SHI Stadium—Rutgers is living up to their monikers F.A.M.I.L.Y. and Chop. This team plays hard every down and go hard for four quarters each and every game.
Scarlet Knight running back Kyle Monangai rushed the ball 16 times for 143 yards along with three touchdowns to help Rutgers (3-0) beat Virginia Tech (1-2) 35-16 in front of an announced crowd of 56,657 at SHI Stadium.
The victory snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Hokies. The teams met annually between 1992 and 2003 when they were members of the Big East Conference.
The last time the Scarlet Knights started three consecutive seasons with three straight victories was from 1959 to 1961.
“Yeah, he’s Monangai running very, very hard, running smart, running determined,” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. “Thank goodness, right, because he’s helped us win games.”
Gavin Wimsatt was 7-16 for 46 yards with no interception– he ran the ball effectively with 87 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Wimsatt managed the game for the Scarlet Knights and he looked poised going through his progression in the pocket.
Wimsatt ran for a 34-yard score and connected with receiver Christian Dremel for a 4-yard touchdown just before the break to give Rutgers 21-3 advantage going into the locker room.
“He (Wimsatt) ran the ball really well, and most of all he protected the football,” said Schiano. “When we don’t turn it over, we’re tough to beat. He did a very good job.”
Hokie Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyron Drones completed 19 of 32 passes for 190 yards and ran for 74 yards on 22 carries in his first career start. Drones was under duress all game long, there were very few times he was able to sit in the pocket and go through the full progression.
The Scarlet Knights scored on its first offensive play of the contest, a 19-yard run from Monangai, that was set up after a Virginia Tech fumble, that score set the tone for the rest of the game.
Rutgers had 256 yards on the with a average of 7.5 yds/ per carry. Monangai and Wimsatt kept the Hokies’ defense off balance with all the RPOs action.
UP NEXT:
Virginia Tech: At Marshall on Saturday.
Rutgers: At Michigan on Saturday.
