Latest news with #Rutgers
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football 2025 schedule preview: Week 4 vs Rutgers
Following a home contest against UMass in Week 3, the Iowa football team will pack their bags for Piscataway, New Jersey, for the Big Ten opener against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This isn't your parents' Scarlet Knights football program. Greg Schiano has found a way to breathe new life into a program that needed a spark. After an 8-5 record and a bowl win in 2014, their first season in the Big Ten, Rutgers went 13-47 across the next five seasons, including a disastrous tenure for Chris Ash. Following the 2019 season, Rutgers fired Ash and brought back Schiano, who had previously coached the Scarlet Knights from 2001-2011 and won five bowl games. The move has paid off. Since Schiano returned to Piscataway, Rutgers is 26-34 with three bowl game appearances and a victory in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl over Miami (FL). And the hype around the team is high entering the 2025 season. After back-to-back seven-win seasons, Rutgers is looking to take the next step. And they return some really talented players. Let's take a deeper dive into the 2025 Rutgers football team. Who are some of the key returners for Rutgers? Who are some exciting newcomers for the Scarlet Knights? History between the Hawkeyes and Scarlet Knights Iowa and Rutgers have played each other four times on the gridiron, with the Hawkeyes winning all four games. In those games, Iowa has outscored Rutgers 96 to 17, including a 22-0 victory in the last matchup between the two teams on November 11, 2023. The closest game in the series was the first game between the two back in 2016, a 14-7 Iowa victory on the road. While Rutgers lost star running back Kyle Monangai to graduation, they still have a talented team that will provide Iowa with a great test to begin their 2025 conference slate. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on September 19 at SHI Stadium. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rutgers football at Big Ten Media Days: Key takeaways
LAS VEGAS – Greg Schiano left no doubt. The Rutgers football coach stood at the podium inside Mandalay Bay Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days and when he mentioned his starting quarterback, Schiano made sure everyone knew Athan Kaliakmanis' standing in the locker room. 'He has become a leader of our program,' Schiano said. 'This is definitely his football team.' It's been quite a ride for Kaliakmanis since joining the Scarlet Knights about a year and a half ago. Kaliakmanis transferred from Minnesota to reunite with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. He was thrust into a battle for Rutgers' starting quarterback job with Gavin Wimsatt, ultimately won it and later put together a productive first season in a Scarlet Knights uniform. In that time Kaliakmanis earned the clear respect of his teammates – not always easy for a transfer, especially one who was battling with a well-liked player in Wimsatt, who entered the transfer portal after losing the competition. Looking back at those early days Tuesday, Kaliakmanis acknowledged the initial adjustment wasn't always easy. 'It was extremely difficult for me,' Kaliakmanis said. 'I wasn't sure what was going to happen. But it all worked out. I'm grateful that it did. But it was definitely difficult.' Kaliakmanis last season completed 213 of his 395 pass attempts (53.9 percent) for 2,696 yards and 18 touchdowns. He led an offense that averaged 28.9 points per game, Rutgers' best mark since 2008. Along the way he became an unquestioned leader in the locker room. How did he reach that point? 'My words met my actions,' Kaliakmanis said. 'I took that very seriously. Something Coach Ciarrocca and I talked about. I showed up every day, I never took a day off. I came here every day and I still am – the season's not over. I come and I'm ready to go. There's no days off for me. I'm not coming in there going through the motions.' Kaliakmanis sees the same level of work ethic from his teammates. The QB has set the tone. 'All the other guys are doing it too,' Kaliakmanis said. 'That's why I'm so proud of this team. We're working really hard. We're all excited for camp.' Dariel Djabome ready to build off breakout season Djabome was a relatively under-the-radar linebacker when last season began. Then the Canada native put together a breakout season, finishing with a team-leading 105 tackles (7.5 for loss) with 3.5 sacks. It was a big year in his first season as a starter. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Djabome became one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten. Under the radar, no more. The fact that he was one of three players representing the Scarlet Knights at Big Ten Media Days says a lot on its own. 'Now that I'm people know a little bit more about me,' Djabome said. 'It doesn't change a bit for me. I still have the same goal. It's unfinished business. I'm at Rutgers for only one reason – to help my team win games. I just feel like if I give the best version of myself we're going to have a great chance to have the best season possible.' Rutgers' defense has undergone plenty of changes since last season, starting at the top with the departure of former coordinator Joe Harasymiak, now the head coach at UMass. Robb Smith and Zach Sparber are now co-defensive coordinators. The Scarlet Knights also lost several key pieces, including linebacker Tyreem Powell, cornerback Robert Longerbeam, defensive end Wesley Bailey and linebacker Mohamed Toure, who transferred to Miami. But Rutgers added talent, too, bringing in defensive ends Eric O'Neill and Bradley Weaver, safety Jett Elad and defensive tackle Doug Blue-Eli, among others. 'I think we could be elite on defense,' Djabome said. 'The guys are buying in. It's hard at times, there were a lot of changes, with the coaches, even the players, the roster. But I feel like what we have right now, everybody is buying in and everybody wants to see improvement and everybody's trying to figure it out.' This article originally appeared on Rutgers football: Big Ten Media Day takeaways
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's what Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano is saying about the ongoing AD search
