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RU football: Three keys for Rutgers to beat Temple and improve to 2-0

chris iseman, asbury park press
·2 min read

PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football has beaten Temple in six consecutive games.

The Scarlet Knights will try to make it seven on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) while also trying to move 2-0 for the season.

Here are three keys for Rutgers to beat the Owls:

Score early

This is a meaningful game for Temple. It’s a chance to play a regional Big Ten opponent and an opportunity to make a strong impression. The Owls are going to come out with plenty of motivation to try and compete, not to mention trying to avenge last season’s two-point loss to the Scarlet Knights at Lincoln Financial Field.

That’s why Rutgers needs to deliver the first punch, put Temple on its heels and keep it from gaining any kind of early momentum.

The Scarlet Knights set the tone quickly against Northwestern, and the Wildcats were never really in the game after that. If Gavin Wimsatt can orchestrate another early scoring drive, it could go a long way for Rutgers.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) throws the ball during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at SHI Stadium.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) throws the ball during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at SHI Stadium.

Dominate time of possession

This is going to be part of the recipe for success for Rutgers. Put together some long, methodical drives that chew time off the clock and give the defense some rest on the sideline.

We saw how the Scarlet Knights used this to their advantage against Northwestern (they had the ball for 37:56 compared to the Wildcats’ 22:04). And six of those minutes for Northwestern came late in the fourth quarter when it finally got on the board and broke the shutout.

Rutgers has solid running backs – and it managed to dominate the clock in its opener despite being without Sam Brown and Aaron Young. It’s unclear at this point whether they’ll be available against Temple, but Kyle Monangai and Ja’shon Benjamin stepped up big against Northwestern.

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Keep E.J. Warner from getting into a rhythm

Warner, the son of Hall of Fame Quarterback Kurt Warner, made his first college start last season against Rutgers and went 19-of-32 passing for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception (a pick six to Shaquan Loyal).

Warner did get better over the course of the season, and now is clearly the strength of the offense. Rutgers’ defense, dominant against Northwestern, needs to keep him from getting into any kind of rhythm with his receivers, particularly Colorado State transfer Dante Wright.

Temple has a relatively young, inexperienced offensive line. That’s good news for a deep and talent Rutgers defensive front that will look to continue the momentum from the win over Northwestern.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers vs Temple 2023: 3 keys for Scarlet Knights to beat Owls