RUTGERS (1-0) vs. No. 17 INDIANA (1-0)
October 31, 2020 • 3:35 p.m. ET • FS1
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following the season-opening victory at Michigan State, Rutgers football turns to its home opener Saturday versus No. 17 Indiana at SHI Stadium. The game, presented by PNC Bank, is set for a 3:35 p.m. start.
 
The Scarlet Knights are 99-39-10 all-time in home openers, winning nine of the last 10, and 7-4 under head coach Greg Schiano. RU is 1-0 in the Big Ten for the first time and seeks a 2-0 conference start for the first time since 2012 in the Big East.
 
TV: FS1 (FOX Sports App)
Play-By-Play: Joe Beninati
Analyst: Matt Millen
Sideline: Coley Harvey
 
Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, XM 195, Sirius 136
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Ray Lucas
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pregame: 2:30 p.m. (Marc Malusis & Julian Pinnix-Odrick)


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

The Scarlet Knights put together a 75-yard touchdown drive on the first possession and forced a fumble on their first defensive play on the way to a wire-to-wire 38-27 win at Michigan State in the return of Schiano as head coach. The 11-point victory tied for the largest margin of win in a Big Ten road game.
 
Rutgers created seven takeaways (five fumble recoveries, two interceptions), the most for the team since 2000, to establish a +4 turnover margin, which leads the nation. RU improved to 48-16 under Schiano when winning the turnover battle.
 
Quarterback Noah Vedral went 18-for-29 passing for 169 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Shameen Jones in his RU debut, also reeling off a career-long 24-yard rush for a score. Running back Isaih Pacheco added two touchdowns on the ground, while quarterback Johnny Langan came in for a 1-yard plunge. The Scarlet Knights scored a touchdown on all four of their trips inside the red zone.
 
Defensively, Rutgers collected 12 tackles-for-loss, the most for a Big Ten team during week one. Linebacker Tyshon Fogg notched a game-high 14 stops with two in the backfield, with linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi racking up 10 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble to earn Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Linebacker Mohamed Toure flashed with a pair of strip sacks to go with a pass deflection, as defensive back Avery Young also forced two fumbles. Defensive backs Tre Avery and Brendon White both had an interception in the victory.
 
Rutgers last held its home opener on Oct. 31 in 1908, a 5-4 win over Hamilton.
 

VERSUS INDIANA

• Saturday will mark the seventh meeting on the gridiron between Rutgers and Indiana since first playing in 2014. The Scarlet Knights won the first two matchups, while the Hoosiers have taken the last four.
• Rutgers won the first game in 2014 by the score of 45-23, its largest margin of victory over a Big Ten opponent since joining the conference.
• In the 2015 meeting in Bloomington, Rutgers tied its school record with a 25-point comeback in a 55-52 victory that featured 1,223 combined yards of total offense. The 55 points are the most scored by Rutgers in a Big Ten game since joining the conference. Rutgers rallied for 28 unanswered points to end the game, as Kyle Federico hit a 26-yard field as time expired.
• Rutgers game highs versus Indiana:
Rushing Yards: Robert Martin, 124 (2015)
Passing Yards: Chris Laviano, 386 (2015)
Receiving Yards: Leonte Carroo, 157 (2015)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers returns to the road to face No. 3 Ohio State inside Ohio Stadium on Nov. 7. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. start on Big Ten Network.
 

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