Opponent view: Rutgers
GoldandBlack.com caught up with Richie Schnyderite of TheKnightReport.com--Rivals.com's Rutgers site--to break down the 1-4 Scarlet Knights in advance of their visit to West Lafayette for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday.
GoldandBlack.com: Rutgers is coming to West Lafayette for a cross-division game this Saturday. The transformation of the program under Greg Schiano has been nothing short of remarkable. Tell Purdue fans what they can expect from Rutgers when it rolls into town for its first-ever visit to West Lafayette.
Schnyderite: It's not your everyday Rutgers offense. It was bad. It was really bad over the past couple seasons. This is the same team that last year struggled to beat Liberty and UMass. But this year, the offense is a little different. They have a new coordinator in Sean Gleeson, a Jersey guy born and raised. He was at Oklahoma State last year with Chuba Hubbard, a 2,000-yard rusher last year. After that, they have Noah Vedral, a quarterback. He's been up and down. If you saw last week's game against Michigan, it was a very big outing for him: 381 yards passing with three TDs. It's an all-out spread offense. They're very fast. They try to snap the ball every 15 seconds. Overall, it's just a fun team to watch for a change.
GoldandBlack.com: Tell us three or four playmakers for fans to keep an eye out for.
Schnyderite: So, obviously, Noah Vedral. He's quick on his feet. He's a dual-threat quarterback through and through. He doesn't have the strongest arm in the world. But like I said before, he did hit a couple of deep balls against Michigan. But, again, he doesn't hit that third level as good as the prototypical pros or strong-armed quarterback. He's not that guy. He's kind of a good game manager. He’s pretty accurate in his short game.
Other than him, there’s Isaih Pacheco at running back (329 yards rushing), who has future NFL back written all over him. He's had his struggles this season in the new offense. But he just runs so hard, like a bull in a China shop. He kind of reminds me of Marshawn Lynch a little bit when it comes to running style.
On top of that, we have wideout Bo Melton, who's leading the team in receiving yards (443) and in receptions (29). He’s a big deep ball threat. It's a very interesting team. A lot of speed this year. And then there is Aron Cruickshank. He’s a New York guy. Born and raised in New York, went to Wisconsin, transferred back home and is playing for Rutgers. Just another speedy guy. Like I said, this offense is run on speed this year.
GoldandBlack.com: Talk about the defense. That’s Greg Schiano’s strength. What can Purdue expect to see from Schiano’s defense on Saturday?
Schnyderite: It's kind of similar to the offense. There's been a big injection of talent via the transfer portal mostly. They have Michael Dwumfour, a transfer from Michigan. I think he’s one of the better pass rushing defensive tackles in the conference. He's a very good run-stuffer. He's done a great job so far this year. He’s had his mistakes here and there.
Other than him, they have the two linebackers who could be NFL players: Olakunle Fatukasi and Tyshon Fogg. Fatukasi is the hardest hitter on the team. He has pass-rushing ability. At times, he can cover. He's just flying from sideline to sideline nonstop. Tyshon Fogg is more of just that. He’s more of the captain of the defense. He's just been stepping up and took control of that defense. Like I said, he's the captain of defense, so he kind of runs everything when it comes to that whole unit.
GoldandBlack.com: How do you see this ballgame unfolding Saturday?
Schnyderite: That's where it gets interesting. I don't see Rutgers winning this game. I know fans on my side are going to hate me for that one. But, it's going to be very tough. There's a reason that I believe Purdue’s a 13-14 point favorite at the moment. They're a solid team. That Northwestern team they lost to is very, very good, obviously. I don't think Rutgers can do what Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan did and pass as much as he did vs. the Purdue defense.
I think it's going to be tough for Rutgers to win this one because Noah Vedral is not the best passer in the world. He can get the job done. He'll have his bright spots, but he also has a lot of downfalls when it comes to just holding on to the ball in general. He’s got to limit his turnovers. If they can do that, they have a puncher's chance.
This Rutgers team is not the same as year's past. They came back vs. Ohio State earlier this season. Even the Michigan game (triple OT loss), they just won't quit. This team just has no quit in them and that's part of the new coaching staff and the Greg Schiano mantra.
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