Rutgers wakes up on this fall Monday morning with the nation’s 117th-ranked rush defense following Saturday’s 38-17 loss to Illinois at HighPoint.com Stadium in Piscataway.
Amazingly, that number is a tad bit deceiving.
We say this because one of the few things the Scarlet Knights have done consistently this fall is get gashed for long runs. And by long, we mean make opposing running backs look like they’re Barry Sanders. The telling numbers: Rutgers has given up 18 runs of 20-plus yards, according to College Football Stats. That’s the fifth-most in the nation.
How about 30-plus yard runs, you ask?