RUTGERS (6-5, 3-5) vs. MARYLAND (6-5, 3-5)
November 25, 2023 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football is back at SHI Stadium for the final time in 2023 to host Maryland on Saturday in a game presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Knights enter 5-1 at home this season.

Senior Day/Thank You Fans gives fans one final chance to celebrate graduating seniors. A pregame ceremony will be held in recognition. In celebration of Thank You Fans, giveaways on game day include "Beat Maryland" buttons, "I Chopped 2023" buttons, shakers, a free car wash courtesy of Team Car Wash and a free lottery ticket for fans 18 years and older courtesy of Jackpocket. There will also be door prizes, televisions, t-shirts and gift cards given out throughout the game inside the stadium.

The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, opens at 11 a.m. and is the place to stop by for top food trucks in New Jersey, free rides, games, interactive experiences, prizes and live entertainment. The Miller Lite Beer Garden in Athlete's Glen will also open at 11 a.m. for food, drinks and a great view of the Scarlet Knights' team arrival to SHI Stadium. The pregame parade and pep rally takes place at 1 p.m. and leads to the Scarlet Walk.

The next wave of Scarlet Knights are invited to come experience football game day early. All prospective incoming freshmen will be contacted to take advantage of "Student for a Day," and join the Rutgers students in the student fans section. Student season ticket holders will be served free food pregame inside the stadium.

Fresh off a national performance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the 300-member Marching Scarlet Knights will honor the graduating class with a "Senior Choice Show" at halftime. Rutgers Cheer and Dance teams will also honor their seniors at the game.

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 Wallet 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. 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 Wallet 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 drop-off area will be at Lot 53A, allowing fans to walk through The Rutgers Boardwalk on the way to the stadium. Buses from College Ave will run to Johnson Park. All buses run three hours prior to kickoff and return up to one hour following the conclusion of the game. The ADA shuttles will continue to deliver to and from the stadium with locations at the Blue Lot, Silver Lot and Jersey Mike's Arena, in service until 2.5 hours after the game.

Guests are advised to review Football Game Day Central before arriving, including the bag policy.

The Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible for the seventh time under head coach Greg Schiano and are poised to earn the 12th bowl invitation in program history. For fans interested in receiving bowl ticket information, please submit the 2023 Rutgers Bowl Interest Form. Details will be sent out as they become available in the coming weeks.

Saturday's game will broadcast on Big Ten Network. Viewers can find the channel through btn.com/gamefinder and through the New Jersey listing. The FOX Sports app will also stream the game.

Big Ten Network (FOX Sports app)
Play-By-Play: Connor Onion
Analyst: Matt Millen
Reporter: Elise Menaker

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 160 or 201, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Analyst: Mike Teel
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Julian Pinnix-Odrick

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Alex Carmenaty & Ellis Gordon


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 6-5, the most wins in a season since going 8-5 in 2014.
• Rutgers owns three Big Ten wins, matching the program high previously set in 2014, 2017 and 2020.
• Rutgers is 12-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers leads the nation in kickoff returns (34.8), ranks fifth in passing defense (159.1), ninth in red zone defense (0.730), 11th in total defense (297.0), 11th in fewest sacks allowed (1.09), 11th in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (3.91), 20th in scoring defense (19.1), 21st in fewest penalties (4.73), 22nd in fumbles recovered (8) and 33rd in time of possession (31:19).
 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers put together a 14-play drive over 9:01, longest by time this season, that resulted in a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, but No. 12 Penn State responded with a touchdown and took a 27-6 win at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions marked the third-straight opponent for the Scarlet Knights ranked by the College Football Playoff.
• WR Isaiah Washington set a career high with five catches, good for 55 yards on the day.
• DB Desmond Igbinosun paced the defense with 10 tackles, while DB Eric Rogers broke up two passes. DB Shaquan Loyal forced a fumble recovered by DL Mayan Ahanotu.
• PK Jai Patel went 2-for-2 on field goals, his fourth game of the season with multiple makes.


