Nov 25, 2023 • 3:30 PM ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ
PISCATAWAY, NJ – Rutgers football returns to SHI Stadium for the final time in 2023 to host Maryland on Saturday in a game presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Knights enter 5-1 at home this season.
Senior Day/Thank You Fans gives fans one last chance to celebrate graduating seniors. A pre-match ceremony will be held in recognition. In honor of Thank You Fans, game day giveaways include “Beat Maryland” buttons, “I Chopped 2023” buttons, shakers, a free car wash courtesy of Team Car Wash and a free raffle ticket for fans 18 and over with courtesy of Jackpocket. There will also be door prizes, TVs, T-shirts and gift cards given away during the game at the stadium.
The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, opens at 11 a.m. and is the place to stop for New Jersey’s best food trucks, free rides, games, interactive experiences, prizes and live entertainment. Miller Lite Brewery at Athlete’s Glen will also open at 11am for food, drinks and a great view of the Scarlet Knights’ arrival at SHI Stadium. The pregame parade and pep rally takes place at 1:00 p.m. and leads down the Scarlet Walk.
The next wave of Scarlet Knights are invited to enjoy a football game a day early. All prospective freshmen will be contacted to take advantage of Student for a Day and join Rutgers students in the student fan section. Student season ticket holders will receive a free pre-game meal at the stadium.
Fresh off a national performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the 300-member Marching Scarlet Knights will honor graduates with a “Senior Choice Show” at halftime. The Rutgers Cheer and Dance teams will also honor their seniors at the game.
In an effort to promote a safe environment for fans as well as improve ease of entry into the stadium, Rutgers has switched to mobile-only tickets that can be added to an Apple Wallet or Google Wallet app. Digital tickets provide contactless entry, limiting human-to-human interactions while speeding up hall entry times and also offering a secure means of ticket transfer and exchange. Representatives from the Rutgers ticketing team will be available to assist customers with any digital ticketing questions. Fans will also receive mobile parking passes that they can manage as their digital tickets. Fans are encouraged to download mobile tickets and parking passes to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet apps before arriving at the stadium.
Fans parking in the Jersey Mike’s Arena lots can take the free campus buses to SHI Stadium ( MAP ). The drop-off area will be in Lot 53A, allowing fans to cross The Rutgers Boardwalk on their way to the stadium. Buses from College Ave will run to Johnson Park. All buses leave three hours before the start of the game and return up to one hour after the end of the game. ADA shuttles will continue to deliver to and from the stadium with seats in the Blue Lot, Silver Lot and Jersey Mike’s Arena, operating until 2.5 hours after the game.
Guests are advised to review Football Game Day Central prior to arrival, including baggage policies.
The Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible for the seventh time under the head coach Greg Schiano and are poised to earn the 12th bowl invitation in program history. For fans interested in receiving bowl ticket information, please submit the 2023 Rutgers Bowl Interest Form. Details will be sent as they become available in the coming weeks.
Saturday’s game will be televised on the 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: Connor Onion
Analyst: Matt Millen
Reporter: Elise Menaker
Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 160 or 201, SXM App, Audacy App, Scarlet Knights App
Play-by-play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Analyst: Mike Thiel
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Before/after: Mark Malusis and Julian Pinnix-Odrick
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Alex Carmenati and Ellis Gordon
• Rutgers is 6-5, its most wins in a season since going 8-5 in 2014.
• Rutgers owns three Big Ten wins, matching the program high previously set in 2014, 2017 and 2020.
• Rutgers is 12-1 since 2020 without allowing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers leads the nation in kickoff returns (34.8), ranks fifth in pass defense (159.1), ninth in red zone defense (0.730), 11th in total defense (297.0), 11th in fewest sacks allowed (1.09), 11th in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.91), 20th in scoring defense (19.1), 21st in fewest penalties (4.73), 22 3rd in rebounds (8) and 33rd in time of possession (31:19).
• Rutgers put together a 14-play drive in 9:01, its longest this season, that resulted in a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, but No. 12 Penn State answered with a touchdown and took a 27-6 victory at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions marked the third straight opponent for the College Football Playoff ranked Scarlet Knights.
• WR Isaiah Washington set a career high with five catches, good for 55 yards on the day.
• DB Desmond Igbinoson paced the defense with 10 tackles, while the DB Eric Rogers broke up two passes. DB Shaquan Loyal forced fumble recovered by DL Maya Ahanotu.
