Rutgers jumps out early, routs Wagner 66-7

Sep 11, 2022, 02:16 am

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- — Tight end Johnny Langan threw and caught a touchdown pass as Rutgers rolled to a 66-7 rout of Wagner on Saturday.

Highly-touted recruit Gavin Wimsatt made his first career start at quarterback, but Rutgers coach Greg Schiano continued to jockey the position between the redshirt freshman and third-year sophomore Evan Simon. Veteran signal caller Noah Vedral remained out with an upper-body injury.

“They both did some really good things. I think there’s some things that we’ve really got to get better, fast, because time is our enemy right now,” Schiano said. “Now we have two tapes to teach from, two game tapes, and we’ll do a lot of things with cut ups and putting those games together and showing them.”

After Wagner opened the game with a 31-yard pass play, Rutgers’ defense tightened and stopped the Seahawks on fourth-and-4. Rutgers proceeded to go down the field on an 11-play, 62-yard drive spanning 4:27, capped by a Kyle Monangai 2-yard touchdown run to take an early lead.

Simon later threw a 40-yard touchdown pass, Wimsatt added a 41-yarder and Langan, a former quarterback, connected with Isaiah Washington on a 43-yard touchdown pass as the Scarlet Knights (2-0) scored on their first four possessions.

“I was really happy for him because no matter how far he goes in football playing tight end, he’s a quarterback at heart,” Schiano said. “So he enjoys that.”

For Simon and Wimsatt, the touchdown passes were the first of their careers. “It was awesome. Long time coming,” Simon said. “AC (Aron Cruickshank) is a great player, and he made a heck of a catch.”

Simon threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Langan late in the second quarter to stretch the Scarlet Knights’ lead to 38-7 at halftime.

Both signal callers said the quarterback carousel doesn’t affect their rhythm.

“Honestly, I don’t think it affects it at all really,” Wimsatt said. “Whatever coach needs us to win the game, and I feel like we pick up each other’s energy, which is great, you know, he threw a touchdown. Happy for him on the sidelines and then I went out there and did that one and he’s right there to greet me when I get back on the sideline.”

Nick Kargman found Jayvin Little in the back of the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown pass-and-catch to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive early in the second quarter for Wagner (0-2).

Rutgers finished with 585 yards of offense that included 323 yards on the ground. Simon threw for 156 yards on 10-of-13 passing. Wimsatt completed 4 of 11 passes for 63 yards. Samuel Brown had a pair of touchdown runs for the Scarlet Knights.

Al-Shadee Salaam and Rashad Rochelle each ran for scores.

Wagner was held to just 19 yards rushing and 111 yards overall.

THE TAKEAWAY

Rutgers did what it was supposed to do against the overmatched team from the Northeast Conference. Traveling to Temple next week serves as a bit more of a test, but the Scarlet Knights have a chance to be 3-0 when they host Iowa on Sept. 24.

HISTORY MAKER

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is in his third season back “on the banks” and fourteenth overall leading the Scarlet Knights. The win against Wagner tied him with Frank Burns (78) for most wins in the program.

The 66 points were the most points Rutgers has scored under Schiano. The Scarlet Knights scored 63 against Louisville in 2008 during Schiano’s first stint.

UP NEXT

Wagner: Hosts St. Francis (PA) on Saturday.

Rutgers: At Temple on Saturday.

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