 

OFFENSE

• Rutgers ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest sacks (1.09), third in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (3.91), fourth in time of possession (31:19), fifth in rushing offense (163.2) and seventh in scoring offense (22.5).
• Rutgers has four games with over 250 rushing yards this season (11 games), matching the number of such games the previous six seasons combined (70 games).
• Ten of the 28 offensive touchdown drives have been 10 plays or more and nine have taken at least five minutes.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt leads Big Ten quarterbacks with seven rushing touchdowns and is second with 440 rushing yards. The rushing total of 440 yards is the most by a quarterback in a season in Rutgers history.
• RB Kyle Monangai leads the Big Ten with 981 rushing yards, the most by a Scarlet Knight in a season in the Big Ten era and most overall since Jawan Jamison (1,075) in 2012.
• WR Christian Dremel, who has at least one catch in all 11 games, paces the team with three receiving touchdowns, 32 receptions and 415 yards.
 

DEFENSE

• Rutgers is holding Big Ten opponents to an average of 23.0 points and 318.0 yards per game, the best marks in conference play in a season since joining the league.
• Rutgers has held eight opponents under 200 passing yards and five under 150.
• Rutgers has had 10 stops in the red zone and 12 stops on fourth down.
• Twelve different players have combined for 18 sacks, led by three apiece by DL Wesley Bailey and DL Aaron Lewis. LB Mohamed Toure leads the team with six tackles-for-loss.
• DB Robert Longerbeam ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 0.91 passes defended per game (nine breakups, one interception), while DB Max Melton has a team-high two interceptions.
• LB Deion Jennings ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 7.6 tackles per game with at least six stops in nine games.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• RU has blocked 68 kicks under head coach Greg Schiano (13 times scoring off a blocked punt), including five in 2022. DB Shaquan Loyal picked up the first block of the season at Indiana, deflecting a punt recovered by DB Eric Rogers for a 17-yard touchdown.
• PK Jai Patel was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following the Temple win after going 3-for-3 with a long of 51 yards. He is 13-for-15 on the season with four games with multiple makes. The 86.7 conversion percentage is on pace for the best mark in a season in program history.
• P Flynn Appleby and the punt unit have allowed just four returns for 25 yards and forced 28 fair catches.


 

VERSUS MARYLAND

• Rutgers and Maryland will meet for the 10th time in a Big Ten game, 10th time in New Jersey and 19th time overall.
• Rutgers last won in the series in 2020. The Scarlet Knights rallied from a 24-21 deficit with 2:56 remaining with an 11-play drive over 61 yards that ended with Valentino Ambrosio hitting a 39-yard field goal to force overtime. The game featured seven lead changes. After Ambrosio connected from 42 yards, the defense held Maryland without a first down on its series, with Mike Tverdov recording a sack on third down to force a 50-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide left and set a 27-24 final score. Rutgers notched season highs with 13 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks, which set a team Big Ten record. Tverdov became the fourth player in program history to record at least three sacks in a game.
• Also under the direction of head coach Greg Schiano, RU earned a 34-13 road victory over the Terrapins in 2009. The Scarlet Knights forced five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles) and allowed just 28 rushing yards and 12 first downs. Both Antonio Lowery (interception return) and George Johnson (fumble recovery in end zone) scored on defense as one of seven RU games under Schiano posting multiple scores on defense/special teams. Offensively, Joe Martinek posted 147 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns, while San San Te converted two goals. Teddy Dellaganna was named Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 40.6 yards on five attempts, with a long of 51, to pin Maryland to an average starting field position of its own 12.
• In the first Big Ten matchup in College Park in 2014, Rutgers rallied from a 35-10 deficit to win 41-38. The 25-point comeback is tied for the school record, also done in 2015 at Indiana. Gary Nova threw for 347 yards, as Leonte Carroo, Janarion Grant and Andre Patton all topped 100 yards receiving. Defensively, RU allowed just three points in the second half, using a short-yardage stop on a late fourth down to seal the win.
• Rutgers has four players on its roster from the state of Maryland: DB Trent Brown (Crownsville), DL Kyonte Hamilton (District Heights), OL Kamar Missouri (Baltimore) and OL Reggie Sutton (Baltimore).
• Rutgers game highs versus Maryland:
Rushing Yards: Joe Martinek, 147 (2009)
Passing Yards: Gary Nova, 347 (2014)
Receiving Yards: Leonte Carroo, 183 (2015)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers will play in the 12th bowl game in program history. Bowl selections will be announced Dec. 3.

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