Rutgers Likely Without Key Players vs. Iowa

Looking to improve their record, Rutgers has their work cut out for them as injuries begin to pile up ahead of their showdown with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Sep 13, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver KJ Parker (1) reacts with running back Terrell Washington Jr. (8) and wide receiver Dayton Howard (7) after a touchdown reception against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are looking to improve their record against an injured Rutgers team as the teams face a shortened week. One of the main problems with playing on Friday night is neither team has a full week to prepare. NFL players go through this as well during the season as a Sunday to Thursday turnaround is far from ideal. In college football, Big 10 Friday night games are quite rare. That said, Iowa and Rutgers are ready to do battle.

The Hawkeyes improved to 2-1 with their historic win over UMass. HC Kirk Ferentz sits alone as the all-time winningest coach in Big 10 history. He'll face off against HC Greg Schiano, a man looking to go 4-0 for the second straight season. Schiano had plenty of great things to say about the Hawkeyes defense, knowing he may be at a disadvantage on both sides of the ball.

Last week, Rutgers had no problems blowing past Norfolk State. Their 60-10 win came without star WR Ian Strong, making the victory even more impressive. That said, the level of competition the Hawkeyes and Scarlet Knights faced in Week 3 compared to Week 4 is glaring.

Surprisingly, these two teams have only faced each other on four occasions, and Iowa has won all four of those games. Rutgers' quest to get their first win against the Hawkeyes will be no easy feat, as the injury status of a few key players remains up in the air.

Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Schiano spoke about the team's injuries, "You don’t realize it as they happen one at a time but we’re down quite a few guys that were going to be in the two-deep already and it’s only a quarter through the season. We have to adjust, adapt a little bit, move some things around maybe. We’ll see, depending on the health of the team.”

Strong is "trying to return for the Iowa game, but it's not easy to do in a short week," according to Schiano. After leading the team in receiving through the first two weeks, sophomore KJ Duff now tops the charts. Strong had 16 receptions for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the team's first two games. Duff also has two touchdowns as he leads the team with his 17 receptions and 244 receiving yards.

Not everything was smooth-sailing in the team's 50 point win over the Spartans. RB CJ Campbell and OT Tyler Needham both left the game due to injury. Needham is a player the team cannot afford to lose as left tackles Ryder Langsdale and Dantae Chin already suffered season ending injuries. When it comes to Campbell, the team at least has a bit more depth at the running back position.

Rutgers has three running backs with more than 100 rushing yards this season. Sophomore Antwan Raymond leads the way with 43 carries for 248 yards and five touchdowns. With Campbell sitting at 22 carries for 119 rushing yards, junior Ja'Shon Benjamin is right behind him with 21 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. No matter who enters the game at running back, they'll have their work cut out for them against Iowa's defense, one that is ranked No. 3 in the nation.

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