RUTGERS (3-5) vs. NEBRASKA (2-5)
December 18, 2020 • 7:31 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football will host Nebraska Friday for Big Ten Champions Week in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff (game time updated) from SHI Stadium on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights have won two of their last three games and seek to win a fourth Big Ten game, which would set a new team high in a season since joining the league.
 
RU is one of two teams, along with Penn State, set for a ninth Big Ten contest in as many weeks. The Scarlet Knights have never had such a streak of consecutive conference games. The Dec. 18 date will mark the latest home game on the calendar in program history.
 
TV: Big Ten Network (FOX Sports App)
Play-By-Play: Brandon Gaudin
Analyst: James Laurinaitis
Reporter: Coley Harvey
 
Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, WENJ 97.3-FM, XM 196, Sirius 133
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Ray Lucas
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pregame: 6:30 p.m. (Marc Malusis & Julian Pinnix-Odrick)
 
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Chris Tsakonas & Brant Wolff

 
 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

The Scarlet Knights claimed a 27-24 victory at Maryland last week for their third road win of the season, matching the total of away Big Ten victories from the previous six seasons combined. It also marked the second time Rutgers won a Big Ten game when trailing in the fourth quarter (2015 Indiana) and 12^th time under head coach Greg Schiano overcoming a deficit in the last period to win. Schiano now owns 71 victories leading Rutgers, two shy of tying John Bateman for third in the program record books.
 
The contest in College Park featured seven lead changes. Down three with 2:56 remaining, RU put together an 11-play drive over 61 yards to tie the game on a 39-yard field goal by kicker Valentino Ambrosio as time expired. Ambrosio connected again in overtime from 42 yards to match his career high and the defense held the Terrapins without a first down, with defensive lineman Mike Tverdov recording a sack to force a 50-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide left. It was one of three sacks for Tverdov, becoming the fourth player in school history to notch at least three sacks in a game. RU totaled seven overall to establish a new team Big Ten record and a season-high 13 tackles-for-loss to take over the conference lead with 7.4 per game.
 
Offensively, Rutgers is the most improved team in the Big Ten compared to last season in scoring offense (+14.1) and total offense (+76.9). The Scarlet Knights are one of 10 teams nationally that have scored more points than in 2019 (+60) and the only team in the group that has played fewer than 10 games this year. The average of 27.4 points and 350 yards of total offense per game are on pace to be the best for RU in a Big Ten campaign.
 
Wide receiver Bo Melton, who was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll, recorded a pair of rushing touchdowns and Isaih Pacheco added a receiving score. Melton is second in the league with nine touchdowns (six receiving, two rushing, one punt return) and owns 42 receptions for 557 yards. Pacheco is the team's leading rusher at 472 yards on 109 carries, while quarterback Noah Vedral has picked up 20 first downs on the ground.
 
Vedral started seven of the previous eight games and has passed for 1,253 yards, which is the most by a Rutgers signal caller since 2015. Artur Sitkowski came in relief versus Maryland and went 14-for-20 with a touchdown pass. Johnny Langan has also taken snaps and rushed for four scores this season.
 
Defensive backs Christian Izien and Naijee Jones both recorded interceptions last week to help RU win the turnover battle. The Scarlet Knights have forced 15 turnovers on the season. Izien led the defense with eight tackles, while linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi added seven to maintain the national lead at 12.4 per game with 99 overall, including 11 for loss.
 
Rutgers took over the conference lead with a net punt of 42.14, a mark that would break the school record for the third-straight year. Punter Adam Korsak has not registered a touchback on 43 attempts, with seven punts of at least 50 yards and a long of 66. Ambrosio is now 7-for-9 on field goal attempts since taking over the starting job.
 

VERSUS NEBRASKA

• Rutgers will take on cross-divisional opponent Nebraska for the fourth time since joining the Big Ten in 2014 and fifth time overall.
• Rutgers and Nebraska had been slated to meet in Piscataway in the original 2020 schedule.
• In the last meeting in 2017 at Memorial Stadium, Rutgers put together an 11-play, 75-yard  opening drive that ended with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Gus Edwards, but Nebraska answered and went on to win, 27-17. The game featured three lead changes. Both Blessuan Austin and Kiy Hester recorded interceptions, with Hester returning his pick for a 33-yard touchdown.
• Nebraska won the previous game in Piscataway, 31-14. After falling behind 21-0, Robert Martin scored a one-yard rushing touchdown and Chris Laviano hauled in a five-yard pass from Janarion Grant to make it 21-14 in the third quarter. The Cornhuskers responded with a touchdown and a field goal. RU registered three interceptions on the day, its most in a Big Ten game.
• The first Big Ten meeting took place in Lincoln in 2014. Leonte Carroo totaled 127 receiving yards, including a 71-yard touchdown from Gary Nova. Both Robert Martin and Desmon Peoples added rushing scores against the 16th-ranked Cornhuskers.
• The first meeting between the programs took place in 1920 in a game played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, as the Cornhuskers prevailed, 28-0.
• Rutgers game highs versus Nebraska:
Rushing Yards: Josh Hicks, 61 (2015)
Passing Yards: Chris Laviano, 165 (2015)
Receiving Yards: Leonte Carroo, 127 (2014)
 


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