-0 Kansas lead. 1st and 10 for Kansas</strong>
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<p id="ExMjMq">After a completion to <span>Steven Sims Jr.</span> (a reliable target) for 11 yards to open the drive, Kansas sets up three receivers right which they hadn’t done much of. In a light version of the statue of liberty, Williams takes a delayed handoff and has all kinds of real estate. Notice how the offensive line is manned up, but none of them have driven their men back from the line of scrimmage 41 yard line. In fact, only one lineman has held his ground at all. </p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P2WQlK_NYArM0kb7U7itK_BEQVE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12994733/Picture4.png">
<figcaption>So much green here for Williams. </figcaption>
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<p id="Ymv6t9">From here Pooka makes a nice move to slip a tackle much like he did on the previous touchdown and no one else gets a clean shot on him. Again great downfield blocking by the Kansas wideouts. And in less than two minutes on the game clock 7-0 has become 21-0. </p>
<p id="q1t0bv">In his first career game, Williams Jr. tallied 125 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. This was absolutely not a mirage. Williams did not play in the season opening loss to Nicholls State due to an “eligibility issue” and as their best home run hitter. Oddly when pressed to confirm his status moving forward, coach Beaty actually did not. He instead restated that Williams was ineligible for the season opener due to an eligibility issue. So on the surface, Pooka should be good to go now. But if that were the case, why wouldn’t coach just say it?</p>
<h3 id="d5U5tD"><strong>Conclusion</strong></h3>
<p id="YbtjsL">Kansas did not do anything fancy in this game. They weren’t running reverses, jet sweeps, crazy counter action, tosses against the grain; just solid zone blocking and backs making often just one key unblocked defender miss. </p>
<ol>
<li id="R7q8Nu">If Kansas wants to play with tempo, Rutgers needs to make them pay like Scarlet Knight opponents did in 2016, when the defense has little time to rest after quick three and outs. Central Michigan had tons of opportunities in the first half and failed to score a single point. Once Kansas can ground and pound, the Rutgers offense will be forced to take advantage of all their opportunities and that is not something they have shown this season. </li>
<li id="t4mXQ3">If Kansas is forced to throw the ball a lot, like they have been the last few seasons, they should struggle even against a banged up RU secondary. Though Kerr Johnson and Sims are pretty reliable, the quarterback is not a big time passer. Several passes went to no one even with minimal pass rush. With a zone blocking scheme, defenders either need to win their individual matchups to get off blocks, or the unblocked men (likely one LB and a safety on every play) need to diagnose plays quickly and be sure tacklers. One edge Rutgers has is that their experienced defensive backs are better at shedding blocks than Central Michigan for sure. For all those <span>Saquan Hampton</span> fans out there, he needs to close ground and make tackles in this game. <span>Deonte Roberts</span> cannot let a center just come up and block him in wide open space, either. </li>
<li id="yR8Cah">Once Kansas was ahead and Central Michigan decided they needed to throw the ball to catch up (while Kansas realized they should not throw the ball), this game got out of hand. The Jayhawks only had nine takeaways in 2017, but already have seven this season in just two contests. Rutgers even if they are trailing in the second half need not panic. </li>
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<p id="ThgQrI">Yes, Kansas is coming off a win. Yes Rutgers struggled to contain Indiana’s run game the past few years predicated on a running back rotation that needs to be fresh to make people miss just like the Jayhawks. Yes Rutgers gave up 50+ last week. Despite all that, I think this is a bad matchup for Kansas. </p>
<p id="QJn8a3">Rutgers defenders tackled better against Ohio State than Central Michigan did against Kansas. Rutgers defenders should have enough experience to not overpursue like the Chippewas. Rutgers defensive backs should be able to man up and use some cover zero, corner blitzes, and disguised coverages to disrupt pre-snap reads from Bender. Rutgers offense was terrible against Ohio State, but they will surely do better than Central Michigan. There’s no guarantee Rutgers wins this game on the road against a Power 5 opponent, but they can’t ask for a better Power 5 opponent to get back on track against. If they don’t, feel free to sound the alarm. Until then, have some confidence Jay Niemann will deliver a game plan that will work as long as Rutgers offense can give the defense some breathers. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="no" dir="ltr">Determined | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHunt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheHunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/FCCciDwMMi">pic.twitter.com/FCCciDwMMi</a></p>— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1039298023581470721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2018</a>
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<p id="NR7NRd">If you disagree, let us know why in the comments section!</p>
https://www.onthebanks.com/2018/9/12/17842648/rutgers-film-review-preparing-for-kansas-run-game-pooka-morris-beaty-hampton-niemann-robertsRUready4Brazil