Game 4: Football vs. Kansas
Sep 21 | Football
RUTGERS (1-2) vs. KANSAS (0-2)
September 26, 2015 • Noon
High Point Solutions Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.
• Notes: Game 4 
• Coach Wilson News Conference
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN
Web/Mobile: BTN2Go
Rutgers vs. Kansas will broadcast on Big Ten Network with play-by-play announcer Scott Graham, color analyst Shaun O'Hara and sideline reporter Tina Cervasio.
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network
WCTC 1450-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WTMR 800-AM, ESPN NY-98.7 FM
Satellite Radio: Sirius 132 and XM 195
The Rutgers IMG Sports Network pregame show begins at 11 a.m. with hosts Marc Malusis and David Milewski. Game broadcast starts at noon with Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas and Eric LeGrand in the booth. Anthony Fucilli will provide sideline coverage.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Rutgers and Kansas will meet for the first time in the team's history. The programs also have a game scheduled in Lawrence, Kan., in 2018.
• The Scarlet Knights are 6-35-2 all-time against current Big 12 member institutions, with 39 of those meetings coming against West Virginia when the two schools were members of the Big East Conference.
• Rutgers last faced a Big 12 team in 2011 - a 27-13 victory over Iowa State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Rutgers is 52-28-2 all-time in its Homecoming game.
• Rutgers has played 1,304 games, the most in major college football. The program is in its 146th year and 145th season of action.
• Rutgers is third in the Big Ten with an average of 24 first downs picked up per game. The offense has recorded 34 combined via the pass and the run.
• Rutgers is 48-5 since 2000 when holding opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense.
• Since 2000, the Scarlet Knights are 54-19 when going over the 150-yard mark on the ground.
• Since 2000, Rutgers is 49-16 when holding the opponent below 100 yards rushing in a game.
• Since 2000, Rutgers is 25-3 when limiting the opponent to less than 50 yards rushing in a game.
• Rutgers has two kickoff returns for a touchdown this season, while all other Big Ten teams have combined for one.
• Rutgers completed 13-of-15 passes against Norfolk State, the best percentage since going 20-for-23 in 2010 at USF. The Scarlet Knights are third in the Big Ten with a 154.1 pass efficiency for the season.
• Rutgers reached over 200 yards both rushing and passing in the opener. That happened twice last year against Washington State and Indiana.
• Rutgers is 33-of-49 (67 percent) on fourth down conversions in the last three seasons, including 3-of-5 this year. Opponents are only 1-for-6 (16.7 percent) on fourth down versus the Scarlet Knights.
COACH TO CURE MD
• The Rutgers and Kansas coaching staffs will wear Coach to Cure MD patches this week to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research. Fans are encouraged to donate online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or donate $5 by texting CURE to 90999.
WILSON TO SERVE AS INTERIM HEAD COACH
• Norries Wilson will continue to serve as the Rutgers football interim head coach for the next two games. A former Big Ten student-athlete, he is in his third season as assistant head coach for the Scarlet Knights and fourth as the running backs coach.
• Wilson has been instrumental in the success of running backs at Rutgers, as the Scarlet Knights had five different players reach at least 300 yards last season. Josh Hicks capped the year with 202 yards to earn Quick Lane Bowl MVP. Wilson mentored Paul James to First Team All-American Athletic Conference status in 2013 after the running back recorded 881 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games. In 2012, Jawan Jamison became the seventh player in school history to record a 1,000-yard season, including six-straight games with over 100 yards.
• Prior to joining the RU staff in 2012, Wilson served as head coach at Columbia from 2006-11. He worked at Connecticut the seven seasons before that, with the last four as the offensive coordinator. Wilson was one of five finalists for the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in 2004, a season in which the Huskies led the Big East in both total offense and scoring offense.
• Wilson was a three-year letterwinner, two-year starter and captain for Minnesota, helping the Golden Gophers to two bowl games. Additionally, he earned two letters in wrestling and qualified for the NCAA Championships as a heavyweight in 1986. Wilson graduated from Minnesota in 1989 with a degree in psychology.
LAST TIME OUT
• Rutgers dropped its Big Ten opener at Penn State, 28-3, last Saturday. The game was played in front of 103,323 people, the third-largest crowd to witness a game involving the Scarlet Knights.
