By Bane Rossi

GAME NOTES

https://scarletknights.com/documents/2023/10/30/23_OhioState.pdf

Military Appreciation Day

RUTGERS (6-2, 3-2) vs. No. 3 OHIO STATE (8-0, 5-0)
November 4, 2023 • Noon ET • CBS
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coming off back-to-back Big Ten wins, Rutgers football returns to SHI Stadium to host No. 3 Ohio State Saturday. The game is presented by McDonald’s. The Scarlet Knights are 5-0 at home this season and 11-5 under head coach Greg Schiano directly off an open week.

It will be the annual Military Appreciation Day. The Scarlet Knights will wear white helmets with the American flag inside the Block R for the occasion, while a flyover by the New Jersey National Guard will take place following the national anthem. The R Heroes initiative is back and has allowed thousands of current and former military personnel to attend Rutgers football games at no charge since 2015.

The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, opens at 8 a.m. and is the place to stop by for giveaways, including “Beat Ohio State” buttons, posters and shakers. To celebrate Military Appreciation Day, The Rutgers Boardwalk will be lined with military vehicles for fans to take photos with. Military organizations will also be on site interacting with fans and offering games, giveaways and more. Also be on the lookout at the Boardwalk to pick up the sixth version of the limited-edition comic series.

The pregame parade and pep rally takes place at 9:30 a.m. and leads to the Scarlet Walk.

As the Scarlet Knights take the field before the game, members of the military community will line the field to welcome the team out of the tunnel. At halftime, the Marching Scarlet Knights will salute veterans with recognition of each branch of the military as part of an arrangement of “Armed Forces Salute.” The 300-member strong band is nearing their national performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In addition, stay tuned for the McDonald’s Fan Hall of Fame (military edition) presentation during the game.

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 Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible for the seventh time under 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 out as they become available in the coming weeks.

CBS (Paramount+)
Play-By-Play: Tom McCarthy
Analyst: Ross Tucker
Reporter: Tiffany Blackmon

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 99 or 203, 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
Dylan Allen, Eddie Kalegi & Arnav Sarkar

• Rutgers is 6-2, its best start to a season since beginning 7-1 in 2012. The six wins are the most 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 enters November with six wins for the eighth time in program history, fifth time this century and first time in the Big Ten era.
• Rutgers is 12-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers leads the nation in kickoff returns (36.7), ranks second in passing defense (156.2), sixth in red zone defense (0.682), eighth in fewest sacks allowed (0.88), ninth in total defense (276.8), 12th in fewest interceptions thrown (4), 13th in scoring defense (15.8), 15th in fumbles recovered (7), 16th in fewest penalties (4.50), 16th in fourth down conversions (0.71), 23rd in turnover margin (0.62, +5), 25th in time of possession (31:54), 35th in rushing defense (120.5) and 39th in rushing offense (178.8).

• Rutgers clinched bowl eligibility with a 31-14 road win at Indiana, the third consecutive win over the Hoosiers.
• Rutgers rushed for a Big Ten school record 276 yards, led by 143 from QB Gavin Wimsatt and 109 from RB Kyle Monangai. Wimsatt’s 143 yards were the most by a quarterback in program history.
• On the opening play of the second quarter, DB Shaquan Loyal blocked an IU punt, which DB Eric Rogers scooped up and returned 17 yards for his first career touchdown. The score marked the 13th time under head coach Greg Schiano that Rutgers blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
• Wimsatt sealed the win with his third rushing score in the fourth quarter, an 80-yard dash.

• Rutgers is the most improved team in the Big Ten in total offense (+45.0) and scoring offense (+10.7) compared to 2022.
• Rutgers has four games with over 250 rushing yards this season (eight games), matching the number of such games the previous six seasons combined (70 games).
• Ten of the 27 offensive touchdown drives have been 10 plays or more and nine have taken at least five minutes.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt leads Big Ten quarterbacks (tied sixth nationally) with seven rushing touchdowns and is second with 362 rushing yards. He has accounted for 14 touchdowns overall.
• RB Kyle Monangai owns four 100-yard rushing games this season, ranking second in the Big Ten with 744 yards. He leads the league with 144 carries.
• WR Christian Dremel paces the team with three receiving touchdowns, 23 receptions and 294 yards.

• Rutgers has four defensive scoreless halves, including two in Big Ten play.
• Rutgers has held opponents to 126 points overall, the best mark through eight games in the Big Ten era and fewest since 2012 (114).
• Rutgers has had seven stops in the red zone.
• Twelve different players have combined for 17 sacks, led by three apiece by DL Wesley Bailey and DL Aaron Lewis.
• DB Robert Longerbeam ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 1.13 pass defended per game (eight breakups, one interception).
• DB Desmond Igbinosun posted four tackles-for-loss against Michigan State and leads the team with 5.5 overall, while LB Mohamed Toure and Lewis each have four.

• RU has blocked 68 kicks under head coach Greg Schiano (13 times scoring off a blocked punt), including five in 2022. DB Shaquan Loyal picked up the first block of the season at Indiana, deflecting a punt recovered by DB Eric Rogers for a 17-yard touchdown.
• 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. He is 8-for-10 on the season.
• P Flynn Appleby and the punt unit have netted 40.4 yards to rank fourth in the Big Ten with a long of 75 yards.

• Saturday will mark the 10th meeting on the gridiron between Rutgers and Ohio State and fifth in Piscataway.
• Last season at Ohio Stadium, Rutgers took advantage of a muffed punt to score first on a 14-yard touchdown pass from QB Evan Simon to Sean Ryan. However, the Buckeyes posted four touchdowns after to take a 28-7 lead into halftime. Avery Young recorded an interception to start the second half, which set up a 35-yard field goal by PK Jude McAtamney. OSU followed with three touchdowns to take a 49-10 win.
• In 2020, Rutgers took on No. 3 Ohio State and came up short in a second-half rally, 49-27. The Scarlet Knights outscored (24-14) and outgained (290-164) the Buckeyes in the second half, scoring three offensive and one special teams touchdowns. The 27 points were the most in RU program history on the road at a top-three ranked opponent (sixth game). Three Rutgers quarterbacks combined for 34 completions, the most for the team in a Big Ten game and one off the single-game school record of 35 set in 2005 versus West Virginia and 1988 versus Vanderbilt.
• Two Scarlet Knights hail from Ohio: OL Kwabena Asamoah (Pickerington) and OL Dominic Rivera (Olmsted Falls).
• 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.
• Rutgers game highs versus Ohio State:
Rushing Yards: Desmon Peoples, 83 (2014)
Passing Yards: Gary Nova, 192 (2014)
Receiving Yards: Leonte Carroo, 100 (2014)

Rutgers is on the road the next two games, first heading to Iowa on Nov. 11. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. local on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights’ only other trip to Kinnick Stadium was in 2019.

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