RUTGERS (0-0) at BOSTON COLLEGE (0-0)
September 3, 2022 • 12:03 p.m. ET • ACC Network
Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, Mass.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football opens its 2022 season with a trip to face former Big East foe Boston College Saturday at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon. The Scarlet Knights are 9-4 in season openers under head coach Greg Schiano, including victories the past two years over Michigan State and Temple. The team is 79-64-9 all-time in openers.

TV: ACC Network (ESPN app)
Play-By-Play: Chris Cotter
Analyst: Mark Herzlich
Reporter: Lericia Harris

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 203, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Julian Pinnix-Odrick
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Eric LeGrand

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Dylan McCoy & Dennis Geissler


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• The Scarlet Knights continued to make progress in 2021 with the team's first 3-0 start since 2012, improving to 43-20 in non-conference games overall under Schiano. In Big Ten action, RU won two road games, a come-from-behind victory at Illinois that saw a late fourth-down stop and a five-touchdown triumph over Indiana, the program's largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game.
• With just nine days' notice, Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on New Year's Eve, battling top-20 Wake Forest in front of a national television audience of over three million on ESPN. TE Johnny Langan garnered Rutgers' MVP for the game after contributing in numerous ways, as the Scarlet Knights gained valuable experience and exposure participating in the nation's sixth-oldest bowl game. The 2022 roster includes 41 players who saw action in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, including eight starters on both offense and defense. Overall, the roster has 78 returners and 52 newcomers, with 91 players entering the season with at least three seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining.
• Schiano is in his third season back and 14th overall leading the Scarlet Knights. He owns 76 victories, two shy of matching Frank Burns (78) for the most wins in program history.
• The Scarlet Knights will wear a patch with the initials REM on their uniforms in remembrance of former Rutgers Athletic Director Robert "Bob" Mulcahy, who passed away in February. Mulcahy, who served as Director of Athletics from 1998 to 2009, was a visionary in New Jersey athletics and was instrumental in building Rutgers University football toward national prominence.
• The emphasis on academics continued with a program-record 57 named to the Academic All-Big Ten list in 2021 after 46 honorees in 2020, including 19 earning distinguished status over the last two years (3.7 GPA or better). The program had its highest-recorded GPA in team history during the spring 2020 semester.
 

OFFENSE

• A native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Sean Gleeson is in his third season as offensive coordinator at Rutgers. He was named a candidate for the 2020 Broyles Award, which annually honors the top assistant coach in college football.
• The Scarlet Knights went 5-0 in 2021 when not committing a turnover. That included scoring 61 points in the season opener versus Temple, the most by the team against an FBS opponent since 2008.
• Two from the offense were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft: WR Bo Melton (Seahawks) and RB Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs). Melton climbed to sixth in the school record books with 164 receptions and 10th with 2,011 receiving yards. Pacheco earned honorable mention All-Big Ten and left seventh in program history with 2,442 career rushing yards and 11th with 3,039 all-purpose 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). The Golden Gophers held eight-straight opponents, and 10 of the last 11, below their total offensive average entering the game.
• Rutgers ranked 19th nationally and second in the Big Ten holding opponents to 33.9 percent on third down in 2021. That includes nine games allowing five or less conversions with a season-best 1-for-14 at Indiana.
• Rutgers recorded four fumble recoveries and  two interceptions at Indiana. It was the 10th time under Schiano with at least five turnovers gained and third time with at least six takeaways.
 

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). P Adam Korsak has 124 consecutive attempts without a touchback dating back to 2019 (22 games), with only five career touchbacks (1.8 percent of attempts) and 113 downed inside the 20 (41.2 percent).
• Rutgers has the national leaders in kickoff return touchdowns from 2020 (WR Aron Cruickshank) and 2019 (WR Joshua Youngblood) on the roster.
• Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 57 kicks (field goals, extra points & punts) on special teams. Breaking down the blocked kicks since 2009, Rutgers has swatted 24 punts, 24 field goals and nine extra points. The Scarlet Knights have scored directly 10 times after a block, picking up eight touchdowns, one safety and a defensive two-point conversion. The Scarlet Knights have 92 rejections overall since 2002. RU has blocked 62 kicks under Schiano, including last year a punt by DB Max Melton at Syracuse and an extra point by DL Ifeanyi Maijeh that led to DB Kessawn Abraham returning it 85 yards for two points against Maryland.
 

