Week 1 is finally here for Rutgers football. The 2023 season kicks off on Sunday, September 3 at noon at SHI Stadium. The game will air on CBS and will be the only contest airing nationally in that time slot. It’s a showcase opportunity for the program.
For Rutgers, it really is a must win to set the tone the right way for the season. A loss to Northwestern would be brutal. The Wildcats were 1-11 last season and will come to Piscataway after finishing a preseason mired in turmoil. Program legend and long time head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired last month amidst a hazing scandal that has rocked the school.
There are many questions for both teams entering this game. Northwestern is replacing many key players from last season. Rutgers has unproven players at key positions all over the offense including quarterback, offensive line and wide receivers. They are also starting new specialists at both kicker and punter.
To address many of these questions and focus on the keys to victory for both teams, Rutgers writer and longtime fan David Anderson returns to help break everything down on The Scarlet Faithful podcast. Topics include the potential play of Gavin Wimsatt, Northwestern QB Ben Bryant, Kirk Ciarrocca’s game plan and what he did against the Wildcats last season, the run game being a priority, the importance of the defensive line, the turnover battle, why Jai Patel could be a major factor and much more.
Listen and watch below.
Audio
Video
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I’ve made several comments about my take on this game in other articles by Aaron so I won’t repeat myself here. Regarding how the OC & HC will call this game, that’s the least of my concerns. They’ll have a winning offensive game plan that will work unless Rutgers falls too far behind and they’re forced to abandon it. My concern is what we’ve talked ourselves blue in the face about, i.e. can the OL execute and can the QB execute the game plan? We all assume (at least I do) that the defense will keep Northwestern under control and limit their ability to score beyond low double digits in the teens. I’m looking forward to being pleasantly surprised with both the game plan and its execution.
pj43
September 1, 2023 at 3:46 pm
I’ve made several comments about my take on this game in other articles by Aaron so I won’t repeat myself here. Regarding how the OC & HC will call this game, that’s the least of my concerns. They’ll have a winning offensive game plan that will work unless Rutgers falls too far behind and they’re forced to abandon it. My concern is what we’ve talked ourselves blue in the face about, i.e. can the OL execute and can the QB execute the game plan? We all assume (at least I do) that the defense will keep Northwestern under control and limit their ability to score beyond low double digits in the teens. I’m looking forward to being pleasantly surprised with both the game plan and its execution.