Rutgers Football: Scarlet Knights in trouble after Kansas loss

2. The defense needs to take a big step up

For the second time in two weeks, the Rutgers defense has surrendered 50+ points to an opponent. The difference between Week 2 and Week 3, however, is that one of the game was against a perennial powerhouse in Ohio State. The other was against Kansas.

The Scarlet Knights came out flat and were already partially dismantled by halftime. Rutgers ceded nearly 300 offensive yards in the first 30 minutes of play.

On Saturday, Rutgers had a lot of issues stopping the run — yielding four rushing touchdowns to Kansas — most of which coming in the second half of the game. The Jayhawks scorched the Rutgers defense for 400 rushing yards, which isn’t a good sign for the Scarlet Knights.

Even though the offense didn’t have a strong showing whatsoever, the defense also did not help in the cause either. Given Rutgers’ late offensive struggles, it is virtually impossible for the Scarlet Knights to have a chance of winning if the defense gives up more than a combined 100 points in consecutive games.

Rutgers has much to clean up, both offensively and defensively, although it has a good opportunity to get back on track against Buffalo at home next week. The Scarlet Knights will be tested especially in the secondary having to go up against Anthony Johnson, one of the top pass-catchers from a season ago.

1. Bowl chances are in jeopardy

Rutgers has a brutal stretch of games to close out the regular season following its Oct. 28 bye week. In that stretch of games, the Scarlet Knights match up with four preseason top-15 opponents.

The likelihood of Rutgers receiving an invitation to a bowl game may have taken a crushing blow following the loss on the road to Kansas  — mostly because it was imperative for the team to win six games before its bye week.

Now, the Scarlet Knights have a very small window for error against some teams that are either close to even or slightly above the level that Rutgers can contend with. Some of these teams include Indiana and Northwestern.

Oddly enough, a 5-7 season is still an improvement for the Scarlet Knights in the perspective of a year-to-year outlook. In head coach Chris Ash’s first two seasons at the helm of the program, he won two games in 2016 and four games last year.

However, a five-win season won’t propel Rutgers to its first bowl game since 2014 as it needs six wins to at least have a chance of receiving a bid to a bowl game in the first place.

Kansas was a game on the schedule that looked winnable for the Scarlet Knights, but this bad performance exposed the fact that Rutgers may have more issues than one might have expected at the onset of the season.

Is there a chance for Rutgers to turn things around? Absolutely, because after all, it is still only the third week of the year. Is there also a chance for this season to be doomed? That is also a possibility.

After two decisive losses, it will be interesting to see how the Scarlet Knights are able to respond next week when they return to the Garden State to play in front of a home crowd.