RUTGERS (3-4, 2-2) at RV/25 MICHIGAN (5-2, 2-2)
October 28, 2017 • Noon ET • Big Ten Network
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Mich.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football will be in search of its third-straight Big Ten victory with a road matchup against RV/25 Michigan scheduled for Saturday at noon inside Michigan Stadium. Both teams are 2-2 in league play, with the Scarlet Knights looking for their first three-game conference winning streak since being a member of the Big East in 2012.
 
Big Ten Network will broadcast the game with Kevin Kugler delivering the play-by-play, Matt Millen as the color analyst and Elise Menaker as the sideline reporter. Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas and Anthony Fucilli will have the radio call on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM).
 


SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights are aiming for their first perfect October since 2006 after previously defeating Illinois and Purdue. RU did not trail during those contests to win back-to-back Big Ten outings for the first time.
 
In the homecoming victory over Purdue, RU did not commit a turnover for the first time this season and restricted the Boilermakers to 3-of-15 on third downs. The defense held the visitors out of the end zone until 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and denied a two-point conversion attempt to seal to the win. Offensively, fifth-year senior Gus Edwards had the longest play by a Scarlet Knight this season with a 74-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, while junior Giovanni Rescigno connected with freshman Raheem Blackshear for a 35-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. Rutgers won the field position battle by limiting Purdue to an average start of their own 21-yard line.
 
The 12 points permitted were the fewest in a league game for the Scarlet Knights since a 31-6 triumph over USF in the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Overall, the team has improved its scoring defense from 40.0 to 25.5 through seven games of the season compared to last year. That has been in part to the defense on third down, which has constrained opponents to 32-of-106 (30 percent) for the 22^nd-best mark in the country.
 
Junior Trevor Morris leads the Scarlet Knights with 57 tackles, including 48 against the run, to rank fourth in the Big Ten with 8.1 per game and sit third with 10.3 per league contest. Fifth-year senior Darnell Davis has 3.5 tackles-for-loss, while junior Kevin Wilkins and fifth-year senior Kemoko Turay each have three stops in the backfield. RU has four of the top 12 in the Big Ten passes defended rankings following an 11-pass-break-up, two-interception performance last week versus Purdue. Junior Kiy Hester leads with six pass knocked away and two picks, as the team has nine interceptions to rank second in the Big Ten, a total that surpasses the eight picks last year. Sophomores K.J. Gray, who leads the secondary with 40 tackles, and Damon Hayes each snared an interception last week for the Scarlet Knights' fourth multiple-pick game in 2017.
 
Offensively, Rescigno is 2-0 since taking over the starting quarterback duties. He will be returning to his home state this week as a native of Macomb Township, Michigan. Edwards is first on the team with 487 rushing yards, 561 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 71.6 yards on the ground per Big Ten game. Blackshear has also sparked the offense with four touchdowns as a rookie. Up front, the offensive line has been integral in permitting just six sacks so far, 11^th-fewest nationally per game.
 
Junior Jerome Washington has the most catches on the roster with 19, passing the mark of 16 by tight ends a year ago. In addition, fifth-year senior Janarion Grant needs one more grab to reach 100 in his career. He highlighted the last trip to Ann Arbor in 2015 with a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown, the longest by a visiting player at Michigan Stadium since 1934.
 
Rutgers has shown statistical improvement across the board on special teams, including a kickoff coverage unit that leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 11 in return defense (16.8). The unit has forced opponents to start drives at the 20-yard line or worse 11-of-20 times, with freshman Justin Davidovicz adding 12 touchbacks. Fifth-year senior Ryan Anderson, originally from DeWitt, Michigan, has 18 punts of 50 or more yards and five of at least 60 for an average of 44.3 per attempt, which is No. 23 nationally.
 
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
The Wolverines fell out of the AP top-25 poll this week, but are still No. 25 in the coaches' poll after a 42-13 road loss at No. 2 Penn State last week. Michigan also previously fell to Michigan State at home, but beat both Purdue and Indiana in league play. UM, who will celebrate homecoming this weekend, leads the country in third-down defense (23 percent) and is 12^th nationally with 3.14 sacks per game. Quarterback John O'Korn is 61-for-110 passing for 729 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions, with Karan Higdon totaling six rushing touchdowns on 455 yards on the ground. Chase Winovich has nine tackles-for-loss on the defensive side of the ball.
 
Head coach Jim Harbaugh is in his third season.
 
THE SERIES
Michigan has won the last two matchups after Rutgers won the initial meeting in 2014. This will be the second game in Ann Arbor, with the Wolverines taking a 49-16 victory in 2015. A crowd of 109,879 were in attendance, the most ever to witness a Rutgers football game.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers will return to High Point Solutions Stadium to host Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 4. The game will start at 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
 
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