RUTGERS (3-0, 0-0) at No. 19 MICHIGAN (3-0, 0-0)
September 25, 2021 • 3:30 p.m. ET • ABC
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Mich.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Opening the season with a 3-0 record, Rutgers football begins Big Ten play on the road with a trip to face No. 19 Michigan Saturday at Michigan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC. This marks the latest game in a season for the Scarlet Knights unbeaten against an unbeaten opponent since the "Pandemonium in Piscataway" win over No. 3 Louisville in 2006, and first matchup with identical 3-0 records since playing Fort Monmouth in 1941.
Rutgers holds a +89 point differential, the team's best mark through three games since 2007. The includes not having surrendered a point in the first or fourth quarters this season with a +8 turnover margin overall to rank second the nation. The Scarlet Knights and Wolverines are two of the four teams nationally that have not conceded a turnover in 2021.
This week, the Rutgers football coaching staff will be wearing special arm patches in honor of the AFCA's Coach to Cure MD program, sponsored by Werner Ladder. The goal of CTCMD is to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne muscular dystrophy while demonstrating coaches' commitment to the betterment of young men and the core academic research missions of their universities. Help tackle Duchenne by texting CURE to 501501.
TV: ABC
Play-By-Play: Sean McDonough
Analyst: Todd Blackledge
Reporter: Molly McGrath
Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WCTC 1450-AM, WOR 710-AM, XM 389, Scarlet Knights App
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Julian Pinnix-Odrick
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Al Rosenberg
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Eric LeGrand
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Jake Schmied & Dylan McCoy
- Rutgers is 3-0 for the first time since 2012, a season that began 7-0.
- The Scarlet Knights have played three-straight turnover-free games for the first time since 2009 and seek to make it four in a row for the first time since 1993.
- Rutgers is riding a three-game road winning streak, the longest for the program since winning five consecutive in 2012. The three road wins in 2020 matched the Scarlet Knights' total from the first six seasons in the Big Ten. RU is 4-1 on the road since 2020.
- Rutgers is third in the country with just seven penalties against, the least amount for the team against through three games this century. The 2.33 per game is the best average nationally.
- Rutgers seeks to win its Big Ten opener for the second time, also doing so in 2020 at Michigan State. The Scarlet Knights have won their last three conference openers under head coach Greg Schiano and five of the previous eight.
- Schiano is tied for second in program history with 74 wins leading the Scarlet Knights. Frank Burns holds the record with 78 victories.
- Rutgers scored touchdowns on four of its first five offensive drives to run away from Delaware in a 45-13 win. It was the first meeting between the Scarlet Knights and Blue Hens since 1973.
- Rutgers advanced to 43-19 in non-conference games under Schiano, having won 20 of the last 23. That includes a 26-10 mark at home and winners of 12 of the last 14.
- Rutgers finished non-conference play in the regular season with a 3-0 mark. The last season with a perfect non-conference slate in the regular season was 2014.
- Rutgers scored at least 40 points in each of its first two home games for the third time in program history (1915, 1949).
- QB Noah Vedral topped 300 passing yards for the second time in his career with 323 yards on a 21-for-26 day. That included seven pass plays of at least 20 yards, including a 28-yard passing touchdown to WR Bo Melton and a 62-yarder to WR Brandon Sanders. RB Isaih Pacheco added two scores on the ground, with RB Aaron Young also punching one in from six yards out.
- WR Aron Cruickshank scored his first career punt return touchdown from 62 yards out. The runback earned Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. It was also the 56th non-offensive touchdown for the Scarlet Knights under Schiano and fifth since 2020.
- Rutgers went 10-for-14 on third down, tied for the third-best percentage (71.4) in a game under Schiano.
- DL Aaron Lewis and DL Julius Turner each had 1.5 sacks, with the defense posting nine tackles-for-loss, holding UD to 98 passing yards and 3-for-13 on third down.
- Vedral ranks 14th nationally and third in the Big Ten with a 71.6 completion percentage. He has six games as a Scarlet Knight with at least 20 completions.
- Pacheco owns 1,947 career rushing yards and needs 53 yards to become the 15th player in program history to reach 2,000. He joins RB Kyle Monangai with three rushing touchdowns in 2021.
- Melton moved into 10th place in program history with 129 career receptions after posting six last week. He picked up 125 receiving yards for fourth career game in triple figures.
- Rutgers went 10-for-14 on third down versus Delaware, tied for the third-best percentage (71.4) in a game under Schiano.
- Rutgers posted a program-best 26.7 points per game in a Big Ten season in 2020.
- Rutgers ranks second nationally holding opponents to 17.5 percent (7-for-40) on third down, fourth in sacks per game (4.67), fifth nationally in turnovers gained (8) and eighth in scoring defense (11.3).
- Rutgers allowed just 98 passing yards to Delaware, the 17th time under Schiano holding an opponent under 100.
- LB Olakunle Fatukasi leads the Big Ten with 10.3 tackles per game, ninth nationally. He has picked up 6.5 tackles-for-loss with 3.5 sacks.
- DL Julius Turner has recorded four tackles-for-loss with 2.5 sacks.
- Rutgers led the Big Ten and ranked No. 11 nationally with 7.8 tackles-for-loss per game in 2020.
- Rutgers leads the nation with a net punt of 51.5 yards per attempt. P Adam Korsak, two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week in 2021, has downed 10-of-14 attempts inside the 20, including settling a punt at the 1 in each of the first three games.
- Rutgers scored its fourth special teams touchdown since 2020 against Delaware on a 62-yard punt return by WR Aron Cruickshank. It was his fifth career kick return score (four kickoff, one punt), needing three to tie the NCAA record.
- Rutgers has blocked 61 kicks under Schiano.
- PK Valentino Ambrosio is 3-for-4 on field goals and 16-for-16 on extra points to start the season.
- Rutgers will play Michigan for the eighth time since joining the Big Ten in 2014. The programs did not previously meet.
- Last year at SHI Stadium, Rutgers put together a 16-play, 75-yard drive over 4:40 to tie the game with 27 seconds remaining against Michigan. Vedral found Cruickshank on fourth-and-nine for an 11-yard touchdown and then ran in for the tying two-point conversion to force overtime. Vedral finished with a career-high 381 passing yards, eighth-most in a game in program history. After each team missed a field goal in the first frame, TE Jovani Haskins started the second extra period with a 25-yard receiving score, but the Wolverines matched. Michigan then recorded six points and held on for the 48-42 victory in triple overtime.
- In one of the more memorable games in Rutgers football history, the Scarlet Knights earned a 26-24 victory over Michigan on Oct. 4, 2014 in a home night game to pick up the program's first league win as a member of the Big Ten Conference. QB Gary Nova led RU with 404 passing yards (third-most in RU history) and three touchdowns, while PK Kyle Federico kicked two field goals. The game was sealed with 3:01 remaining in the fourth quarter when DL Kemoko Turay skied above the line to block a potential go-ahead 56-yard field goal.
- The sellout crowd of 53,327, the third-largest in Rutgers history, stormed the field to celebrate the win.
- Both the longest rushing (Pacheco 80-yard touchdown in 2018) and passing (Nova to WR Andrew Turzilli 80-yard touchdown in 2014) play for Rutgers in conference play against a Big Ten opponent came against Michigan.
- Rutgers game highs versus Michigan:
