Game 8: Football at Minnesota
Oct 17 | Football
RUTGERS (2-5, 0-4) at MINNESOTA (4-2, 1-2)
October 22, 2016 • Noon ET • ESPNU
TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minn.
• Notes: Game 8
• Coach Ash News Conference
• Rutgers Statistics
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPNU (WatchESPN)
• Anish Shroff (play-by-play) and Ahmad Brooks (analyst) will have the call.
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network
• The Rutgers IMG Sports Network pregame show begins at 11 a.m. with hosts Marc Malusis, Eric LeGrand and David Milewski. Game broadcast starts at noon with Chris Carlin and Ray Lucas in the booth, while Anthony Fucilli will provide sideline coverage.
• WOR 710-AM, WCTC 1450-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM, WRSU 88.7-FM
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 108, XM 196 (* Home team broadcast)
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Rutgers and Minnesota will meet for the first time in the teams' all-time history.
• Since joining the Big Ten Conference, the Scarlet Knights are 0-6 against west opponents. RU is 0-2 against both Nebraska and Wisconsin, in addition to loses this season versus Iowa and Illinois.
• Rutgers is 2-7 all-time in Big Ten road games, earning a win at Maryland in 2014 and at Indiana in 2015.
SCARLET KNIGHTS VS. GOLDEN GOPHERS
• Rutgers heads back on the road for the third time this season to play Minnesota. It will be the first meeting between the programs.
• The Golden Gophers mark the 11th different Big Ten opponent the Scarlet Knights will face since joining the league for the 2014 season. RU has not played Purdue or Northwestern.
• TCF Bank Stadium will be the ninth Big Ten stadium Rutgers will play a league game in.
• The Scarlet Knights are looking for their first victory over a Big Ten West opponent. This will be the third and final crossover game of the season, previously having played Iowa and Illinois.
• Rutgers is playing for the eighth-straight week to start a season without a bye for the first time since 2008. RU and Iowa are the only Big Ten teams to not have a bye week yet this season.
LAST TIME OUT
• Playing at home for the fifth time in six games, Rutgers dropped its Homecoming game to Illinois, 24-7, despite totaling more offensive yards (385-320). The Scarlet Knights ran 80 plays offensively and went 9-for-16 on third downs.
• However, RU committed five turnovers with four fumbles lost and one interception.
• Giovanni Rescigno threw his first career touchdown pass to Nick Arcidiacono in the fourth quarter to cap a seven-play, 86-yard drive.
JONES, GRANT AND LAMBERT OUT
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Greg Jones, senior wide receiver Janarion Grant and fifth-year senior defensive end Quanzell Lambert will all miss the remainder of the 2016 season due to injury. Grant and Lambert each sustained leg injuries during the Scarlet Knights' game against Iowa, while Jones suffered a neck injury at Ohio State.
• In 42 consecutive game appearances, Grant amassed 270 rushing yards and 895 receiving. He is fourth all-time in the Rutgers record books with 4,251 all-purpose yards and first with 2,606 kickoff return yards. Grant is tied for first in NCAA FBS history with eight career kick return touchdowns (five kickoff, three punt).
• Lambert went down with an injury to his right leg in the fourth quarter against Iowa. He had five tackles and a half sack before leaving the game. Lambert recorded 15 tackles, including 1.5 for loss in four games this season. He appeared in 40 career games with 15 starts at defensive end. For his career, Lambert has 86 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two pass deflections. Academically, he was named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy.
• Jones started the first five games of the season at strong-side linebacker after winning a position battle over the offseason. He picked up 20 tackles, including eight in the victory over New Mexico with one for a six-yard loss. Jones also had a sack and a pass break-up at Washington in his first start at Rutgers.
BIG TEN PLAY UNDERWAY
• Rutgers outgained Iowa, 383-355, in its Big Ten opener at home, but the Hawkeyes scored a go-ahead touchdown with 8:35 left in the game to win, 14-7. It was the first meeting between the teams.
• The offense put together a 13-play, 88-yard drive, the longest touchdown march of the season, to tie the game on a third-down 14-yard pass from Chris Laviano to Andre Patton. Robert Martin added 106 yards rushing on the day.
