Rutgers jumps out early, routs Wagner 66-7

Updated Sep. 10, 2022 8:13 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Tight end Johnny Langan threw and caught a touchdown pass as Rutgers rolled to a 66-7 rout of Wagner on Saturday.

Highly-touted recruit Gavin Wimsatt made his first career start at quarterback, but Rutgers coach Greg Schiano continued to jockey the position between the redshirt freshman and third-year sophomore Evan Simon. Veteran signal caller Noah Vedral remained out with an upper-body injury.

After Wagner opened the game with a 31-yard pass play, Rutgers' defense tightened and stopped the Seahawks on fourth-and-4. Rutgers proceeded to go down the field on an 11-play, 62-yard drive spanning 4:27, capped by a Kyle Monangai 2-yard touchdown run to take an early lead.

Simon later threw a 40-yard touchdown pass, Wimsatt added a 41-yarder and Langan connected with Isaiah Washington on a 43-yard touchdown pass as the Scarlet Knights (2-0) scored on their first four possessions.

Nick Kargman found Jayvin Little in the back of the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown pass-and-catch to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive early in the second quarter for Wagner (0-2).

Simon threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Langan late in the second quarter to stretch the Scarlet Knights' lead to 38-7 at halftime.

Rutgers finished with 585 yards of offense that included 323 yards on the ground. Simon threw for 156 yards on 10-of-13 passing. Wimsatt completed 4 of 11 passes for 63 yards. Samuel Brown had a pair of touchdown runs for the Scarlet Knights. Al-Shadee Salaam and Rashad Rochelle each ran for scores.

Wagner was held to just 19 yards rushing and 111 yards overall.

THE TAKEAWAY

Rutgers did what it was supposed to do against the overmatched team from the Northeast Conference. Traveling to Temple next week serves as a bit more of a test, but the Scarlet Knights have a chance to be 3-0 when they host Iowa on Sept. 24.

UP NEXT

Wagner: Hosts St. Francis (PA) on Saturday.

Rutgers: At Temple on Saturday.

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