RUTGERS (0-0) vs. MASSACHUSETTS (0-0)
August 30, 2019 • 7:15 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football starts its 2019 campaign Friday versus Massachusetts at SHI Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. in what will be the sixth Friday opener for the Scarlet Knights in program history. The game is presented by PNC Bank.
 
Big Ten Network is set to broadcast with Mike Monaco (play-by-play) and Shaun O'Hara (analyst) on the call, as the pregame show, hosted by Dave Revsine, will also air from a set on campus. Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (analyst), Eric LeGrand (analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline) return to deliver the action on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, WNJE 920-AM, Sirius 81, XM 81). The WRSU 88.7-FM student radio call will be supplied by Jake Ostrove, Chris Tsakonas and Robert Baxter.
 
The 2019 season marks the 150^th anniversary of the first college football game, which took place between Rutgers and Princeton on Nov. 6, 1869. The historic contest took place on a plot of ground where the present-day Rutgers gymnasium now stands in New Brunswick. RU won that first game, 6-4.
 
"The Birthplace of College Football Celebration," presented by RWJBH, will feature related themes throughout the season. A re-enactment of the first football game will take place on Friday at 6:15 p.m. at the Marco Battaglia Practice Complex. Fans are encouraged to attend the game, which will feature Rutgers theatre students dressed in late 1800s era costumes. The Rutgers Marching Band, the Marching Scarlet Knights, will perform a unique halftime show tied to the theme and a fireworks display will light up the sky following the game.
 
Additionally before the game, Rutgers will unveil the "Victory" statue in the north plaza of the stadium. The imposing 12-foot high statue portrays the armored Scarlet Knight raising his sword in triumphant victory atop his steed after vanquishing an opponent in battle. The majestic statue, weighing 2,500 pounds, will be lighted from above and below, and mounted upon a 5½-foot black granite pedestal, bringing its total height to 18 feet above the plaza. The cost of the project is being fully funded by Ron and Joanna Garutti.
 

SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights are 76-64-9 all-time in season openers and 98-39-10 in home openers. Rutgers has won eight of its last nine home openers by the combined score of 293-89, and has held its first opponent to under 100 rushing yards in each of the previous eight years. Friday will be the first RU game in August since defeating Washington State, 41-38, in Seattle in 2014.
 
The offense returns 68 percent of its rushing yards and 66 percent of its receiving yards from 2018. The Scarlet Knights bring back their two leading rushers in junior Raheem Blackshear, who was named to the Hornung Award watch list, and sophomore Isaih Pacheco, as the duo combined for 1,137 rushing yards and 2,046 all-purpose yards a year ago. Blackshear was the only player in the country to accumulate at least 40 receptions, 350 receiving yards and 575 rushing yards last year. He has posted 182 career carries, 824 rushing yards, 51 receptions, 500 receiving yards, 1,841 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns to pace the active roster.
 
Blackshear's 44 receptions led the offense, with junior Bo Melton adding 28. Melton is averaging 10.2 yards per reception in his career. In addition, sophomore Eddie Lewis collected 24 catches for the most by a Scarlet Knight true freshman receiver since Mohamed Sanu (51) in 2009.
 
Both senior McLane Carter and sophomore Artur Sitkowski are in contention to make the start at quarterback. Sitkowski started 11 games as a rookie with 1,136 passing yards, having three games with at least 20 completions. Carter is a graduate transfer from Texas Tech, who played in nine games with three starts the last two seasons for the Red Raiders. He went 21-for-37 for 237 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the season finale against Baylor. The last left-handed quarterback to start for Rutgers was Ralph Sacca on Nov. 9, 1996 versus West Virginia.
 
The offensive line returns three starters, with fifth-year senior Kamaal Seymour at right tackle, junior Michael Maietti at center and fifth-year senior Zach Venesky at left guard. Venesky, along with Blackshear, is a captain and Maietti was a part of the Rimington Award watch list. Seymour is first on roster with 29 career starts. Rutgers finished second in the Big Ten and 19^th nationally with only 1.33 sacks permitted per game last year. The unit also placed 24^th in the country at only 4.92 tackles-for-loss allowed per game.
 
Defensively, senior Damon Hayes, back at cornerback, is the most experienced player on the team with 35 collegiate games. He leads the active roster with 136 career tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups. On the other side, sophomore Avery Young led the secondary with 66 tackles, batting 10 pass breakups, after starting the last 11 games. Rutgers ranked 19th nationally with 186.7 passing yards allowed per game in 2018. That was an improvement of 30.1 yards per game compared to 2017.
 
Juniors Tyshon Fogg and Tyreek Maddox-Williams are both captains at linebacker. Both recorded 48 tackles a season ago, with Fogg tying for the team lead at eight stops in the last game at Michigan State. Up front, junior Elorm Lumor and sophomore Mike Tverdov each tied for the team high at four sacks. Lumor had seven tackles-for-loss overall. The defense tallied 60 stops in the backfield for the season, an increase of 10 from the year before.
 
Junior Justin Davidovicz went 9-for-11 on field goals in his first season handling the duties. He also takes the kickoffs for a unit that ranked seventh in the nation with 16.4 yards allowed per kickoff return in 2018. The 41.6 net average placed second in the Big Ten. Junior Adam Korsak, who was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list, helped Rutgers to its best net punt mark in school history last year at 40.1 yards (17th nationally) in his first season playing football at any level. Setting the school record with a 79-yard boot, 23 times he pinned a punt inside the 20-yard line, induced 21 fair catches and had no return 55-of-78 times.
 
SCOUTING MASSACHUSETTS
The Minutemen are under the direction of first-year head coach Walt Bell, who was the offensive coordinator at Florida State last year and had the same title at Maryland the previous two seasons. Five members of the team were named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team, with linebacker Jarvis Miller, a Penn State transfer, and offensive lineman Ray Thomas-Ishman, Sr. garnering recognition to the first team. Offensive lineman Larnel Coleman, punter George Georgopoulos and defensive lineman Dennis Osagiede were all second-team selections.
 
Randall West was announced as the starting quarterback. Also a member of the UMass basketball team, he has played in four career games.
 
THE SERIES
Rutgers and Massachusetts will be meeting for the first time since 1978. The teams have split four previous games, with the Minutemen winning in 1967 (30-7) and 1973 (25-22) and the Scarlet Knights claiming victory in 1976 (24-7) and 1978 (21-11). "JJ" Jennings rushed for 230 yards, the most in a game in Rutgers history at the time and currently fourth-most, in the 1973 matchup. The 1976 RU win was eighth on the way to a perfect 11-0 season.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers will open Big Ten play with a trip to Iowa for a Sept. 7 matchup. It will be Scarlet Knights' first game at Kinnick Stadium and the fourth time in five years the Scarlet Knights begin league competition on the road. The contest is set to start at noon ET on FS1.


 
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