PRESEASON AWARDS & HONORS

Preseason All-America
• P Adam Korsak (Associated Press, 247Sports/CBS Sports, Action Network*, The Athletic, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Phil Steele*, Athlon Sports)
* - also selected Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year

Ray Guy Award Watch List
• P Adam Korsak

Paul Hornung Award Watch List
• WR Aron Cruickshank

Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
• DL Mayan Ahanotu

Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
• WR Aron Cruickshank
• WR Taj Harris
• DB Avery Young

Shrine Bowl 1000
• DB Kessawn Abraham
• DL Mayan Ahanotu
• WR Aron Cruickshank
• WR Taj Harris
• DB Christian Izien
• P Adam Korsak
• DL Ifeanyi Maijeh
• WR Sean Ryan
• DB Avery Young

AFCA Good Works Team
• QB Noah Vedral

247Sports 30Under30
• Damiere Shaw (wide receivers)
• Marquise Watson (defensive line)

Frank R. Burns Award
(named after former Scarlet Knight All-America quarterback Frank Burns and awarded to the player who demonstrates extraordinary mental and physical toughness during the spring)
• TE Matt Alaimo

Mark Mills Second Effort Award
(named in memory of former Scarlet Knight running back Mark Mills and awarded to the offensive player who through determination, dedication and hard work has shown the most improvement during the offseason and spring practices)
• OL Ireland Brown

Douglas A. Smith Award
(named in memory of former Scarlet Knight defensive tackle Doug Smith and awarded to the defensive player who through determination, dedication and hard work has shown the most improvement during the offseason and spring practices)
• LB Deion Jennings


 

VERSUS BOSTON COLLEGE

• Rutgers and Boston College were both original members of the Big East Football Conference and met in the inaugural league game on Aug. 31, 1991, at Rutgers Stadium. The Scarlet Knights won the contest, 20-13.
• The first score in the 1991 meeting came just over a minute in when tailback Bill Bailey, now an academic advisor for Rutgers Athletics, ran into the end zone from a yard out. Tom Tarver was named the first Big East Offensive Player of the Week after completing 21-of-30 passes for 275 yards. He connected with Chris Brantley on a 42-yard scoring pass in the third quarter to help RU pull away.
• The first meeting between the programs was a 13-7 victory for Rutgers at Boston College in 1919. There were 11 other non-conference matchups before 14 Big East games between 1991 and 2004.
• The teams most recently met in 2019 at SHI Stadium. Rutgers took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, but Boston College answered to claim a 30-16 win.
• Rutgers has had four 100-yard rushing performances against Boston College, with Bruce Presley achieving a high of 151 in 1995. There have also been five 100-yard receiving games. Andrew Baker leads the way with 141 yards on 12 receptions, tied for seventh-most in the RU record book, in 1984 against the 11th-ranked Eagles. At quarterback, Ray Lucas' 327 yards on 26-for-44 passing in 1995 is one of three 300-yard games for the team in the series.
• Defensively, Brian Sheridan racked up 26 tackles, second-most in a game in program history, in the 1997 game, while Nate Jones ran back a 70-yard interception return, sixth-longest in team history, in 2001.
• In the team records, Rutgers' 57 passing attempts in 1983 versus Boston College are tied for the most in a single game in school history.
• OL Mike Ciaffoni, OL Ireland Brown and TE Johnny Langan started their careers at Boston College before transferring to Rutgers.
• OL Mike Ciaffoni and OL Nick Ciaffoni are both from Sudbury, Massachusetts, approximately 16 miles from Chestnut Hill. Linebackers coach Corey Hetherman is from Oxford, Massachusetts.
• Offensive line coach Augie Hoffmann was a four-year letterwinner for Boston College and earned First Team All-Big East at guard in 2003.
• Rutgers will face Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley, who previously served as Rutgers defensive backs coach in 2011 and followed Schiano as secondary/safeties coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012-13. The BC staff also includes former Scarlet Knight assistants John McNulty, Tem Lukabu and Steve Shimko, plus letterwinner Savon Huggins.
• Rutgers game highs versus Boston College:
Rushing Yards: Bruce Presley, 151 (1995)
Passing Yards: Ray Lucas, 327 (1995)
Receiving Yards: Andrew Baker, 141 (1984)
 

UP NEXT

The home opener (Back to the Birthplace Game) is set for Saturday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. versus Wagner at SHI Stadium. It will be the first meeting on the gridiron between the Scarlet Knights and Seahawks. Tickets are available at ScarletKnights.com and the game will broadcast on Big Ten Network.



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