PHOENIX — Rutgers was well on its way to an encouraging end to the 2024 season, a win that would not only finish the campaign on a high note but show plenty of promise for the following fall. But the Scarlet Knights will spend the offseason wondering how they let it slip away — and how they can fix a major issue on one side of the ball.

K-State allowed Rutgers to gain a whopping 319 yards in the first half and still won the yardage battle 542 to 401 by the end of the fourth quarter. The Wildcats flipped a switch midway through the third quarter and played some excellent football. As for the quote ...