Last weekend, Temple just barely scraped out a win against Akron in a 24-21 game. In the 2022 season, Rutgers and Temple met at Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia, where Rutgers pulled off a 16-14 low-scoring game. This year, the Scarlet Knights are predicted to secure another win against the Owls.
Rutgers: Back-to-Back Win Over Temple Predicted
Last week, Gavin Wimsatt threw a total of 163 yards and completed 18 of 29 (58.6%) pass attempts against Northwestern. On the opposing end, E.J. Warner threw a total of 292 yards and completed 28 out of 49 (57.1%) pass attempts for the Owls against Akron.
Elsewhere on the Rutgers offense, Kyle Monangai gained 49 yards on 14 carries. Isaiah Washington gained 36 yards on four catches. For Temple, Darvon Hubbard carried the ball ten times, gaining 35 yards. Dante Wright gained 71 yards on seven passes.
It is early in the season and these teams have played close games against each other in the past. Yet even with the absence of Nas Brantley, Rutgers is the crowd favorite for week two.
We may have to wait to see this game through, as Hurricane Lee poses a daunting threat. As of now, the hurricane is projected to hit the coast of New England. New Jersey residents have no clear answer as to whether or not the storm will hit the Garden State. Right now, the weather professionals are predicting rain in some form throughout the day on Saturday. Fans better come prepared with an umbrella because, between tailgating and the game, rain is sure to come at some point. These two teams can only hope for the best weather-wise, and come prepared ready to play in these conditions.
While Rutgers was able to gain their first win of the season last Sunday, things did not go exactly as planned. Transfer Naseim (Nas) Brantley was not able to play in the game against Northwestern. At this point, coach Greg Schiano has refrained from going into further detail on the situation but he did confirm that Naseim’s absence was due to an NCAA issue.
Naseim Brantly Was Missing from Rutgers’ Season Opener
Brantley, a Jersey native, joined Rutgers’ wide receiver lineup this year as a transfer from Western Illinois. Before there, he spent four years at Sacred Heart. Last season at Western Illinois, he had 53 catches, 909 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Brantley was an exciting recruit for Rutgers, expected to replace the talent of his predecessors – players like Aron Cruickshank and Sean Ryan.
Greg Schiano is Frustrated with the NCAA Ruling for Naseim Brantley
Due to COVID-19, athletes in Brantley’s class were granted an extra year of eligibility. While not yet confirmed, it’s looking like the NCAA’s issue is in regard to Brantley’s eligibility, or lack thereof. The heads of Scarlet Knights fans are spinning, with the only information confirmed being a quick statement from Schiano: “Naseim has an issue, an NCAA issue, and I’m going to hold comment right now on about because I’m about fuming; you could fry an egg on my head with that whole situation,” Schiano said Sunday after his team’s win. “I’ll shut up before I get in trouble. (the Naseim situation) got me so mad, I lost track.”
The bright side of the situation is that Rutgers’ offense came out solid in last week’s game, despite not having Brantley. As for Schiano, he only has a few days to cool down and get focused for this week’s game. The Scarlet Knights are due up against the Temple Owls this Saturday.
Week 2: Rutgers vs. Temple
Game: Rutgers vs. Temple
Date: Saturday, September 10th 2023
Where: SHI Stadium – Piscataway, NJ
Time: 7:30 PM EST