• In a matchup at No. 2 Ohio State, the Scarlet Knights suffered their first road shutout since 2002 in a 58-0 defeat. Anthony Cioffi collected his eighth career interception and the team did not turn over the ball, but the Buckeyes earned the victory. The crowd of 105,830 marked the third-largest crowd Rutgers has played in front of in its history.
COMEBACK WIN OVER NEW MEXICO
• Rutgers closed out nonconference play by rallying to defeat New Mexico, 37-28, in the first meeting between the programs. RU has won 13 of its last 16 nonconference games. The Scarlet Knights have a winning record outside of the league every season since 2009 and went at least .500 since 2003.
• The Scarlet Knights rallied back from a 21-point deficit in the first quarter for the first time since Oct. 31, 1992 versus Virginia Tech. RU permitted just seven points in the final three quarters and had a stretch of scoring 31 unanswered points.
• Jawuan Harris (75-yard reception) and Robert Martin (80-yard rush) each had long touchdowns to give Rutgers two offensive plays from scrimmage of at least 75 yards for the first time since Oct. 20, 2001 versus Navy.
• Janarion Grant had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown and a passing touchdown to make it six scores accounted for this season.
ASH EARNS FIRST WIN AS HEAD COACH
• Chris Ash earned his first win as a collegiate head coach by beating Howard, 52-14. The Scarlet Knights scored 52 unanswered points and held the Bison to five yards of total offense in the second half.
• It was the seventh consecutive home opener won by the Scarlet Knights, as the team improved to 102-36-10 all-time in its first home game of the season.
• Five different players totaled at least 40 rushing yards to help Rutgers total 375 yards on the ground, the most in a game since having 404 at Army in 2007. The 375 rushing yards are the 30th-most by an FBS team in a game so far this season. RU had 18 first downs by rushing.
ROAD SEASON OPENER
• Rutgers began its season by travelling to the west coast for the third time in four seasons and suffered a 48-13 loss to No. 14 Washington. It was the first meeting between the teams on the gridiron.
• Janarion Grant highlighted the attack for the Scarlet Knights with 160 all-purpose yards with his first career rushing touchdown coming off a direct snap. Josh Hicks added 70 yards on the ground as the team out-rushed UW, 136-91, in the game.
• David Bonagura made his collegiate debut and converted two field goals and an extra point to finish the day 3-for-3 with seven points.
FIRST COLLEGIATE ACTION
• First career start (7): LT Tariq Cole *, DL Darnell Davis, WR Jawuan Harris, LB Greg Jones *, LB Trevor Maddox-Williams, LB Trevor Morris *, DL Kevin Wilkins
• Collegiate debut (18): LB Talib Abdur-Ra'oof, DB Sandy Anya *, WR Dacoven Bailey *, PK David Bonagura *, DL Ron'Dell Carter, DB K.J. Gray, WR Jawuan Harris *, DB Damon Hayes, OL Jonah Jackson *, LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams *, QB Tylin Oden, WR Ntwademela Perry, QB Giovanni Rescigno, OL Kamaal Seymour, PK Jared Smolar *, RB Trey Sneed *, RB Charles Snorweah, DB Lawrence Stevens *
• Rutgers debut with previous collegiate experience (4): QB Zach Allen, DB Zane Campbell, DB Ross Douglas *, DB Marcus Parker
• True freshman in action (8): WR Dacoven Bailey *, DB K.J. Gray, DB Damon Hayes, LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams *, QB Tylin Oden, PK Jared Smolar *, DB Lawrence Stevens *, RB Trey Sneed *
• True freshman to start: LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams vs. Michigan
* - occurred in season opener
NEWS AND NOTES
• Rutgers has played 1,320 games, the most in major college football. The program is in its 148th year and 147th season of action.
• Rutgers is the only team in the nation to have faced three teams in the top five of the latest AP Poll. The Scarlet Knights faced now No. 5 Washington and No. 2 Ohio State on the road and No. 4 Michigan at home.
• Rutgers has overcome a deficit of at least 21 points and rallied to win a game in three-straight seasons. RU came back from down 21 versus New Mexico in week three this season and won after down 25 points at Indiana in 2015 and at Maryland in 2014. The 25-point rally is the school record.
• Rutgers is 19th nationally in fewest penalties committed per game (4.86) and 13th in fewest penalty yards surrendered per game (40.14).
