Rutgers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 27-10, on Saturday night at SHI Stadium but the Scarlet Knights — after years of playing day games at home and night games on other teams’ fields — played under new multicolor LED lights and a choreographed light show accompanied by the stadium’s sound system and team band, which turned the game into a full-on entertainment event.
Despite Rutgers’ mostly offensive struggles — spearheaded by an overmatched offensive line and untimely, can’t-have plays by Rutgers’ skill players which helped Rutgers lose the game — the sellout atmosphere at SHI Stadium was electric. From the new Rutgers Boardwalk, which features rides, games, and a Jersey Shore boardwalk feel, to the Scarlet Walk, which allows fans to get close to players with their helmets off and interact with them as they enter the Hale Center before games, Rutgers’ game day atmosphere has greatly improved.
The sea of red tailgates, endless fireworks, blaring train horn honks and cannon firing, a packed student section and some of the biggest pop tunes — all packed into a full day of fun in Piscataway. The festivities put me in a singing mood, which you can hear in the video above (which I mistakenly tweeted from a noisier than normal SHI Stadium on Saturday night because I couldn’t hear the audio during playback).
There were more ticket scanners, improved WiFi, and additional food kiosks, which made for quicker access to snacks and beer. There was a bit of a bottle neck caused by fans leaving campus after the game which mostly dispersed by the time I arrived on Route 18. But what did Rutgers’ top recruits who attended the game think of the energy-infused vibe at SHI Stadium that night?
Woodrow Wilson (Camden, N.J.) four-star defensive back Willy Love found the atmosphere “electrifying” and said he thought SHI stadium “really stood out that night.” He also respected Rutgers’ effort, despite the team not pulling off what would have amounted to a small upset, but so much more for local fans, recruiting and national respect.
“I felt that the effort from Rutgers’ players was above average,” said the 6-2, 190-pound junior, who can also play inside the box. “They played until the final whistle. They made a few mistakes but the effort was there and it showed late in the fourth quarter.”
Four-star Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.) defensive end Caden Brown studied all aspects of the spectacle in Piscataway on that vivid Saturday night.
“The game had great energy, the atmosphere was electric,” the 6-4, 215-pound junior said. “The defense played well but the offense seemed a little off. I think the game could have turned out differently without the turnovers.
“But the light show, the band, and the student interaction was special. RU definitely had a home field advantage that night.”
Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.) four-star DB Jaylen McClain has led his team to a 3-1 start and is coming off a huge win over a stacked Irvington squad, featuring Rutgers wide receiver pledge Famah Toure and three more members of the NJ.com Top 50 last weekend.
“The atmosphere was great! It was definitely the most people I have ever seen at the stadium,” the 6-foot, 180-pound junior said. “Everyone was loud and the lights were nice.”
Despite Rutgers’ trouble moving the ball, McClain was focused on the team’s defense, the side of the ball he plays primarily.
“The game was good, Rutgers played hard,” McClain said. “The defense is great and came up with some great stops.”
Holy Trinity Diocesan (Hicksville, N.Y.) junior four-star DB Josiah Brown, who “almost” chose Rutgers earlier this year, added: “I loved the energy the whole stadium brought, and I really enjoyed the light show.”
Meanwhile, Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.) d-lineman Jordan Thomas, New Jersey’s top-ranked junior, missed the game coming off Bosco’s earth-shattering upset win over then-undefeated rival Bergen Catholic, ranked the top team in New Jersey and a top 10 team nationally at the time. However, Thomas intends to make Rutgers’ next home game, he says.
Class of 2023 commit Ian Strong, a 6-4, 190-pound playmaker from St. Anthony’s in Long Island City, who’s been labeled by ex-Don Bosco, University of Tenessee and New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Simms — who has worked two of Strong’s games as a color analyst for MSG this year — a “man among boys” and the “best player in the Tri-state area,” called the new lights and atmosphere at SHI Stadium “insane.”
“The stadium was packed out and loud and helped the defense, which played really well,” Strong said. “Iowa had trouble moving the ball because of it.”
Korey Duff Jr., a 6-5, 190-pound rangy teammate of Strong, has become a priority target for Greg Schiano and staff. The junior has visited plenty of schools (including Rutgers where he’s become a regular), but there was something different about the Iowa game.
“The atmosphere and light show was something I’ve never experienced before; it was amazing. Seeing the stadium packed out like that was very cool,” said Duff who also analyzed things in between the lines. “I think the team played well. It was just the costly turnovers that cost the game to slip away.”
Rutgers’ first class of 2023 pledge John Stone, a three-star offensive lineman from Washington Township, N.J., returned to Rutgers on Saturday for the umpteenth time and continues to acclimate to his new home.
“I thought the game was fun to watch,” Stone said emphatically after the tilt. “The atmosphere was crazy. The stadium was really loud. Between the fans cheering, the cannon going off, and the fireworks, it was an awesome experience!”
Arlington (N.Y) offensive lineman Colin Cubberly, a 6-6, 305-pound NFL offensive lineman prototype and priority recruit, received one-on-one time with Schiano and offensive line coach Augie Hoffmann before the dust-up.
“The atmosphere was amazing and the fans looked like they were having a blast,” the massive, yet lean junior said. “Also, it was really nice to sit down and talk to a bunch of coaches before the game.”
Greg Schiano offered Donovan Catholic (Toms River, N.J.) wide receiver Michael Thomas III a scholarship earlier this month. A speedy sophomore and strong route runner with size (6-1, 170) and elite ball skills, Thomas experienced his first recruiting trip to SHI Stadium on Saturday night and left impressed.
“The game and atmosphere was amazing,” Thomas said. “Rutgers played well, just had too many turnovers. But the atmosphere ... I loved it!”
MORE FROM TODDERICK HUNT
-Pipeline to Piscataway, Pt. 1: How BKLYN’s Erasmus Hall became ‘Rutgers Prep’
-Pipeline to Piscataway, Pt. 2: When Erasmus players join Rutgers’ family
-Recruiting Black football players at Rutgers during America’s polarizing fight for social change
-Cameroon, Canada, CHOP: He took the long route to Rutgers, but now he’s ‘home’
-Family, football & NFL dreams: N.J.’s top DBs, teammates & best friends — Bellamy & Gould
-Gavin Wimsatt, Rashad Rochelle became fast friends at QB camp, bring bond to Rutgers
-How Rutgers lured Kentucky’s Gavin Wimsatt, Greg Schiano’s star QB coup
-Destiny, despair and perseverance: The story of Newark’s Shaquan Loyal, a Scarlet Knight
-Courage in the face of Camden Violence: ‘I have to get my mom & family out of here’
-Inside look: How Rutgers coaxed Philly 4-star LB Anthony Johnson, an ‘old soul’
NJ.com Top 50 — a list of N.J.’s top 50 HS FB recruits (regardless of grade)
-The NJ.com Top 50, Sept. 2022
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Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.
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