• The Scarlet Knights faced an average drive start of their own 16 in the first half and their own 20 in the second half.
GRANT SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior Janarion Grant was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week Sept. 14 and was tabbed as one of four players to the weekly Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll. Grant posted a school record 337 all-purpose yards, including two special teams touchdowns versus Washington State. He returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score and had a 55 yard punt return touchdown. Grant became the first Rutgers player in the modern era to return both a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game. Grant picks up the fifth weekly award for Rutgers from the Big Ten.
FIRST COLLEGIATE ACTION
• Eighteen Scarlet Knights saw their first Divison I collegiate action against Norfolk State, with Kiy Hester adding to the list versus Washington State: DB Ronnie James, DB Saquan Hampton, DB Blessuan Austin, QB Hayden Rettig, DB Isaiah Wharton, LB Trevor Morris, DB Jarius Adams, LB Deonte Roberts, LB Eric Margolis, LB Isaiah Johnson, OL Tariq Cole, OL Marcus Applefield, OL Zack Heeman, DL Eric Wiafe, DL Jon Bateky, DL Jimmy Hogan, DL Kevin Wilkins, TE Anthony Folkerts, DB Kiy Hester.
• Fifteen players have made their first career start this season (seven on defense, eight on defense): DE Quanzell Lambert, NT Sebastian Joseph, DT Julian Pinnix-Odrick, CB Isaiah Wharton, CB Blessuan Austin, WR Carlton Agudosi, LG Dorian Miller, C Derrick Nelson, RT J.J. Denman, TE Matt Flanagan, QB Hayden Rettig, FB Sam Bergen, DE Kemoko Turay, DB Kiy Hester, QB Chris Laviano.
NOTING THE NORFOLK STATE WIN
• Rutgers put up 63 points vs. Norfolk State, the most for the team since scoring that many against Louisville in a 2008 win. It was the highest number of points in a season opener since tallying 68 versus Colgate in 1993.
• The 63-point total was also the highest number under head coach Kyle Flood, surpassing the 55 recorded in a 2013 win at SMU.
• Rutgers totaled 539 yards on offense, the most since putting up 543 in the 2013 opener at Fresno State. It was the second consecutive game going over 500, as the Scarlet Knights racked up 524 in the Quick Lane Bowl.
• Rutgers scored 97 points in its first two games, the most to open a season since recording 107 in the first two games of 1993.
• Rutgers totaled 402 yards versus Washington State to top 400 for the third consecutive game and fourth time in the last five to that point.
• The passing offense is averaging 234.3 yards per game, ranked fourth in the Big Ten.
• Rutgers is a perfect 9-of-9 in the red zone this season, being one of two teams in the league to convert at a 100 percent rate.
• Rutgers put up 63 points vs. Norfolk State, the most for the team since scoring that many against Louisville in a 2008 win. It was the highest number of points in a season opener since tallying 68 versus Colgate in 1993.
• The 63-point total was also the highest number under head coach Kyle Flood, surpassing the 55 recorded in a 2013 win at SMU.
• Rutgers totaled 539 yards on offense in the opener, the most since putting up 543 in the 2013 opener at Fresno State. It was the second consecutive game going over 500, as the Scarlet Knights racked up 524 in the Quick Lane Bowl.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Chris Laviano
• Leads the Big Ten with passing completion percentage of 72.0 and fourth with a pass efficiency mark of 148.0.
• Hit 25-of-32 passes on first down with 12 first downs and two touchdowns this season.
• Made first career road start at Penn State and set career-highs with 27 completions, 42 attempts and 251 yards.
• Completed passes to 10 different receivers versus Washington State and Penn State. Reaching 10 receivers in a game had not happened since Gary Nova in 2012 versus Army.
• Completed all four pass attempts against Norfolk State in the season opener with three touchdown passes to Leonte Carroo.
• First pass of the season was a 56-yard touchdown pass, first career score.
Hayden Rettig
• Made his collegiate debut in the win over Norfolk State and went 9-for-11 with 110 yards and one passing touchdown … also rushed twice for 17 yards with a 5-yard running score.
