Rutgers' OL performed well vs. UMass, but Iowa presents a big challenge
The Rutgers football team’s offensive line had one of its better showings in recent history in the Scarlet Knights’ 2019 season opening victory at home against UMass this past Friday night.
Rutgers registered 554 total yards of offense and scored 48 points. Quarterback McLane Carter was sacked just once, and that was because he tripped after taking a snap from under center. Carter had all day to throw at times and ProFootballFocus graded the Scarlet Knights in terms of pass protection with a nation-leading score of 94.5.
“I thought the o-line probably played one of its best games an offensive line has played since I've been here,” said Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, who is now in his fourth year with the team. “They were clean, at least, they were pretty fundamentally sound. I thought the communication was really good from the offensive line perspective, as well. UMass in the first game presented a lot of different looks. They brought a lot of different players, and the offensive line did a really good job of picking those things up with their communication.”
Redshirt senior left guard Zach Venesky earned the highest pass block rating for the Scarlet Knights in week one with a grade of 86.6. Not too far behind were Nick Krimin (86.3), Kamaal Seymour (85.5), Mike Maietti (84.1), and Raiqwon O’Neal (73.0) as far as the starters go.
For O’Neal, a redshirt freshman, it was his first extensive action and start in a Rutgers uniform.
“He did great. He did a really good job. He’s a type kid where when steps on the practice field he works as hard as possible,” Venesky said of the South Carolina native. “He did a good job with communicating. Sometimes when a new guy comes in you may worry about how our communication will be but we all got our calls and everything gelled on that left side."
This Saturday, that left side will have its hands full with junior A.J Epenesa, a former five-star recruit. As a part time player the last two years, he’s wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks and their protection. Epenesa already has 15.0 sacks to his name, including 10.5 last season when he earned All-Big Ten First Team honors.
“He’s a great player,” Venesky said. “He plays with great effort and has great technique. We just have to focus on getting better, having juice, and working on our technique.”
Rutgers offensive coordinator John McNulty praised Aspensa and the entire Hawkeyes’ line and defense on Monday during his press conference.
“It’s hard. He’s one of the best defensive players in the conference and overall in the conference, which says a lot,” McNulty said of Epenesa. “The guy on the other end, No. 57 (Chauncey Golston), is pretty good, too. With everything they do, they are sound and they play incredibly hard. Everything play is a battle. They don’t panic and they don’t give you anything. The front is where it starts. They do such a good job of not just the individual techniques and players, but collectively with their reads and reaction. They change their operation in the middle of the play and they do it together. Certainly, when you look at the team, this guy can ruin the game. Then you realize so can the other guy. They have guys who can do damage and I’m sure they’ll have a great season. Miami (Ohio) did a number of things to double them.
“He rises up. He has tremendous ability. He’s playing every down now and he’s a tremendous presence. It’s a big challenge. We saw guys like Nick Bosa and Rashan Gary last year. How you handle them is how the game will go. If you don’t handle them, you’re going to have a long night.”
The one thing going for the Scarlet Knights is the fact that Venesky is on the left side where Epenesa lines up, and the former three-time Golden Gloves boxing champion will surely get after it. Venesky continually shows the ability to play with an edge and through the whistle.
“I would say just the want, man. You have to want it,” Venesky said “My goal is to always be the best finisher and the nastiest o-lineman. I always see it as I have to outcompete the other guy across from me and next to me.”
The entire Rutgers program knows that the No. 19-ranked Hawkeyes will be a huge step up in competition compared to the Minutemen. It’s also the first road game of the year and the first time the Scarlet Knights will ever play a Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
“I’m excited to go to Iowa for the first time,” Venesky said “It’s a hostile environment. You have to try and phase it out and focus on your game. We have the crowd noise out here in practice. We set our goals like having no pre-snap penalties. That’s a big thing.”
No matter where and when the game is, Venesky will be pumped up and ready to go thanks to not only his pregame music mix featuring songs like ‘Down with the sickness’, ‘Let the bodies hit the floor’, and ‘I don’t want to stop’, but because of this special medallion he keeps close to him from a brother of his.
“I also have this St. Anthony medallion. Before my one brother went to Iraq, he gave me and my other brother, Shane, each the same St. Anthony medallion and I tape it to my wrist for good luck,” Venesky said. “It means a lot to me and I’ve done it since high school.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
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