Rutgers football vs. Wagner: The five takeaways from Rutgers’ 52-3 victory

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — On Saturday, Rutgers football (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) captured their fourth win of the season, defeating the Wagner Seahawks (2-3). The Scarlet Knights cruised through all four quarters in their Week 5 victory, scoring touchdowns in seven of their nine drives.

The 52-3 win was certainly impressive.

Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt added another efficient outing to his young resume, completing 12 passes on 19 attempts for 146 yards with one throwing and two rushing touchdowns. Wimsatt finished the game with a 63 percent completion percentage in the fourth quarter, handing the offense over to freshman quarter Ajani Sheppard. Sheppard completed two passes for 23 yards, leading the Scarlet Knights on their final scoring drive.

Rutgers wide receivers JaQuae Jackson and Christian Dremel led the way for the Scarlet Knights on the receiving end, recording a combined eight catches. Dremel recorded his third consecutive game with a touchdown reception, and Jackson led the team with 71 receiving yards.

The Rutgers defense dominated all four quarters, holding the Seahawks to three points and 106 yards of total offense. Scroll down to examine the five takeaways from Rutgers’ Week 5 victory.

Rutgers scored first in all five games this season

The Scarlet Knights scored first in all their five games this season, recording a 44-yard field goal by Jai Patel at the 6:57 mark in the first quarter. The Scarlet Knights offense was firing on all cylinders, scoring points in eight of their nine drives against the Seahawks. The Scarlet Knights elected to kick off to start the game, forcing a Seahawks punt on their first possession. Rutgers put together an eight-play 41-yard drive on their first offensive possession, leading to Patel’s field goal.

Third consecutive game with a touchdown for wide receiver Christian Dremel

Rutgers senior wide receiver Christion Dremel recorded his third consecutive game with a touchdown reception when quarterback Gavin Wimsatt found him for a 4-yard touchdown pass. Dremel has recorded 14 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns through Week 5, with his longest reception being 69 yards against No. 2 Michigan. The Caldwell, New Jersey, native leads the Scarlet Knights in receptions and is second behind JaQuae Jackson (207 yards) in receiving yards.

Rutgers defensive end Aaron Lewis had a strong performance

The Scarlet Knights’ defense dominated in Week 5, holding Wagner to 106 offensive yards. The Scarlet Knights allowed seven or fewer points for the third time in 2023, allowing only three points on Saturday. Rutgers defensive end Aaron Lewis controlled the line of scrimmage for the Scarlet Knights, recording five tackles, two sacks, and 1.5 tackles for loss. The junior defensive end recorded a career-high two sacks in Week 5. Lewis has logged 21 tackles (16 assists), two quarterback hurries, and three sacks through Week 5.

Rutgers leaned on their running game

Rutgers got their ground game back in Week 5 after it disappeared in Week 4 against No.2 Michigan. The Scarlet Knights finished the game with 52 carries (six rushers) for 268 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Junior running back Kyle Monangai led the way for the Scarlet Knights on the ground, recording 19 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. Monangai has logged 88 carries for 471 yards with six touchdowns, averaging 94.2 yards per game through Week 5. Freshman Ja’shon Benjamin recorded his first career rushing touchdown, logging a six-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Also, sophomore running back Samuel Brown V scored his second rushing touchdown of the season, his fifth for his career.

The Scarlet Knights scored in all four quarters

The Scarlet Knights logged nine total drives, scoring points on eight of them. Rutgers recorded an eight-play 41-yard drive on their first offensive possession, going ahead 3-0 in the first quarter. Following their first offensive drive, the Scarlet Knights scored touchdowns on seven of their next eight, leading to 52 points. Rutgers’ Week 5 victory is their third game this season with at least 250 rushing yards. Also, Rutgers has scored 154 points this season, the most through five games since posting 200 in 2013.

Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire