Quotables
Kaiwan Lewis on preparing for Kansas:
“You watch film and you can see tendencies through formations or alignments and different things like that. You just try to pick up on those keys and play what you see. I feel like we are in game shape now, we don’t do a lot of rotating at linebacker so I have played in games where there are 60 plays or 80 plays. We are in good enough shape to go out there and play.”
Charles Scarff on the improvements he made since last season:
“The offseason was big, just working on routes and my blocking. The repetitions were big. The more you rep, the better you are going to get at it. Getting extra time in the playbook also helped me.”
Norries Wilson on RU’s weekend involvement with Muscular Dystrophy:
“It's going to be an annual event that Coach Flood has been a part of: The Coach for a Cure for Muscular Dystrophy. We have two young men who routinely come by practice with us, Danny Garofalo and Matt DeRiggi, who have been on our sideline on many an occasion and come to our practice many times. Not just us here at Rutgers, but coaches around the country will be wearing a patch on their shirt on game day, and signifying that. If you have an interest in donating $5 you can text the word "CURE" to 90999 and that will make a $5 donation. But we have done it annually since I've been here and it's a great thing, and a cure for these young men that have been stricken with this disease would be wonderful.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU offensive coordinators in the last 10 years
5.) Dave Brock
4.) Ron Prince
3.) Frank Cignetti
2.) John McNulty
1.) Ralph Friedgen
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Carlton Agudosi will lead RU in catches on Saturday
Josh Hicks will lead RU in rushing against Kansas
Steve Longa will have the most tackles
Recruiting Tidbits
QB Jack Coan – Sayville (N.Y.)
Rutgers top QB target for the class of 2017 told Scarlet Nation hat he’ll be back on campus Saturday for the homecoming game vs Kansas this Saturday.
“I talk to Coach McDaniels like once a week. I like their offense, it’s very similar to the Patriots style of offense,” Coan said.
Coan has led his Sayville team to a 2-0 record thus far and has done a lot more damage on the ground than he has in recent years.
“My coach is running me a lot more and I’m scrambling a lot more if players aren’t open,”
Coan said.
He also told Scarlet Nation that he hasn’t been turned off by the recent news surrounding the football program.
“I have a good relationship with Coach McDaniels and Coach Flood and I think they’re great guys.”
OL Josh Fedd-Jackson – St. Joe’s Montvale
Rutgers was first to the party in offering the 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive guard from St. Joseph Montvale last week after a dominating performance against St. Edwards of Ohio. Fedd-Jackson, a transfer from Queen of Peace in North Arlington NJ, told Scarlet Nation that he grew up following Rutgers since they were the local team. Michigan and Penn State were two of the schools who have increased their interest once news of the Rutgers offer came around. He is a likely visitor for the Michigan State game in two weeks.
RB Trey Sneed – Fleming Island (Fla.)
The RU commit has been attracting a lot of attention this season for Fleming Island, but still performing well as he rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns last week. Although there are many issues surrounding the football program at this moment, Sneed has maintained a strong commitment to the Scarlet Knights.
“I’m cool right now because it’s happening everywhere,” Sneed told Scarlet Nation. “RU will bounce back and be fine.”
Sneed still intends to enroll this December and is looking forward to getting back on campus for the Ohio State game.
OL Grayson Stover – Hudson (Fla.)
The Florida senior confirmed with Scarlet Nation that once Rutgers renewed its interest after his de-commitment from Virginia, the staff recently cooled its pursuit. Vanderbilt and Big Ten rivals Maryland seem to be his leaders at this time.
RU commits in action
Scarlet Nation was on location last week as The Peddie School hosted Rutgers commits Elias Reynolds , Justin Morgan and their Poly Prep squad. Here are some observations.
LB Elias Reynolds – Poly Prep (N.Y)
It was easy to see why Reynolds had so many offers. He was credited six solo tackles from his weakside linebacker position in the 4-3 base defense. There were times when PP walked him close to the line of scrimmage, allowing him to be more involved in the run game. He made a very heady football play as he picked up a blocked punt that barely advanced past the line of scrimmage. He checked to make sure no one was around before picking up the ball and returning it 47 yards, setting up a touchdown. He tipped two passes on blitzes including one on a 4th down with Peddie driving for the go-ahead score. He also made a pass breakup 30 yards downfield on a wheel route. Reynolds is a quiet leader on the field who doesn’t show a ton of emotion but he led by his actions between the lines.
