Rutgers football: 3 takeaways from dominant win over Northwestern
![Sep 3, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Sep 3, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0c166cc6ce07370779379bc4a848f7451f53618b04d801a2f1c3aed731816423.jpg)
2. This was a dominant team win
Stats don’t always tell the story in a game, but on Sunday, they painted a pretty descriptive picture of an absolutely dominant win for Rutgers.
For example, Rutgers held Northwestern to 4-of-14 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth. They also kept the Northwestern offense at bay, with the Wildcats putting up just 201 total yards on the day.
Northwestern also put up just 12 yards on 22 rushing attempts, averaging a putrid .5 yards per carry. To the liking of Rutgers, this game was absolutely ugly.
The time of possession was another indicator of just how lopsided this contest was. Rutgers nearly doubled up the Wildcats, spending 37:59 with the ball to Northwestern’s 22:01. It was even worse early on.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 3, 2023
Rutgers doesn’t do this often, so this is a huge momentum-builder. Entering year four of this Schiano tenure and featuring an exciting quarterback, this was a great way to start a season in which Rutgers hopes to take a big step forward.