Rutgers Rant: Recapping Rate Bowl collapse to Kansas State, evaluates rollercoaster 2024 season

PHOENIX — Rutgers football ended its up-and-down 2024 season with one final roller coaster ride.

The Scarlet Knights suffered a crushing 44-41 loss to Kansas State at the Rate Bowl on Thursday, blowing a 17-point second-half lead to the Wildcats and falling in another shootout at Chase Field in their second trip to this bowl game .

Rutgers (7-6, 4-5) rolled in the first half, putting together one of its best offensive stretches of the season. But coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca’s unit slowed significantly in the second half, and the Scarlet Knights’ disastrous defense’s season-long struggles hit a low point when it allowed Kansas State (9-4, 5-4) to set a school record for total yards (542) when The wildcats ran over them.

The Rutgers Rant is back to recap the Rate Bowl, discuss the Scarlet Knights’ defensive woes, break down the reason for their second-half offensive struggles and put the 2024 season into perspective after it officially ended. We also have a hard time with the men’s basketball team’s outlook for the rest of this winter after their loss to Princeton in Newark last weekend.

Fans can listen to the show using the player below, head (and subscribe) to our YouTube channelor by subscribing to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever podcasts are available.

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Brian Fonseca can be reached at [email protected].

Patrick Lanni can be reached at [email protected].

Steve Politi can be reached at [email protected].