OL Justin Morgan – Poly Prep (N.Y.)
PP doesn’t have the same size roster like some of the North Jersey Non Publics so Morgan played both ways, also lining up at defensive tackle. Before suffering a lower leg injury in the 4th quarter against Peddie last weekend, Morgan had a solid day from his left tackle spot. The biggest issue with Morgan right now is conditioning but PP ran behind the big OL quite often, even pulling him from left tackle at times. Although he needs to work on maintaining a low pad level, he did a good job of controlling the defenders in front of him. When he gets his hands on you, it’s over. PP moved him around the OL, playing him next to junior 5-star Isaiah Wilson at times in short yardage situations. While Wilson may be the better overall prospect, Morgan had a better game on the offensive side of the football. PP rarely throws the football so it was hard to get a true gage of how strong he was in pass blocking, but Morgan showed why Rutgers decided to offer the Brooklyn product.
Keep an eye on:
OL Dan Dawkins – Peddie School
The sophomore camped at Rutgers as a d-lineman this summer but his future seems to be on the interior offensive line. Dawkins is very strong, he constantly stonewalled defenders on passing downs and made some huge lanes for a Peddie run game which had a good day. Temple has offered the Staten Island native who visited Rutgers this summer and he appears close to picking up an offer from the Scarlet Knights.
Juwan Dolbrice - Peddie
Rutgers took a long look at the Linden product in high school, but his grades forced him to go the prep school route. Doiung a post grad year as a member of the class of 2016, he has reshaped his body and stood out all over the field lining up as a RB, slot receiver, safety, CB and wildcat QB. Dolbrice told Scarlet Nation that defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has maintained contact and likes him as a cornerback. This is a position of need in this class so Dolbrice will be a name to remember if he can improve his academic standing.
Scarlet Nation on Location
South Brunswick at Old Bridge - Friday Night
Rutgers commits Mo Jabbie and Phil Campbell will lead the Vikings on the road against their conference foe which features class of 2018 Rutgers QB target Artur Sitkowski.
Eye on Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights are looking to end a two-game skid and tomorrow’s games is shaping up to be a must win for Rutgers. Here are some things to look out for in Saturday’s game that could key an RU victory.
Josh Hicks
The sophomore has easily been RU’s top running back this season and a healthy dose of Hicks could go a long way towards a win. Head coach Kyle Flood continues to show loyalty to his upperclassmen as Paul James has started all three games. However, it has been pretty clear that Hicks has been the more effective back. Getting Hicks going should be a high priority and that starts by getting him some early carries. If Hicks carries more than 20 times, there is a very good chance Rutgers will walk away with the win.
Carlton Agudosi
He has always played the same position as Leonte Carroo, yet it has been a bit of a mystery as to why he never got more reps opposite Carroo. Agudosi’s outstanding spring probably should have earned the most improved player award. That distinction went to J.J. Denman, who has struggled a bit in the early going Meanwhile, Agudosi was RU’s leading receiver last week against Penn State and he can definitely create some mismatches on Saturday. Looking for Agudosi in the passing game could pay dividends as he is a big target who does an excellent job of going up and getting the football.
The turnovers
Rutgers has historically thrived when winning the turnover battle. However, that has not happened this year as the team is 116th in the nation in turnover margin. Giving a team like Kansas free opportunities could open the door for a potential upset. Protecting the football on offense and creating turnovers on defense is a recipe for putting Rutgers back in the win column. If RU loses the turnover battle, look for Kansas to be right in the thick of things.
Playing in space
The RU defense has struggled quite a bit playing in space and that dates back quite a few years. Kansas does not have the traditional spread offense that airs the ball out. Instead, the Jayhawks like to keep the ball on the ground, but the spread attack has generally posed a lot of problems for Rutgers in the past. If that trend continues, this game could be a close one. Rutgers has more talent than Kansas, so scheming up the right way to combat the KU offense can make use of the advantage in the talent department.
