RUTGERS (4-4, 1-4) vs. No. 4 MICHIGAN (8-0, 5-0)
November 5, 2022 • 7:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Turning to November, Rutgers football hosts No. 4 Michigan Saturday under the lights at SHI Stadium, presented by Horizon. It will be the third primetime home game for the Scarlet Knights, the most in a season since having four such contests in 2007. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by kickoff for a special pregame light and fireworks show.

It will be the annual Military Appreciation Game, as Rutgers welcomes all active-duty and veteran members of the armed forces and their families to attend. Through Rutgers Athletics' R Heroes program, fans will once again have the opportunity to purchase and donate tickets to active-duty and veteran members of the armed forces and their families. To donate tickets, click here.

Giveaways for RU's game with the Wolverines include "Beat Michigan" buttons, shakers and posters at the pregame pep rally. Along Scarlet Knight Way, The Rutgers Boardwalk opens at 3 p.m. and features New Jersey's best food trucks, rides, live entertainment and carnival games, along with military vehicles for fans to pose for photos with.

Rutgers moved to mobile-only tickets, which can be added to an Apple Wallet or Google Pay app. Digital tickets provide for contactless entry, limiting person-to-person interactions, while speeding up entry time into the venue and also offers a secure means to transfer and exchange tickets. Representatives from the Rutgers ticket staff will be on hand to help assist customers with any digital ticket-related matters or by phone on game day by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Fans will also receive mobile parking passes that they can manage like their digital tickets. Fans are encouraged to download mobile tickets and parking passes to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps prior to arriving at the stadium.

Fans who park in the Jersey Mike's Arena lots can take the free campus buses over to SHI Stadium (MAP). The new drop-off area will be at Lot 53A, allowing fans to walk through The Rutgers Boardwalk on the way to the stadium. The ADA buses will continue to deliver to and from the stadium as in the past. In addition, the Knightingale courtesy shuttle remains in operation, while buses from College Ave will continue running to Johnson Park. All buses run three hours prior to kickoff and return up to one hour following the conclusion of the game.

In addition, guests are advised to review SHI Stadium Fan Guide before arriving, including the bag policy.

TV: Big Ten Network (FOX Sports app)
Play-By-Play: Brandon Gaudin
Analyst: Jake Butt
Reporter: Rick Pizzo

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 135 or 195, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Mike Teel
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Julian Pinnix-Odrick

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Dylan Allen & Dylan McCoy


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers has played the most games in college football history (1,391), while Michigan ranks third (1,372).
• Rutgers is top-25 nationally in punt return defense (second, -2.67), net punting (fourth, 43.61), total defense (13th, 295.2), rushing defense (19th, 108.1), passing defense (21st, 187.1) and interceptions (22nd, nine).
• Rutgers leads the Big Ten and is fourth in the country with four blocked kicks, having blocked 66 under head coach Greg Schiano.
• Rutgers is 9-0 record since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has had 12 different players score a touchdown this season.
 

LAST TIME OUT

• Minnesota held the ball for 41:02 to beat Rutgers, 31-0, at Huntington Bank Stadium.
• DB Desmond Igbinosun (14), LB Deion Jennings (13) and DB Avery Young (13) posted career highs in tackles, with DL Aaron Lewis (10) also reaching double digits.
• P Adam Korsak netted 51.2 yards on five attempts, including a stadium-record 77-yard punt and another downed at the 1-yard line.
 

OFFENSE

• Nunzio Campanile was named interim offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Oct. 9. Serving as tight ends coach since 2020, the Fair Lawn, New Jersey, native worked as the interim head coach and offensive coordinator for the final eight games of the 2019 season.
• The unit has had 15 different players carry the ball, 14 catch a pass, five throw a pass and 10 score a touchdown through eight games.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt earned his first Big Ten start at Minnesota and set a career high with 17 passing attempts. QB Noah Vedral ranks tied for seventh in program history with 337 completions and seventh with 3,876 yards of total offense.
• WR Aron Cruickshank paces the team with 27 receptions, while WR Sean Ryan is first with 269 receiving yards.
 

DEFENSE

• Joe Harasymiak is in his first season as defensive coordinator. A native of Waldwick, New Jersey, Harasymiak spent the last two seasons as co-defensive coordinator at Minnesota and was previously head coach at Maine. In 2021, Minnesota ranked third in the nation in total defense (278.8), fourth in first downs defense (202), sixth in scoring defense (17.3), eighth in rushing defense (97.5) and ninth in passing yards allowed (181.2).
• Rutgers has shown defensive statistical improvement compared to last season. The Scarlet Knights have allowed 101.2 less yards of total offense per game, 53.4 less rushing yards and 47.8 less passing yards.
• LB Deion Jennings ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 8.6 tackles per game.
• DB Christian Braswell leads the unit with three interceptions and five pass breakups.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Rutgers set the NCAA record for net punt average (45.25) in 2021, topping the previous mark of 45.04 held by BYU (1983). In 2022, Rutgers ranks fourth at 43.61. The unit has held opponents to -8 punt return yards on 41 attempts, first in the Big Ten and second nationally.
• Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 61 kicks (field goals, extra points & punts) on special teams. Breaking down the blocked kicks since 2009, Rutgers has swatted 28 punts, 24 field goals and nine extra points. RU has blocked 66 kicks under Schiano. That includes 12 games with multiple blocks.
• Korsak leads the roster with 54 games of experience, downing 133 career attempts (42.2 percent) inside the 20-yard line. That includes a season-long 77-yarder versus Minnesota (tied for third-longest punt in program history) that settled at the 14.
• PK Jude McAtamney has made a field goal in seven games, making two attempts of 49 yards.


 

VERSUS MICHIGAN

• Rutgers will play Michigan for the ninth time since joining the Big Ten in 2014. The programs did not previously meet.
• Down 20-3 at halftime, Rutgers rallied in the second half to make it a one-score game, but came up short, 20-13, in last season's Big Ten opener at Michigan Stadium. The Scarlet Knights' defense forced four-straight three-and-outs to start the second half, allowing just 42 yards (35 rushing, seven passing) and two first downs after halftime. Overall, Rutgers held the nation's leading rushing team (350.3 yards per game entering) to 112 yards on the ground, including only 48 after the first drive. The unit also stopped the Wolverines on each of the last seven third downs. Vedral connected for a 14-yard touchdown to RB Aaron Young to cap a 91-yard drive, while Valentino Ambrosio connected for two field goals. Isiah Pacheco rushed for a game-high 107 yards.
• In 2020 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 WR Aron 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, 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. Gary Nova led RU with 404 passing yards (third-most in RU history) and three touchdowns, while Kyle Federico kicked two field goals. The game was sealed with 3:01 remaining in the fourth quarter when Kemoko Turay skied above the line to block a potential go-ahead 56-yard field goal. The sellout crowd of 53,327 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:
Rushing Yards: Isiah Pacheco, 142 (2018)
Passing Yards: Gary Nova, 404 (2014)
Receiving Yards: Shameen Jones, 127 (2020)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers heads back on the road Nov. 12 to face Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. The game time and television network will be announced following this weekend's action.


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