Rutgers vs Northwestern predictions and how to watch
How to Watch
Date: Sunday, September 3, 2023
Time: 12 pm EST
Location: SHI Stadium – Piscataway, NJ
TV: CBS
Team Stats & Insights
The Northwestern Wildcats are preparing to head to Piscataway, New Jersey this Sunday to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Both teams’ seasons will kick off at noon, September 3rd at SHI stadium.
The Wildcats finished their 2022 season 1-11. The team ended last season with a -18 turnover margin, the fourth-worst in college football. Their team defense was all the way down at 81st in the country. On offense, they averaged just 14 points and only 374 yards per game.
On the opposing end, the Scarlet Knights finished their 2022 season going 4-8. Close to the Wildcats, they rushed for 11 TDs and passed for 11. They averaged 17.4 points and 350 yards per game for the season.
Both teams finished last in their respective Big Ten divisions in the 2022 season and both teams have made critical changes in hopes of notable improvement for this season.
Northwestern, Heading into 2023
This past July, the Wildcats relieved head coach Pat Fitzgerald as a result of surfaced hazing allegations. Michael Schill, university president, stated that the hazing included, “Forced participation, nudity, and sexualized acts of a degrading nature.” David Braun was named Interim Head Coach in mid-July. He joined the staff as an assistant in January. For Wildcat fans, the timespan Braun has spent as the interim is a concern. How much has he been able to accomplish and develop with the team in a short month and a half?
Key returners to the Wildcats this season include quarterbacks Ryan Hilinski, Brendan Sullivan ,and Cole Freeman. However, the player everyone has their eyes on is possible starting quarterback Ben Bryant, who transferred from Cincinnati. Last season, Bryant passed for 21 touchdowns and 2,700 yards and with seven interceptions. Impressively, he only had one fumble all season. Now, Bryant and Sullivan have been head-to-head during camp to secure the spot as starting quarterback. Now as the start of the season is creeping up, we still have no word of who will be starting at SHI Stadium. Ironically, the lack of a definite starting quarterback was one of Rutgers’ major downfalls last season. But the Scarlet Knights have made definitive corrective steps. As for Northwestern, will we see both Bryant and Sullivan on Sunday? What will determine who is getting the majority of the snaps?
Rutgers, Heading into 2023
As previously discussed, Rutgers bounced between three men last year in the quarterback position. However, head coach Greg Schiano made the announcement during camp that Gavin Wimsatt will be the starting quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. Last season, Wimsatt threw for five touchdowns and 757 yards. He threw nine interceptions for the season. His stats fall a little behind from that of Bryant’s but Wimsatt was said to have shown major development and improvement during this past off-season. In Wimsatt’s first scrimmage this summer as starting quarterback, the offense didn’t commit a single turnover. Schiano later stated about Wimsatt:
“Most important thing, he took care of the football. He seemed sped up at times, I think just excited. We got to play that out of him,” Schiano told reporters after the scrimmage.
“But he ran the offense, got us in and out of the plays we wanted to get in and out of. When I say sped (up), sometimes I think not as accurate as he was in practice but encouraged.”
Another key advantage for the Knights’ side is their coaching situation. They are on the opposite end of the spectrum right now as the Wildcats – while Northwestern is scrambling to find footing with an interim and a tenuous future, Schiano has spent the past few seasons rebuilding the football program in his second stint with the team. While the team’s stats show that they still have a ways to go with improvement and development, Schiano has been able to build up the team from where it was when he took the reins.
Who Will Be Victorious?
It’s fair to say this Sunday’s game is a balanced matchup. There’s no obvious choice with so little to go off of in week one. Rutgers is a touchdown favorite with most oddsmakers. The countdown is closing in. Can Schiano’s program pull out a win over the Wildcats?
Photo courtesy: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