• Rutgers last played an overtime game in 2013 at SMU (triple-overtime win) and is 5-6 all-time in overtime games.
OFFENSE
• Rutgers has transitioned to the spread offense in 2016 under offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. He is the youngest play caller in the power five conferences at 28 years old.
• The school record for offensive plays run from scrimmage in a game is 95 set three times: 9/14/91 at Duke, 11/11/95 at Tulane, 10/1/11 at Syracuse (3OT). The season-high in 2015 was 83 against Kansas and Indiana. RU snapped the ball 88 times in the season opener at Washington and 80 last week versus Illinois.
• Rutgers has scored on 10-of-14 trips inside the red zone this season.
• Ten of the 12 touchdown scoring drives have lasted under three minutes, with four under one minute.
• Rutgers has generated five plays from scrimmage of at least 40 yards.
Quarterbacks
• Five different players have thrown a pass this season: Chris Laviano, Janarion Grant, Giovanni Rescigno, Tylin Oden and Zach Allen.
Chris Laviano
• Named starting quarterback for the season opener on Aug. 22 and completed 24 passes for 168 yards at Washington. Has started the last 18 games.
• Connected with Jawuan Harris for a 75-yard touchdown pass to start comeback versus New Mexico and had a career-long 76-yard completion to Janarion Grant against Iowa.
• Had fifth career game with at least three touchdown passes against Howard.
• Has 21 career touchdown passes and needs four more to join program top-10 list.
• Played in all 12 games last season with 11 starts last season and went 187-for-307 passing for a 60.9 completion percentage - the best by an RU quarterback since Mike Teel in 2008 - and 16 touchdown passes.
• Totaled 2,247 passing yards to mark the eighth-most in a year in school history and placed seventh in the Big Ten with a 131.8 passing efficiency rating (third among returning Big Ten quarterbacks).
• Recorded 9-of-16 touchdown passes on first-down throws last season. Finished with a career-best four touchdown passes versus Maryland.
• Threw for a career-best 386 yards at Indiana, tied for the fifth-best mark in school history and sixth-best mark by a Big Ten quarterback last season. Went 7-of-8 for 105 yards in the fourth quarter to help engineer first career last-quarter comeback.
• Owns two career 300-yard passing games.
Tylin Oden
• Saw action as the backup quarterback in the first two Big Ten games. Had three rushes with a long of 12 yards against Iowa and ran nine times with four passing attempts at Ohio State.
• Made career debut against Howard with 10 rushes for 58 yards (5.8 average), including a long of 30 yards.
• Led a season-long eight minute drive in the fourth quarter versus the Bison that resulted in a field goal.
• First true freshman quarterback to see action since Gary Nova in 2011.
Giovanni Rescigno
• Set to make first career start at Minnesota.
• Went 10-for-18 with 120 yards in the second half against Illinois. Also ran for 37 yards on 12 carries.
• Threw first career touchdown pass to Nick Arcidiacono on a jump throw.
• Ran for a 42-yard touchdown on first collegiate carry versus Howard.
Running Backs
Justin Goodwin
• Owns 1,071 career rushing yards, including 51 versus Illinois.
• Leads running backs with seven catches for 67 yards this season. Led all running backs with 13 receptions and 93 receiving yards in 2015.
• Had 175 yards on nine kickoff returns against Michigan, including a long of 38.
• Started the season opener at Washington and had 95 all-purpose yards (49 rushing, 46 receiving). The 46 receiving yards were the most by a Rutgers running back since Desmon Peoples had 50 versus Tulane in 2014.
• Owns three career games with at least 100 yards rushing, including 149 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), adding the winning 17-yard run in triple overtime, in first extended action at SMU as a freshman in 2013.
Josh Hicks
• Had a game-high 70 yards rushing at Washington on 14 attempts.
• Averaging 5.5 yards per carry during career over 226 attempts, the third-best mark in program history with a minimum of 100 rushes.
• Has three tackles on special teams this season.
• Picked up a first down on 9-of-11 carries on third down last season.
• Rushed for 202 yards in the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl to become sixth Scarlet Knight in program history to reach 200 yards in a game.
• Owns four career games with at least 100 yards rushing.
Robert Martin
• Ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 85.8 rushing yards per game. Had 95 yards on the ground last week on 16 carries (5.9/rush).
