RUTGERS 35 (3-0), VIRGINIA TECH 16 (1-2)
SHI STADIUM • PISCATAWAY, N.J.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023 • ATTENDANCE: 52,657
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football (3-0) defeated Virginia Tech (1-2), 35-16, on Saturday afternoon in front of 52,657 fans at SHI Stadium. The win moved the Scarlet Knights to 3-0 for the third consecutive season under head coach
Greg Schiano.
RB
Kyle Monangai led the way with 143 rushing yards and a career-high three touchdowns, including a career-long 55-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter. QB
Gavin Wimsatt tallied his second rushing touchdown of the season, ran for a career-high 87 yards and found WR
Christian Dremel for a touchdown pass.Â
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RU forced two turnovers in the victory, which included a fumble recovery from DLÂ
Wesley Bailey and an interception by DB
Flip Dixon. DL
Aaron Lewis and DB
Robert Longerbeam both registered sacks, with LB
Tyreem Powell leading the unit with a career-high 11 tackles.
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Rutgers' defense wasted no time registering a takeaway, as Bailey recovered a fumble on the second play of the game to give the Scarlet Knights the ball inside Virginia Tech territory. On the ensuing play, Monangai took a handoff 19 yards for a touchdown, giving RU an early 7-0 lead with 14:17 on the game clock.Â
RU forced the Hokies to punt two more times before the first break, as Rutgers held a 7-0 lead through the first 15 minutes of action.Â
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After Virginia Tech connected on a 30-yard field goal attempt, the Scarlet Knights responded with a five-play scoring drive. Facing third-and-seven in Hokies' territory, Wimsatt tucked behind TE
Johnny Langan and gashed up the middle for a 34-yard touchdown run. Wimsatt's second touchdown carry of the season made it 14-3 RU midway through the second quarter.Â
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RU recorded its second turnover during Virginia Tech's following possession. QB Kyron Drones dropped back to pass and was intercepted by DB
Flip Dixon, who made an acrobatic catch on the sideline to return possession to Rutgers.
Both teams traded punts before the Scarlet Knights ended the half in the end zone. With four seconds left before the break, Wimsatt found Dremel for six, as the Caldwell, New Jersey, native straddled the front pylon to send RU into the locker room with a 21-3 lead.Â
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The Hokies struck first in the second half, as Drones found WR Da'Quan Felton to make it 21-10 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. The score would hold heading into the fourth quarter.Â
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Virginia Tech carried a seven-play scoring run into the fourth, as RB Bhayshul Tuten punched in a one-yard rushing score. DLÂ
Aaron Lewis made a critical stop on the Hokies' two-point attempt, tripping up Drones to keep the Rutgers lead at 21-16 with 14:18 remaining.Â
Monangai helped the Scarlet Knights punch back on their ensuring possession. Facing third-and-one at midfield, Monangai bounded to the outside and galloped 55 yards to the end zone. His career-long rush put RU up 28-16 with 10:41 left in the game. After the RU defense forced a turnover on downs, Monangai rushed for his third score of the day, a 12-yard effort with 3:20 left, icing the victory.
- Rutgers defeated Virginia Tech for the first time since 1992, breaking a 12-game skid in the series.
- Rutgers improved to 3-0 for the third-straight season, a feat last achieved 1959-61.
- Rutgers beat an ACC team for the third-straight season, defeating Syracuse in 2021 and Boston College in 2022.
- Rutgers is now 9-2 in September games since 2021.
- Rutgers has won its last nine non-conference games in the regular season dating back to 2019.
- Rutgers started the season with three consecutive home games for the first time since 2017.
- Rutgers is 10-1 since 2020 when not turning the ball over in a game.
- Rutgers has allowed just three points (no touchdowns) in the first half through three games.
- Rutgers has allowed just 30 points overall through three games, the fewest since permitting 25 to start 2012.
- Rutgers rushed for 256 yards after running for 254 last week versus Temple. It marked the first time since 1993 (Colgate, Duke) the Scarlet Knights topped 250 rushing yards in back-to-back games.
- Rutgers improved to 61-32 under head coach Greg Schiano when scoring first, 75-31 when scoring at least 20 points, 59-6 when allowing 20 or fewer points, 60-20 when winning the turnover battle and 56-22 when scoring at least three offensive touchdowns.
- Rutgers allowed no sacks for the second time in three games, permitting just one so far in 2023.
- Rutgers scored touchdowns on all three of its trips to the red zone and is 9-for-12 on the season.
- RB Kyle Monangai rushed for 143 yards after running for 165 last week. It marked the first time a Scarlet Knight topped 100 rushing yards in consecutive games since Robert Martin in 2016 (New Mexico, Iowa). It was his third career game in triple figures. Monangai ripped off a 55-yard touchdown, his longest career carry and longest by a Scarlet Knight since Isiah Pacheco (66 yards) in 2020 (Ohio State). Monangai finished with three rushing touchdowns, the most in a game for Rutgers since Pacheco had four versus Massachusetts in 2019. Monangai surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards, now up to 1,037 with 357 so far in 2023.
- WR Christian Dremel scored his first career touchdown on a four-yard reception in the second quarter. He finished with a career-high three receptions in the game.
- QB Gavin Wimsatt recorded a career-high 87 rushing yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run.
- LB Tyreem Powell racked up a career-high 11 tackles, his second game in double figures. DB Robert Longerbeam (9) and DB Flip Dixon (8) also had career highs in tackles.
- DB Flip Dixon notched his first interception as a Scarlet Knight and second career.
- DL Wesley Bailey secured his fourth fumble recovery since last season.
- First career start (1): OL Kamar Missouri
- First Rutgers start (2): TE Shawn Bowman, OL Kamar Missouri
- Consecutive games played: TE Johnny Langan (46), DL Mayan Ahanotu (37)
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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Gallery: (9-16-2023) Football vs. Virginia Tech (9/16/2023)
