12/30/2021 football Edit

On short notice, Rutgers must be ready for Wake Forest's potent offense

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

The Rutgers football team will be going up against one of college football’s best offenses in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. at TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

GET TKR PREMIUM FREE UNTIL SPRING (3/20) -- CLICK HERE

Wake Forest, which made the ACC Championship game, features the No. 4 scoring offense in the country as of this writing. The Demon Deacons (10-3) average 41.3 points per game. Only Alabama, Western Kentucky, and Ohio State, which is first, averages more.

Rutgers gave up 52 points to the Buckeyes on Oct. 2.

“Well, the first thing that stands out is they score a lot of points. They're fifth in the country in scoring offense. They've had some basketball scores this year,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said.

Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman (USATSI | Reinhold Matay)

Wake Forest is also 10th in total yards per game with 473.8 including 312.3 passing (12th). Receiver A.T. Perry caught 61 passes for 1,166 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jaquarii Roberson, who had 1,078 yards receiving as well for eight scores, announced he will not play in the bowl game on Tuesday, but Wake Forest still has other capable pass catchers including Taylor Morin (563 yards, five touchdowns), Ke’Shawn Williams (366 yards, three touchdowns), Donald Stewart (345 yards, one touchdown), and Blake Whiteheart (150 yards, three touchdowns), to name a few.

Quarterback Sam Hartman has thrown for 3,924 yards and 36 touchdowns.

“Their quarterback is an exceptional player, they have as good of wideouts as we've played against anybody in the Big Ten. They're that good. So it's going to be quite a challenge. Our secondary's excited about the challenge, but it's definitely challenging. The quarterback really understands this offense. He's been in it for a while. He reads the whole field. Young inexperienced quarterbacks often read half the field. The whole field is in play the entire game for this guy when he throws it, and they do something unusual in their RPO game. They really ride the ball. You're going to see it deeper into the line, and he throws the ball literally four yards off the line of scrimmage, which is definitely different. He's a gutsy, gutsy quarterback of the year. For you to stand there and throw the ball, you think about it, there's people around him, and he doesn't seem to flinch. He just rips it."

The Demon Deacons also average 161.6 rushing yards per contest (63rd).

Christian Beal-Smith (581 rushing yards, seven touchdowns), Justice Ellison (482 yards, six touchdowns), and Christian Turner (463 yards, five touchdowns) have all produced in a balanced way. Hartman racked up 11 rushing yards and 342 yards on the ground, too.

Hartman’s 47 total touchdowns is third all-time in ACC history in a single season only behind Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (51 in 2016) and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (50 in 2016).

“They also have three running backs and I think they really mix well. They're a little bit different styles. I think they mix the backs well, and the line is very unique in the style of blocking they do. Everything about these guys is a little unique. What could ask for better than a short week to get ready for a unique offense.”

It is unknown exactly who is available for the Scarlet Knights in this game. If the defense isn’t at full strength, that could spell trouble.

Rutgers also is without a defensive coordinator at the moment as Robb Smith wasn’t brought back and has already accepted a job at Duke. Schiano said he will call the plays on the defense.

“I'll probably call it but, we're going to do it together,” Schiano said. “It's not going to be allocated. So I think anybody could call it. It's just going to be a matter of somebody saying it over the headset.”

Wake Forest is more vulnerable on defense as it has given up on average 31.5 points per game and 431.6 yards, but Maryland’s defense was slightly worse in both categories and Rutgers only mustered 16 points in a 40-16 loss in the regular season finale.

That was with wide receiver Bo Melton and running back Isaih Pacheco who are questionable for the contest at best.

Rutgers will have to be ready on both sides of the ball in order to win as Schiano said he and the team wants to do.

“Absolutely. They are a talented offense,” Scarlet Knights quarterback Noah Vedral said. “They have a good quarterback, great skill players, and a good offensive line. We’ll have to keep pace and we need our defense to slow them down.”