Scarlet Knights try to dig out of cellar

Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2017 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.

Rutgers Chris Ash (2-10, entering second season; 2-10 overall)

2-10, 0-9 in the Big Ten Conference, seventh in the East Division

You would expect there to be some growing pains when a firsttime coach takes over a program and that was certainly the case for Chris Ash at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights struggled in almost every aspect of the game and were shut out four times (Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State). Rutgers lost by double digits seven times, including six games in the Big Ten. 5 3

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RB Justin Goodwin, WR Andre Patton, OL Chris Muller, OL Derrick Nelson, DB Anthony Cioffi, DL Darius Hamilton, DL Julian Pinnix-Odrick

QB Gio Rescigno, WR Janarion Grant, WR Jawuan Harris, LB Trevor Morris, LB Deonte Roberts

Rutgers may have had the worst defense in the Big Ten last season, but the Scarlet Knights were one of the better teams in the league when it came to pass defense. The team allowed just 187 yards per game through the air in 2016.

LB Trevor Morris and LB Deonte Roberts combined for 197 total tackles at the position and, along with sophomore Tyreek Maddox-Williams, lead Rutgers’ strongest position group.

The offense was a disaster in 2016, ranked last in the country in total offense (282 yards per game) and next-to-last in points per game (15.7). Former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill was brought in to replace Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator. Kill’s challenge will be to recharge a passing offense that finished last in the Big Ten. Redshirt junior QB Gio Rescigno started the final five games of last season and appears to be the favorite to keep the top job.

Rutgers continues to try to compete in the Big Ten, with the Scarlet Knights getting progressively worse since joining the league in 2014. Kill has turned around offenses at Northern Illinois and Minnesota, but this could be his biggest challenge. The Scarlet Knights will fight to improve despite facing a tough schedule that includes matchups against Washington, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.