• Became just the sixth different quarterback to start a game for the Scarlet Knights since the start of the 2006 season (excluding starting the wildcat formation) … the others during that stretch were Mike Teel, Tom Savage, Domenic Natale, Chas Dodd and Gary Nova.
Running Backs
Paul James
• James reached 1,000 career rushing yards on his 56-yard touchdown run in the second quarter at Washington State in 2014. It took him 174 carries to reach the mark. By comparison, it took Ray Rice 170 career rushes to obtain 1,000 yards (2005 vs. Cincinnati).
• Tied for third in Rutgers history with 5.4 yards per carry (minimum 100 attempts).
• Has rushed for at least 100 yards in five games; owns five rushes of at least 50 yards.
Josh Hicks
• Seventh in the Big Ten with 86.0 rushing yards per game.
• Has rushed for a team-high 16 first downs, including picking up five on five attempts on third down (5.6-yard average).
• Ran for 118 yards against Norfolk State for his third career 100-yard game.
• Rushed for 202 in the Quick Lane Bowl to become sixth Scarlet Knight in program history to reach 200 yards in a game.
Robert Martin
• Led Rutgers with seven rushing touchdowns as a freshman, the most for a Rutgers true freshman since Justise Hairston had eight in 2003.
Wide Receivers
Carlton Agudosi
• Recorded 80 yards on a game-high six receptions at Penn State.
Leonte Carroo
• Scored a touchdown on his first reception of the year for the third consecutive season, totaling 14 catches, 415 yards and seven touchdowns in the last three season openers.
• First in school history with 22 career receiving touchdowns in 25 career games at wide receiver. Needed 24 games to set the record.
• Averaging a touchdown every 4.1 receptions (90 receptions, 22 touchdowns) in his career.
• Tied for third in school history with nine career 100-yard receiving games.
• Registered at least one reception in last 22 games played.
• Owns eight career multiple-touchdown games and three with three scores. No other player in RU history has two games with three touchdowns scored.
Janarion Grant
• Second in the Big Ten with 502 all-purpose yards this season, including a school-record mark of 337 versus Washington State (195 kickoff return, 65 receiving, 56 punt return, 21 rushing).
• Returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown versus Washington State, the first Rutgers player to do both in the same game in the modern era.
• Ranks third in school history with 1,747 kickoff return yards and fourth with 66 returns.
• Has five career touchdowns on special teams (three kickoff return, two punt return).
• Owns five career kick returns of at least 70 yards.
• A Rutgers player has totaled 100 tackles in a season in each of the last five years and in seven of the last eight.
DEFENSE
• Rutgers held Norfolk State to -3 yards rushing, the sixth-lowest mark permitted since 2000. It was also the sixth time an opponent registered negative rushing yards during that span and the first time since holding to -25 in 2009 versus Texas Southern.
Defensive Line
Darius Hamilton
• Leads current team with 24.5 career tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks.
• Made season debut at Penn State on third down packages.
Linebackers
Steve Longa
• Has led or tied for team lead in tackles in 20-of-29 career games.
• Leads active team with 251 career tackles.
• Owns nine games with at least 10 tackles.
• 15-of-26 tackles this season are against the pass this year.
• Tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 8.7 tackles per game.
Secondary
Anthony Cioffi
• Recorded second interception of the season at Penn State and has four for his career.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 42 kicks (field goals & punts) on special teams. The Scarlet Knights have blocked at least four kicks every year since 2007. The 42 blocked kicks are the most by any team in the NCAA during that span.
Kyle Federico
• Owns 37 career makes, fifth in the school record books.
• Career percentage of 69.8 ranks fourth in program history (min. 29 attempts).
• Hit from 48 yards out against Washington State, the longest since making from that distance in 2013 at Fresno State.
• Converted 16-of-21 field goals, the eight-most made in a season in program history last year. The percentage of 76.2 ranked third in a single season in school history (minimum 15 attempts).
• Made 11-of-12 attempts inside 40 yards in 2014.
• Has led team in points the last two seasons (70 in 2013, 89 in 2014).
• Hit a career-long of 52 yards at USF in 2012.
Joey Roth
• Fifth in the Big Ten with a 44.2 punting average this season.
