Rutgers Faces Stiff Challenge at Nebraska, Saturday
For a college football coach there is very little time to bask in the glow of victory. For Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano it was back to work following the Scarlet Knights thrilling 21-18 win over Washington on Friday at SHI Stadium.
Schiano opened his presser discussing the tape on the Nebraska Cornhuskers that he and his coaches reviewed over the weekend as preparation for Saturday’s road contest kicks into full gear.
“He’s got that thing going in the right direction,” Schiano said of the work Nebraska’s Matt Rhule has done over the past couple of seasons. “It’s a well coached team. It’s a talented team. We’re going to play them in a very tough environment. To say our plate is full would be an understatement. That’s the Big Ten, and that’s why I love it.”
On Saturday, the Scarlet Knights will get an up-close and personal look at Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, who is ranked 25th in the country in passing yards with 1,225 yards on the season. His nine touchdown passes ties him for 31st in the country, and he is seventh in the nation in completion percentage at 70.4 percent for quarterbacks with 120 pass attempts or more.
“The command that he has of their offense is good for any level, but for a freshman is unheard of. He’s big, mobile. There is not much he can’t do,” Schiano said.
Raiola’s ability will be on display against a very opportunistic Rutgers defense that found a way to keep Washington in check despite giving up 521 total yards to the Huskies.
“I don’t think we’ve tackled well. We need to get on the same page on all we are doing,” Schiano added.
It should be a fascinating match-up. Rutgers comes in 12th in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 237.1 yards per game. Running back Kyle Monangai is having a spectacular season, and ran for 133 yards against Washington on Friday.
Samuel Brown V also had big night Friday rushing for 45 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown.
Nebraska is one of the best against the run, giving up 85.4 yards per game.
If Rutgers can win the line of scrimmage battle against Nebraska they’ll have an excellent shot at pulling off an upset on the road in the Big Ten.
New Study Ranks New Jersey's Most Popular NFL Snacks
12. Mozzarella Sticks
Delicious breaded mozzarella cheese sticks with marinara dipping sauce.
Starting off the list are Mozzarella Sticks, returning an average search volume of 620. Trust me, that count is pretty low, you’ll see as we go further down the list. Were most of you upset like I was? Mozzarella sticks are a SOLID #5, and CERTAINLY better than the #9 spot, but we will get to that…
11. Hot Dog
Delicious chili hot dogs with cheddar cheese and diced onions next to hot dogs grilling on a flaming hot barbecue
Probably one of the most versatile on the 12 on this list, you can put almost anything on a hot dog and it will taste good. We don’t even really know what it’s made of, but we don’t care! Grilled, fried, even MICROWAVED, it all tastes good! Unfortunately, it did not “cut the mustard”, only returning a search volume of 1,010.
10. Pizza
Slice of pizza with pepperoni, olives and green peppers on a serving utensil. Closeup of a cheese pull
Honestly surprising this ended up so high (or low) on the list. With an average of 3,161 pizza places in the state, NOT including chains, Pizza is a readily available option for New Jersey residents. Maybe that’s the problem..it’s readily available. Why go out of your way to get it every Sunday? Another versatile food option, it only returned an average search count of 1,020 — just 10 more than the hot dog. What’s even more surprising is that pizza ranked LAST among footballs fans on average across the country.
9. Popcorn
A wooden bowl of salted popcorn at the old wooden table. Dark background. selective focus.
Returning an average search count of 1,040, this is controversial (at least for me). THIS should be the #12 spot. It’s a movie food! When the game is on, my first instinct is not “Can’t wait to chow down on some popcorn, and get kernels in my teeth”. With that said, I still endure, and I still eat it when it’s around. Butter, Caramel, Cheddar…it’s all good.
8. Potato Skins
Delicious homemade potato skins with melted cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream.”n
Now we start seeing pretty big jumps in the search count. This bar classic returned an average search count of 1,420. If you find an arrangement of sauces these make a delicious edition to any Football night snacks arrangement.
7. Chips & Dips
Bag chips doritos pattern top view on blue background
Talk about versatility! How many brands, styles, and flavors of chips are there out in the world? How many brands, styles, and flavors of dip are out there? Are you a Doritos person, or a Lay’s person? Are you the one guy who brought Fritos!? Do you like the punch of a spicy salsa? or the smooth flavor of ranch? Personally, grab a Jar of Tostino’s Queso Blanco and I can dip a piece of cardboard in it. I think it’s THAT good! Others agree chips and dip are a staple in the house, returning an average search count of 1,740.
6. Pretzels
Homemade Soft Pretzels with Salt Ready to Eat
The cousin to the chip, the Pretzel returned with a score of 2,010. Whether you enjoy the hard, bite-sized pretzels from a bag, the big and soft salted pretzels, or even the sticks that are perfect for dipping. Pretzels start off the list of the top 6!
5. BBQ Ribs
Barbecue Ribs With Sauсes Closeup. Man’s Hand With Spareribs. High Resolution
The messiest option, but always savory, BBQ ribs jump FAR ahead of the #6 spot with 2,770 for an average search volume. Just make sure you have a napkin on standby…
4. Chicken Wings
A variety of flavors of jumbo chicken Wings and ranch
Another large jump in average search volume, Chicken Wings are another snack that provides a medley of options. Boneless, or bone-In? And if you like bone-in, do you like flats or sticks?
Do you like Buffalo, BBQ, or Garlic Parmesan? In New Jersey, Chicken Wings had an average search volume of 3,420!3. Meatballs
A platter of delicious sweet and spicy meatballs.
Taking home the bronze medal, meatballs step away from the spaghetti dish and plant themselves in the third-place spot for your Sunday snack lineup! Meatballs returned and an average search volume of 5,450! What’s great about the meatball (other than everything), is when you get tired of using a fork, just plop one of those bad boys on a sub roll and you have yourselves a sandwich!
2. Nachos
Beef and cheese corn nachos served on a big plate ready to eat – Image
The runner-up goes to the reliable nacho! Now, I know what you might be thinking, and no, nachos do not count as “chips and dip”. The reason for that…presentation. Nachos are more than just chips and cheese, it’s chips, cheese, salsa, sour cream, peppers, olives, and occasionally, pork, all blissfully blended in one. Nachos returned an average search volume of 13,130!
1. Sliders
Two homemade beef burgers with mushrooms, micro greens, red onion, fried eggs and beet sauce on wooden cutting board. Side view, close up
New Jersey’s top spot goes to Sliders! Sliders returned the largest average search volume with 17,050! Sliders have gotten more creative through the years. But I’m a big proponent of keeping it simple. A nice medium-rare with cheese, ketchup, and onions, and I’m set!
Overall, sliders were the most popular snack choice for the country!
