Final Score: No. 17 Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10

Brief Recap: After a whirlwind process following the regular season, Rutgers found itself in Bowl Season with a matchup against Wake Forest in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. As expected, the Scarlet Knights came out fighting hard and clawing for everything, scoring an early touchdown and keeping the game close heading to halftime. It was the Demon Deacons with a 20-10 halftime lead.

Rutgers started with the ball coming out of halftime, but a quick interception by Gavin Wimsatt gave the ball away. It was the start of a shutout 2nd half for Rutgers’ offense as Wake Forest steadily pulled away. The Demon Deacons put the finishing touches on the rout with a touchdown with 4 minutes left in the game. That made it 38-10 as Wake Forest rolled to its 11th win of the season.

Key Player: Do-it-all player Johnny Langan found himself in the middle of action time and time again as Rutgers mixed it up offensively and gave a number of guys playing time. For the game, the Scarlet Knights used 5 different players to attempt a pass, including Langan. He finished the game 2-for-2 for 21 yards and carried the ball 6 times for 20 yards.

Langan’s best work in the game came as a receiver, recording 6 catches for 57 yards. Though Rutgers’ lone touchdown came on an Aaron Young carry, Langan had a catch on a big trick play that set up a field goal for the Scarlet Knights.

Key Stat: -2, turnover differential for Rutgers. Noah Vedral and Gavin Wimsatt were both tagged with an interception in the game. If Rutgers had any hopes of pulling off an upset, the Scarlet Knights needed to play a mistake-free game vs. the Demon Deacons. Those turnovers, combined with a number of penalties, prevented Rutgers from having any shot at sticking around in the game.

What it means for Rutgers: After originally missing out on the chance to play a bowl game, getting the opportunity to be in the Gator Bowl was a boost in itself. A win would have been incredible for the program given the circumstances, but the game still provided a building block in a loss. The Scarlet Knights were able to give a number of young players significant time on the field while also benefitting from an extra week of practice time. That should provide a nice boost heading into 2022.