Rutgers Beats Howard: The Good and The Bad

With all due respect to the Howard Bison, Rutgers’ 45-7 victory on Saturday did not really tell us much in terms of football.

What it did tell us was that Howard’s band is, by far, the most talented and entertaining band the school will see this year.

So if you come to Piscataway on Saturdays for the music, you’re in for a disappointing rest of the season.

Let’s hope that’s not the case for the football fans in attendance, myself included.

I made my first trip of the season to the new Rutgers Stadium (strangely enough, seeing the Howard band was not the primary reason), and let me first say that the Expansion Project is outstanding: the scoreboard is a behemoth, the student sections are going to blanket the field with noise, and the sheer aesthetics of the place take your breath away.

But anyway, the Scarlet Knights notched their first victory of the season against an inferior opponent—an opponent capable of losing by a similar margin to any other FBS team.  It was a win which should excite no one, except maybe Howard’s athletic director who just cashed a big fat check for his school.

First, let’s review the positives.

Tom Savage looked the part of a mature college quarterback, completing 8 of 13 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns.  He looked comfortable in the pocket, made his checks, scrambled when necessary, and made strong, accurate throws.

In only a game and a half, it’s obvious why Savage was highly sought after by the nation’s top programs.  This kid is the real deal, and Rutgers fans shouldn’t be surprised at what this kid can and will achieve during his time “on the banks.”

On another positive note, we may have found our number one running back.  Jourdan Brooks made the most of his 17 touches, running for 124 yards, averaging a hearty 7.3 yards per carry, and crossing the goal line three times.  Joe Martinek, on the other hand, only gained 38 yards on 10 carries, averaging an anemic 3.8 yards per carry (relative to the opponent, of course).

Sorry, but a 3.8 yard per carry average doesn’t cut it against a team like Howard.

Hopefully Brooks made his case and will grab the starting job, because the “running back by committee” paradigm Rutgers is currently operating under, to me, means that no one is stepping up.  The job is there for the taking, so claim it.

Aside from Jourdan Brooks’ performance, the Scarlet Knights running game has been slow to develop over the first two contests.

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