2011 Rutgers Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 4-1 start in 2010, which included a win i their conference opener against Connecticut (2010 Big East Champions), but they would end up losing their final seven games of the season to finish 4-8 overall and 1-6 in the Big East. Despite the disappointing finish, the Scarlet Knights head into the 2011 season with some optimism. They bring back 14 starters and have some freshman who are ready to contribute.

Here is a closer look at what Rutgers will send to the field on both sides of the ball in 2011, plus my prediction on where I see them finishing the year in the Big East.

Offense:

The Scarlet Knights will look to really improve on an offense that averaged just 20.8 ppg in 2010. They have nine of 11 starters back, including sophomore quarterback Chas Dodd, who started seven games as a true freshman. Dodd completed 55% of his passes for 1,637 yards with 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Heading into the fall it appears that Dodd will retain his starting job, but there is some talks that true freshman Gary Nova could end up winning the job.

Rutgers really struggled to move the ball on the ground in 2010. They averaged just 101 yards a game, and Jordan Thomas was the leading rusher with just 417 yards. Second on the team was former wide out Jeremy Deering, who had 352 yards and scores. Looking ahead to the 2011 season, true freshman Savon Huggins will like take over the primary role with Deering remaining as the primary backup.

At wide receiver the Scarlet Knights bring back a couple of very talented players in juniors Mark Harrison and Mohamed Sanu. Harrison had 44 catches for 829 yards and nine touchdowns. Sanu also had 44 catches, but had just 418 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Sanu is also a factor running the ball, as he had 59 carries for 209 yards and four touchdowns. Added the receiving mix this season will be redshirt freshman Brandon Coleman.

The offensive line was one of the Scarlet Knights biggest weaknesses in 2010, but with four starters back they are hoping to really turn things around in 2011. They bring back sophomore left tackle Andre Civil, senior right tackle Desmond Stapleton, senior left guard Desmond Wynn and senior right guard Art Frost. Sophomore David Frost and senior Caleb Ruch are the two leading candidates to take over at center.

Defense:

Another reason why Rutgers struggled in 2010, is they didn’t play very well on the defensive side of the ball. They went from allowing just 17.9 ppg in 2009 to 26.5 in 2010. With just five starters back from last year, this unit is a big concern heading into the season.

Up front the Scarlet Knights return senior defensive end Manny Abreu and junior defensive tackle Scott Vallone, but will have to find two new starters two add to this unit. Michigan transfer Anthony La Lota looks like he will step in and start at defensive tackle, while sophomore Jamil Merrell is expected to take over at the other defensive end.

In the middle of the field Rutgers should have two solid outside linebackers in juniors Steve Beauharnais and Khaseem Greene. Beauharnais was third on the team with 79 tackles and and also had 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Greene, who makes the move from free safety, was fourth with 77 tackles and led the team with three interceptions. The hope is that junior Ka’Lial Glaud can step in and start at middle linebacker.

With senior safety David Rowe the only starter back in the secondary, the Scarlet Knights could really struggle stopping the pass in 2011. They will likely turn to junior Marcus Cooper and sophomore Brandon Jones at the two corner spots, while junior Duron Harmon takes over for Greene at the other safety slot.

2011 Prediction: 5th Big East - I think the Scarlet Knights are going to surprise a lot of people with how much better they perform in 2011. While the defense is a concern, it should be much worse than it was a year ago. At the same time the offense should really show some big time improvements, especially with a much better offensive line. The one thing that could knock Rutgers down in the standings is their four home games are against the four best teams in Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and USF.

More Resources:

On the Banks – has the team winning 7 or 8 games and 3 or 4 in the Big East.

Big East Football Predictions by Team
Cincinnati Football Predictions	Connecticut Football Predictions
Louisville Football Predictions	Pittsburgh Football Predictions
Rutgers Football Predictions	South Florida Football Predictions
Syracuse Football Predictions	West Virginia Football Predictions

College Football Predictions
ACC Football Predictions	Big 12 Football Predictions
Conference USA Football Predictions	Independents Football Predictions
PAC 12 Football Predictions	SEC Football Predictions
Big East Football Predictions	Big Ten Football Predictions
MAC Football Predictions	Mountain West Football Predictions
Sun Belt Football Predictions	WAC Football Predictions

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