Game 9: Football vs. Indiana
Oct 31 | Football
RUTGERS (2-6, 0-5) vs. INDIANA (4-4, 2-3)
November 5, 2016 • 12:01 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
High Point Solutions Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.
• Notes: Game 9
• Coach Ash News Conference
• Rutgers Statistics
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Big Ten Network (BTN2Go)
• Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play) and J Leman (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 and David Milewski. Game broadcast starts at noon with Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas and Eric LeGrand 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 (Student Radio)
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 134, XM 196 (* Home team broadcast)
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Rutgers and Indiana will meet for the third time in the teams' all-time history with the Scarlet Knights holding a 2-0 advantage.
• Rutgers defeated the Hoosiers 45-23 in 2014 at High Point Solutions Stadium and extended its win streak to two-straight games with a 55-52 victory on the road in 2015.
SCARLET KNIGHTS VS. HOOSIERS
• After a bye week, Rutgers returns to High Point Solutions Stadium for its sixth home game of the season. RU and Iowa were the last Big Ten teams to take a bye week.
• The Scarlet Knights have beaten the Hoosiers in both Big Ten meetings, including a 25-point comeback in a 55-52 victory that featured 1,223 combined yards of total offense last season in Bloomington. The 55 points are the most scored by Rutgers in a Big Ten game since joining the conference. Rutgers rallied for 28 unanswered points to end the game, as Kyle Federico hit a 26-yard field as time expired.
• In the last meeting in Piscataway in 2014, RU scored five touchdowns in the second half on the way to a 45-23 win.
• Robert Martin has six touchdowns and 207 rushing yards (7.4/carry) in two games against Indiana.
RUTGERS CONTINUES 250TH CELEBRATION
• At halftime of the game, Rutgers Athletics will honor the 10th anniversary of the 2006 Texas Bowl championship team. Over 50 members of the squad will be on hand, including several current and former NFL players. That season, the Scarlet Knights finished a historic 11-2 campaign with a 37-10 win over Kansas State to secure the program's first-ever bowl victory.
• During the game, Rutgers will run its 250 Insurance Contest. If the Scarlet Knights score a touchdown in any quarter of the contest with two minutes and 50 seconds left on the clock, 250 randomly selected fans in attendance will win $1,000 each. The prize can only occur once and does not include overtime.
• In conjunction with Rutgers' 250th anniversary, the "Revolutionary 250" monument that has been displayed around the University throughout the year will be located outside the stadium for fans to take photos with. Fans are encouraged to post their photos with the monument on social media along with the hashtag #Rutgers250.
RAH FOOD DRIVE
• Rutgers Against Hunger will host its annual food drive prior to the Nov. 5 game against Indiana. Fans are encouraged to pring any nonperishable food items to North Gate D. Additional collection areas will be set up at Gates A and B.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Scarlet Knights rallied from a 21-3 deficit in the first quarter to take a 32-31 with 4:01 remaining, but the Golden Gophers drove 59 yards to kick a field goal with six seconds left for a 34-32 win in the first meeting between the teams. Rutgers has now played all other Big Ten teams except Purdue and Northwestern.
• Giovanni Rescigno sparked the offense with a 22-for-38 performance for 220 passing yards and three touchdowns. It was the most yards by a RU quarterback in their first career start since Chas Dodd had 322 against Connecticut in 2010.
• Damon Hayes picked off a pass and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown to give Rutgers its first defensive score of the season. It was the longest interception return by a Scarlet Knight since David Rowe had a 56-yard return in 2009 versus Texas Southern
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.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Rutgers has played 1,321 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 six of the latest AP Poll. The Scarlet Knights faced now No. 4 Washington and No. 6 Ohio State on the road and No. 2 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 played eight consecutive games to start a season without a bye for the first time since 2008.
• Rutgers is 25th nationally in fewest penalties committed per game (5.00) and 23rd in fewest penalty yards surrendered per game (40).
• Rutgers last played an overtime game in 2013 at SMU (triple-overtime win) and is 5-6 all-time in overtime games.
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. RU had 18 first downs by rushing.
FIRST COLLEGIATE ACTION
• First career start (9): LT Tariq Cole *, DL Darnell Davis, WR Jawuan Harris, LB Greg Jones *, LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams, LB Trevor Morris *, QB Giovanni Rescigno, RT Kamaal Seymour, NT 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 (1): LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams vs. Michigan
* - occurred in season opener
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.
