RUTGERS (3-0) vs. IOWA (2-1)
September 24, 2022 • 7 p.m. ET • FS1
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Opening Big Ten play at home under the lights, Rutgers football hosts Iowa Saturday at SHI Stadium, presented by PNC. The Scarlet Knights are 16-7 in home night games with fans under head coach Greg Schiano (excludes 2020).

The game is sold out. Limited student tickets are still available. Students can claim their seats up until kickoff while supplies last by clicking here. Tickets for the public are still available on StubHub, the official fan-to-fan ticket marketing place of the Scarlet Knights, click here to view availability.

As part of the "R Community Game," the Scarlet Knights look forward to welcoming and honoring representatives from youth band, youth cheer/spirit, R Heroes, Special Olympics, Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM) and several other community groups. Giveaways include "Beat Iowa" buttons, shakers, trading cards of popular Rutgers characters and posters at the pregame pep rally. The parade prior to team arrival will feature Special Olympics athletes and youth members as part of Band and Cheer Day.

In an effort to encourage a safe environment for fans as well as improve the ease of entry into the stadium, Rutgers has 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 beginning at 3 p.m. 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.

The Rutgers Boardwalk opens at 3 p.m. along Scarlet Knight Way and features New Jersey's best food trucks, rides, live entertainment and carnival games. In addition, fans can visit a fire truck, police car, ambulance and more in recognition of "R Community." The Rutgers men's basketball team and national champion Rutgers Spirit Squad will also participate in a pregame autograph session.

This week, the Rutgers football coaching staff will be wearing special arm patches in honor of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach to Cure MD program. 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. CTCMD has raised over $2.1 million dollars over the past decade. Help #TackleDuchenne by texting CURE to 501501 to donate $25 or visit CoachToCureMD.org to make a donation.

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.

TV: FS1 (FOX Sports app)
Play-By-Play: Noah Eagle
Analyst: Mark Helfrich

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 196, 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 & Eddie Kalegi


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers seeks to start 4-0 for the first time since 2012. The feat has been achieved 12 times previously in program history.
• Rutgers has scored in each of the last 11 quarters.
• Rutgers holds a +12 turnover margin since 2020 (42 forced). That includes one turnover or less against in 18-of-25 games and an 8-0 record when not committing a turnover in a game.
• The Scarlet Knights will wear a patch with the initials REM on their uniforms this season 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.
 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers picked up a second comeback road win of the season in defeating Temple, 16-14. It was the Scarlet Knights' sixth-straight win over the Owls.
• Temple scored first with a touchdown drive, but Rutgers responded with a 45-yard field goal by PK Jude McAtamney and a 43-yard pick-six by DB Shaquan Loyal, his first career interception and the 57th non-offensive touchdown under Schiano. McAtamney added two field goals in the second half and the defense made a late fourth-down stop to hold the lead. TE Johnny Langan rushed for 38 yards to help burn the final 2:25 of clock and seal the victory. DL Aaron Lewis recorded a career-high 11 tackles with two for loss and a forced fumble.
• Rutgers completed its non-conference schedule undefeated for the second-straight season is now 46-20 in non-conference games overall under Schiano.
• Rutgers improved to 8-4 in road games since 2020, the best 12-game road stretch since also winning 8-of-12 between 2005 and 2007.
• Rutgers won a game without scoring an offensive touchdown for the first time since defeating Michigan State, 19-14, on Sept. 4, 2004.
 

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.
• RB Al-Shadee Salaam leads the team with 137 rushing yards on 21 yards, joining RB Kyle Monangai and RB Samuel Brown V with two touchdowns apiece on the ground.
• WR Aron Cruickshank paces the unit with 101 receiving yards on 11 receptions.
• QB Evan Simon has thrown for 266 passing yards completing 67.5 percent of pass attempts. QB Gavin Wimsatt owns 117 passing yards and 106 rushing 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 allowed only 97 rushing yards through three weeks. The last time the Scarlet Knights held three consecutive opponents under 50 rushing yards was in 2009 (FIU, Maryland, Texas Southern). The 97 rushing yards are the least permitted through the first three games of a season since allowing 73 to start 1940 (Springfield, Lehigh, Marietta).
• Rutgers secured six takeaways through the first three weeks, including a pair of interceptions by DB Robert Longerbeam.
• LB Deion Jennings leads the team with 19 stops, while DL Aaron Lewis is coming off a career-high 11 tackles in the win at Temple.
 

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).
• PK Jude McAtamney hit a season-high three field goals at Temple and has scored 26 points on the season.
• P Adam Korsak has not had a return yard against in 12 attempts and has not recorded a touchback in 136 punts dating back to 2019.
• Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 59 kicks (field goals, extra points & punts) on special teams. Breaking down the blocked kicks since 2009, Rutgers has swatted 26 punts, 24 field goals and nine extra points. RU has blocked 64 kicks under head coach Greg Schiano, including punts deflected by DB Christian Braswell and DB Christian Izien versus Wagner. It was the 12th game under Schiano with multiple blocked kicks.


 

VERSUS IOWA

• Saturday will mark the third all-time game on the gridiron between Rutgers and Iowa. This will be the third time in as many meetings to serve as the Big Ten opener for both sides (2016, 2019, 2022).
• In 2019, Rutgers fell to then-No. 20 Iowa, 30-0, P Adam Korsak was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week after averaging 47.6 yards on 10 attempts, finishing with a net of 46.5. The Aussie had seven punts downed inside the 20, five inside the 10 and four inside the 5. That included a 69-yarder that settled at the 1.
• Iowa won the first meeting in the Big Ten opener for both teams in 2016 in Piscataway. Rutgers had more total offense, 383-355, but the Hawkeyes posted a go-ahead touchdown with 8:35 left in the game to win, 14-7. RU scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from QB Chris Laviano to WR Andre Patton to cap a 13-play drive. RB Robert Martin contributed 106 rushing yards on the day.
• Rutgers' one win against Kirk Ferentz was a 40-17 victory over his Maine Black Bears at Rutgers Stadium on Oct. 12, 1991.
• Rutgers game highs versus Iowa:
Rushing Yards: Robert Martin, 106 (2016)
Passing Yards: Chris Laviano, 190 (2016)
Receiving Yards: Janarion Grant, 98 (2016)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers returns to the road for the third time in five games with a trip to No. 3 Ohio State on Oct. 1. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.



Follow Rutgers football on Twitter (@RFootball & @RutgersFBfans), Facebook (/RFootballShow) and Instagram (@rfootball) for the latest news and updates. Also subscribe to the YouTube channel.