RUTGERS (3-1) vs. WAGNER (2-2)
September 30, 2023 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football takes the field at SHI Stadium for the fourth time in five weeks to host Wagner Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Knights have won their past nine non-conference games in the regular season dating back to 2019.

Join the action for $1 Slice Day, presented by Pizza Hut. Slices of pizza will sell for $1 at concession stands inside the stadium from 2:30 p.m. through the end of the first quarter while supplies last. In addition, The Rutgers Boardwalk will join in on the fun with its first-ever PizzaFest and opens at 11 a.m. Look out for pizza rice balls, pizza donuts, pizza ice cream, pizza cheesesteaks, pizza coffee and more pizza. There will be a pizza-making class for fans and a gourmet pizza display. The special-edition "Rutgers Pizza" t-shirt will be thrown out to fans during the game.

The day will feature recognition of the 2023 Rutgers Hall of Fame class, including the 1976 football team, at halftime. In addition, preliminary details on 2024 Rutgers Day will be released and the Scarlet Knights will promote awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy through Coach To Cure MD.



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: Lisa Byington
Analyst: Anthony Herron
Reporter: Meghan McKeown

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 113 or 196, 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
Alec Crouthamel, Joseph Henry & Jack Rabenhorst


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," will play its 1,400th game in program history on record dating back to 1869.
• Rutgers has not permitted a sack in 3-of-4 games with just one allowed overall, leading the nation (0.25/game). The Scarlet Knights also rank ninth nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (1), 14th in fewest penalties per game (4.0), 19th in scoring defense (15.2), 22nd in turnover margin (0.75, +3) and 28th in rushing defense (102.5).
• Rutgers has scored first in all four games this season. That includes touchdowns on the first offensive drive in 3-of-4 games.
• Rutgers is 9-3 in September games since 2021.
 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers scored first for the fourth consecutive game, but No. 2 Michigan answered and took a 31-7 win in the Scarlet Knights' first road game of the season.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt connected with WR Christian Dremel for a 69-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game, both the longest career passing and receiving play for each.
• LB Tyreem Powell and DL Wesley Bailey each collected a sack on defense.
• P Flynn Appleby booted a 75-yard punt, his longest and tied for the fifth longest in program history.


 

OFFENSE

• 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 completed 45 passes to 10 different receivers for 587 yards and has a touchdown pass in each of the four games.
• RB Kyle Monangai is second in the Big Ten with 384 rushing yards on 69 carries with five scores. Wimsatt has added two touchdowns on the ground on 172 yards.
• WR Christian Dremel has a touchdown in each of the last two weeks, leading the team with 10 receptions for 157 yards overall.
 

DEFENSE

• 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.
• Rutgers has had nine players combine for 10 sacks, led by two by LB Tyreem Powell. Powell ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 9.2 tackles per game.
• DB Robert Longerbeam and DB Max Melton both own 19 career pass breakups, while LB Deion Jennings leads the team with four this season.
• Five different players have recorded an interception and DL Wesley Bailey has collected a fumble recovery.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• 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 following the Temple win after going 3-for-3 with a long of 51 yards.
• P Flynn Appleby and the punt unit have netted 41.6 yards with a long of 75 yards.


 

VERSUS WAGNER

• Rutgers and Wagner are set to meet for the second time in as many years.
• Wagner will be the first team to visit Piscataway in back-to-back seasons since Buffalo in 2002 and 2003.
• In 2022, Rutgers scored touchdowns on its first four drives in the first and second halves on the way to beating Wagner, 66-7, in the home opener at SHI Stadium.
• The 66 points scored were the most for the Scarlet Knights in a game under head coach Greg Schiano and the most for the team since posting 68 on Sept. 4, 1993, against Colgate at Giants Stadium. It was the seventh time under Schiano totaling 50 or more points and third time topping 60.
• Rutgers held Wagner to 19 rushing yards, the 12th time under Schiano the Scarlet Knights held an opponent to 30 rushing yards or less, all victories.
• Rutgers had three different players throw a touchdown pass (QB Gavin Wimsatt, QB Evan Simon, TE Johnny Langan) in the same game for the first time since Sept. 20, 1997, versus Boston College (Mike McMahon, Brendan Edmonds, Bill Powell).
• Rutgers did not punt in a game for the first time since Aug. 30, 2007, against Buffalo.
• Rutgers picked up 33 first downs, the most in a game under Schiano.
• Eight different players combined to score nine touchdowns. WR Chris Long (receiving), RB Samuel Brown V (two rushing) and WR Rashad Rochelle (rushing) all scored their first career touchdowns. Aron Cruickshank (receiving), RB Kyle Monangai (rushing) and RB Al-Shadee Salaam (rushing) also scored. TE Johnny Langan picked up his first career receiving score and threw a touchdown.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt and QB Evan Simon both threw their first career touchdown passes.
• DB Robert Longerbeam and DB Max Melton both recorded interceptions.
• PK Jude McAtamney recorded a touchback on 10-of-11 kickoffs. It was the most touchbacks for the team in a game this century.
• Eighty-four Scarlet Knights appeared in the game.
• Rutgers has 12 New Yorkers on the roster: DB Kessawn Abraham (Brooklyn), WR Dylan Braithwaite (Valley Stream), OL Ireland Brown (Jamaica), WR Deondre Johnson (Newburgh), DL Caleb Patterson (Jamesville), WR Ben Rosenblatt (New York), QB Ajani Sheppard (Bronx), WR Jordan Smikle (Farmingdale), WR Ian Strong (Coram), TE Jordan Walker (Rochester), LB Moses Walker (Staten Island) and DB Trevor Yeboah-Kodie (Garden City).
• Rutgers game highs versus Wagner:
Rushing Yards: Al-Shadee Salaam, 69 (2022)
Passing Yards: Evan Simon, 151 (2022)
Receiving Yards: Chris Long, 69 (2022)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers returns to Big Ten play Oct. 7 to take on Wisconsin on the road. Kickoff is set for noon ET/11 a.m. local on Peacock.

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