Nov. 15, 2014 Recap | Final Stats | Quotes
RUTGERS (6-4, 2-4) 45, INDIANA (3-7, 0-6) 23
HIGH POINT SOLUTIONS STADIUM • PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY
NOVEMBER 15, 2014 • ATTENDANCE: 47,492
TEAM NOTES
Rutgers earned bowl eligibility for the ninth time in 10 years with the 45-23 victory over Indiana. RU entered the year as one of 21 programs in the power five conferences (64 teams) to make it to postseason eight times in the previous nine years. The senior class (2011-14) is third in school history to make a bowl game in each of their four seasons, joining the 2008 and 2009 classes. Kyle Flood is the first head coach in school history to lead the Scarlet Knights to a bowl in each of his first three seasons at the helm.
Rutgers is one of four Big Ten teams to be bowl eligible in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Today's attendance of 47,492 brings the season average to 50,631, the highest in a season in Rutgers history. That tops the previous high of 49,188 set in 2012. The 2009 average of 49,113 now ranks third.
Rutgers finishes the season 4-2 at home and is 45-21 since 2005 at home. The team is now 13-6 under Kyle Flood at High Point Solutions Stadium.
The Rutgers football team honored its 19-member senior class prior to the game: Johnathan Aiken, Taj Alexander, Sean Barowski (student assistant coach), Sam Bergen, Betim Bujari, Michael Burton, Nick DeLouisa, Gareef Glashen, Myles Jackson (recruiting assistant), Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Kirksey, Bryan Leoni, David Milewski, Anthony Milito, Gary Nova, Kevin Snyder, Andrew Turzilli, Lorenzo Waters and Dallas Whitaker (student assistant coach).
Today marked the first meeting between Rutgers and Indiana. The Hoosiers were one of five team RU is playing for the first time in 2014 (Washington State, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin). The Scarlet Knights went 3-2 in those games.
The defense had nine tackles-for-loss in the game. The Scarlet Knights recorded at least five TFLs in eight of the 10 games this season. The nine tackles-for-loss matched the season-high set at Navy. The five sacks recorded make it three games with at least that many this year.
Rutgers scored a season-high 43 points in the win, topping the 41 in the season opener at Washington State. The balanced attack topped 200 yards rushing and passing for the second time this year. That also happened at Washington State.
Rutgers is 22-5 in the last four seasons when attempting at least 35 rushes in a game.
Rutgers is now 19-3 under Flood when reaching 20 points and 17-3 when leading after three quarters. It marked the first time this season (1-3) Rutgers earned a victory when trailing at halftime.
The offense scored three touchdowns on plays starting outside the red zone today, bringing the total to 14 on the season.
Rutgers has started the same offensive line (LT Keith Lumpkin, LG Kaleb Johnson, C Betim Bujari, RG Chris Muller, RT Taj Alexander) in all 10 games this season. The unit has now combined to play in 168 games with 144 career starts. Johnson leads the group with 47 starts in 47 games.
The offense did not allow a sack in the game for the second time this season. RU also surrendered zero at Navy.
PLAYER NOTES
QB Gary Nova
Nova finishes his home career with a 15-7 record as a starter. He played in 24 games overall, going 346-for-623 for 4,716 yards. He had 37 touchdowns at High Point Solutions Stadium.
Rutgers is now 21-7 when Nova throws one or less interceptions in a game. Nova finished the game 16-of-27 passing for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
Nova passed Ryan Hart (2002-05) to become second in school history with 8,619 yards passing.
WR Leonte Carroo
Carroo has had at least one reception in each of the last 17 games he has played.
He had two touchdowns in the game, making it his sixth career multiple-touchdown game. Carroo is up to 17 career scores, tying him for fourth in school history in just 20 games played at wide receiver. The school record is 20 receiving touchdowns.
Carroo had 125 yards receiving for his seventh career game with at least 100 and fifth this season. He now has 933 yards receiving this season, ranking seventh in a single-season in school history.
RB Josh Hicks
Hicks rushed 114 yards on the ground on 20 carries. It was the third game this season a Scarlet Knight ran for over 100 yards, as Paul James did so at Washington State and Justin Goodwin at Navy. Hicks also scored his first career touchdowns.
Hicks rushed five times for 40 yards on Rutgers' first touchdown drive of the game.
Hicks is the first true freshman running back to rush for 100 yards in a game since Justin Goodwin last season against Houston.
RB Robert Martin
Martin rushed for three touchdowns, also picking up a season-best 83 rushing yards. The freshman averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
K Kyle Federico
Federico made one field goal to bring his career total to 29, tied for sixth in the school record books.
WR Janarion Grant
Grant now has 1,158 career kick return yards, ranking eighth in school history. He had a season-long 71 yard return against the Hoosiers. He also had a season-long 23-yard punt return to setup a Rutgers touchdown.
DB Lorenzo Waters
Waters had a season-best 11 tackles to lead the Rutgers defense. He also had his second interception of the season and fourth of his career.
DE Kemoko Turay
Turay had 1.5 sacks in the win to bring his season total to a team-high 7.5. He has had three games in 2014 with multiple sacks. The 7.5 sacks are the most by a Scarlet Knight since Jonathan Freeny's 9.5 sacks in 2009.
