Football Defeats Maryland in Overtime, 27-24

Saturday, December 12

College Park, Md.

Noon

Rutgers University

3-5 , 3-5

Maryland

2-3 , 2-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	Final F
Rutgers	0	0	14	10	3	27
Maryland	0	3	7	14	0	24

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Dec 12 | Football

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RUTGERS 27 (3-5, 3-5), MARYLAND 24 (2-3, 2-3) (OT)
CAPITAL ONE FIELD AT MARYLAND STADIUM • COLLEGE PARK, Md.
DECEMBER 12, 2020

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Kicker Valentino Ambrosio tied the game at the end of regulation with a 39-yard field goal, then followed with a 42-yard game-winner as Rutgers football (3-5, 3-5) defeated Maryland (2-3, 2-3), 27-24, in overtime on Saturday afternoon in College Park. The victory was the third of the season for the Scarlet Knights, who matched their high-water Big Ten Conference win total from 2014 and 2017.

In a game that featured seven lead changes, RU produced three touchdowns – two rushing from wide receiver Bo Melton and one receiving by running back Isaih Pacheco – against the Terrapins. On defense, Rutgers added two turnovers with interceptions from defensive backs Christian Izien and Naijee Jones. The front seven register seven sacks – including three from defensive end Mike Tverdov. – to set a Big Ten program record for sacks in a conference game.

.@RFootball prevails in OT.

The Scarlet Knights hold on for the 27-24 win. pic.twitter.com/CwVC9cfo45
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 12, 2020

FIRST QUARTER
It was a defensive battle to start, as both teams were held off the board early. The Scarlet Knights forced their first turnover of the game when Jones intercepted Maryland's Lance LeGendre to give RU the ball at midfield with 4:33 left in the quarter. Punter Adam Korsak pinned the Terrapins three times before the end of the first quarter, which included a punt downed at the UMD three with three minutes to go. Defensive linemen Mayan Ahanotu and Aaron Lewis combined for a sack during the following possession, as both teams would remain scoreless heading into the second quarter.

The @Jee_Jones24 INT ⬇️ https://t.co/lIDBnNTZf9
— Rutgers.Football (@RFootball) December 12, 2020

SECOND QUARTER
Rutgers picked up its second interception in as many quarters when Izien hauled in a deflected pass to give the Scarlet Knights the ball back with 3:47 left in the half. Despite a 2-0 turnover margin in favor of RU before the break, Maryland entered halftime with a 3-0 lead, courtesy of a 10-play, 62 drive to set up a 37-yard field goal.

THIRD QUARTER
After it stopped Maryland on its opening possession of the second half, Rutgers registered its first scoring drive of the game. Quarterback Noah Vedral scampered 25 yards on a keeper to give RU the ball at its own 41-yard line. Melton then found the end zone three plays later, taking a career-long 44-yard reverse to the house with 11:07 left in the third. The scoring drive covered 84 yards and gave Rutgers a 7-3 lead.

The career long 44 yard rush for @getbusy__bo ⬇️ https://t.co/BKZq7EG4lW
— Rutgers.Football (@RFootball) December 12, 2020

Both teams would trade possessions before Maryland regained the lead. On a third-and-five attempt inside Rutgers' territory, UMD's Jake Funk took it 44 yards for the touchdown to give the home team a 10-7 advantage at the 3:56 mark in the third.

Quarterback Artur Sitkowski took over the offense after Vedral was hurt on the previous possession and orchestrated a six-play, 68-yard scoring drive to help Rutgers regain the lead. On second-and-two from the Maryland 20-yard line, Sitkowski rolled right and threw across the field to Pacheco, who juked a defender and punched it in for his first-career scoring reception. The touchdown made it 14-10 Rutgers, who held on to the margin to end the quarter.

The 20 yard Isaih Pacheco touchdown is his first career touchdown reception ⬇️ https://t.co/zj3MZDcwJj
— Rutgers.Football (@RFootball) December 12, 2020

FOURTH QUARTER
The game continued to go back-and-forth, as Maryland scored on a 23-yard passing play to go on top, 17-14, with 14:38 left in the game. But Rutgers never faltered, as Rutgers responded later in the quarter. Melton capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive with his second rushing score – an 18-yard swing pass behind the line of scrimmage from Sitkowski – to make it 21-17 at the 7:59 mark.

