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Rutgers University Athletics

Scoreboard

Big Ten Conference
Mike Tverdov
(Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
37
Winner Rutgers RU 2-4 , 2-4
30
Purdue PUR 2-3 , 2-3
Winner
Rutgers RU
2-4 , 2-4
37
Final
30
Purdue PUR
2-3 , 2-3
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
RU Rutgers 13 0 21 3 37
PUR Purdue 7 16 7 0 30

Game Recap: Football |

Football Downs Purdue on the Road, 37-30

RUTGERS 37 (2-4, 2-4), PURDUE 30 (2-3, 2-3)
ROSS-ADE STADIUM • WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.
NOVEMBER 28, 2020
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Rutgers football (2-4, 2-4) recorded its second Big Ten Conference road win of the season, downing Purdue (2-3, 2-3), 37-30, on Saturday night in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Scarlet Knights set a Big Ten program record with 26 first downs and produced five touchdowns against the Boilermakers, including two passes from quarterback Artur Sitkowski to wide receiver Shameen Jones, to earn the road victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.  
 
Quarterback Johnny Langan also tossed a touchdown pass – a career-long 62-yard connection with running back Kay'Ron Adams – and added a team-high 95 yards on the ground. Running back Aaron Young crossed the goal line for the first time in his career, while wide receiver Aron Cruickshank returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown as RU moved to 2-0 all-time against Purdue.
 
In a game that featured three lead changes and the Boilermakers up by as much as 10 in the second half, Rutgers used 21 points in the third quarter and churned out a two-quarter, 18-play, 70-yard scoring drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock to all but secured the second win for head coach Greg Schiano in his return "On the Banks." The Scarlet Knights possessed the ball for 21:57 in the second half.

FIRST QUARTER After it gave up an opening touchdown to the Boilermakers, Rutgers responded with a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Pacheco ripped off a 23-yard run during the drive to get the Scarlet Knights to Purdue's 28-yard line, while Sitkowski found Jones for the first time six plays later for a 14-yard connection. A missed extra point made it 7-6 Boilermakers with 7:01 left in the quarter. Rutgers orchestrated another scoring drive on its next possession, this time finding paydirt with an 11-play, 70 yard stretch. A roughing the passer penalty on Purdue set the Scarlet Knights up deep into enemy territory, as Sitkowski found Jones again in the back of the end zone to put RU up, 13-7, with 1:38 left before the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
Purdue got back into Rutgers' territory, but the Scarlet Knights held strong in the red zone. On fourth-and-one from the Boilermakers' third-yard line, linebacker Tyreek Maddox-Williams got in front of a Jack Plummer pass to give the ball back over to RU. However, Purdue recorded a safety on the following possession as Rutgers led, 13-9, with 12:05 left in the half.
 
The Boilermakers regained their lead after running back Zander Horvath scored from one yard out to make it 16-13 in favor of the home team at the 8:19 mark in the quarter.
 
Purdue held Rutgers off the scoreboard down the stretch in the half and scored in the final minute before the break – a one-yard keeper from Plummer – to take a 23-13 lead into halftime.
 
THIRD QUARTER
The Scarlet Knights went right to work out of the locker room, as quarterback Langan threaded the needle to find Adams, who made a cut to the right side of the field and took it 62 yards for his first career receiving score. The career-long pass for Langan shrunk RU's deficit to just three, as Rutgers trailed 23-20 with 12:29 left in the third. The third quarter was a back-and-forth one, as Purdue produced a touchdown on its following possession before Cruickshank took a 100-yard kick return to the house on the following kickoff. It was the fifth 100-yard touchdown return in program history and made it a 30-27 game with nine minutes left before the final quarter. Rutgers then forced its first turnover of the game to halt Purdue on its next possession. On third-and-10 from the RU 46 yard line, defensive back Tre Avery came in on a corner blitz, forcing Plummer to throw an interception to linebacker Mohamed Toure. From there, the Scarlet Knights marched down the field and capped a nine-play, 48-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown from running back Aaron Young at 3:42 left in the third quarter to regain the lead, 34-30. The margin would hold heading into the fourth.
FOURTH QUARTER
Carrying over from the third quarter, Rutgers used close to 10 minutes of clock to add three more to its lead, as kicker Valentino Ambrosio drilled a 28-yard attempt to extend its advantage, 37-30. Rutgers then used its final defensive possession to all but secure the road win, as defensive end Mike Tverdov stopped Plummer in the backfield to force the Boilermakers to punt. RU produced two first-down runs from Langan in the final five minutes to close the game out.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers plays its fourth home game of the season at SHI Stadium versus Penn State on Dec. 5 at noon, presented by Provident Bank.

