Tag: Rutgers

Amare Campbell’s scoop-and-score lifts Penn State past Rutgers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Amare Campbell returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown to lift Penn State to a 40-36 Big Ten win over Rutgers Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

The win makes the Nittany Lions (6-6) bowl eligible. Penn State has beaten the Scarlet Knights 18 straight times.

Rutgers (5-7) still had a chance to go ahead when Athan Kaliakmanis hit KJ Duff on a 42-yard pass to the Penn State 36 with 5:46 left in the game.

The drive stalled at the Penn State 28, however, and Campbell and Zion Tracy brought Kaliakmanis down on fourth-and-1 to turn the ball over on downs.

Kaytron Allen then all but put the game away with a 50-yard run to the Rutgers 28 with 2:24 left.

The Scarlet Knights were ahead 36-33 and had driven to the Penn State 32 with 7:27 left when the ball slipped out of Kaliakmanis’ hand and Campbell took it in for the winner.

The two teams combined for 1,042 yards.

Allen had 226 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. His running mate Nicholas Singleton had 86 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.

Antwan Raymond led Rutgers with 189 yards rushing and a touchdown. He added 62 yards and another touchdown receiving.

Kaliakmanis completed 16 of 22 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns.

Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 17 of 21 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions.

Allen and Singleton traded historic runs on the same drive in the first half.

Allen went first, as Penn State’s all-time leading rusher sprinted 55 yards in the first quarter to surpass the 4,000-yard rushing mark for his career.

Three plays later, Singleton rushed up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown to put Penn State up 14-7. It was the 54th total touchdown of the senior’s career, passing Saquon Barkley for the most in Penn State history.

After a 2-yard touchdown run by Kaliakmanis tied the score, Allen took his turn in the end zone.

The senior capped an 89-yard, 4-play drive by rushing off right tackle through a huge hole for a 15-yard touchdown and a 21-14 Penn State lead one play into the second quarter.

At that point, Singleton and Allen had combined for nine carries and 167 yards.

–Field Level Media

Penn State and Rutgers both battling for bowl eligibility

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Penn State and Rutgers will look to become bowl eligible at the other’s expense on Saturday afternoon when the teams meet in Piscataway, N.J.

Interim head coach Terry Smith was quite direct on Monday when addressing that very topic for the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten).

“My focus right now is, obviously we have to beat Rutgers,” Smith said. “We approach these last couple weeks as do or die, playoff-type games, and this is another playoff game for us in our own reality of our world.”

The Scarlet Knights (5-6, 2-6) find themselves in the same position, and head coach Greg Schiano wasn’t shy about addressing his “goals” on Tuesday.

“Goals are a little overrated. My main appreciation of goals is that it forces people to create a plan, but other than that, the team on the other side will have the same goal that we do when the game kicks off,” he said. “They’d like to win and go to a bowl, we’d like to win and go to a bowl.

“It’s all going to be about execution, it’s all gonna be about the preparation that we’ve put in this week, and what kind of execution it leads to this Saturday.”

Rutgers will need to keep a keen eye on Kaytron Allen, who followed up a 181-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance in Penn State’s 28-10 victory over Michigan State on Nov. 15 with 160 yards and two scores in a 37-10 romp over Nebraska last Saturday.

Allen repeated as Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, two days after etching his name in the school record books for the most career rushing yards (3,954) by passing both Saquon Barkley (3,843, 2015-17) and Evan Royster (3,932, 2007-10)

Allen rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns in Penn State’s last meeting with Rutgers, a 27-6 victory in 2023. The Nittany Lions are vying for the 18th consecutive victory over the Scarlet Knights and 33rd in 35 meetings.

Rutgers is picking itself up off the mat after losing for the sixth time in eight games with a 42-9 setback to top-ranked Ohio State last weekend.

Athan Kaliakmanis completed 10 of 20 passes for 81 yards for the Scarlet Knights, who will look to become bowl eligible for the third straight season.

–Field Level Media

No. 1 Ohio State isn’t revealing WR plans for game vs. Rutgers

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While Ohio State likely won’t look past Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, the goal for the top-ranked Buckeyes is to have players healthy for the following week’s rivalry game at Michigan.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day didn’t exactly allay fears of the fan base on Tuesday at his press conference when he was non-committal about whether star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will be available for the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) against the Scarlet Knights (5-5, 2-5).

