The Monday Morning Kickoff
It was another busy week in the scarlet nation and the Monday Morning Kickoff gets you caught up in the world of Rutgers athletics.
A view from the gridiron (Rutgers football)
The Rutgers offensive coordinator search has come to an end as former Minnesota head coach and Big Ten coach of the year Jerry Kill will run the offense next season for the Scarlet Knights. Speculation began to run rampant yesterday and NJ.com was the first to confirm Kill’s hire last night. For more on this hire, check out our latest feature on what Kill will bring to Piscataway.
Meanwhile, on the recruiting front, Rutgers picked up a big commitment last week when Ohio defensive end Brendan Bordner opted to join the Scarlet Knights. Bordner told Scarlet Nation exclusively about his decision before announcing it publicly.
"I just felt at home there and could envision myself being there a little more so than the others,” said Bordner, who chose RU over other finalist West Virginia. “I think it was just the gut feeling. I had built a bunch of really good relationships there and it just felt like a home.”
Rutgers is also in the final three for yet another three-star defensive end as Tijaun Mason of Memphis, Tenn., will make his choice on Dec 31st.
“I like everything [about Rutgers,” Mason told Scarlet Nation. “They are a great school with good coaches. They communicate with me every day.”
Stay logged onto Scarlet Nation’s The Round Table for continued team and recruiting updates as they unfold.
The take from center court (Rutgers Basketball)
Rutgers moved to 11-1 on the hardwood yesterday with a commanding 68-53 win over Fordham in a game that took place inside Madison Square Garden.
“I love playing here at Madison Square Garden,” head coach Steve Pikiell said post-game. “This was a tough game. I knew it would be. They play a unique style. They are well coached. They brought a lot of players back from a team that had a great year last year. We needed everybody today. We played our whole bench. One of our players was sick yesterday, couldn't practice, was feeling under the weather, so another guy had to step up. We have to continue base this on next guy up and our defense.”
That leaves just one more out of conference game left as the Scarlet Knights will take on Seton Hall Friday night. The Pirates are 9-2 and riding a five-game winning streak, which includes an upset win over then No.16-ranked South Carolina. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark.
On the mat (Rutgers wrestling)
The RU grapplers did not have any meets or tournaments last week, but managed to climb a spot in the national rankings. On the strength of a 6-1 record, Rutgers moved from No.12 to No.11 in this past week’s USA Today/NWCA Rankings. Next up for Rutgers is the Midlands Championships on Dec 29-30 in Evanston, Ill.