Although his team is unbeaten through four games, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said the Scarlet Knights will need to take a step forward on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., if they expect to come away with a Big Ten road victory over Nebraska.
“The Big Ten is the most challenging league in the country and it requires you to get better every week,” Schiano said. “If you don’t, you’ll get left in the dust. My main focus is getting our team as improved as we can by Saturday. Will it be enough? I don’t know.”
Nebraska (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) has one of the conference’s top quarterbacks, Dylan Raiola. The freshman has completed 70.4 percent of his passes (100 of 142) for 1,224 yards — both figures ranking among the nation’s top 25. He has passed for nine touchdowns and been intercepted twice.
Rutgers (4-0, 1-0) is averaging 237.8 rushing yards and 35.0 points per game. Running back Kyle Monangai has produced 589 yards and six touchdowns on 97 carries and ranks third in the country in rushing yards per game (147.2).
“It’s like The Matrix,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “Nothing ever hits (Monangai). He’s got such elite body balance and contact balance. No one ever gets a true shot on him, it’s always a glancing blow. I think he’s really a great player.”
Nebraska limited Purdue to 50 yards on the ground last weekend en route to a 28-10 victory. The Cornhuskers are allowing 85.4 yards rushing and 12.2 points per game.
“Raiola, the quarterback, the freshman, is incredibly talented,” Schiano said. “You don’t usually see a freshman that’s kind of capable of doing the things that he’s doing right now. …
“The command that he has of their offense, I would say, is good for any level but for a freshman is unheard of. And he’s a very gifted athlete. He’s big. He’s mobile. He can throw on the move. He can throw from the pocket. There’s not much this guy can’t do, but that’s why he was such a highly recruited quarterback, right? He’s got all the tools.”
The Cornhuskers are plus-5 in turnover margin, but the Scarlet Knights have committed only two giveaways in their four games.
Nebraska has won each of the six meetings between the teams and is 2-0 against Rutgers at home.
–Field Level Media