Due to undisclosed injuries, Tate has missed the past two games, and Smith sat out the second half of a 48-10 victory over UCLA last Saturday.

“Our policy’s that we just don’t discuss specifics on injuries, and then once you start going down a little bit here, a little bit there, you can create a problem,” Day said. “And so, for a number of reasons, we don’t discuss those things. We put out the report the day of the game, but I can tell you that they’re in great spirits. The medical staff is working hard. We’ll take it day to day and see how they come in each day, but they’re working hard to get back on the field.”

Smith and Tate on Monday were named semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the NCAA’s outstanding receiver. Smith has 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns; Tate has 39 catches for 711 yards and seven scores.

While Rutgers is more than a four-touchdown underdog and the Buckeyes are on a collision course to play No. 2 Indiana in the Big Ten title game on Dec. 6 in Indianapolis, Day is wary of a Rutgers team that needs one win in its final two games to become bowl eligible.

“They always put pressure on you in all three phases,” Day said. “It starts with special teams and then goes offense and defense. And you know, they always have a plan of how they want to attack you.”

The Scarlet Knights can present problems on offense, but the other side of the ball is a problem. Rutgers’ scoring defense is ranked 106th (30.0 points per game) nationally, and the total defense is 120th (425.5 yards per game).

Coach Greg Schiano has seen improvement in many areas as the season has progressed, and having a bye last weekend helped.

“I don’t know what that will amount to Saturday,” he said. “We’re going to find out. That’s why it’s such a great challenge and such a great opportunity. (The Buckeyes) have elite players at every position offensively and elite players at every position defensively.”

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is coming off a four-touchdown passing performance on Nov. 8 in a 35-20 victory over Maryland, and running back Antwan Raymond ran 41 times for 240 yards and a score.

The Buckeyes, under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, lead the nation in scoring defense (7.5 points per game) and total defense (212.6 yards).

“Matt Patricia has done a magnificent job,” Schiano said. “You can see his fingerprints all over it. I’ve known Matt for a long time.

“It doesn’t surprise me one bit. They have a very good coaching staff that is coaching very good players very well. When you add all that up, it adds up to a very good defense.”

–Field Level Media

Rutgers, Maryland set to duel amid familiar struggles

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Since entering the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland and Rutgers have never competed for a conference title.

Both teams are on familiar turf as they prepare to meet Saturday in Piscataway, N.J., with both struggling to achieve bowl eligibility.

One more commonality for Maryland (4-4, 1-4) and Rutgers (4-5, 1-5) is the growing discontent from their fan bases, which heightened last week.

Maryland’s 55-10 loss at home to No. 2 Indiana was the Terrapins’ fourth straight. It came after a trio of frustrating Big Ten defeats in games in which they held late fourth-quarter leads.

Late in the game against Indiana, in which Maryland’s defense surrendered 588 yards, groups of fans chanted for the departure of coach Mike Locksley, who has a 37-45 record in his seven seasons.

“I probably would have chanted it too if I had a few beers and we played the way we played,” Locksley said Tuesday. “We’re in the entertainment business. I get judged to win games.”

Meanwhile, Rutgers lost for the fifth time in its last six games last Saturday, falling at Illinois 35-13. The Scarlet Knights have surrendered at least 31 points in each of the five defeats.

“We’re getting better on defense,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said Monday. “I just think that until you make big steps, it doesn’t show in the results, but there is incremental improvement going on all over the place. I’m hoping that this week it surfaces.”

Considering the recent form of the defenses of the Terrapins and Scarlet Knights, Saturday’s matchup could be a shootout.

Rutgers is equipped for such a game as Athan Kaliakmanis leads the Big Ten in completions (190) and passing yards (2,476), while Antwan Raymond ranks third in rushing yards with 760.

Maryland will counter with true freshman Malik Washington, who has thrown for 1,958 yards and accounted for 15 total touchdowns.

“Young quarterback, but immensely talented. We know him well. We recruited him,” Schiano said. “Malik is everything you want in a quarterback. He’s big, he’s strong, got great arm talent, tremendous human being.”

