On Thursday, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights dropped their season opener to the UMass Minutemen, a team that owned the longest losing streak in the country. On Tuesday, Rutgers revealed that starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan will be benched to make way for backup AJ Surace to make his first career start, reports Pete Thamel of ESPN. Lonergan is a well-traveled senior who spent two seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide before transferring to Boston College.
He started nine games for the Eagles, throwing for 2,025 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025. After that, he transferred to Rutgers, where he was named starting quarterback after an offseason QB battle. That decision, though, didn't seem to last long, especially after Lonergan's disastrous performance against the Minutemen.
Yes, he threw two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. That kind of production is incompatible with winning football, and combined with his mysterious injury, it was enough for head coach Greg Schiano to pull the plug. In Lonergan's defense, he was hurt during the UMass game and missed a good portion of the fourth quarter with what Adam Rittenberg of ESPN called "an undisclosed injury." In his absence, though, Surace led a scoring drive capped off with a touchdown pass, and all together, those factors provide clear reasoning as to why Lonergan is getting benched.
That's not likely to make it easier to take, though, as Rutgers this week faces Lonergan's old team, the Boston College Eagles. It's a tough break for Lonergan, who may find himself without a starting job yet again. That said, Schiano left the door slightly open for Lonergan's return to the playing field.
"Schiano said he hopes that Lonergan, a transfer from Boston College, will be available in an emergency/reserve role against his former team," Rittenberg wrote. If Surace struggles against the Eagles on Friday, Lonergan — health permitting — my find himself with another chance.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