• PC Jai Patel went 2-for-2 on field goals, his fourth game of the season with multiple runs.
• Rutgers ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest sacks (1.09), third in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.91), fourth in time of possession (31:19), fifth in rushing offense (163.2) and seventh in scoring offense (22.5).
• Rutgers has four games with over 250 rushing yards this season (11 games), matching the number of those games in the previous six seasons combined (70 games).
• Ten of the 28 offensive touchdown drives were 10 or more plays and nine took at least five minutes.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt leads Big Ten quarterbacks with seven rushing touchdowns and is second with 440 rushing yards. The 440 yards are the most by a quarterback in a single season in Rutgers history.
• RB Kyle Monangay leads Big Ten with 981 rushing yards, most by a Scarlet Knight in a season in the Big Ten era and most overall since Jawan Jamison (1,075) in 2012
• WR Christian Dremelwho has at least one catch in all 11 games, leads the team with three receiving touchdowns, 32 receptions and 415 yards.
• Rutgers is holding Big Ten opponents to an average of 23.0 points and 318.0 yards per game, the best marks in conference play in a season since joining the league.
• Rutgers has held eight opponents under 200 passing yards and five under 150 yards.
• Rutgers had 10 stops in the red zone and 12 stops on fourth down.
• Twelve different players have combined for 18 sacks, led by three each from the DL Wesley Bailey and DL Aaron Lewis. LB Mohamed Toure leads the team with six tackles for loss.
• DB Robert Longerbeam ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 0.91 passes defensed per game (nine pass breakups, one interception), while D.B. Max Melton has two team-wide interceptions.
• LB Deion Jennings ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 7.6 tackles per game with at least six shutouts in nine games.
• RU has blocked 68 kicks under the head coach Greg Schiano (13 blocked shots), including five in 2022 DB Shaquan Loyal picked up Indiana’s first block of the season, deflecting a punt returned by a DB Eric Rogers for a 17-yard touchdown.
• PC Jai Patel was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week in Temple’s win after going 3-for-3 with a long of 51 yards. He is 13-for-15 on the season with a four-game hitting streak. The 86.7 conversion percentage is on pace for the best mark for a season in program history.
• P Flynn Appleby and the punt unit allowed just four returns for 25 yards and forced 28 fair sacks.
• Rutgers and Maryland will meet for the 10th time in a Big Ten game, 10th time in New Jersey and 19th time overall.
• Rutgers last won the series in 2020. The Scarlet Knights rallied from a 24-21 deficit with 2:56 left on an 11-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Valentino Ambrosio’s 39-yard field goal in overtime. The game featured seven lead changes. After Ambrosio connected from 42 yards out, the defense held Maryland without a first down on its drive, with Mike Tverdov recording a sack on third down to force a 50-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left to make it 27-24. Rutgers posted season highs with 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks, which set a Big Ten team record. Tverdov became the fourth player in program history to record at least three sacks in a game.
• Also under the guidance of the head coach Greg Schiano, RU picked up a 34-13 road win over the Terrapins in 2009. The Scarlet Knights forced five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles) and allowed just 28 rushing yards and 12 first downs. Both Antonio Lowery (interception return) and George Johnson (end zone fumble recovery) scored on defense as one of seven RU games under Schiano, posting multiple defensive/special teams scores. On offense, Joe Martinek had 147 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns, while San San Te had two scores. Teddy Dellaganna was named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 40.6 yards on five attempts, with a long of 51 to put Maryland in an average starting position from its own 12.
• In the 2014 Big Ten opener at College Park, Rutgers rallied from a 35-10 deficit to win 41-38. The 25-point comeback tied the school record, also set in 2015 at Indiana. Gary Nova threw for 347 yards, while Leonte Carew, Janarion Grant and Andre Patton all topped 100 receiving yards. Defensively, RU allowed just three points in the second half, using a short yardage stop late in the fourth down to seal the win.
• Rutgers has four players on its roster from the state of Maryland: DB Trent Brown (Crownsville), DL Kyonte Hamilton (District Heights), OL Chamber Missouri (Baltimore) and OL Reggie Sutton (Baltimore).
• Rutgers vs. Maryland Game Highs:
Rushing Yards: Joe Martinek, 147 (2009)
Passing yards: Gary Nova, 347 (2014)
Receiving yards: Leonte Carew, 183 (2015)
Rutgers will be playing in the 12th bowl game in program history. Cup selections will be announced on December 3.
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