Rutgers won 31-17 at Maryland the last time these teams met in November 2024, as Kaliakmanis threw for 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

-Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer (5 TDs) helps Illinois snap skid with Rutgers rout

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Luke Altmyer passed for four touchdowns and ran for another, and Gabe Jacas had two sacks as Illinois routed visiting Rutgers 35-13 on Saturday in Champaign, Ill., stopping a two-game losing streak.

Altmyer finished 19-for-31 passing for 235 yards while matching a career high for passing touchdowns and tossing one interception. He added a game-high 88 yards on seven carries after entering the game with 20 yards on the ground this season.

Rutgers (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) capitalized on arguably the lone Illinois blemish of the game, turning Farell Gnago’s interception of Altmyer on a tipped pass into a 40-yard Jai Patel field goal with 5:45 left in the second quarter.

The kick pulled the Scarlet Knights to within 7-6 of the Illini (6-3, 3-3). Patel connected from 26 yards on Rutgers’ second possession.

Altmyer and the attack soared from there, visiting the end zone on four consecutive possessions following the interception. Each scoring drive covered at least 65 yards in eight plays or more.

Illinois started the streak with Altmyer’s 3-yard scoring run with 2:04 left in the second quarter. After forcing a Rutgers punt, the Illini got the ball back and proceeded on their quickest scoring drive of the game to grab a 21-6 halftime lead.

Gains of 16 and 29 yards on passes to Hudson Clement and Collin Dixon, respectively, got Illinois started before a 14-yard Altmyer run put the hosts in the red zone. Altmyer found Hank Beatty for a 1-yard touchdown four plays later, capping an 8-play, 70-yard drive that took just 58 seconds.

Challenged during the week after allowing 76 combined points in losses to Ohio State and Washington, the Illinois defense responded. The Illini outgained the Scarlet Knights 445-312 while recording nine pass breakups.

Rutgers scored its lone touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis to KJ Duff with 5:47 to go to account for the final margin.

Kalikamanis completed 25 of 45 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Duff had 93 yards on nine catches and Ja’Shon Benjamin had eight carries for 37 yards.

Clement led Illinois with five catches for 84 yards and a score. Dixon also caught a touchdown.

Illinois has won five of six against Rutgers and leads the all-time series 7-3.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. (5) and defensive back Miles Scott (10) react during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

After ‘unacceptable’ efforts on defense, Illinois takes on Rutgers

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Illinois realizes that stopping a two-game losing streak amounts to corralling opponents more effectively.

The Fighting Illini are yielding an average of 39.6 points per game in Big Ten play entering Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Rutgers in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois (5-3, 2-3) has hovered around that average in successive losses to No. 1 Ohio State and Washington, allowing 76 combined points while continuing habits that defensive coordinator Aaron Henry deemed “unacceptable.”

“Our players, our staff, we’re going to continue to work tirelessly to get the product that you guys expect and we expect on the field,” Henry said. “We know what it’s like to play really good defense around here, and we’ve just got to get back to that brand of football.”

Illinois was ranked No. 23 and still harboring an outside chance for a College Football Playoff berth before traveling to Washington, where the Illini defense allowed 449 total yards in a 42-25 loss. The unit produced no sacks, although defensive back Miles Scott had one tackle for loss and defensive linemen Pat Farrell and Angelo McCullom each recorded one-half.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer passed for two touchdowns but has thrown three interceptions during his team’s two-game skid.

Limiting Rutgers counterpart Athan Kaliakmanis will be a focus for Illinois. Kaliakmanis helped the Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4) earn their first Big Ten win of the season last week, passing for 359 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score at Purdue.

Jai Patel kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to clinch a 27-24 victory.

Rutgers also stood out on the ground, with Antwan Raymond carrying 29 times for 116 yards and a score. While the Scarlet Knights showed power formations more often than in recent weeks, coach Greg Schiano said he doesn’t expect a drastic shift to the running game in November.

“We believe in execution, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” Schiano said. “So there may be a couple of wrinkles here and there, but nothing that I think will be earth-shattering. We’re not going to the triple (option) or anything like that, OK?”

