Rutgers has a bit of a weird layout to its schedule this year, as it will open conference play against USC before they finish their nonconference play against Howard a week later. The Scarlet Knights will kick off against Howard on Friday, September 25th at 7 p.m.
Rutgers has squared off against the Bison three times before, all of which have led to double-digit victories for the Knights. Their last matchup came in 2024, which Rutgers won 44-7.
Last season, Howard went 5-7 in the FCS, 2-3 in MEAC play. Their wins came against Florida A&M, Morehouse College, Hampton, Morgan State, and Norfolk State. They did not play any Power Four teams last year, but were defeated soundly by Temple 55-7, which was their only game last season against an FBS team.
Opponent Offense
Howard will be returning much of its production on offense, with quarterback Tyriq Starks back for his senior season. Last year, Starks completed 176 of 304 passes, good for a completion percentage of 57.9%. He totaled 1,801 yards, nine touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He added 138 carries on the ground for 193 yards and four touchdowns.
Lead running back for the Bison last season, Sophomore Anthonay Reagan Jr., will be returning as well. Last season, Reagan recorded 122 carries for 671 yards and nine touchdowns, good for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Backup running back Travis Kearny also got a decent amount of touches last season, carrying the ball 80 times for 318 yards and three touchdowns while averaging four yards per carry.
The Bison will be returning their two leading wide receivers from last season. Andre Cooper II, who led the team in receiving yards, will return for another year. Last season, he posted 23 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Breylin Smith, who led the team in overall catches, will be returning after a season where he posted 29 catches for 234 yards and one touchdown. Leading tight end Montrell Walker will be returning as well, last season he posted 11 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown.
Opponent Defense
Howard got hit hard on the defensive side of the ball in terms of the transfer portal, losing both of its sack leaders from last season, and one of its best defensive backs from last season. They are, however, returning tackle leader Kendrick Green. Last season, Green led the team with 60 total tackles, and two interceptions.
Limited information is available about the players that Howard got in the transfer portal, however, a few of them were able to be confirmed. One such player being Semaj Pierre, former wide receiver at Rice. He recorded six catches for 12 yards during his one season in Houston.
What to Expect?
Based on the information that we have, it is easy to tell that Howard is going to rely heavily on its run game. If Rutgers shuts this down swiftly and effectively, they should be able to cruise to victory. The biggest thing for the Knights here is to build up a lead early and not give Howard any reason to think they can stick around. This could easily be a 30 point + victory for the Knights.
Rutgers Football Schedule
- Sept. 3: vs. UMass
- Sept. 11: at Boston College
- Sept. 19: vs. USC
- Sept. 25: vs. Howard
- Oct. 3: vs. Indiana
- Oct. 17: at Maryland
- Oct. 24: at Northwestern
- Oct. 31: vs. Michigan
- Nov. 7: at Wisconsin
- Nov. 14: vs. Nebraska
- Nov. 21: at Penn State
- Nov. 28: vs. Michigan State
