What's everyone feeling about the upcoming Rutgers Football Season?

[RUforester72]

There's hype?
Where?
This is not putting anything or anyone down. Greg has a cone of silence around the program.
The biggest hype are Raymond and Duff coming back, but the QB and OL are big question marks, which is why I chose wait and see.

Certainly less hype this season than ever before. Maybe its a good sign, but I don't know.

 

[yesrutgers01]

until we see a damn thing different with the defense, it can only be meh at best.

we had one of the best seasons we have ever had at QB last year- great seasons by Raymond and Duff and Strong when he was healthy- but the defense was as bad as it gets. cant win games that way

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Certainly less hype this season than ever before. Maybe its a good sign, but I don't know.

I don’t think there’s anything to it. The bottom line is we were one of the worst defenses in the country and didn’t bring in any hyped up players to improve it. Cracking the defensive top 100 in many categories would be notable improvement based on the starting point. When you project to be as bad as we do on D, the ceiling feels pretty low. I think we’re all hoping Johansen can work a miracle and by default “save Greg” but…. To say this is a longshot would be an understatement.

 

[Knight Shift]

until we see a damn thing different with the defense, it can only be meh at best.

we had one of the best seasons we have ever had at QB last year- great seasons by Raymond and Duff and Strong when he was healthy- but the defense was as bad as it gets. cant win games that way

The offense was fantastic between the 20's. Statistically great. But red zone offense was meh too.

 

[RUTGERS95]

until we see a damn thing different with the defense, it can only be meh at best.

we had one of the best seasons we have ever had at QB last year- great seasons by Raymond and Duff and Strong when he was healthy- but the defense was as bad as it gets. cant win games that way

with you plus there is no way we repeat on offense (or rather the odds are heavily against it)
new coaches are great if they can do well at this level, defense still lacks talent, size, speed and on paper, is worse than last year
schedule isn't easy and the toss-ups are away

 

[RUTGERS95]

The offense was fantastic between the 20's. Statistically great. But red zone offense was meh too.

I see scoring down this year as we'll get more field goals. no way we're lighting it up in the air like AK did last year and with AJ, we're guaranteed to run shorter routes and run more. Until Greg comfortable with Lonergan, same

less scoring, more ball control, more field goals and less touchdowns

 

[yesrutgers01]

with you plus there is no way we repeat on offense (or rather the odds are heavily against it)
new coaches are great if they can do well at this level, defense still lacks talent, size, speed and on paper, is worse than last year
schedule isn't easy and the toss-ups are away

What I don't understand with Greg- his defense have always been undersized over the years. But- he taught them technique, he taught them to swarm, tackle, be in the right position, take the right angle. We used to see his undersized defense play and when a tackle was made- there was and entire defense swarming at the play and ready. We have not seen that at all.

Thank is more on coaching then size

 

[DJ Spanky]

... and with AJ, we're guaranteed to run shorter routes ...

Just curious what you're basing that comment on.

 

[RUTGERS95]

Just curious what you're basing that comment on.

we won't have the vertical game with him given his experience. we'll run more, shorten the passing game, ease him and the like. We also don't have a true #2 guy oppo Duff so expecting more underneath type stuff

 

[RU#1fan]

I'm kind of with you. Here's why, and it's a little bit off with timing.
Greg 1.0 Year 6 was the magical year, 11-2/5-2, beating #6 Louisville on November 9, 2006. Mike Teel and Ray Rice in their second full seasons. Mike Teel was not stellar, with 12 TD and 13 INT, but with Ray Rice at RB, he was good enough. Rice and Kenny Britt have breakout seasons.

Greg 2.0. This year is his sixth FULL year (2020 was a partial Covid year). Dylan Lonergan in his second full season. Antwan Raymond and KJ Duff in their third full seasons. Raymond and Duff have breakout seasons.

Here's how the 2026 season unfolds in the 20th anniversary dream season scenario:
Rutgers beats UMass, BC, USC, Howard, Maryland and Northwestern, and loses to Indiana to start the season 6-1.

Michigan game is Halloween night, one week ahead of November 6, the anniversary of Pandemonium in Piscataway. Rutgers beats Michigan on a field goal as time expires to go 7-1 for Pandemonium in Piscataway 2.0.

Rutgers goes 4-1 for the rest of the season (losing to either Wisconsin or Penn State) to go 10-2/7-2 in conference.

Mark it down!!!

Hope you are right…. Would be an epic season.
I would be very happy to be 5-2 after 7 games.
Don’t see a chance vs. USC unless we dominate the turnover battle and Defense all of sudden plays like the 2023 Team Defense ( 34th ranked in CFB)

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

I see scoring down this year as we'll get more field goals. no way we're lighting it up in the air like AK did last year and with AJ, we're guaranteed to run shorter routes and run more. Until Greg comfortable with Lonergan, same

less scoring, more ball control, more field goals and less touchdowns

I don’t know. I feel like either AJ is truly ready to play and throw or it’s going to be Lonergan. Greg is not going to be in a position to play things the way he did with GW keeping it on the ground. He doesn’t have the horses on D to do that. Our best defense last season was keeping the ball on offense for as long as possible.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

we won't have the vertical game with him given his experience. we'll run more, shorten the passing game, ease him and the like. We also don't have a true #2 guy oppo Duff so expecting more underneath type stuff

TKR guys have been raving about the wide out room on the podcast. They claim we’re stacked behind Duff. Provided we get the blocking and line protection we need it really does seem like we’re deep and versatile in the skill positions and we know at worst we’re rolling with a QB who completed 67% of his passes last year without a good surrounding cast. There’s a lot to be cautiously optimistic about with the offense. Thinking about it is a little depressing though because it could well turn out to be a complete waste. The D really does project to be “that bad”.

 

[RUTGERS95]

TKR guys have been raving about the wide out room on the podcast. They claim we’re stacked behind Duff. Provided we get the blocking and line protection we need it really does seem like we’re deep and versatile in the skill positions and we know at worst we’re rolling with a QB who completed 67% of his passes last year without a good surrounding cast. There’s a lot to be cautiously optimistic about with the offense. Thinking about it is a little depressing though because it could well turn out to be a complete waste. The D really does project to be “that bad”.

we have some talent at wr but it's young and still and unknown when the lights are on. Remember, Duff and Strong are tier 1 guys, no one else we have is their caliber 'yet'