Here's what Rutgers football's offense showed in the opener and what it could mean going forward

PISCATAWAY – There was plenty of anticipation entering Rutgers football’s season opener as everyone wondered what exactly the 2024 version of the offense would look like with new quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis running the show on the field.

The Scarlet Knights needed a much more competent passing game than what they had last season. Transforming an offense that too often was one-dimensional was paramount. They turned to Kaliakmanis hoping he could provide the solution.

But just how explosive would it be?

Well, one game isn’t enough to answer that question. But in that small sample size, the answer was not very.

It also doesn’t necessarily need to be.

“We’re not like Barnum and Bailey over here,” coach Greg Schiano said after the Scarlet Knights’ 44-7 rout of Howard. “We kind of do what we do.”

Rutgers football's offense 'puts the ball in the hands of the playmakers'

Every game is different and every opponent dictates what the game plan will look like. So the way Rutgers attacks Akron’s defense on Saturday at SHI Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network) could tilt away from what it did successfully against the Bison – most notably run the ball 46 times, 19 of which came from Kyle Monangai in a 165-yard performance.

Or, with a 91 percent chance of rain on Saturday in Piscataway, it could look very similar.

But no matter what, the Scarlet Knights are going to place an emphasis on running the football, and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is going to fit his scheme to the personnel he has.

“He works to the players’ strengths,” Kaliakmanis said Tuesday following Rutgers’ practice. “He puts the ball in the hands of the playmakers. The playmakers are going to go make the plays."

What Kaliakmanis needs to do is run the offense well and be accurate with his passes, which he was against Howard, going 15-of-24 (62.5 percent) for 147 yards and three touchdowns. His stat line took a hit because of a couple drops by his receivers.

Rutgers didn’t stretch the field, not attempting a pass of 20 yards or longer according to Pro Football Focus.

“We had a couple called,” Schiano said. “We got pressured on two of them and a third one, they kind of threw a coverage at us that didn't really fit for the play call.”

Greg Schiano 'not concerned' about Rutgers football's ability to stretch the field

Still, Kaliakmanis brings the ability to stretch the field – something, again, the Scarlet Knights did too inconsistently in the past. Schiano has often spoken about the need to take shots down the field for “fly-over yards” that can minimize the potential for things like penalties or missed blocks.

Schiano is confident his new QB1 can deliver when those opportunities arise.

“Athan is very good at that,” Schiano said. “I'm not concerned.”

If Rutgers can do that successfully it will open the field up even more for Monangai and the rest of the Scarlet Knights’ running backs with defenses unable to stack the box like they often did in the past.

Again, running the football is the core of Rutgers’ offensive identity.

“When you’ve got a bunch of backs that can really play, it definitely takes a lot of stress off you,” Kaliakmanis said. “Me and Kyle communicate so much with each other. The fans don’t see it but in each play we’re communicating about what we’re seeing, talking to each other. So it’s super beneficial to have someone that communicates with me like I communicate with him.”

The Scarlet Knights don’t need to be flashy or explosive. They need to be productive.

They showed that against Howard, though that task is going to become more difficult once they begin facing the big, physical defenses of the Big Ten.

Rutgers still showed enough to indicate it has a quarterback who can ignite the passing game. It’s already shown it has a formidable running game.

The opener was a strong step in the right direction.

“I feel like Coach Ciarrocca’s going to put us in the best position possible to execute what we need to execute,” Kaliakmanis said. “I just know Coach Ciarrocca’s going to call what he needs to call for us to win games.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Here's what Rutgers football's offense showed in the opener and what it could mean going forward