Instant takeaways | Rutgers football locks up bowl eligibility with convincing win over Maryland

Posted by Admin November 17, 2024 Football

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COLLEGE PARK, Maryland – For a second straight season, Rutgers football is going bowling.

The Scarlet Knights continued to resuscitate a season that once looked like it was slipping away by beating Maryland 31-17 Saturday at SECU Stadium to earn their sixth win and secure bowl eligibility.

Greg Schiano’s team has now won two straight after losing four in a row.

Beating the Terrapins is also significant – the Scarlet Knights had lost three straight to Mike Locksley’s team, including a 37-0 drubbing here two years ago.

A lot’s changed since then.

Rutgers on Saturday moved the ball effectively on offense and it came up with multiple big plays on defense.

This was one of the Scarlet Knights’ best all-around performances of the season.

Here are some quick takeaways:

Big game from Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis

Kaliakmanis followed up a strong performance against Minnesota with another strong game against Maryland.

He finished 20-of-30 passing for 238 yards with two touchdowns, including a perfectly placed 32-yard pass to Dymere Miller early in the fourth quarter, dropping the ball right into Miller’s hands as he crossed into the end zone for a touchdown that put Rutgers up 28-17.

Kaliakmanis made strong, accurate throws all game long. In the second quarter Rutgers had third-and-9 from the Maryland 38 and Kaliakmanis delivered a dart to the right sideline to Miller for a 19-yard drive to extend the drive, which ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Kyle Monangai.

Rutgers’ offense has made substantial progress and Kaliakmanis’ performances lately are a major reason for that success.

Key fourth-down conversions

Rutgers went for it on fourth down three times and converted all three of them.

They all proved to be pivotal.

The first came in the second quarter. The Scarlet Knights had fourth-and-4 from the Maryland 34. Kaliakmanis, making another big play, hit Ian Strong for a five-yard gain. The drive ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to Ian Strong.

The second one game later in the quarter on fourth-and-1 from the Maryland 15. Kaliakmanis kept it for a two-yard gain on a tush push. Two plays later, Monangai had the two-yard touchdown run.

But the gutsiest call came in the third quarter.

The Scarlet Knights had fourth-and-2 at the Maryland 12. Schiano went for it and it worked – Kaliakmanis hit Miller for a six-yard pass to convert.

Monangai ran it in from six yards out on the next play for a touchdown.

Another strong showing from Rutgers’ defense

That was the big question coming into the game: Could the Scarlet Knights’ defense follow up their best performance of the season with another good showing?

Well, the answer was yes.

Joe Harasymiak’s unit did a nice job limiting a Maryland offense that has a bevy of weapons, particularly at wide receiver with Tai Felton and Kaden Prather.

Rutgers got a big fourth-down stop in the final seconds of the first half – the Terrapins had fourth-and-5 from the Scarlet Knights 42, but quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw a three-yard pass to Felton, who was taken down by cornerback Robert Longerbeam for the turnover on downs.

But the biggest play came early in the fourth quarter.

Maryland had a first down at the Rutgers 30 and was threatening. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw over the middle to Octavian Smith Jr. Safety Shaquan Loyal hit him, the ball popped out and defensive end Jordan Thompson came down with it for the interception to get Rutgers the ball back and kill Maryland’s drive.

Aaron Lewis, who recorded his first sack of the season during the game, made a big play on fourth-and-2 from the Rutgers 23 with 8:29 to go, batting down a pass to force a turnover on downs.

The Scarlet Knights’ defense bent at times, but it really never broke. Maryland (455) had more total yards than Rutgers (370) but less to show for it.

Two more season-ending injuries for Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights had already lost multiple players to season-ending ailments (including linebacker Mohamed Toure, defensive end Wesley Bailey, offensive lineman Bryan Felter and tights Kenny Fletcher and Victor Konopka), and two hours before the game the Scarlet Knights announced two more.

Linebacker Abram Wright and right tackle Tyler Needham are both out for the season. Both suffered injuries in Rutgers’ previous game against Minnesota.

Without Needham, Rutgers slid Taj White from left guard (he replaced Felter there) to right tackle and started Dantae Chin at left guard.