Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
Saturday, December 28th, 2013
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
Rutgers Season Review
Despite carrying a talented roster, Rutgers had a very disappointing 6-6 season, and did not log a win against a team with a winning record this season. They started off their season with a tough triple-overtime loss against Fresno State, but that was their most competitive loss. They were blown out by Central Florida, lost to Louisville, and suffered an 11-point defeat to Connecticut, a team that opened their season by losing to Towson.
The Scarlet Knights struggled offensively all season, finishing the 2013 regular season 72nd in points per game and 98th in rush yards per game.
Notre Dame Season Review
Notre Dame was unable to follow up their National Championship appearance with an equal season, but they did play very well. Despite losing Everrett Gholson to suspension, Heisman finalist Manti Te’o, and offensive playmakers like Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick, they did return a lot of talent and were able to have a chance to win every game they played. They did lose four games, but other than Pittsburgh, each loss was to a ranked team. The Irish were able to beat Arizona State and USC, and was the only team this season to defeat Michigan State, the B1G champions.
Game Matchups
Notre Dame Receivers vs. Rutgers Secondary: After losing a lot of talent to the NFL from last season, the Scarlet Knights are 122nd in the nation in pass defense this season. This is where Notre Dame will have a field day, as T.J. Jones and DaVaris Daniels are very talented receivers and Tommy Rees has shown the ability to hit the open receiver. Rees has been inconsistent this season, but he has played well against subpar defenses.
Brandon Coleman vs. Bennett Jackson: Gary Nova has struggled this season as the quarterback for Rutgers, and Coleman’s numbers have suffered. After catching 43 passes for 718 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012, he only caught 32 passes for 473 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, despite the down season, Coleman is still an incredibly dangerous receiver and Jackson will need to be covering him tightly to make sure he doesn’t break the defense open.
Predicted Winner: Notre Dame
Draft Impact
Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers)- Coleman has already declared for the Draft. Here is eDraft’s scouting report on Coleman.
Stephon Tuitt (DE, Notre Dame)- Tuitt is the top 3-4 defensive end in college football, and could easily be a first round pick in April. However, as of now, he is committed to staying in school, but a lot of things can change between now and January 15th.