PARTICIPATION NOTES
  • Rutgers defeated Purdue for the second time in as many meetings. It was the Scarlet Knights' first trip to Ross-Ade Stadium, making Northwestern's Ryan Field the only Big Ten venue not visited.
  • Rutgers earned its second Big Ten win of the season. The program high is three victories in Big Ten play (2014, 2017). This marks the first time in program history Rutgers has won multiple road Big Ten games in the same season. The Scarlet Knights entered 2020 with three road wins the previous six seasons.
  • Head coach Greg Schiano earned his 70th victory leading the Scarlet Knights, three shy of third-most in program history.
  • Rutgers scored at least 20 points for the sixth-straight game. The last time the Scarlet Knights opened a season posting 20 more points in each of the first six games was in 2007. RU had never had a streak of five consecutive conference games with 20 or more points before this season. Rutgers entered the season having recorded 20 points or more only five times the previous four seasons combined (36 games) and 12 times in the first 52 games since joining the league in 2014.
  • Rutgers recorded 26 first downs, its most in a Big Ten game since joining the league.
  • Rutgers posted a season-high 176 rushing yards.
  • Rutgers recorded a season-best 10 conversions on third down for the third time in Big Ten play reaching double figures (2016 Minnesota, 2015 Indiana).
  • Rutgers' scoring average is now 30.8 points per game. The previous high for the Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten season was 21.3 in 2015 (eight games). The 185 total points are 134 more than the 51 posted in Big Ten play last season (nine games).
  • Rutgers extended its lead to 37-30 on an 18-play drive over 9:38, the longest drive by time for the Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten era and longest since a march of 10:40 in 2009 versus Cincinnati.
  • Rutgers scored on a touchdown on its opening drive for the third time this season. The Scarlet Knights had scored a touchdown on its opening drive three times over the previous two seasons combined (24 games), only once against a Big Ten opponent (18 games).
  • WR Aron Cruickshank
    • Recorded a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Third career kickoff return touchdown after scoring two in 2019 (95 yards versus No. 6 Oregon, 89 yards at Nebraska).
    • Fifth 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Rutgers football history (2015 Janarion Grant versus Washington State, 2013 Janarion Grant at Fresno State, 2002 Nate Jones at Syracuse, 2002 Nate Jones at No. 11 Tennessee).
    • First kickoff return for a touchdown for Rutgers since Janarion Grant's 84-yarder versus Howard in 2016.
    • First kickoff for a touchdown surrendered by Purdue since 2013.
    • Marked the 53rd non-offensive touchdown for Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano and second this season.
  • QB Johnny Langan
    • Recorded second touchdown pass of the season on a career-long 62-yard pass to Kay'Ron Adams.
    • Has now accounted for six touchdowns on the season (four rushing, two passing).
    • Improved to 8-for-8 passing on the season after totaling three completions.
    • Rushed for 95 yards, second-most in a game in career, with nine rushing first downs.
  • WR Shameen Jones
    • Scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter for first career game with multiple scores. Entered game with two collegiate touchdowns.
    • Recorded a career-high eight receptions.
  • QB Artur Sitkowski
    • Made 14th career start and first this season.
    • Went 19-for-28 passing for 152 yards and two touchdown passes to mark first career game with multiple touchdown passes.
  • RB Aaron Young
    • Scored first career rushing touchdown from one yard out to give Rutgers the lead in the third quarter.
  • LB Mohamed Toure
    • Recorded first career interception to lead to a touchdown.
    • Third turnover gained this season after notching two recovered strip sacks at Michigan State.
    • Rutgers has now forced 11 turnovers this season after forcing 10 in 12 games last year.
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