| Rutgers' defense held Connecticut to 244 yards of total offense in the 19-3 win. (US Presswire) |
RUTGERS WON. In recent years the Scarlet Knights have been able to lean on their defense to keep them in games when the offense has struggled. But after the Scarlet Knights put up 525 yards on the road against Arkansas, many wondered if they would be able to present a more dynamic threat to Big East opponents.
A very tough Connecticut defense brought them back to earth on Saturday, holding Rutgers to just one offensive touchdown and 280 yards of total offene. Unfortunately for the Huskies, they turned the ball over five times.
HOW RUTGERS WON: Rutgers turned three of those five turnovers into scores, taking advantage of the good field position for some of the only offensive production of the game. Jawan Jamison was a workhorse again, carrying the ball 28 times for 110 yards as the most reliable option in the Scarlet Knights' attack. Brandon Coleman and Mark Harrison used their size to make catches in space, but a resilient Connecticut back seven did a good job of swarming to the ball and limiting their opportunities to break a big play.
WHEN RUTGERS WON: Chandler Whitmer dropped back with one timeout and less than four minutes remaining, hoping to orchestrate a touchdown drive to cut into Rutgers' 13-3 lead. His pass over the middle was picked off by Wayne Warren, who ran 25 yards and pushed a pile over the goal line for the game-sealing touchdown. It was the third score for Rutgers set up by a Connecticut turnover, and it was followed by a Khaseeme Green interception on the next possession.
WHAT RUTGERS WON: The Scarlet Knights move to 5-0 and 2-0 in conference play. For a team with a stated goal of winning the program's first Big East title, this was a necessary hurdle to overcome. The Huskies play great defense and normally run the ball with some consistency. Shutting down their attack and forcing turnovers in spite of short drives -- Rutgers converted on just 5 of 14 third downs -- showed a very reliable backup plan if/when the offense stalls.
WHAT CONNECTICUT LOST: The Huskies offense is struggling, and even though Rutgers is a formidable opponent there could have been more production on Saturday. Connecticut's offense continued to shoot itself in the foot with penalties and turnovers -- negating what few successful plays Whitmer was able to string together.
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