KANSAS STATE 44 (9-4), RUTGERS 41 (7-6)
CHASE FIELD • PHOENIX, ARIZ.
DECEMBER 26, 2024 • ATTENDANCE: 21,659

PHOENIX – Rutgers football (7-6) lost to Kansas State (9-4), 44-41, on Thursday in the 2024 Rate Bowl.

RB Antwan Raymond finished with 113 rushing yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns, while RB Ja'shon Benjamin added a rushing and receiving score. QB Athan Kaliakmanis completed 14 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. WR Ian Strong finished with a game-high 105 receiving yards on five receptions.

On defense, DB Robert Longerbeam recorded his fifth career interception with seven tackles. LB Tyreem Powell posted a game-high eight stops, while DB Shaquan Loyal contributed seven tackles and a sack.

PK Jai Patel finished 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, converting 48 and 31-yard attempts to end the season with 13 consecutive makes. 
 

FIRST QUARTER

Kansas State put a field goal on the board before Rutgers responded with its first scoring drive of the game. Raymond capped a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run, giving the Scarlet Knights a 7-3 lead with 4:15 left in the opening quarter. RU picked up five first downs on the drive, with Kaliakmanis accounting for 37 passing yards and 26 rushing yards during the drive.
 

SECOND QUARTER

The Wildcats finished their first touchdown drive at the 14:56 mark in the second quarter, as quarterback Avery Johnson took a two-yard keeper into the end zone to give KSU a 10-7 lead.

Three plays later, Kaliakmanis found Strong for a 60-yard pass to set up a 31-yard field goal from Patel. Patel's conversion tied the score at 10 with 12:55 left before halftime.

Kansas State responded with another field goal to tie before RU added its second touchdown of the day. Raymond gutted the Wildcats defense with a 65-yard rush, followed by a three-yard touchdown run from Benjamin. His first score of the season gave the lead back to Rutgers with 9:31 on the game clock.

The back-and-forth second quarter continued after KSU countered with a touchdown on its next drive. Rutgers followed with yet another scoring drive, as Raymond added his second rushing touchdown – this one from 24 yards out – to regain the lead for the Scarlet Knights at 24-17 with 4:45 left before the midpoint.

RU recorded its first takeaway of the day two minutes later thanks to Longerbeam, who intercepted Johnson in Rutgers territory to keep the Wildcats out of the end zone. The turnover set up the Scarlet Knights' final score before halftime, with Patel drilling a 48-yard attempt to give Rutgers a 27-17 lead heading into the locker room.

Rutgers finished the first half with 319 of total offense, which included 104 yards on the ground from Raymond.
 

• Rutgers scored 40 points in consecutive games against FBS opponents for the first time since the last two games of the 2005 season.
• Rutgers posted at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the first time since a streak of five in a row in 2008.
• Rutgers scored 27 points in the first half, its most in the opening half this season.
• Rutgers averaged 28.9 points per game for the season, the best mark since posting 29.0 in 2008.
• Rutgers finishes with a 2,000-yard passer (QB Athan Kaliakmanis), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Kyle Monangai) and two 600-yard receivers (WR Dymere Miller and WR Ian Strong) for the first time since 2007.
• Kaliakmanis recorded his 18^th touchdown pass of the season to tie Gary Nova (2013), Ryan Hart (2005) & Mike McMahon (2000) for fifth-most in a season in program history.
• Kaliakmanis threw for 237 yards to end with 2,696 passing yards for the season, passing Gary Nova (2012) for sixth-most in a season in program history.
• RB Antwan Raymond recorded a career-high 113 rushing yards, his first game in triple figures. That included a 65-yard carry, the longest rush by a Scarlet Knight this season.
• Raymond had his second consecutive game with multiple rushing touchdowns, posting a career-high three scores. The three touchdowns on the ground are second-most in a bowl game in program history. He finishes with eight rushing touchdowns on the season, the most for a Rutgers true freshman in program history.
• RB Ja'shon Benjamin had his first career multiple-touchdown game, scoring one rushing and one receiving touchdown.
• WR Ian Strong recorded 105 receiving yards, his second game of the season in triple figures.
• WR Christian Dremel registered a career-long 67-yard punt return, the longest for Rutgers since Janarion Grant had a 69-yard punt return in 2016 versus New Mexico.
• WR Dymere Miller picked up two receptions to total 59 for the season and pass Marco Battaglia (1994) for ninth-most in a season in program history.
• LB Tyreem Powell posted eight tackles to reach 201 for his career.
• DB Robert Longerbeam recorded his fifth career interception. He finishes his career with 42 passes defended.
• PK Jai Patel made two field goals for his eighth career game with multiple makes and fourth of the season. He ends the season having made 13 consecutive field goals and is up to 30 career makes to pass Carmen Sclafani (1987-88) for seventh-most in program history.
• Dremel played in his 58th career game to tie the program record for most games played, joining Deion Jennings (2019-23), Isaiah Washington (2019-23), Adam Korsak (2018-22), Billy Taylor (2017-21) and Julius Turner (2017-21).
• DB Joe Lusardi appeared in his 50th career game to make it 47 players in program history to reach the mark. Dremel (58), LB Jamier Wright-Collins (55), Longerbeam (53), RB Kyle Monangai (52), OL Hollin Pierce (52) and DL Kyonte Hamilton (51) previously hit the mark this season.
• Consecutive games played: Hamilton (51), Pierce (51), DL Malcolm Ray (47), Dremel (42)
• Collegiate debut (1): DB Noah Shaw

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