RUTGERS (1-2, 0-0) at NEBRASKA (1-2, 0-0)
September 23, 2017 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Neb.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coming off a 65-0 victory over Morgan State to cap a three-game homestand, Rutgers football will hit the road for the first time this season with a trip to face Nebraska in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
 
The game features two of the oldest programs in college football history, as RU has played the most games (1,328) with NU ranking fourth (1,304). It will be the third meeting in the last four seasons between the teams after having not met previously since 1920.
 
Big Ten Network will broadcast the matchup with Brandon Gaudin delivering the play-by-play, Glen Mason providing color commentary and Elise Menaker reporting from the sidelines. With BTN carrying multiple games in the time slot, click here for the out-of-market channel finder. Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas and Anthony Fucilli will have the radio call on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450-AM, ESPN NY 98.7-FM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM).
 

SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights picked up their first win of the season with a 65-0 triumph over Morgan State at High Point Solutions Stadium last Saturday. It was the first shutout for RU since 2013 and its most points posted since 1993. The offense rushed for 326 yards, while the defense allowed only six first downs (zero rushing).
 
Freshman Johnathan Lewis, who was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, highlighted the performance with five touchdowns accounted for in the game. Four of the scores came on the ground, the most rushing by a quarterback in a game in program history. He was also just the eighth Scarlet Knight overall to run for four or more touchdowns in a game and the second true freshman in that group. Fifth-year senior Kyle Bolin went 11-of-17 for 140 yards and a touchdown pass in the victory.
 
Joining Lewis in the run game, classmate Raheem Blackshear picked up 102 rushing yards with two touchdowns in his first extended collegiate action. The freshman collected a game-high 132 all-purpose yards. For the season, fifth-year senior Gus Edwards leads the Scarlet Knights with 201 rushing yards, while senior Robert Martin has 158. Martin, who registered his 16^th collegiate touchdown last week, is just 20 yards away from becoming the 14^th player in school history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
 
Junior Jerome Washington added three receptions with his first touchdown against Morgan State to tie fifth-year senior Janarion Grant for the team lead with 12 catches in 2017. Grant topped 4,500 all-purpose yards last time out and owns 93 plays in his career gaining 20 or more yards.
 
Defensively, fifth-year senior Darnell Davis tallied a career-high 10 tackles to go with a sack and a forced fumble against the Bears. The captain leads the active roster with 14.5 tackles-for-loss. Junior captain Deonte Roberts paces the unit with 22 tackles this year, while classmate Kiy Hester has six passes defended (five break-ups, one interception) to rank sixth in the country.
 
The kickoff coverage unit has highlighted special teams by leading the Big Ten and rating fifth nationally with 13.67 yards permitted per return. Rutgers has also blocked a kick in each of the last two weeks, rejecting a field goal versus Eastern Michigan and denying a punt against Morgan State. That makes it 49 blocked kicks over the last nine seasons, the most in the nation over that span.
 
Fifth-year senior Andrew Harte has made his last three field goals and went 8-for-8 on extra points last week. In addition, freshman Justin Davidovicz boomed six touchbacks against Morgan State, as Rutgers had four total in 2016.
 
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Cornhuskers started the season with a win over Arkansas State before dropping the next two. Last week at home against Northern Illinois, two interception returns for touchdowns led to a 21-17 win for the Huskies. Quarterback Tanner Lee, who faced Rutgers in 2014 with Tulane, went 25-for-47 for 299 yards and two rushing scores. Tre Bryant leads the team this season with 299 rushing yards, while Stanley Morgan has 299 receiving yards.
 
Head coach Mike Riley is in his third year at the helm after spending 12 seasons (14 overall) at Oregon State.
 
THE SERIES
Despite being in opposite divisions in the Big Ten, Rutgers and Nebraska will meet for the third time in four seasons. In the last meeting in 2015 at High Point Solutions Stadium, RU fell behind 21-0 before scoring two touchdowns to make it a one-score game in the third quarter. Martin had a one-yard touchdown run and Grant added a passing score in the 31-14 defeat. The defense snagged three interceptions. Martin also found the end zone in the 2014 meeting in Lincoln with a four-yard run, while Leonte Carroo had 127 receiving yards with a 71-yard touchdown. The 16th-ranked Cornhuskers won, 42-24, in RU's first trip to Nebraska. The first meeting between the programs took place in 1920 in a game played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, as the Cornhuskers prevailed, 28-0.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers will return to High Point Solutions Stadium to play No. 10 Ohio State on Sept. 30. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
 
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.