PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers finally put together the kind of complete performance it had been searching for.
Antwan Raymond rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns, Dylan Lonergan threw for 214 yards and two scores, and the Scarlet Knights overwhelmed Howard 58-7 on Friday night at SHI Stadium.
Rutgers (1-3) controlled the game from the opening minutes, scoring on 10 of its 12 possessions while piling up 534 total yards. The Scarlet Knights also turned in their most impressive defensive performance of the young season.
For head coach Greg Schiano, the victory carried an additional significance.
The win marked the 100th victory of Schiano’s Rutgers career, making him the latest active Football Bowl Subdivision coach to reach 100 victories at his current school. Schiano is now 100-111 at Rutgers across two coaching stints spanning 18 seasons.
He joins an exclusive group that includes Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Air Force’s Troy Calhoun and Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
Raymond Sets the Tone
Raymond was the centerpiece of Rutgers’ rushing attack, repeatedly finding running room against the Howard defense and finishing with 140 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.
His performance pushed him past 2,000 career rushing yards, making him the 17th Rutgers player since 1956 to reach that milestone.
Raymond’s production allowed the Scarlet Knights to control the game on the ground while taking pressure off Lonergan.
Lonergan responded with arguably his best performance of the season. Playing three quarters, the Rutgers quarterback completed the afternoon with 214 passing yards and two touchdowns.
That was a major step forward after he entered the game with five interceptions.
Duff Continues to Deliver
KJ Duff provided another explosive performance for the Scarlet Knights.
The preseason AP second-team All-American caught five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, continuing a remarkable start to the season.
Duff now has a touchdown reception in five consecutive games, the first Rutgers player to accomplish that feat in program history. He also became the 11th player in school history to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards.
With seven touchdowns through four games, Duff is on pace to challenge Rutgers’ single-season record for touchdown receptions.
Duff’s decision to remain at Rutgers after considering a transfer during the offseason has quickly become a significant storyline for the Scarlet Knights.
Defense Finally Answers the Call
Rutgers entered the game needing a response from its defense after allowing an average of 35.6 points through its first three contests and committing 10 turnovers.
The Scarlet Knights delivered.
Howard managed only 184 total yards, and 75 of those yards came on a single touchdown run by Eden James.
Rutgers did not turn the ball over, allowed only one play of more than 20 yards, recorded four sacks, intercepted two passes and forced a fumble.
It was the type of defensive performance Schiano had been demanding.
“It was very perplexing, very frustrating,” Schiano said of the team’s turnover issues. “But tonight, we took it away three times and that’s what we have to do to win.”
Howard’s Lone Highlight
Howard (1-3) struggled to sustain drives throughout the night against Rutgers’ defense.
The Bison’s biggest moment came from James, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James.
Eden James broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run and finished with 116 yards on only seven carries.
Outside of that explosive play, however, Howard had difficulty moving the football against the Scarlet Knights.
The Bison have now been outscored 113-7 in their last two games against FBS opponents, following a loss to Indiana before Friday night’s defeat at Rutgers.
Howard’s lone FBS victory remains its memorable 43-40 upset of UNLV in 2017.
Rutgers has now dominated the all-time series, outscoring Howard 318-67 across seven meetings.
A Statement Night for Rutgers
For the Scarlet Knights, the victory provided much more than a lopsided score.
Raymond reached a major career milestone. Duff continued to establish himself as one of the most productive receivers in the program. Lonergan played turnover-free football. And Rutgers’ defense finally produced the kind of disruptive performance that had been missing during the opening weeks.
Schiano also reached a personal milestone that had eluded him during his two previous stretches at Rutgers.
“Duff and Raymond are super players, committed players and leaders,” Schiano said. “There is a lot of great football ahead of them at the college and pro levels and I’m looking forward to watching them.”
Rutgers will now turn its attention to a much tougher challenge.
The Scarlet Knights return home Oct. 3 to face defending champion Indiana, while Howard will host Hampton on the same date.
After Friday night’s dominant performance, Rutgers has an opportunity to carry that momentum into Big Ten play.
