⚡ CFB Dashboard

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football took care of business Friday night, dispatching Howard 58-7. It was the first win of the season for Rutgers, but it carried significance beyond simply getting into the win column. These types of games are important for building depth ahead of the Big Ten schedule and providing valuable reps for younger players on the roster. In the short term, it means the Scarlet Knights finally have a win and have now pieced together improved performances over the past two games. More on that now. Here are four things we learned from Rutgers' win over Howard: OK, the season has been on an upswing – Since the third quarter of the Boston College game, Rutgers has shown improvement. Last week's seven-point loss to No. 12 USC showed that Rutgers was better than its record suggested. Now comes the bigger question: Can it continue next weekend against No. 5 Indiana and beyond? Northwestern, an opponent in a couple of weeks, looked competitive in a close loss to Indiana. Rutgers, meanwhile, is beginning to resemble the team many projected before the season. If Rutgers can play the way it did against USC and then Howard, there are winnable games left on the schedule. Friday's win likely won't be the last of the season. The hole created by the 0-3 start remains steep, and the already razor-thin margin for bowl eligibility is even thinner now (yes, for the grammar snobs, "thinnier" still isn't a word). But Rutgers can win a couple of Big Ten games if it continues to play the way it has over the past 10 quarters, particularly over the last two weeks. The offense was clean – No turnovers and no sacks for an offense that has shown gradual improvement in recent weeks. The two interceptions against USC were major turning points in that game, but Rutgers has moved the ball far better than it did during the opening six quarters of the season. The obvious caveat is that Howard is nowhere near the caliber of opponent Rutgers will face for the remainder of the year. Still, there was plenty to like. Beyond the play of quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who finished 12-for-17 passing for 214 yards and two touchdowns, the offensive line kept the starting quarterback upright all night. Antwan Raymond topped 100 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns as the line consistently created running lanes. Chris Vigna and Mo Giwa did what they were supposed to do and controlled the edge. Vigna, in particular, looked strong at left tackle. Tyler Needham also turned in his best game of the season and looked effective when pulling in the run game. Like the rest of the offense, the offensive line has steadily improved over the past 10 quarters. The question now is whether that improvement is enough to carry over into Big Ten play. Don't read too much into the defense's performance, but ... – Allowing just one scoring drive, especially one aided by a broken play, is a positive step for a defense that struggled badly to begin the season. Rutgers generated pressure, as expected, and came up with several big plays, including two first-half interceptions by Bradlee Jones. One of the more encouraging developments was the play of the starting linebacker duo. Moses Walker finished with five tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Abram Wright added two tackles. True freshman cornerback Devonte Anderson also did not look out of place and recorded a pass breakup. If Rutgers can force opponents to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns, it will have a better chance to stay competitive in Big Ten play. That's a big ask and much easier said than done. Still, Rutgers handled Howard the way it was supposed to handle Howard. For a defense whose struggles from last season carried into the first few weeks of this year, that's a building block and a positive sign. Some young players flashed – The biggest talking point will be the debut of Aiden Gibson. The moment did not appear too big for Gibson, who carried nine times for 37 yards and showed an impressive physical running style. It was also encouraging to see wide receivers Vernon Allen III and Dyzier Carter each make a catch, along with tight end Ben Rothaar, who finished with a 23-yard reception. Getting quarterback Sean Ashenfelder onto the field and allowing him to attempt a pass was another positive development. Ashenfelder has earned praise from the coaching staff since arriving on campus two years ago. Defensively, valuable game reps went to defensive tackles Braxton Kyle and Jermaine Poll, who each recorded a tackle, along with linebacker Kamar Archie, who finished with two tackles. Joey Kopec, another promising linebacker, made his second career appearance Friday night and recorded a tackle. The coaching staff remains very high on Kopec's potential.