LAS VEGAS – As the search for the next Rutgers athletic director drags on with no end sight, Greg Schiano reiterated he's not concerned about the leadership void at the top of the department. Schiano's continuing to run his football program without interruptions and he's confident the right candidate will eventually be selected. 'I have not spent a lot of time worrying about it,' Schiano said Tuesday morning in a meeting with a small group of local reporters ahead of Big Ten Media Days at Mandalay Bay. 'I have a lot of faith in Amy (Towers), and now President Tate, and the board will choose the right person. Now that President (William) Tate's on board, now President Tate will handle it. I have total faith that they're going to pick the right person for Rutgers.' Tate, who had been the president at Louisiana State, officially became the university's president July 1 as he replaced Jonathan Holloway. Schiano spoke positively about his interactions with Tate so far. The leadership in athletics is more uncertain. It's been nearly a year since Pat Hobbs resigned as director of athletics, and former interim AD Ryan Pisarri is now the athletic director at Tufts. Matt Colagiovanni, the deputy athletic director for facilities, capital projects and internal operations, is now the current interim AD. Rutgers announced in April that it hired search firm Turnkey ZRG to conduct the search for the new athletic director. NJ Advance Media reported Brian Lafemina, a Rutgers alum with a long career in sports administration, was the leading candidate but he since pulled his name from consideration. Where Rutgers goes next remains to be seen. But as Schiano prepares for his sixth season in his second stint leading the Scarlet Knights, his program continues to run without any interruptions. He's built an infrastructure within the program to navigate the ongoing changing landscape – now including revenue sharing – and that hasn't changed despite the leadership void atop the department. It's unclear when the new AD will be hired. Schiano has confidence the right candidate will be identified and chosen. 'I think whenever we make decisions we have to think about what's best for Rutgers and not what's best for everybody else,' Schiano said. 'What might fit at other places might not fit at our place.' This article originally appeared on Rutgers football: Greg Schiano on the athletic director search
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rutgers football welcomes back a familiar face to help boost linebacker depth
LAS VEGAS – Rutgers football has reunited with a former player to boost its depth at linebacker. Coach Greg Schiano confirmed Tuesday that linebacker Austin Dean is back with the program. Dean was with the Scarlet Knights for two seasons before transferring to Georgia Tech for two seasons. Dean in 2022 played in all 12 games and made one start. He finished with 19 tackles for the Scarlet Knights that season. Rutgers needed some additional depth at linebacker – especially after Mohamed Toure transferred out to Miami. Dariel Djabome and Moses Walker are likely going to start, but options behind them are relatively thin. Sam Pilof recently announced that he medically retired, and Abram Wright is still recovering from an injury he suffered last season. So it's unclear what Dean's role will be but Schiano's giving him the opportunity to carve out a large one if he earns it. 'Competition is everything,' Schiano said in a meeting with a small group of local reporters ahead of Big Ten Media Days at Mandalay Bay. 'You're coming in and you're competing. If you go do the job, you're going to win the job.' This article originally appeared on Rutgers football: Linebacker Austin Dean returns to program
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
7 most intriguing rookies to watch during Baltimore Ravens training camp
With Baltimore set for their first practice of the preseason, we're looking at seven intriguing rookies to watch during Ravens training camp The Baltimore Ravens added 11 draft picks to their roster in this year's NFL draft, landing Malaki Starks near the end of Round 1 to cap things off. Overall, the consensus for Eric DeCosta centered on draft value and landing prospects who can develop into starters regardless of the round in which they were selected. We won't know the actual impact of this year's class until these players hit the field and have time to develop, but on paper, it does appear that DeCosta has maintained and created another Super Bowl window. With Baltimore set for their first practice of the preseason, we're looking at seven intriguing rookies to watch during Ravens training camp. DB Malaki Starks Kyle Hamilton is a Swiss army knife, and he'll improve even more after Baltimore drafted his positional twin. Starks was the only player in the FBS to play at least 1,500 snaps at safety and 500 snaps at slot cornerback over the last three seasons, according to ESPN Research. Edge Rusher Mike Green Green's 22 tackles for loss ranked only behind Abdul Carter, who was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Giants. His 51 quarterback pressures were tied for the sixth-most in the FBS. His presence could allow the Ravens to move Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy even more. ILB Jay Higgins An All-American and All-Big 10 selection, Higgins (6-0, 224) started all 13 games in his final season with the Hawkeyes, totaling a team high 124 tackles (53 solo), including 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, nine passes defensed, and four interceptions. S Desmond Igbinosun, Rutgers During his four seasons at Rutgers, Igbinosun (6-2, 223) accumulated 186 tackles (95 solo), including 15 tackles for loss and seven passes defensed. He's a teammate at Rutgers with Ravens sixth-round pick Robert Longerbeam. OL Emery Jones Jones is recovering from a shoulder injury and is expected to finally see action during training camp. A late start to the competition will give Andrew Vorhees the edge. Jones had a 67.4 PFF pass-blocking grade at right tackle, but could be even more productive playing in a less confined space. LB Teddye Buchanan Buchanan was a first-team All-ACC performer who led Cal with 114 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He is the third player from Cal to get drafted by the Ravens, joining quarterback Kyle Boller (first round in 2003) and cornerback Marc Anthony (seventh round in 2013). S Keondre Jackson, Illinois State Jackson (6-2, 207) appeared in 45 games (33 starts) at Illinois State, logging 225 tackles (116 solo), including 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five interceptions (two returned for TDs), and 13 passes defensed. Jackson was named an FCS All-American by the Associated Press and first-team All-MVFC.
