NORTHWESTERN 18 (4-3, 4-1), RUTGERS 15 (1-7, 0-5)
HIGHPOINT.COM STADIUM • PISCATAWAY, N.J.
OCTOBER 26, 2018 • ATTENDANCE: 32,514
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Despite holding a lead at halftime, Rutgers football (1-7, 0-5) fell to Northwestern (4-3, 4-1) by a score of 18-15 on Saturday afternoon at HighPoint.com Stadium.
Freshman running back
Isaih Pacheco paced the offense with a 44-yard rushing touchdown, part of his 83 yards from scrimmage on the day. Sophomore kicker
Justin Davidovicz added two field goals for RU, including one from 42 yards, and is 7-for-8 in attempts this season.
Defensively, freshman defensive back
Avery Young led Rutgers with 10 tackles, including seven solo stops and two pass breakups. Senior linebackers
Trevor Morris and
Deonte Roberts followed with nine tackles each, as Morris forced and recovered a fumble on an assisted sack. Junior defensive lineman
Willington Previlon registered Rutgers' first safety since 2009 with a sack in the end zone for the Scarlet Knights, while sophomore
Elorm Lumor had 1.5 sacks.
FIRST QUARTER
Northwestern added the first score of the day with a three-yard rush for Isaiah Bowser at the 9:46 mark in the opening quarter. The Wildcats held onto their 7-0 lead for the remainder of the frame.
SECOND QUARTER
Moving into the second quarter, Rutgers tacked on three points as Davidovicz registered a 42-yard field goal to cut into the deficit, 7-3, with 11:39 on the clock.
This sparked the Rutgers offense, as the Scarlet Knights would add a touchdown on their following drive.
Isaih Pacheco rushed for 44-yards to give RU a 10-7 lead in the game.
The Rutgers defense fed off the energy as well. Previlon sacked Northwestern's Clayton Thorson in the end zone to record the safety and extend the Scarlet Knight advantage.
RU carried a 12-7 lead over NU into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
Returning from the break, Morris maintained the RU momentum, forcing and recovering a fumble on NU's opening drive. The turnover set up a drive that culminated in a 26-yard field goal for Davidovicz, pushing the Scarlet Knight lead to 15-7.
Despite Northwestern stopping the 15-point run, the Scarlet Knights held the Wildcats to a field goal. The 23-yard attempt by Drew Luckenbaugh set the score to 15-10 with 5:13 to go in the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
In the final frame, NU tacked on a five-yard rushing touchdown for Bowser and executed a two-point conversion to reclaim the lead, 18-15, for good.
UP NEXT
Rutgers enters a bye week before returning to action at No. 23 Wisconsin on Nov. 3.
PARTICIPATION
NOTES
- DL Willington Previlon picked up a sack in the end zone for the first Rutgers safety since 2009 at Syracuse.
- RB Isaih Pacheco had a 44-yard rushing touchdown for his second score in as many weeks. It was the longest offensive play of the season for the Scarlet Knights.
- P Adam Korsak registered a school-record 79-yard punt, tied for the second-longest in the nation so far this season, in the second quarter. The previous standard of 78 by Joe Radigan had stood since 2006.
- PK Justin Davidovicz made his first field goal attempt to start his career 6-for-6. The last Scarlet Knight to make their first six collegiate field goals was Ryan Sands in 2001. He later made a 26-yarder and is now 7-for-8 on the season.
- Rutgers has now played all 13 Big Ten opponents in the league game.
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