The Monday Morning Kickoff
The Monday Morning Kickoff returns to get you caught up on all the latest news in the Rutgers sports world.
A view from the gridiron (Rutgers Football)
Rutgers played its final game of the season on Saturday as the 2017 campaign ended in a 40-7 loss to Michigan State. The defeat dropped Rutgers to 4-8 for the season and marked one final opportunity for this year’s group of seniors.
“I’ve said it multiple times, but I’m jealous of the guys that are going to stay and get to be with this staff,” senior guard Dorian Miller said after the game. “They have a great support group around them.”
In the loss, freshman quarterback Johnathan Lewis saw his most extensive bout of playing time.
“Coach [Jerry] Kill has hinted at it all week,” said Lewis, who completed 6-of-16 passes for 98 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. “They told us both of us would play, but I didn’t expect to play the rest of the game. It felt good, but in my opinion, it was one of my worst games ever. But you just need to keep learning. All of the coaches came up to me and said it was a learning experience heading into next year.”
In the loss, Deonte Roberts racked up 16 tackles while fellow starting linebacker Trevor Morris added 19 of his own.
“I think I had a pretty good season,” Roberts said. “Trevor and I have made tremendous improvements in everything, so we’re going to try and bring the younger guys around and improve as a team.”
Morris led the team with 118 tackles while Roberts finished with 104.
There were also recruits on hand as IMG Academy wide receiver Jalen Jordan made the trip up from Florida with teammate and Rutgers commit Artur Sitkowski.
A return trip is already in the works for Jordan.
“I plan to take my official visit to Rutgers on December 8th along with some of the other recruits,” Jordan said. “This weekend, I wasn’t able to see how life at Rutgers really was because there wasn’t really anybody there because of the break. Next time, I definitely plan to see how the student body acts on the regular day-to-day basis.”
The take from center court (Rutgers Basketball)
Rutgers rolled to a 6-0 start on Friday with a 61-47 win over East Carolina and was led by 15 points from senior forward Deshawn Freeman. That marked the end of a six-game stretch in which Rutgers faced opponents who were clearly outmatched in terms of talent.
Things will get tougher Tuesday night inside The RAC when Rutgers hosts Florida State as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. That will be followed up by a Sunday road contest at 14th-ranked Minnesota.
“We've got another couple games coming up here with not a lot of prep,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “I like the fact that they're able to digest the game plan and go on the court and execute. We've gotten a lot out of that in a short period of time. I think we've really grown in those areas. As we continue to move into Big Ten play, obviously it's the best league in the country. So, you've really got to be on the top of your game.”
On the mat (Rutgers Wrestling)
Rutgers 157-pound senior Richie Lewis was in Poland this weekend for the world championships and emerged victorious in the 70 kg division. Representing the USA, Lewis defeated Kumar Vinod of India by a count of 3-1 to win the gold.
