For the better part of... forever, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have relied upon a stingy defense to win football games. When they win football games, that is. Particularly under Greg Schiano, the Knights have generally played a tough, disciplined, angry brand of defense, leading to a few successful seasons in which Rutgers ranked inside the top-10 for points per game allowed. Their defense has fallen off a bit in recent seasons, but much of that can be attributed to the overall success – or lack thereof – of the team.
That is because from 2016-19, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash figuratively disemboweled Rutgers’ program.