RUTGERS (2-0) vs. VIRGINIA TECH (1-1)
September 16, 2023 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football wraps up its three-game homestand welcoming Virginia Tech to SHI Stadium Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Out/R Community Game is presented by PNC.
The Scarlet Knights have won their past eight non-conference games in the regular season and seek to start 3-0 for the third-straight season, a feat last achieved 1959-61. RU has yet to surrender a point in the first half in allowing just 14 points overall so far.
Fans are encouraged to wear red and arrive early to experience the sights and sounds of Rutgers game day, which includes a pregame flyover by the New Jersey State Police, the national anthem performed by a member of Special Olympics New Jersey, celebrity guests and an inspiring halftime show featuring groups from throughout the Rutgers community. Stay tuned for the light show as darkness falls in the second half of the game.
The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, opens at 11 a.m. and will host its first-ever "Food Truck Festival," featuring more than 40 of New Jersey's best food trucks. Stroll down The Rutgers Boardwalk and sample the tastes of New Jersey. Also experience free rides, games, interactive experiences, prizes and live entertainment, while also visiting with community groups. Local police and fire departments will station their vehicles for fans of all ages to check out and take photos.
Starting at noon, the Rutgers men's basketball team will sign autographs, presented by Knights of the Raritan. Get to The Rutgers Boardwalk for the pregame parade, presented by Horizon, and pep rally (1 p.m.) featuring the Marching Scarlet Knights, Spirit Team, Sir Henry, the Scarlet Knight horse "Excalibur" with the Knight and the football team arrival.
Giveaways for the day include "Beat Virginia Tech" buttons, posters, shakers, Block R t-shirts and the third edition of the comic series, all which can be picked up at the pregame pep rally at The Rutgers Boardwalk. Also, multiple televisions will be given away in the stadium throughout 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 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: Joe Beninati
Analyst: Adam Breneman
Reporter: Taryn Hatcher
Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 108 or 202, 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
Ellis Gordon, Alec Crouthamel, Alex Carmenaty
• Rutgers is 8-2 in September games since 2021.
• Rutgers is 9-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has yet to allow a point in the first half. The Scarlet Knights last had consecutive games without conceding a first-half point in 2006 when achieving the feat in three-straight games (Navy, Pittsburgh, Connecticut). The 14 points permitted overall so far mark the fewest in the first two games of a season since 2012 (12).
• Rutgers last started a season with three-straight home games in 2017.
• Rutgers defeated Temple, 36-7, with 23 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-0. The Scarlet Knights beat the Owls for the seventh-straight time.
• Rutgers jumped out to a 13-0 lead at halftime before Temple scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Scarlet Knights responded with 23 points, the most in a quarter against an FBS opponent since posting 24 in the second quarter versus Maryland in 2015. The 23 points also marked the most for the Scarlet Knights in a fourth quarter against any opponent since at least 1979.
• RB
Kyle Monangai posted career highs with 28 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown. RB
Ja'shon Benjamin (receiving), RB
Samuel Brown V (rushing) and RB
Al-Shadee Salaam (rushing) all added touchdowns. QB
Gavin Wimsatt completed 10 passes for 198 yards, with WR
JaQuae Jackson posting 95 receiving yards.
• PK
Jai Patel converted all three attempts with a long of 51 yards, tied for the seventh-longest in program history. The performance earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Defensively, Rutgers recorded 13 pass breakups, the most for the team this century. LB
Deion Jennings had three, with DL
Wesley Bailey and DB
Flip Dixon both adding a pair. DB
Shaquan Loyal and DL
Jordan Thompson each hauled in an interception. LB
Tyreem Powell collected a career-high 10 tackles with a forced fumble.
•
Kirk Ciarrocca is in his first season back as Rutgers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Ciarrocca, who has over 30 years of coaching experience (19 as an offensive coordinator), returns to Piscataway after serving on Schiano's staff for three seasons and winning two bowl games from 2008-10. He has previously been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 26 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round).
• QB
Gavin Wimsatt has started the season with 27 completions for 361 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has completed passes to 10 different teammates and has been sacked just one time through two games.
• RB
Kyle Monangai is coming off a career-high 165 rushing yards and is up to 894 career yards on the ground. WR
JaQuae Jackson leads the team with 99 receiving yards.
•
Joe Harasymiak is in his second season as defensive coordinator and was named a nominee for the 2022 Broyles Award. Statistically, the unit allowed 46.7 fewer yards per game last season compared to 2021, 28.1 fewer passing yards and 18.6 fewer rushing yards. The Scarlet Knights posted their best mark in total defense (349.8) in 10 years.
• LB
Tyreem Powell posted a career-high 10 tackles versus Temple, while LB
Deion Jennings had three of the team's 13 pass breakups last week.
• Rutgers ranks third nationally in rushing defense (40.0), eighth in scoring defense (7.0) and 20th in total defense (249.5). Six different players have posted a sack and four have hauled in an interception so far.
• RU has blocked 67 kicks under head coach
Greg Schiano (12 times scoring off a blocked punt), including five in 2022. That includes 12 games under Schiano with multiple blocked kicks.
• PK
Jai Patel was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after going 3-for-3 with a long of 51 yards versus Temple.
• P
Flynn Appleby and the punt unit have netted 40.5 yards on eight attempts, allowing no return yards and a long of 55.
• Rutgers will take on Virginia Tech for the 16th time overall and ninth time in New Jersey. The Hokies lead the series, 12-3.
• The programs played each season from 1992-2003 as members of the Big East Conference. The last meeting in New Jersey was in 2003.
• RU and VT last met on the gridiron in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando. Khaseem Greene scored the opening touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone and Nick Borgese kicked a field goal to make it 10-0 at halftime. However, the Hokies answered to tie the game and send it to overtime, winning on a field goal, 13-10. Defensively, Rutgers totaled three turnovers, four sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss, holding Virginia Tech to just 196 total yards and three rushing yards, both RU bowl records.
• One of the most memorable games in Rutgers history was the 1992 Halloween victory over Virginia Tech in Piscataway. RU fell behind 42-23 in the third quarter before outscoring the Hokies 27-7 from there to complete the comeback. Down 49-44 with 1:32 remaining, Bryan Fortay engineered a 78-yard game-winning drive that included a gain of 46 on a Hail Mary pass to Mario Henry with seven seconds left. Chris Brantley then broke free in the back right corner of the end zone to secure the go-ahead score with zeros on the clock. It was the fourth receiving touchdown of the game for Brantley, a program record. Malik Jackson contributed three interceptions on defense, tying the school record. The shootout featured a combined 1,164 yards of total offense on 167 plays with 54 first downs, 10 interceptions and 14 touchdowns.
• The series started with a home victory for RU in 1920, 19-6. The next meeting in 1953 was also a Rutgers home win, 20-13.
• Rutgers has two players on the roster from Virginia: DB
Robert Longerbeam (Alexandria) and WR
Max Patterson (Arlington).
• Rutgers has had four games with a player rushing for at least 100 yards versus Virginia Tech, two times throwing for at least 300 yards and five times having a player notch 100 or more receiving yards.
• Rutgers game highs versus Virginia Tech:
Rushing Yards: Terrell Willis, 155 (1993)
Passing Yards: Ray Lucas, 374 (1994)
Receiving Yards: Reggie Funderburk, 172 (1994)
Rutgers heads on the road for the first time for a Sept. 23 matchup at No. 2 Michigan. Kickoff is set for noon on Big Ten Network.
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