Kaiwan Lewis on preparing for Kansas:
“You watch film and you can see tendencies through formations or alignments and different things like that. You just try to pick up on those keys and play what you see. I feel like we are in game shape now, we don’t do a lot of rotating at linebacker so I have played in games where there are 60 plays or 80 plays. We are in good enough shape to go out there and play.”
Charles Scarff on the improvements he made since last season:
“The offseason was big, just working on routes and my blocking. The repetitions were big. The more you rep, the better you are going to get at it. Getting extra time in the playbook also helped me.”
Norries Wilson on RU’s weekend involvement with Muscular Dystrophy:
“It's going to be an annual event that Coach Flood has been a part of: The Coach for a Cure for Muscular Dystrophy. We have two young men who routinely come by practice with us, Danny Garofalo and Matt DeRiggi, who have been on our sideline on many an occasion and come to our practice many times. Not just us here at Rutgers, but coaches around the country will be wearing a patch on their shirt on game day, and signifying that. If you have an interest in donating $5 you can text the word "CURE" to 90999 and that will make a $5 donation. But we have done it annually since I've been here and it's a great thing, and a cure for these young men that have been stricken with this disease would be wonderful.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU offensive coordinators in the last 10 years
5.) Dave Brock
4.) Ron Prince
3.) Frank Cignetti
2.) John McNulty
1.) Ralph Friedgen
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Carlton Agudosi will lead RU in catches on Saturday
Josh Hicks will lead RU in rushing against Kansas
Steve Longa will have the most tackles
Recruiting Tidbits
QB Jack Coan – Sayville (N.Y.)
Rutgers top QB target for the class of 2017 told Scarlet Nation hat he’ll be back on campus Saturday for the homecoming game vs Kansas this Saturday.
“I talk to Coach McDaniels like once a week. I like their offense, it’s very similar to the Patriots style of offense,” Coan said.
Coan has led his Sayville team to a 2-0 record thus far and has done a lot more damage on the ground than he has in recent years.
“My coach is running me a lot more and I’m scrambling a lot more if players aren’t open,”
Coan said.
He also told Scarlet Nation that he hasn’t been turned off by the recent news surrounding the football program.
“I have a good relationship with Coach McDaniels and Coach Flood and I think they’re great guys.”
OL Josh Fedd-Jackson – St. Joe’s Montvale
Rutgers was first to the party in offering the 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive guard from St. Joseph Montvale last week after a dominating performance against St. Edwards of Ohio. Fedd-Jackson, a transfer from Queen of Peace in North Arlington NJ, told Scarlet Nation that he grew up following Rutgers since they were the local team. Michigan and Penn State were two of the schools who have increased their interest once news of the Rutgers offer came around. He is a likely visitor for the Michigan State game in two weeks.
RB Trey Sneed – Fleming Island (Fla.)
The RU commit has been attracting a lot of attention this season for Fleming Island, but still performing well as he rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns last week. Although there are many issues surrounding the football program at this moment, Sneed has maintained a strong commitment to the Scarlet Knights.
“I’m cool right now because it’s happening everywhere,” Sneed told Scarlet Nation. “RU will bounce back and be fine.”
Sneed still intends to enroll this December and is looking forward to getting back on campus for the Ohio State game.
OL Grayson Stover – Hudson (Fla.)
The Florida senior confirmed with Scarlet Nation that once Rutgers renewed its interest after his de-commitment from Virginia, the staff recently cooled its pursuit. Vanderbilt and Big Ten rivals Maryland seem to be his leaders at this time.
RU commits in action
Scarlet Nation was on location last week as The Peddie School hosted Rutgers commits Elias Reynolds , Justin Morgan and their Poly Prep squad. Here are some observations.
LB Elias Reynolds – Poly Prep (N.Y)
It was easy to see why Reynolds had so many offers. He was credited six solo tackles from his weakside linebacker position in the 4-3 base defense. There were times when PP walked him close to the line of scrimmage, allowing him to be more involved in the run game. He made a very heady football play as he picked up a blocked punt that barely advanced past the line of scrimmage. He checked to make sure no one was around before picking up the ball and returning it 47 yards, setting up a touchdown. He tipped two passes on blitzes including one on a 4th down with Peddie driving for the go-ahead score. He also made a pass breakup 30 yards downfield on a wheel route. Reynolds is a quiet leader on the field who doesn’t show a ton of emotion but he led by his actions between the lines.