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights kicker Jai Patel (44) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rutgers prevails after costly Purdue fumble

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Jai Patel made a 30-yard field goal as time expired to help Rutgers end a four-game losing streak by beating Purdue 27-24 in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Patel’s field goal came after Purdue (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) fumbled the ball away and Rutgers’ Jett Elad recovered at the Boilermakers’ 30-yard line with 59 seconds to play.

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 27 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a TD in the win. Wide receiver KJ Duff caught six passes for 241 yards and a TD.

The loss extended Purdue’s losing streak to six games. The Boilermakers have lost their last 14 Big Ten games.

Rutgers (4-4, 1-4) had a four-point advantage until Nitro Tuggle caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Browne that helped Purdue take a 24-21 lead with 4:43 to play.

Rutgers tied the game at 24 on Patel’s 20-yard field goal with 1:06 remaining.

Purdue led 10-0 after one quarter, 10-7 at halftime and 17-14 entering the fourth.

Purdue took its first lead when running Malachi Thomas hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Malachi Singleton with 10:24 remaining in the opening quarter. The Boilermakers added a 20-yard field goal by Spencer Porath with eight seconds left in the quarter.

Rutgers got on the scoreboard when Antwan Raymond found the end zone from a yard away with 12 seconds left in the first half. Raymond’s TD capped a 17-play, 85-yard drive.

Devin Mockobee caught a 3-yard TD pass from Singleton that helped Purdue extend its lead to 17-7 with 13:10 remaining in the third, but Rutgers answered on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to Duff that sliced Purdue’s lead to 17-14 with 7:33 left in the third.

Rutgers went in front for the first time on a 1-yard TD run by Kaliakmanis with 7:45 to play for a 21-17 advantage.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 8 Oregon piles up 750 yards in rout of Rutgers

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Eighth-ranked Oregon rebounded from its first regular season loss in two years, rolling over Rutgers 56-10 Saturday night in Piscataway, N.J.

The Ducks (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) put up 653 yards of total offense after three quarters and 750 for the game, with quarterback Dante Moore completing 15 of 20 passes for 290 yards with four touchdowns and an interception.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The Ducks’ ground attack, held below 100 yards against Indiana last week, exploded for 415 on Saturday. Noah Whittington led the way with 11 carries for 125 yards and two scores, plus a receiving touchdown, and Jordon Davison ran for 100 yards on just three carries.

One of those was a 20-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, giving the Ducks a 49-3 lead.

Running back Dierre Hill Jr. added a touchdown run as Oregon hit the Scarlet Knights for several explosive plays in the win. Hill ran right, then turned upfield and through several defenders for a 35-yard touchdown to make it 56-3.

Tight end Kenyon Sadiq caught four passes for 80 yards, two for touchdowns, and wide receiver Dakorien Moore added 63 yards on two catches, including a touchdown.

Whittington set the tone for the Ducks, who trailed 3-0 early in the game after losing a fumble. On Oregon’s first possession, Whittington took a handoff, ran left toward the sideline and scampered away from four defenders to go 68 yards for his team’s first touchdown.

Rutgers (3-4, 0-4) got a rushing touchdown from Ja’shon Benjamin late in the game. Benjamin led the Scarlet Knights with 69 yards in 18 carries.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was 8 for 25 for 79 yards and threw two interceptions.

Both teams turned the ball over three times, but Oregon had 29 first downs to 12 for Rutgers and the Ducks were 8 of 11 on third down.

–Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore throws a pass during warmups as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

No. 8 Oregon refocuses entering first-ever meeting with Rutgers

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Oregon is smarting from its first regular-season loss since 2023 while preparing to play Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday night.

The Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) fell from third to eighth in the AP rankings after falling 30-20 to then-No. 7 Indiana last weekend.

Oregon’s high-volume offense was limited to 267 total yards by the Hoosiers, and the Ducks’ defense couldn’t come up with enough stops.

Quarterback Dante Moore, so effective in earlier games, wasn’t at his best, throwing two late-game interceptions and getting sacked six times.

“I think he’s handled it the right way. Everybody looks internally and then goes out back and says ‘OK, what could I have improved on, what could I have done better?’ Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Monday. “… He came in today and attacked it really well (in practice).”

Moore and the Ducks will hope to get well against a slumping foe. The Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-3) have lost three games in a row, though Lanning isn’t ready to assume a victory in the first-ever meeting between the teams.

