Despite Rutgers keeping it a one-score game entering the fourth quarter, No. 12 Penn State pulled away for its 17th straight victory against the Scarlet Knights 27-6.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
Another poor offensive performance
While this offensive showing was an improvement from last week’s against Iowa, the result remained the same as Rutgers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) was limited to 229 yards of total offense and held out of the end zone for the second straight game. Gavin Wimsatt finished 10-for-16 for 130 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while Rutgers’ rushing attack was held to 99 yards on 42 carries. Also, in their last three games the Scarlet Knights have combined to score one touchdown.
"We’d love to do it all, run, pass, screen game,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “The reality is, if you try to do all that stuff you’ll be absolutely good at nothing, so you have to choose what you’re going to try and get good at as you develop the other things. It’s not that we don’t do all these other things, we’re working on it, we’re just not ready to be running it in games against a defense of that quality.”
In defense of the Scarlet Knights, these performances came against three of the top defenses in the Big Ten and two squads who could be playing games when the calendar turns to January. However, to be held without a touchdown in two consecutive games, and one in three, almost feels like offensive malpractice in 2023. Whether one wants to blame the quarterback, coaching staff, or all of the above, the Scarlet Knights need to figure out how to put touchdowns on the board otherwise results like this will continue to happen.
No margin for error
It feels as though Rutgers has coached the last few games just to keep it close rather than going for the win. While that method might work against the Northwesterns and Indianas of the world, it does not against teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State who do not make many mistakes and know how to put others away.
"A lot of guys in that locker room are hurting pretty bad, some physically but all of them emotionally,” Schiano said. “Understand, they put so much into it and are just not quite ready to close those kinds of games out. We will be, but it wasn’t today.”
It is hard to beat a team like Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) giving up three turnovers, but those mistakes might as well become landmines for a squad that typically throws the ball less than 20 times per game. At this point in the season just about everybody knows the rules of engagement when it comes to a Rutgers football game. However, that does not take away the fact that for the Scarlet Knights to beat a squad they are punching up against, they need to play a near-perfect game.
Unhappy Valley
It is no secret Beaver Stadium has been a house of horrors for Rutgers for years now considering the Scarlet Knights have not even scored a touchdown there since 1994. To make matters worse, the results have not been particularly close as the Nittany Lions have outscored Rutgers 118-15 at home since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten.
"We’re a developing offense,” Schiano said. “I told you when we started this thing that there’s not going to be any magic pills, it’s going to take time.”
Outside of (maybe) geographic location, it is hard to constitute Rutgers and Penn State a “rivalry” considering the one-sided nature and history of the two schools. However, to say the Scarlet Knights have not scored a touchdown in University Park since Bill Clinton was U.S. President and the New York Rangers last hoisted the Stanley Cup almost feels imaginary, and a stat they will need to erase next time they visit.
Rutgers will look to bounce back in its regular season finale against Maryland next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ET) at SHI Stadium on BTN.
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