Rutgers Scarlet Knights stats records schedule and standings

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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Rutgers is a member of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference, where they joined in 2014. Before they were in the Big Ten, they were a member of the Big East Conference. Rutgers is predominantly known for being a member of the first intercollegiate football game between them and Princeton.

Formerly known as the Queensmen, Rutgers University used to be known as Queen’s College. J. Wilder Tasker was the first known coach for the football team in 1931. One of the most recognized names to come out of Rutgers is former running back Ray Rice.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Standings

The Scarlet Knights have struggled this season with a record of 2-7, but they have shown flashes of brilliance. Running back Isaih Pacheco has been a standout player, rushing for over 700 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The defense, led by linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, has been stout against the run. Despite their record, the Scarlet Knights’ stats and standings indicate that they are a team on the rise and one to watch in the future.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Trends

Rutgers Recent History

Rutgers has struggled since joining the Big Ten, with 2014 being the only year that the team finished with a winning record. In the eight years, they have been a part of the Big Ten, they have combined for a 10-54 conference record.

The football team plays their home games at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights have been playing in this stadium since 1994. A recent expansion in 2009 has increased the attendance to 52,454 spectators. This stadium is also home to the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

Key Players in Rutgers History

One of the first players from Rutgers to be named to the College Football Hall of Fame played for the team over a decade ago, Paul Robeson. An All-American in 1917 and 1918, Robeson played three years in the NFL after his four years at Rutgers.

Bill Austin, a running back in the 1950s, led the team in rushing yards for three straight seasons. Austin rushed for 32 touchdowns in his career, which is second in school history, and recorded 13 interceptions, which is also second. He was drafted to the Washington Redskins in 1959.

In the ’90s, Rutgers has a pair of running backs that had the nickname of Thunder and Lightning. Bruce Presley and Terrell Willis combined for almost 6,000 yards. Presley was named second Freshman All-American in 1992. Willis was named to the Freshman All-American team in 1993.

As stated earlier in the article, Ray Rice is the most prominent name in Rutgers history. In four years at Rutgers, he accrues over 4,900 yards rushing and owned almost all of the rushing records for the team. He was 2nd team AP All-American in 2006 and 2007.

Two other names, Kenny Britt and Devin McCourty were also Scarlet Knights that have had prominent NFL careers. Britt played eight full seasons in the NFL, recording multiple touchdowns in all but one season. McCourty is currently in his 11th season in the NFL, recording two pro-bowl seasons in 2010 and 2016.

Rutgers Key Championships

The Scarlet Knights have recorded one conference championship in 2012 when they were in the Big East. The team had a 9-4 overall record, with a 5-2 conference record. While they were named co-champions with three other schools, Rutgers had a real chance to be the outright champion that season before losing the final two games of their regular season.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Rutgers won three Division Titles in the University Division. During this time, they were part of the Middle Atlantic Conference. The team combined for a 25-2 record in those three seasons, with a perfect 12-0 conference record.

Rutgers Conference Outlook

Being a part of the Big Ten has not been the greatest move for Rutger’s football program. They have struggled to be even somewhat competitive in the last few years. With teams like Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State leading the way, Rutgers will struggle again this year.

The Scarlet Knights do have a senior leader under center in Noah Vedral. This is his second season as the starter for Rutgers, and it will be just as challenging as his first. If Vedral could get some of his turnovers under control for 2021, he threw nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020; he could allow Rutger to at least be involved in more games this season.

Olakunle Fatukasi is the senior linebacker for Rutgers, who is coming off a solid 2020 campaign where he recorded 101 tackles. The defense is going to have to find a way to get stops this season; giving up 32 points per game again will make it almost impossible to win games.

Rutgers Coaching History

George Sanford was the first tenured coach in Rutgers history, coaching from 1913-1923. In ten years with the program, Sanford accumulated a 56-32-5 record for Rutgers. Sanford passed in 1938, and it was not until 1971 that he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for coaching.

Harvey Harman was the head coach for Rutgers from 1938-1941, then again from 1946-1955. The team did not participate during the three-year lapse due to World War II. While with Rutgers, Harman compiled a 33-26-1 record. At the time, they competed in the Middle Three Conference with three other schools, with Rutgers leading the conference nine times.

John F. Bateman was the head coach at Rutgers from 1960-1972. In his time there, he compiled a record of 73-51. His teams were also members of the Middle Three Conference, where Bateman led them to the first 11 times. Bateman led Rutgers to their first perfect season in 1960, going 9-0.

Frank Burns was Bateman’s successor and was one of the last winning coaches in the program’s history. Burns was the coach from 1973-1983 and had a 78-43-1 record. Burns is the winningest coach in Rutgers history.

Greg Schiano was the football coach from 2001-2011. While with Rutgers, he had a record of 68-67, with a rollercoaster of records. From 2001-2004 he had a combined record of 12-34. Following the 2004 season, Rutgers spent the next five seasons with a winning record. His combined record for his first tenure with Rutgers was 68-67 with six bowl game appearances.

Schiano left for the NFL in 2012, taking several different jobs over the next few years. Schiano has returned to the Scarlet Knights, where he is currently the head coach. Off to a rough start, Schiano has to be hopeful that this time around, he can make the necessary changes quicker than he did in the early 2000s.

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