• Has five career 100-yard games. Leads all players on the roster with 1,712 career rushing yards.
• Reached 106 rushing yards against Iowa to top the century mark for the second-straight week.
• Had career highs with 21 rushes for 169 yards in win over New Mexico, including a personal-best 80-yard touchdown dash. It was the longest rush for Rutgers since Mohamed Sanu had a school-record 91-yard carry in 2010 versus Tulane. The 80-yard run is also the longest by a Big Ten player this season.
• Made season debut with 83 yards rushing on 16 carries versus Howard.
• Led the team with 763 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns and 141 rushing attempts in 2015. Ranked 10th in the Big Ten with 63.6 rushing yards per game.
• Picked up 5.41 yards per carry to rank sixth in the conference and 58th nationally. Averaged 5.0 yards on first down and 6.7 on second down.
• 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
Jawuan Harris
• Led the team in receiving yards in four of the seven games.
• Had a 75-yard touchdown reception against New Mexico, the longest by a Scarlet Knights since Andrew Turzilli had an 80-yard catch and score versus Michigan in 2014.
• Had first two receptions of career against Howard, including a 29-yard touchdown catch.
• Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team as a baseball player this past spring after stealing 37 bases, a total that led the league and ranked fifth nationally.
• First Rutgers athlete with a home run and a touchdown in the same calendar year since Jim Cann in 1989.
Andre Patton
• Picked up 90 yards last week against Illinois with a 38-yard grab to match career-long reception.
• Notched a first down or touchdown on 11-of-13 receptions this season and 25-of-34 last year.
• Registered a receiving touchdown in each of the first three home games this season and has eight for career.
• Leads active players on the roster with 902 career receiving yards.
• Recorded at least one touchdown reception in each of the last four seasons.
John Tsimis
• Tied career high with five catches last week against Illinois, with four going for a first down.
• Started the last three games.
DEFENSE
• Rutgers has 14 sacks through seven games to match last year's total in 12 games.
• Rutgers leads the Big Ten with seven stops in the red zone this season, including an interception by Blessuan Austin in the endzone against Illinois.
• The passing defense is allowing 170.4 yards per game in the air so far to rank 12th nationally, down from an average of 275.9 last season.
• Rutgers finished tied for third in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions last season. The Scarlet Knights have a pick in five of the first seven games.
• Rutgers implements the rugby-style tackling technique.
Defensive Line
Darius Hamilton
• Leads current team with 46 games played, 26 career tackles-for-loss and 11 sacks.
• Changed uniform number to 75 for Illinois game to honor his father, Keith, who wore it for the New York Giants.
• Had a career-high 10 tackles versus New Mexico.
• Leads the defensive line with 21 tackles against the run this season.
• The first three-time captain in Rutgers football history and one of nine actively at the FBS level.
• Named to the preseason Outland Trophy watch list.
Julian Pinnix-Odrick
• Leads the team with 4.5 sacks.
• Led the game with a career-high 12 tackles versus New Mexico, adding 1.5 sacks and a pass break-up.
• Had two sacks against Howard for first career multiple-sack game. Also tied the team high with a six tackles, adding a pass break-up and quarterback hurry.
• Named a team captain.
Linebackers
• Rutgers graduated all three of its starting linebackers from 2015, with Deonte Roberts (one start) returning as the only player with starting experience.
Trevor Morris
• Had a game-high 11 tackles against Michigan.
Deonte Roberts
• Leads the team with 52 tackles this season with 45 against the run.
• Ranks 13th in the Big Ten with 7.4 tackles per game.
Secondary
Blessuan Austin
• Had second career interception against Illinois and ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1.4 passes defended per game (nine break-ups, one interception).
• Deflected three passes against Michigan and has 13 break-ups over the last two years.
Anthony Cioffi
• Recorded eighth career interception at Ohio State. Needs two more to move into program top-10 list in the category.
• Tied career high with nine tackles against Michigan and leads the active roster with 146 career stops.
• Tied for third in the Big Ten with four interceptions last season.
Isaiah Wharton
• Has 13 career pass break-ups over the last two seasons.
• Has three career games with multiple pass deflections, with a high of four against Maryland in 2015.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 45 kicks (field goals & punts) on special teams, the most by any team in the NCAA during that span. The Scarlet Knights have blocked multiple kicks every year since 2007.
