Stomped on Spartans: Three takeaways from Rutgers football's 7th victory of season in finale against Michigan State
The Rutgers football team dominated Michigan State 41-14 at a snowy Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Scarlet Knights (7-5, 4-5) rebounded from a heart-breaking loss a week before against Illinois with an impressive 27-point victory against the Spartans (5-7, 3-6).
The defense straps up the Spartans
It was undoubtedly a tough start for the Rutgers defense to begin the game.
On five plays, 75 yards and in just 2 minutes and 34 seconds, Michigan State was up 7-0 Kay’ron Lynch-Adam’s 45 yards on three carries in the opening possession set up a 26-yard gallop by Nate Carter for the score.
The Knights were nails on defense after that scoring drive, holding Aidan Chiles and the Spartans offense to under 200 yards and just 7 more points.
In total, Rutgers forced three Michigan State turnovers on downs, including recovering a botched punt in the opening quarter.
The Spartans only converted on 3 of 9 third-down plays as the Knights sacked Chiles twice and forced four tackles for losses.
Junior defensive lineman Jordan Walker impressed with 1.5 tackles for losses while adding a sack and four total tackles.
It was the defense that consistently kept Rutgers on its way to a rout of Michigan State, working in synergy with the offense.
The run game causes a rampage
It was no surprise to see senior running back Kyle Monangai cruise to his sixth 100-yard game of the season. Against the Spartans, Monangai ran for 129 yards on 31 carries. His only touchdown kickstarted the Knights’ stampeding of Michigan State, as Rutgers was able to punch back with a score after the Carter touchdown.
Rutgers led 10-7 after the first quarter, and its next score would come on the ground again. Freshman running back Antwan Raymond found pay dirt on a 13-yard, tackle-shedding rush up the gut for the touchdown. The score would put the Knights up by two possessions, extending their lead to 17-7.
Monangai and Raymond’s touchdowns were critical in Rutgers’ unanswered run of 34 points.
With the Knights up 34-14, Raymond put the nail in the Spartans’ coffin on a 5-yard rush into the endzone for his second touchdown of the game. He finished with 71 rushes on 9 carries, and he combined with Monangai for 200 yards on the day.
As Monangai graduates and looks for a future in the NFL, Raymond has proven this year he can handle a bigger workload. That showed on Saturday.
The ground game was the key to opening up the pass game. Senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 157 yards and a touchdown. It was a solid game that was helped out immensely by the threat of the handoff.
Regular season accomplishment for Rutgers
While Rutgers could not secure its first-ever Big Ten-ranked win last week against the Fighting Illini, it did make history against Michigan State.
With a victory in East Lansing, the Knights were able to earn their fourth Big Ten victory of the season. It marks Rutgers’ first season with four conference victories, which is another step in the right direction for the program.
This achievement is significant, especially considering the injuries the team faced and how it overcame a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season. While there were still missed opportunities during the course of the year, the Knights were able to surpass their regular season win total last season.
“This group believed,” said head coach Greg Schiano in his postgame press conference. “The way these kids fought, the way these coaches fought. (They) never ever wavered. It is fitting to end the season with a game like this.”
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