RUTGERS (4-5, 3-3) at No. 16/13 PENN STATE (7-2, 4-2)
November 11, 2017 • Noon ET • Big Ten Network
Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pa.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Winners in three of the last four games, Rutgers football heads back to the road to face No. 16/13 Penn State in a Saturday matchup scheduled for noon at Beaver Stadium. The Scarlet Knights will take on a ranked Big Ten opponent for the 11
th time since joining the conference in 2014.
Big Ten Network has the broadcast with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst) and Lisa Byington (sideline) on the call. On the radio side, Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (analyst), Eric LeGrand (analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline) will deliver the action on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM).
SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights have three Big Ten wins in a season for the second time, also done in 2014, with the 3-1 record since the bye week being the best stretch since entering the league. In addition, RU has those three victories coming off an 0-9 conference season in 2016, as only six of the previous 30 Big Ten teams since 1960 coming off a winless league season have won at least three in conference play the next year. The high mark over that span is four (Minnesota, 1989; Iowa, 1968).
Rutgers has made strides to cut its point differential from -21.8 last year to a current mark of -2.3. That factors in improvements in the national rankings through nine games in numerous statistical categories in all three phases, including sacks allowed (+85), kickoff return defense (+80), fumbles lost (+73), scoring defense (+62), net punting (+61), third down defense (+41), passes intercepted (+37), rushing defense (+36), turnover margin (+35) and total defense (+33). The Scarlet Knights have scored 27 touchdowns so far after collecting 23 in 12 games last season.
In the latest victory, Rutgers held off a late 17-play drive by Maryland for a 31-24 home triumph. The secondary knocked away passes on three of the last four plays in the red zone, capped by a break-up from junior
Isaiah Wharton with 46 seconds remaining to seal the win. Junior
Kiy Hester had a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown as well. Offensively, the Scarlet Knights rushed for 239 yards and allowed no sacks, with junior
Giovanni Rescigno connecting with fifth-year senior
Gus Edwards for a 23-yard go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Edwards ran for a season-high 109 yards overall.
Also from the Maryland game, 18 of Rutgers' 22 starters in the contest have eligibility remaining for next season. The team has had 15 players make their first career start at some point in 2017, with 14 true freshman seeing action.
Interceptions have highlighted the defensive production, as RU ranks 21
st nationally with 11 picks after totaling eight in 2016. Hester owns a team-high three interceptions and sits ninth in the nation with 1.5 passes defended per game (nine pass break-ups, three interceptions). Junior
Trevor Morris paces the defense with 78 tackles, with 67 coming against the run. He is third in the league with 10.3 stops per Big Ten game. The team is coming off a season-best four sacks versus Maryland.
Rescigno is 3-1 since taking over the starting quarterback job. He threw for a season-high 107 yards last time out with a career-high 53 rushing that included a nine-yard touchdown. Edwards leads the team with seven total touchdowns and 630 rushing yards, which is ninth-most in the Big Ten. In the pass game, junior
Jerome Washington paces the Scarlet Knights with 24 receptions for 253 receiving yards.
On special teams, Rutgers' kickoff coverage unit leads the Big Ten with a net average of 43.1 yards per attempt. That factors in pinning the opponent to a starting field position of the 20-yard line or worse on 14-of-28 tries. Both sophomore
Dacoven Bailey and redshirt freshman
Lawrence Stevens hold a team-high seven tackles on special teams. Fifth-year senior
Andrew Harte drilled a 50-yard field goal last week, the longest by a Scarlet Knight since 2012. Punting the ball, fifth-year senior
Ryan Anderson is on the Ray Guy Award watch list by averaging 44.0 yards per boot. The RU record for a single season is held by Joe Radigan (2006) at 44.1.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions will be coming back home after dropping consecutive road games versus Ohio State and Michigan State. PSU has been ranked as high as No. 2 this season, currently at No. 16 in the AP poll. Running back Saquon Barkley is second in the country with 195.67 all-purpose yards per game, while quarterback Trace McSorley has thrown for a program-record 50 touchdowns in his career. Shaka Toney is first on the defense with four sacks. Head coach James Franklin is in his fourth season.
THE SERIES
Rutgers has played Penn State 27 times previously, the most against any program in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have won 25 of those matchups, including all three in conference play. The Scarlet Knights will be looking to win in the series for the first time since 1988, which resulted in a 21-16 road win at Beaver Stadium behind two touchdowns by Mike Botti in third quarter and a late goal-line stand to knock off the 15
th-ranked Nittany Lions. RU also won the initial meeting in 1918 at Beaver Stadium, 26-3.
Rutgers has 11 players on its roster from the state of Pennsylvania:
Rashawn Battle (Grentown),
Raheem Blackshear (Warminster),
Jaohne Duggan (Bethlehem),
Jonah Jackson (Media),
Sebastian Joseph (Stroudsburg),
Robert Martin (Harrisburg),
Trevor Morris (King of Prussia),
Austin Rosa (Reading),
Charles Snorweah (Levittown),
Manny Taylor (Philadelphia) and
Zach Venesky (Peckville).
UP NEXT
Rutgers will hit the road once again with a Nov. 18 game at Indiana. The game time and television network will be announced this upcoming weekend.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow the program on Twitter @RFootball.
