RUTGERS (5-5, 2-5) at No. 1 OHIO STATE (10-0, 7-0)
November 22, 2025 • Noon ET • FOX
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football is back on the road to face No. 1 Ohio State on FOX Big Noon Saturday. The Scarlet Knights are coming off an open weekend and a 35-20 victory over Maryland. It will be the fifth away game in the last seven outings, the first such stretch since 2004.

RU ranks fourth nationally with three blocked punts, seventh in fewest penalty yards against per game (31.2), eighth in time of possession (33:03), eighth in fewest fumbles lost (2), 11th in fourth down conversion percentage (70.0), 12th in fewest turnovers lost (9), 16th in first downs gained (240), 17th in yards per completion (13.34) and 21st in passing offense (277.4).

TV: FOX (FOX Sports app)
Play-By-Play: Gus Johnson
Analyst: Joel Klatt
Reporter: Jenny Taft

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 383, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Julian Pinnix-Odrick
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Eric LeGrand

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Nick Hart & Sean Newcomb
 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 13-7 coming off a bye week under head coach Greg Schiano.
• By yards, Rutgers has the second-leading passer (QB Athan Kaliakmanis, 2,705), rusher (RB Antwan Raymond, 1,000) and receiver (WR KJ Duff, 923) in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights previously had a season with a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in 2007.
• Since 2020, RU is 20-3 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has scored 66 non-offensive touchdowns under Schiano, including 15 since 2020 and three so far this season.
• Rutgers has blocked 76 kicks (46 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under Schiano, including three blocked punts so far this season.
• Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," has played 1,432 games in program history on record dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.


 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers defeated Maryland, 35-20, at SHI Stadium to earn its fifth victory of the season. It was the second straight year topping the Terrapins.
• The offense rushed for 256 yards, passed for 229 yards, went 8-for-12 on third down and held the ball for 34:58 (10:55 in fourth quarter).
• RB Antwan Raymond rushed for 240 yards (105 in the fourth quarter) on 41 carries with a late touchdown to extend the lead to two scores. The 240 rushing yards are the most by a Big Ten player in a game in 2025 (by 55 yards) and third most nationally. The mark is the third-highest by a Scarlet Knight in program history, setting the standard for a conference game. It was the 20th 200-yard rushing game in Rutgers history. The 41 carries tied the school record for a game.
• QB Athan Kaliakmanis matched his career high with four touchdown passes, connecting once with WR DT Sheffield and three times with WR Ian Strong.
• The defense limited Maryland to three points, 93 yards and 1-for-6 on third down in the second half.
• DL Eric O'Neill posted a career-high 10 tackles with two for loss, while DB Jett Elad brought in his second interception of the season.
• Rutgers committed no penalties on offense or defense.
 

OFFENSE

• Kirk Ciarrocca is in his third season back as Rutgers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2025. Ciarrocca, who has over 30 years of coaching experience (21 as an offensive coordinator), previously served on head coach Greg Schiano's staff for three seasons, winning two bowl games from 2008-10. He has been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 28 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round). Ciarrocca has coached the Big Ten's leading rusher two of the past three seasons.
• Rutgers is third in the Big Ten in passing offense (277.4) and time of possession (33:03). In conference play, the Scarlet Knights are sixth in the league with 403.1 yards of offense per game, on pace for its best mark since joining the league (351.2 in 2024).
• QB Athan Kaliakmanis ranks seventh in Rutgers history with 5,401 passing yards, 416 completions and 35 touchdown passes. He is 13th nationally with 2,705 passing yards in 2025, recording four games with at least 300 yards.
• RB Antwan Raymond became the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He has scored 12 touchdowns (11 rushing, one receiving) in 2025 and was named Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week after posting 240 rushing yards versus Maryland, third most in a game in program history and fifth most nationally this year.
• WR KJ Duff, who has six receiving touchdowns, is fourth among Power 4 players with 923 receiving yards and second in the Big Ten with 17.4 yards per reception. WR Ian Strong has four games with at least 100 receiving yards this season, ranks third in the conference with six receptions per game and became the seventh player in program history to record three receiving touchdowns in a game most recently.


 

DEFENSE

• Robb Smith is in his seventh season at Rutgers in 2025 and serves as co-defensive coordinator and play caller. A native of Leechburg, Pennsylvania, Smith previously worked on the Scarlet Knights' staff in various roles, including as defensive coordinator, from 2009-12 and from 2020-21. He is joined by co-defensive coordinator Zach Sparber, a native of Norwood, New Jersey, who comes from James Madison and has been to five bowl games.
• Rutgers limited Maryland to three points, 93 yards and 1-for-6 on third down in the second half.
• DL Eric O'Neill, who had a career-high 10 tackles last time out, leads the team with 7.5 tackles-for-loss on the season, joining DL Bradley Weaver with 2.5 sacks.
• LB Dariel Djabome, a Third Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024, owns 176 career tackles and had two forced fumbles at Washington.
• DB Jett Elad leads the team with 62 tackles, adding two interceptions.
• DB Cam Miller leads the team lead with six passes defended (four breakups, one interception).
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Rutgers has blocked 76 kicks (46 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under head coach Greg Schiano. That includes 16 games with multiple blocks, 18 touchdowns off blocks and two resulting in safeties. DB Jett Elad and DB Kaj Sanders each blocked punts versus Norfolk State to make it 13 for the Scarlet Knights since 2022, the most in the nation.
• PK Jai Patel has connected on 42-of-54 career field goals with a long of 51 yards. He has 13 career games with multiple makes, three with at least three makes and a career high of four makes.
• P Jakob Anderson has forced a fair catch on 42-of-76 career attempts with nine punts of at least 50 yards and 22 downed inside the 20.
• PK Jack Scullion has kicked a touchback on 33-of-58 attempts this season.


 

VERSUS OHIO STATE

• Saturday will mark the 11th meeting on the gridiron between Rutgers and Ohio State and sixth in Columbus.
• In the last meeting at SHI Stadium in 2023, Rutgers, coming off a bye week, led 9-7 at halftime and outgained Ohio State overall, 361-328, but the Buckeyes put up four touchdowns in the second half to take a 35-16 win. The Scarlet Knights led in time of possession (35:36-24:24), rushing yards (232-139) and first downs (22-15). Kyle Monangai rushed for 159 yards, the second-best rushing total for a Scarlet Knight against a ranked opponent behind Ray Rice's 181 versus No. 2 USF in 2007. JaQuae Jackson scored a receiving touchdown, Deion Jennings totaled 13 tackles and PK Jai Patel went 3-for-3 on field goals.
• Rutgers' first road game as a member of the Big Ten was at Ohio Stadium in 2014.
• Rutgers has four players from the state of Ohio on the roster: OL Kwabena Asamoah (Pickerington), DL Elijah King (Gahanna), TE Ben Rothhaar (Norwalk) and DL Bradley Weaver (Hilliard). In addition, DB Jett Elad attended high school in Cleveland (Saint Ignatius).
• Head coach Greg Schiano spent three seasons as the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator (2016-18), winning two Big Ten championships, the 2017 Cotton Bowl and 2019 Rose Bowl.
• The next meeting is scheduled for 2027 in Piscataway.
• Rutgers game highs versus Ohio State:
Rushing Yards: Kyle Monangai, 159 (2023)
Passing Yards: Gary Nova, 192 (2014)
Receiving Yards: Leonte Carroo, 100 (2014)
 

UP NEXT

• Rutgers wraps the regular season hosting Penn State Nov. 29 at SHI Stadium for Senior Day/Thank You Fans. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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