• Punted a career-high eight times at Penn State with an average of 41.9 yards.
• Averaged 49.0 yards with a career-long of 54 versus Washington State.
Kemoko Turay
• Has three career blocked kicks which tied for the most in the NCAA last season.
• Helped seal victory and first-ever Big Ten win with a block on Michigan's go-ahead 56-yard field goal attempt.
RUTGERS REMEMBERS DR. HOSEA
• Rutgers football will wear a commemorative sticker this season on its helmet in memory of Dr. Timothy Hosea, the Scarlet Knights' orthopedic consultant and team physician. Dr. Hosea passed away suddenly from a heart attack on Saturday, August 8. He worked with the Rutgers program for over three decades.
2015 RUTGERS TEAM CAPTAINS
• Rutgers named four captains for the 2015 season with two-time captain Darius Hamilton along with Leonte Carroo, Paul James and Quentin Gause.
• Hamilton is the first Rutgers defensive player to be named a two-time captain since Eric Foster (2006-07). He is the ninth two-time captain in the previous 20 years.
PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
• Rutgers redshirt senior running back Paul James was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the nation's top running back.
• Rutgers senior wide receiver Leonte Carroo was named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the nation's outstanding college football receiver.
• Carroo was also named to the watch list for the 79th annual Maxwell Award, given to the America's College Player of the Year.
• Rutgers senior Darius Hamilton was selected to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, presented annually to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman, including centers, offensive guards, offensive tackles and defensive tackles.
• Hamilton also earned a spot on the 21st annual Bednarik Award list, which is presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year.
• Rutgers redshirt junior linebacker Steve Longa was named to the watch list for the Lombardi Award. The award is given annually to the college football lineman or linebacker who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.
• Rutgers senior linebacker Quentin Gause was nominated for the 2015 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has recognized college football players from across the country who exemplifies a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism.
• Rutgers junior Janarion Grant was named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, bestowed to the most versatile player in major college football.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
• The Rutgers football program posted a multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 980 for the 2013-14 academic year, the NCAA announced.
• The Scarlet Knights ranked in the top ten percentile (12th overall in the FBS) for the eighth-straight year, receiving public recognition for their academic performance.
• Rutgers was one of 14 FBS schools ranked in the top ten percentile, including one of five Big Ten institutions. The Scarlet Knights were also the lone state university on the list to receive eight nods for their academic progress rate.
• Rutgers football placed 27 students on the Big Ten All-Academic Team, the fourth-most among the conference teams.
COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
• For the fourth-straight year, head coach Kyle Flood served as the honorary coach for Special Olympics NJ, while 20 Scarlet Knights joined the athletes for the opening ceremony.
• Flood also participated in a leg of the Unified Relay Across America, carrying the Olympic torch for the World Summer Games. Rutgers has maintained a longstanding relationship with Special Olympics NJ, dating back over a decade.
RUTGERS CAPTURES LAMBERT CUP
• Following an 8-5 record in 2014 and Quick Lane Bowl victory, Rutgers earned the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, emblematic of the top team in the East in the Bowl Subdivision, for the first time in the 79-year history of the award.
• Established in 1936 as the Lambert Trophy to recognize supremacy in Eastern college football, the award has since grown to recognize the best team in the East in the Bowl Subdivision.
BOWL TRADITION
• Rutgers earned its ninth bowl appearance in the past 10 seasons with a trip to the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. The 40-21 victory over North Carolina gave the Scarlet Knights their sixth bowl championship, moving the program to 6-4 all-time in postseason play.
• Rutgers is one of 20 teams in the power five conference to reach a bowl game in at least nine of the last 10 seasons (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, West Virginia, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Oregon, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina).
• The Scarlet Knights are one of four Big Ten teams to be bowl eligible in nine of the previous ten seasons joining Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
SCARLET KNIGHTS IN THE NFL
• Rutgers continued its reputation of preparing players for the National Football League as TE Tyler Kroft and FB Michael Burton became the newest members to join the list of NFL Knights.
• Kroft was a third round selection (85th overall) of the Cincinnati Bengals, while Burton was taken in the fifth round (168th overall).
• There are currently 20 former Scarlet Knights playing on nine different teams in the NFL.
