Following the 56-10 loss at SHI Stadium, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights captain, Jordan Walker, shared his thoughts, pointing out the visible gaps that were plaguing the lineup. Walker managed to recover a fumble in the first quarter, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the 56-10 skid.
Rutgers’ defense failed to stand up to Oregon’s attack. The Ducks racked up 750 total yards, 415 on the ground at 11.5 yards per carry and 335 through the air, led by quarterback Dante Moore’s 339 yards and four touchdowns. Following the lackluster performance of Rutgers’ defense, Senior defensive lineman Jordan Walker said during the post-game interview, “I’m sick to my stomach. I didn’t know that was a real phrase, but I’m actually feeling that.”
The Scarlet Knights failed to record a single sack, almost letting Moore run untouched. “You can’t stop nobody if you don’t get sacks,” Walker said. “We gotta just get back to the books, watch film harder.”
Explosive plays haunted Rutgers again, with four Ducks rushing for 30-plus yards and six receivers catching passes of at least 20 yards. Walker believes they need to be much more prepared before each game if they want to prevent something like this from happening again. The captain said, “Know what your opponent’s gonna do, and you got to be ready for when that moment arises.”
Head coach Greg Schiano was also very visibly shaken during the post-game, saying, “I have to take a hard look at everything, everyone,” he said, “Forty minutes after the game is not the time to take a look at it. I’ll have to have some tough nights and days here.” While Schiano has only made one in-season coordinator change in his tenure, the pressure is mounting to address a defense that’s failed to find consistency.
On offense, Rutgers managed just 202 yards, with a mere 79 passing. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 8 of 25 passes, throwing two interceptions. “We got punched in the mouth,” he admitted. “Oregon’s a really good football team, credit to them. I think too many self-inflicted errors, and you can’t let that happen against a top-three team.” Backup AJ Surace’s got his second appearance, but he misfired on both of his pass attempts.
Kaliakmanis saw the loss as a potential turning point. “We have to learn ultimately, this is life,” he said. “Sometimes you just get knocked down. But how are you gonna get up?” His statement almost mirrored Schiano’s, who said, “We got to be ready to learn. You can’t just say Chop, and then, when you’re down 50, not live by it.”
“I brought the guys up after the game. I said, ‘You gotta be a man,’” Walker shared, giving a glimpse of the locker room after the game. “If you don’t want to be a man, don’t come back tomorrow, because there’s nobody magical that’s gonna fix this for us.”
The Scarlet Knights face Purdue on October 25, and they are currently favored by 2.5 points, according to FanDuel. The Boilermakers faced a crushing 19-0 loss to Northwestern, so there will be some desperation from both teams to break the slide. Historically, Rutgers holds a 2-0 edge in the series, including a 37-30 win in 2020, so all the fans can do is hope that the Knights continue the streak against Purdue.
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