The Akron Zips get to start their 2024 campaign by experiencing the Big Ten in two very different ways. The first was Ohio State, one of the best programs in the country (let alone the conference) and showed they were as such by burying Akron alive after a slow start. The next side the Zips play is a very, very different story.

Before every Tier 1 conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision arbitrarily decided they wanted 2-4 new members for no real reason and then cannibalized the PAC-12 Conference alive to do so, Rutgers stood to be the warning against reckless expansion from the last realignment period.

Absorbed into the Big Ten from the Big East’s annihilation, the Scarlet Knights have thoroughly struggled to find anything resembling footing. The program has not lost less than six games in a season since 2014, their first year in the Big Ten— which was also the last season that Rutgers finished above .500 in the regular season. The Scarlet Knights’ conference record since joining is an atrocious 16-72 (.182), with zero seasons featuring four conference wins or more.

But as always, hope springs eternal in the fall, and the Scarlet Knights will pay $1.9 million for the opportunity to face the Zips for a chance to extend their 2-0 season start streak to a fourth-consecutive campaign.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Game notes

• Time and date: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at 12 p.m. Eastern time
• Location: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey
• Viewing options: The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing. Jason Horowitz (play-by-play) and Adam Breneman (color) will provide the commentary.
• Streaming options: The game will be available via the Fox Sports App. A valid subscription is required for viewing. Other applicable cable/satellite streaming services are also available with a valid subscription. Other streaming carriers include Sling, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV.
• Radio options: Dave Skoczen (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color) will provide the Akron call for WHLO-AM 640.
• Gambling considerations: Rutgers is a 22.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 40, per DraftKings.
• All-time series: Rutgers has won the only meeting between the two programs, squeezing out a 20-17 victory at home on Oct. 27, 1990.

Getting to know the Scarlet Knights

Head man Greg Schiano is in the fifth season of his second stint with the program (the first running from 2001-2011), and has taken the program from the putrefactive Chris Ash years of the late 2010s to Just Okay. The Scarlet Knights did go 6-6 last season and won their bowl game against Miami [FL], so maybe things are looking up?

Something in the Scarlet Knights’ corner is their glut of returning players. An impressive 91 total players make their return to the program, including 14 players who started at least seven games and eight who started all 13. Rutgers also returns nine all-Big Ten players— fifth-most in the conference— for a campaign that could be promising.

Spirits are certainly high after taking care of business in their season opener on Aug. 29, dispensing with HBCU foe Howard by a final score of 44-7.

It was a pretty sterling effort all around, as could be expected from a Big Ten team playing with an FCS team from a lower level. The game saw the Scarlet Knights take the ball into the endzone on their first defensive possession of the game, when Eric Rogers intercepted a pass and returned it 56 yards to open up the scoring account.

Three touchdowns from Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis and the program’s second-highest single-game rushing yardage (329) since 2016— also against Howard— led to smooth sailing.

Kaliakmanis won the starting QB job in spring training and became the third Rutgers quarterback since 1990 to throw for three touchdowns in his debut in the effort. The star of this offense, though, is very obviously running back Kyle Monangai, who will be looking to expand considerably on his 1,262 yard campaign in 2023, the only Big Ten running back to log over 1,000 yards that season. Monangai, who earned second-team all-Big Ten honors last season fro his efforts, has a considerable slew of extremely impressive statistics to go along with that, and stopping him is going to be a considerable challenge for Joe Moorhead’s young defense.

Speaking of defense, the Scarlet Knights are cooking something intriguing.

Their scoring defense (21.2 points allowed per game overall, 25.1 in conference) and total defense (313.5 yards overall, 337.9 in conference) were 16th and 32nd nationally, respectively, and both set program bests in Big Ten play. Rutgers also boasted the 10th best passing defense in the FBS in 2023, allowing 176.3 yards per game.

Linebacker Mohamed Toure is the team’s leading returnee in tackles, with 93 total stops, including 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception, while fellow backer Tyreem Powell (53 tackles, two TFLs, two sacks) will alongside him.

(Dariel Djabome, who led the team with 14 tackles vs. Howard, and Moses Walker (seven tackles, one TFL), made their first starts for Rutgers last week, indicating linebacker will be a strength.)

In the defensive backfield, Desmond Igbinosun (64 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, sack) and Robert Longerbeam (43 tackles, TFL, sack, interception, 10 pass break-ups) make their returns, with Kaj Sanders also contributing after getting his first start last week. Defensive linemen Wesley Bailey and Aaron Lewis should lead the effort along the line of scrimmage.

Getting to know the Zips

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Zips put up a stellar effort despite the circumstances in Week 1, ultimately falling to Ohio State by a final score of 52-6.

It was rough sledding, with an injury to starting QB Ben Finley derailing the Zips’ gameplan and forcing them to adapt on offense. The entire Joe Moorhead tenure has been riddled with such unlucky injuries on that side of the ball, and it seems it could continue to plague them for awhile, as Finley’s status will be uncertain going in.

The defense held up admirably, especially in the pass game, to keep the margin to 17-3, but the dam burst in the second half as Akron simply did not have the numbers or pace to stay abreast of the hard-charging Buckeyes.

If Finley can’t go, the game will be left in the hands of Tahj Bullock. He’s a decent runner, and has been utilized as such— lining up at running back and receiver in certain packages— but has not been reliable as a passer, completing just 51 percent of his passes and holding a 1:1 TD-to-INT ratio.

We did not learn a lot about the backfield last week due to OSU’s stacked defense, but Bullock will figure to contribute to the running game in some capacity. Jordon Simmons and Marquese Williams, two Big Ten transfers, did not provide very much help last week, but could have more luck this week against a lower-tier Big Ten team.

We saw some interesting numbers from the receivers, as tight end Jake Newell (two catches, 42 yards) led all passcatchers in yards, while Simmons (four catches, 25 yards) and fellow back Charles Kellom (three catches, 10 yards) were also enar the top. Bobby Golden was the only true receiver to do very much, with three catches for 32 yards. As with the backfield, the hope is new transfers such as Israel Polk (Pitt) and Jarvis Rush (Holmes CC) can have more of an impact.

CJ Nunnally IV got some decent pressures and five total tackles against Ohio State but was otherwise kept in check for most of the day against OSU’s superior offensive line. He might have more of a chance to create havoc plays against an average unit, and certainly has the talent to do so.

The secondary will be an intriguing watch as well after a fantastic first-half effort last week, with Oregon transfer Daymon David (team-leading six tackles), Syracuse transfer Aman Greenwood (two pass break-ups) and Devontae Golden-Nelson (four tackles, pass break-up) all making major contributions defensively.

Linebacker Shammond Cooper— who also picked up a pass break-up of his own— will sub in on packages alongside all-MACer Bryan McCoy and Antavious Fish (joint-second with five tackles last week) to man an experienced heart of the Zips defense.