TOM STRYKER’S FREE FOOTBALL SELECTION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH
#136 RUTGERS (-15′) over Temple at 12 PM EST
With 20 starters back for the Scarlet Knights (11 offense, nine defense), head coach Greg Schiano will make sure his kids get out of the gate quickly when Temple visits SHI Stadium on Saturday. The Owls return 11 starters from a year ago along with 11 transfers and it’s going to take a game or two before head coach Rod Carey’s crew gets up to speed. Let’s take a look inside the numbers.
In season openers, RU has performed very well since 1980 inking a solid 26-13-2 SU and 20-11 ATS record. Equally impressive, in their first home game of the season, the Scarlet Knights own a profitable 14-4 SU and 7-3 ATS mark in their last 18 tries. Offensively, under the direction of coordinator Sean Gleeson, Rutgers will pick up right where they left off last season. In Big 10 play, the Scarlet Knights averaged 26.7 points and 339.1 yards per game. That unit should do a number on an Owls “D” that was torched for 37.1 points and 433.0 yards per game and returns only six starters.
This Battle of the Delaware River will see Temple bring 11 new transfers with it including nine from Power 5 schools. The Owls need help on both side of the ball especially on offense where they averaged only 19.9 points and 348.3 total yards a year ago. Behind center, Coach Carey will start Georgia transfer D’Wan Mathis. Rest assured; Mathis will be well-protected behind an offensive line that is one of the most experienced in the country. However, D’Wan only played in four games for the ‘Dawgs and missed the entire 2019 season in order to have a cyst removed from his brain. It will certainly take a battle or two before Mathis gets back up to game speed.
On a side note, teams from the AAC are on a dismal 1-7 SU and 3-5 ATS run in their last eight when matched up against Big 10 opponents. Coach Schiano has a sold-out season opener in Piscataway and he’s not going to disappoint his enthusiastic fanbase. Take Rutgers. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
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