OL Justin Morgan – Poly Prep (N.Y.)
PP doesn’t have the same size roster like some of the North Jersey Non Publics so Morgan played both ways, also lining up at defensive tackle. Before suffering a lower leg injury in the 4th quarter against Peddie last weekend, Morgan had a solid day from his left tackle spot. The biggest issue with Morgan right now is conditioning but PP ran behind the big OL quite often, even pulling him from left tackle at times. Although he needs to work on maintaining a low pad level, he did a good job of controlling the defenders in front of him. When he gets his hands on you, it’s over. PP moved him around the OL, playing him next to junior 5-star Isaiah Wilson at times in short yardage situations. While Wilson may be the better overall prospect, Morgan had a better game on the offensive side of the football. PP rarely throws the football so it was hard to get a true gage of how strong he was in pass blocking, but Morgan showed why Rutgers decided to offer the Brooklyn product.
Keep an eye on:
OL Dan Dawkins – Peddie School
The sophomore camped at Rutgers as a d-lineman this summer but his future seems to be on the interior offensive line. Dawkins is very strong, he constantly stonewalled defenders on passing downs and made some huge lanes for a Peddie run game which had a good day. Temple has offered the Staten Island native who visited Rutgers this summer and he appears close to picking up an offer from the Scarlet Knights.
Juwan Dolbrice - Peddie
Rutgers took a long look at the Linden product in high school, but his grades forced him to go the prep school route. Doiung a post grad year as a member of the class of 2016, he has reshaped his body and stood out all over the field lining up as a RB, slot receiver, safety, CB and wildcat QB. Dolbrice told Scarlet Nation that defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has maintained contact and likes him as a cornerback. This is a position of need in this class so Dolbrice will be a name to remember if he can improve his academic standing.
Scarlet Nation on Location
South Brunswick at Old Bridge - Friday Night
Rutgers commits Mo Jabbie and Phil Campbell will lead the Vikings on the road against their conference foe which features class of 2018 Rutgers QB target Artur Sitkowski.
Eye on Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights are looking to end a two-game skid and tomorrow’s games is shaping up to be a must win for Rutgers. Here are some things to look out for in Saturday’s game that could key an RU victory.
Josh Hicks
The sophomore has easily been RU’s top running back this season and a healthy dose of Hicks could go a long way towards a win. Head coach Kyle Flood continues to show loyalty to his upperclassmen as Paul James has started all three games. However, it has been pretty clear that Hicks has been the more effective back. Getting Hicks going should be a high priority and that starts by getting him some early carries. If Hicks carries more than 20 times, there is a very good chance Rutgers will walk away with the win.
Carlton Agudosi
He has always played the same position as Leonte Carroo, yet it has been a bit of a mystery as to why he never got more reps opposite Carroo. Agudosi’s outstanding spring probably should have earned the most improved player award. That distinction went to J.J. Denman, who has struggled a bit in the early going Meanwhile, Agudosi was RU’s leading receiver last week against Penn State and he can definitely create some mismatches on Saturday. Looking for Agudosi in the passing game could pay dividends as he is a big target who does an excellent job of going up and getting the football.
The turnovers
Rutgers has historically thrived when winning the turnover battle. However, that has not happened this year as the team is 116th in the nation in turnover margin. Giving a team like Kansas free opportunities could open the door for a potential upset. Protecting the football on offense and creating turnovers on defense is a recipe for putting Rutgers back in the win column. If RU loses the turnover battle, look for Kansas to be right in the thick of things.
Playing in space
The RU defense has struggled quite a bit playing in space and that dates back quite a few years. Kansas does not have the traditional spread offense that airs the ball out. Instead, the Jayhawks like to keep the ball on the ground, but the spread attack has generally posed a lot of problems for Rutgers in the past. If that trend continues, this game could be a close one. Rutgers has more talent than Kansas, so scheming up the right way to combat the KU offense can make use of the advantage in the talent department.