“Rutgers … does a lot of things that really challenge you,” Lanning said. “You see it in all phases. You see it on defense. They’re in your grill, they play tight coverage. You see offensively. They’ve got real weapons outside at wide receiver (and) one of, if not the … best running back we’ve seen this year.”

That reference was to Antwan Raymond, who has 560 rushing yards (fourth in the Big Ten), nine touchdowns (second) and a 5.5-yard average per carry.

The Scarlet Knights expect a sellout crowd on Saturday, according to coach Greg Schiano. He added that his defense will need to limit explosive plays, an area that was an issue in a 38-19 loss at Washington on Oct. 10. The offense is seeking to solve season-long problems in the red zone.

Schiano spent a part of his weekly press conference Monday addressing questions about the name, image and likeness (NIL) funding disparity between his program and that of Oregon.

“Yeah, how wide the gap is really doesn’t matter. That’s where we find ourselves today, right? So I’ve never believed in that,” Schiano said. “I’ve been doing this for 37 years. There’s always been haves and have-nots, right? I think the gaps are actually going to start to close a little bit, which is good.”

Schiano said the university is trying to do something it has not done before in an effort to raise NIL money.

“Now we have a plan,” he said. “There has been no efforts of the level that it takes to play in the Big Ten. I’m not saying that people haven’t tried.”

Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is averaging 297.5 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He will be up against a Ducks defense that allows only 138.7 passing yards per game, second in the Big Ten.

When Oregon has the ball, Moore is supported by a rushing attack that includes Dierre Hill (9.2 yards per carry) and Jordon Davison (seven rushing touchdowns).

“They’re very talented, big, strong and very, very fast,” Schiano said of the Ducks. “Probably the fastest team we’ve played in a while.”

Dating back to last season, the Ducks have earned nine straight wins away from home, the country’s top active streak.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) prepares to throw the ball during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Demond Williams Jr. does it all as Washington tops Rutgers

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Demond Williams Jr. threw for 402 yards and rushed for 136 yards, both career highs, to propel Washington to a 38-19 Big Ten victory over Rutgers on Friday night in Seattle.

In the eighth start of his career, Williams was a one-man offense for the Huskies (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten), accounting for 538 of their 579 yards as Washington avenged a 21-18 loss at Rutgers last year.

Williams threw two touchdown passes, both to Denzel Boston, and ran for two more scores to help the Huskies overcome an early 10-point deficit.

Williams, a sophomore, became the 17th quarterback in FBS history to pass for more than 400 yards and rush for more than 100 in a game.

Jonah Coleman added 44 yards on 14 carries and scored his FBS-leading 12th touchdown for Washington.

Athan Kaliakmanis also threw for a career high in yards with 386 for the Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-3), who have held leads in the second half in each of their conference defeats.

Kaliakmanis completed 31 of 50 passes with two touchdowns and an interception, which came in the closing minutes. His favorite target, Ian Strong, caught seven passes for 124 yards.

Antwan Raymond rushed 15 times for 89 yards and caught a 48-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for Rutgers’ final points.

After trailing at the half 13-10, the Huskies scored touchdowns on their first four possessions in the second half to take over the game.

Dezmen Roebuck’s 59-yard catch and run set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Coleman less than two minutes into the second half to give Washington its first lead, 17-13.

Less than three minutes later, Williams’ second touchdown pass to Boston, which covered 38 yards, expanded the Huskies’ lead to 24-13.

After Rutgers answered with Kaliakmanis’ touchdown pass to Raymond, Williams responded again, scrambling 11 yards up the middle for a touchdown that gave the Huskies a 31-19 lead late in the third quarter.

With 6:52 left in the game, Williams hurdled into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run that swelled Washington’s edge to 38-19.

Rutgers scored on the game’s opening possession as Kaliakmanis lofted a sideline pass to 6-foot-6 KJ Duff, who caught the ball over a defender for a 20-yard touchdown.

After Jai Patel increased the Scarlet Knights’ lead to 10-0 with a 35-yard field goal, Williams answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Boston early in the second quarter.

The teams traded field goals, bringing the score to 13-10 at the half.

–Field Level Media