RUTGERS (1-9, 0-7) vs. No. 16 PENN STATE (7-3, 4-3)
November 17, 2018 • 12:01 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
HighPoint.com Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football will play its final home game of the season at HighPoint.com Stadium on Saturday against No. 16 Penn State. The contest, presented by RWJBarnabas Health, is set to start at noon.
 
Rutgers will honor its senior class in a pregame ceremony. The group includes DB Blessuan Austin, DL Jon Bateky, OL Tariq Cole, DB Saquan Hampton, OL Zack Heeman, DB Kiy Hester, RB Jonathan Hilliman, P Nick Johnston, LB Trevor Morris, QB Rob Nittolo, QB Giovanni Rescigno, LB Deonte Roberts, DL Muhammad Wainwright, TE Jerome Washington, DB Isaiah Wharton and DL Kevin Wilkins.
 
Big Ten Network has the broadcast with Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Shaun O'Hara (analyst) on the call. With BTN carrying multiple games in the time slot, click here for the out-of-market channel finder. Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (analyst), Eric LeGrand (analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline) are set to deliver the action on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM, XM 210, Sirius 137). In addition, listen to the student radio broadcast on WRSU 88.7-FM with Jake Ostrove, Sam Marsdale and Corey Jason
 
It will be the third game this season for the Scarlet Knights against a ranked team. The last time RU hosted consecutive top-25 opponents was in 2007 versus No. 2 USF and No. 6 West Virginia.


SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights finished the first quarter tied with No. 4 Michigan, but the Wolverines scored the last five touchdowns of the game to win, 42-7. Against a defense that entered the week leading the nation in total defense (216.2), Rutgers posted 193 rushing yards with an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Michigan had been allowing only 93.9 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry in its previous nine games. The 193 team rushing yards are the most for Rutgers against a top-five opponent since recording 251 versus No. 5 Penn State in 1994, a span of 13 games.
 
Freshman Isaih Pacheco highlighted the rushing attack with an 80-yard touchdown run, the longest rush by a freshman in Rutgers history, longest offensive play of the season for Rutgers, longest against Michigan's defense all year and the longest rush by a Scarlet Knight in a conference game since joining the Big Ten. The rookie finished with a career-high 142 rushing yards in the game for his second time reaching the century mark. The 142 yards are tied for third most for a Scarlet Knight against a ranked opponent in a game, following 181 by Ray Rice (2007 versus No. 2 USF) and 158 by Terrell Willis (1993 at No. 11 West Virginia) and matching the 142 by Ray Rice (2007 versus West Virginia).
 
Rutgers did not allow a sack for the fourth time this season last week. It is the only game Michigan, who was averaging 3.2 sacks per games, has went without recording a sack this year. The Scarlet Knights are ranked second in the league and No. 17 nationally with only 1.20 sacks permitted per game in 2018.
 
Freshman Artur Sitkowski has started all 10 games at quarterback and is set to join Tom Savage (2009) and Ryan Cubit (2001) as RU true freshmen to start 11 games in a season behind center. He owns 1,140 passing yards on 131 completions, needing 19 more to set the RU true freshman record of 149 (Tom Savage).
 
Sophomore Raheem Blackshear leads the offense with 111 carries, 478 rushing yards, 40 receptions, 332 receiving yards and 38 first downs picked up. He also has a team-high 975 all-purpose yards, as the 97.5 per game is 10^th in the Big Ten. Pacheco is second at 760, coming off 213 versus Michigan.
 
Morris is now 10^th in Rutgers history with 317 tackles and needs six more to move into a tie for ninth with Keith Woetzel (1980-82). The linebacker owns 15 games with 10 or more tackles. In the middle, Roberts, a two-time captain, needs 13 more stops to become the 12^th player in program history to reach 300 tackles. Hampton leads the defense with 20 passes defended this season, ranking fifth in the Big Ten and 24th nationally with 1.2 passes defended per game.
 
Sophomore Justin Davidovicz is 8-for-10 on field goals in his first season handling the duties. He also takes the kickoffs for a unit that is ninth in the nation with only 15.94 yards allowed per kickoff return. Sophomore Adam Korsak has averaged 42.3 yards on 65 attempts, helping the team to No. 26 nationally with a net average of 39.95 yards. The net punt mark would be the highest in a season in Rutgers history.


SCOUTING PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions won for the third time in four games last week with a 22-10 home victory over Wisconsin. Miles Sanders rushed for 159 yards and is fourth in the league with 100.7 rushing yards per game this year. Trace McSorley recorded his 29^th win as starting quarterback, completing 146 passes for 1,871 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2018. KJ Hamler has a team-best five receiving scores. On defense, Yetur Gross-Matos owns eight sacks and 15.5 tackles-for-loss overall. Kicker Jake Pinegar is 12-for-18 on the season with a long of 49.
 
Head coach James Franklin is in his fifth season leading Penn State after a three-year stint at Vanderbilt.
 
THE SERIES
Rutgers and Penn State will meet for the fifth time in a Big Ten contest, 12th time in New Jersey and for the 29th meeting overall. RU has played PSU more in its history than any other Big Ten opponent. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series, 26-2.
 
Rutgers will be looking to snap an 11-game losing streak in the matchup, last winning at Beaver Stadium in 1988, 21-16. Mike Botti ran for a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter and the defense clinched the game with a goal-line stand to beat the 15th-ranked Nittany Lions. The series began 100 years ago on Nov. 9, 1918 with a 26-3 Rutgers victory at Penn State. The 2014 game marked the first Big Ten game for RU and was played before a stadium-record 53,774 fans at High Point Solutions Stadium.
 
Rutgers has 12 players on its roster from the state of Pennsylvania.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers will travel to Michigan State to finish the season on Nov. 24. The game will start at 4 p.m. on FOX.
 
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