• Rutgers went 10-for-19 on third downs at Minnesota and is 19-for-35 over the last two games.
• 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 versus Illinois.
• Rutgers has scored on 13-of-18 trips inside the red zone this season with a touchdown seven times.
• Eleven of the 15 touchdown scoring drives have lasted under three minutes, with four under one minute. The longest touchdown-scoring drive of the season was a 15-play, 90-yard trek over 6:31 at Minnesota that ended in scoring pass from Giovanni Rescigno to Jawuan Harris.
• Rutgers has generated nine plays from scrimmage of at least 30 yards.
• Offense has reached at least 372 total yards in 3-of-5 Big Ten games.
Quarterbacks
• Five different players have thrown a pass this season: Chris Laviano, Janarion Grant, Giovanni Rescigno, Tylin Oden and Zach Allen.
Giovanni Rescigno
• Made first career start at Minnesota and went 22-for-38 with 220 passing yards and three touchdowns. It was the most passing yards by a RU quarterback in their first career start since Chas Dodd had 322 versus Connecticut in 2010. Became just the eighth different quarterback to start a game for the Scarlet Knights since the start of the 2006 season (excluding the wildcat formation).
• Completed passes to seven different receivers and also gained 63 yards rushing (26 net).
• 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.
Chris Laviano
• Started the first seven games of the season and has 18 career starts.
• 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).
• 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 against Howard and in three Big Ten games.
• Recorded first career pass completion to Trey Sneed at Minnesota.
• 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.
Running Backs
Justin Goodwin
• Ranks 10th in the Big Ten with 108.8 all-purpose yards per league game.
• Owns 1,168 career rushing yards, including 97 at Minnesota.
• Led the team with six receptions at Minnesota for 52 yards. The six catches were the most by a Rutgers running back since Jawan Jamison had eight versus Kent State in 2012, while the 52 receiving yards were the most from the position since Goodwin himself had 73 at SMU in 2013.
• Led all running backs with 13 receptions and 93 receiving yards in 2015. Has 45 catches out of the backfield in his career.
• 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).
• 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 231 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.
• Has six touchdowns over two games versus Indiana with 28 attempts for 207 yards overall (7.4/carry).
• Rushed for 23 first downs this season, including on 6-of-10 attempts on third downs.
• 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 second-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 eight games.
• Scored third touchdown of the season at Minnesota to match his number of home runs hit in the spring for the baseball team.
• 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
• Leads the team with four receiving touchdowns on the season, including a 37-yard score last game at Minnesota.
• Picked up 163 receiving yards in the last two games. Had a 38-yard grab versus Illinois to match career-long reception.
• Notched a first down or touchdown on 15-of-17 receptions this season and 25-of-34 last year.
• Ranks 11th in the Big Ten and 93rd nationally with 15.94 yards per catch in 2016.
• Registered a receiving touchdown in each of the first three home games this season and has nine for career. Needs four more to move into program top-10 list.
• Leads active players on the roster with 975 career receiving yards.
• Recorded at least one touchdown reception in each of the last four seasons.
John Tsimis
• Tied career high with five catches against Illinois, with four going for a first down.
DEFENSE
• Rutgers has 14 sacks through eight games to match last year's total in 12 games.
• Rutgers leads the Big Ten with nine stops in the red zone this season, including an interception by Blessuan Austin in the endzone against Illinois.
• The passing defense is allowing 168.6 yards per game in the air so far to rank seventh nationally, down from an average of 275.9 last season. Rutgers has allowed just 129.0 pass yards per home game.
• Rutgers finished tied for third in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions last season. The Scarlet Knights have a pick in six of the first eight games.
• Rutgers implements the rugby-style tackling technique.
Defensive Line
Darius Hamilton
• Leads current team with 47 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 28 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 career-high 15 tackles at Minnesota.
• Leads the team with 63 tackles on the season with 51 against the run.
• Ranks fourth in the conference with 10.0 tackles per Big Ten game.
Secondary
Blessuan Austin
• Had second career interception against Illinois and ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 1.4 passes defended per game (10 break-ups, one interception).
• Deflected three passes against Michigan and has 14 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 150 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 8-of-9 field goals for a .889 mark, third in the Big Ten and 12th nationally.
• Converted a 39-yard field goal to give Rutgers the lead in the fourth quarter at Minnesota.
• Made all three attempts versus New Mexico, including a career-long of 41 yards.
• Made 16-of-17 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."
