It’s a Rutgers vs. Miami (OH) matchup in Week 2 of the 2025 college football season. And while adjustments are always helpful, they’re necessary for the Scarlet Knights entering this game.
Despite winning a tighter-than-expected 34-31 contest at home versus Ohio University, the talk of the town was the disappointing debut of the new-look defense for the Scarlet Knights. With an impressive 34-point effort combined and a great showing of the offense, Rutgers will be looking for one more tone-setting win against a top group of five program.
Miami (OH) faced a familiar Rutgers foe in Week 1, taking on Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the RedHawks, they were held scoreless in a 17-0 shelling on the road. Despite the rough start, graduate quarterback Dequan Finn is looking to make a statement and take advantage of a floundering Rutgers defense.
On the opposite side, with limited offensive production thus far, Miami (OH) could be the perfect opponent to get the defense started against.
The matchup will be a fierce one and will likely give a pretty good prediction of how the rest of the season will look for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks: Matchup History
There is not much to say about previous matchups, as there has actually never been one. This weekend’s game will be the first matchup between the Miami of Ohio RedHawks and Rutgers Scarlet Knights in each of their school’s histories and will take place at SHI Stadium in New Jersey.
Despite never playing each other, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano spoke highly of the RedHawks in his weekly press conference.
“Miami is a really good football team. You know, as you watch them against Wisconsin, but as we watched them last year and they’ve been in the MAC championship game the last two years. Really, you know, Coach Martin is certainly an experienced coach who’s won a lot of games. He’s won everywhere he’s been. You know, a lot of respect for him and the way he runs his program.”
Similarly, Head Coach Chuck Martin of Miami (OH) spoke on the difficulties with playing Rutgers in Week 2.
“Offensively, a totally different animal than the team we just played from a style and experience. And, they got a lot of guys back on an offense that was really good a year ago. They run it, they throw it, they’re really physical, they’re nasty up front. They have a quarterback that can do a lot of different things and makes great decisions like every good quarterback does. So it’ll be a really, really great challenge for our defense.”
Rutgers vs. Miami (OH) 2025: Keys to the Game and Predictions
Key Players for Rutgers
The first two key players come in a tandem. That’s the dynamic duo of Antwan Raymond and transfer running back CJ Campbell Jr. The two combined for 158 yards and a touchdown last week.
Their unique skillsets allow for incredible playmaking and will always keep the defense on their toes. Another big week out of the two of them would likely lead to another successful week for Rutgers.
On defense and special teams, look for defensive back and Penn State transfer Cam Miller to be more involved. Three tackles last week were not his only contributions. The senior pulled in a botched punt and scored a big special teams touchdown for the Scarlet Knights.
Also look for the Rutgers defensive line to be on their toes after a disappointing showing in week one, despite an abundance of returning and transfer talent available.
Key Players for Miami (OH)
Now in his seventh year of college ball, Daquan Finn comes to Miami (OH) after a season spent as the backup at Baylor. With plenty of experience and another dual threat for the Rutgers defense to deal with, the Scarlet Knights may have similar issues to last week against Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro.
Finn has 93 total touchdowns, the most of any player in the country right now. With four transfer receivers as well, he is looking to continue to grow and learn how to lead his offense.
Silas Walters had a good game against Wisconsin last week, as the defensive back picked up an interception and four tackles against the Badgers. Despite the overall success of the Rutgers offense last week, look for Walters to be involved, especially against the trio of receivers that the Scarlet Knights have begun to roll out.
How Rutgers Wins in Week 2
Stay on Track
Do what works. Rutgers must keep the running game strong and allow Raymond and Campbell to make a difference. The Scarlet Knights also need to be bold. They must allow the offense to go for it on fourth down and try to make big plays.
The Defense Must Wake Up
The talent on the defense is too high for them to have a repeat performance of Week 1. The real issues come with playmaking – picking up their man and attacking from the right angle. The team must play cleaner, and Miami (OH) can easily be held scoreless again.
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