• Tyreek Maddox-Williams blocked a punt against Howard to make it 22 deflected punts since 2009.
• Dacoven Bailey leads the team with five special teams tackles.
Kickers
David Bonagura
• Has made 6-of-7 field goals for a .857 mark, fourth in the Big Ten with a minimum of five attempts.
• Made all three attempts versus New Mexico, including a career-long of 41 yards.
• Made all 14 extra point attempts this season.
• Had seven points in his first game at Washington, the most by a Rutgers kicker in their collegiate debut since Jeremy Ito had 13 in a 2004 win over Michigan State. Had a long field goal of 38 yards.
Michael Cintron
• Had a long of 53 yards on eight attempts at Washington in first action as the starting punter. Booted a career-long 61-yard punt against Michigan.
• Downed a punt at the one-yard line versus New Mexico.
• Boomed a 57-yard punt in first career attempt last season at Wisconsin.
BIG TEN BATTLE IN THE BRONX
The Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Sept. 13 it will host the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx," a football and wrestling doubleheader between the Scarlet Knights and Maryland, at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. The wrestling match, which will be the first in the history of the Stadium, will take place first, before head coach Chris Ash leads the football team into action later that day. "Never before has a doubleheader such as this taken place at a venue so iconic," said Director of Athletics Patrick Hobbs. "We are thrilled to provide our fans this one-of-a-kind experience while enhancing the Big Ten brand in the world's media capital. This is certain to be a very special day. We are thankful to the New York Yankees, the Big Ten Conference and the University of Maryland for helping to make it possible."
ASH ANNOUNCES 2016 TEAM CAPTAINS
Rutgers football head coach Chris Ash announced that fifth-year seniors Darius Hamilton, Chris Muller, Derrick Nelson and Julian Pinnix-Odrick will serve as 2016 team captains for the Scarlet Knights. Hamilton earns the honor for the third-straight year, making him the first three-time captain in the history of Rutgers football dating back to 1869.
THE HUNT
Throughout the Rutgers football facilities are signs that read "The Hunt." "'The Hunt' is really the theme of the team," said Ash. We're basically chasing the other teams in the Big Ten. We can't make any secret about that. To chase them, we gotta go hunt every single day. Whether it's in the weight room, out in the indoor (bubble) with our special workouts or in practice.''
KNIGHTED = READY FOR COMBAT
Another tradition borrowed from head coach Chris Ash's time at Ohio State, Scarlet Knight players will have black stripes running along the crown of their practice helmets. Only when a player has that stripe removed will they see game action. "The black stripe is a symbol that when it's removed from your helmet, you are game ready, you're combat ready to go play," said Ash. "The players know that if they have a black stripe on their helmet, they will not play in a game here. They're not ready. They're not ready in terms of their ability, in terms of their trust level and a lot of other things that can go into it."
SCARLET KNIGHTS WORK TO BE 10 STRONG
One of the mantras seen around the Rutgers football program is "10 Strong" which refers to the 10 position groups on the team: Quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, safety and specialist. Head coach Chris Ash stresses the importance of all those units working at a high level in unison to reach peak performance. "That really is one of the ultimate goals of the program," said Ash. "We're not going to talk about winning, we're not going to talk about championships, we're not going to talk about red-letter games and things like that. We're going to talk about the process of getting 10 strong. We have 10 position groups of the football team when you count the offense, defense and the specialists together. If we can get 10 units operating at maximum capacity, then we're going to have a chance for success. That's really what it's all about for us."
LIFE BEYOND THE GAME
Rutgers head coach Chris Ash instituted the "Life Beyond the Game" program, designed at preparing football players for their careers after their college playing days have ended. "The percentage of our guys going to the NFL is very small," said Ash. "Even if you do go to the NFL, your lifespan there could be very short and then what are you going to do for the rest of your life? Universities have programs set up to help the general students population with alumni, but I think it's our obligation to help student-athletes in their life after football.''
PLAYER NUTRITION
Upon taking over the Rutgers football program, head coach Chris Ash hired Allison Kreimeier, the team's first full-time director of performance nutrition who's responsible for making sure players understand the do's and don'ts of eating right and staying hydrated. "There is so much that we're putting into sports science and nutrition. We're trying to promote the right type of lifestyle that helps you maximize performance."