Maryland scored on the following possession to regain its lead. Quarterback Eric Najarian found wide receiver Brian Cobbs on a 52-yard connection to make it 24-21 in favor of the Terrapins. Rutgers marched within Maryland territory on the next possession, but was stopped on a fourth-and-seven attempt to give UMD possession.

But after forcing a three-and-out and taking over with 2:56 left in regulation, Rutgers drove down the field with an 11-play, 61-yard drive to set Ambrosio up for an attempt to tie. Sitkowski found Melton for a 12-yard reception to get RU into Maryland territory. Pacheco then ripped off an 18-yard rush to put the Scarlet Knights in field-goal range. Ambrosio did the rest, as he drilled a 39-yard attempt to tie the game with as the clock ticked down to zero to send the game into overtime.

OVERTIME
Maryland won the toss to begin overtime and deferred to Rutgers, who set up Ambrosio for a 42-yard field goal give Rutgers a 27-24 lead. With third-and-13 for Maryland on RU's 28-yard-line, Tverdov sacked Najarian to push UMD to a 50-yard field-goal attempt to tie. Kicker Joseph Peterno's attempt sailed wide left to secure the win for Rutgers.

The sequence that led to a @RFootball win in overtime!

📍 @AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/hQuwI336tx
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) December 12, 2020

UP NEXT
Big Ten Champions Week is scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 19, as Rutgers' opponent will be announced at a later date.

NOTES

Rutgers improved to 3-1 on the road this season. The Scarlet Knights entered 2020 with three Big Ten road wins the previous six seasons. The last time RU won three conference road games in the same season was in 2012.
Rutgers won its third Big Ten game of the season, matching the program's high also set in 2014 and 2017.
Head coach Greg Schiano improved to 2-0 against Maryland in College Park. He now has 71 victories leading the Scarlet Knights, two shy of tying John Bateman for third in program history.
Rutgers played in overtime for the second time this season and 13^th time in program history. The Scarlet Knights have now won four of their last five in overtime under Schiano.
Rutgers won a Big Ten game for the second time when trailing in the fourth quarter (2015 Indiana). It marked the 12^th time the Scarlet Knights overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win under Schiano.
Rutgers posted its sixth game of the season with at least 20 points scored. The Scarlet Knights entered the season having recorded 20 points or more points five times the previous four seasons combined (36 games) and 12 times in the first 52 games since joining the league in 2014.
The offense totaled a season-high 235 rushing yards.
Led by three sacks from DL Mike Tverdov Rutgers posted seven sacks, its most in a Big Ten game since joining the conference. The Scarlet Knights finished with a season-high 13 tackles-for-loss. The last Scarlet Knight with three sacks in a game was Ryan D'Imperio at USF in 2008.
WR Bo Melton scored the first two rushing touchdowns of his career. He now has a team-high nine total touchdowns in 2020 (six receiving, two rushing, one punt return). One of the rushing scores was a 44-yard run, his longest collegiate carry. Melton finished with a career-high 62 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards and 18 kickoff return yards for a team-high 125 all-purpose yards.
RB Isaih Pacheco matched his career high with five receptions and scored his first collegiate receiving touchdown. Pacheco now has 19 catches on the season after totaling 15 the previous two seasons combined. Pacheco added 79 rushing yards to finish with 119 all-purpose yards.
DB Christian Izien posted his second interception in as many weeks and DB Naijee Jones notched his first collegiate pick to help Rutgers post a +2 turnover advantage. The Scarlet Knights are 50-17 under Schiano when winning the turnover battle.
PK Valentino Ambrosio connected from 39 yards away to force overtime and converted again from 42 to win the game in overtime. The last Scarlet Knight with a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter or overtime was Kyle Federico at Indiana in 2015.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of the way you fought today." #CHOP🪓 pic.twitter.com/amlrZf8zRN
— Rutgers.Football (@RFootball) December 12, 2020

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