Tag: Scarlet Knights

Nov 30, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) leaps into the air as he crosses the goal line during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images

Kyle Monangai, Rutgers blow out Michigan State 41-14

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle Monangai rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on Saturday as visiting Rutgers finished its regular season with a 41-14 Big Ten Conference rout of Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.

The Scarlet Knights (7-5, 4-5) controlled both sides of the scrimmage line after a slow start, more than doubling the Spartans in rushing yardage and gobbling up 35 minutes of clock. Athan Kaliakmanis added 157 passing yards on 13-of-22 accuracy, along with a touchdown.

Michigan State (5-7, 3-6) was seeking to become bowl-eligible but saw its season end with an emphatic thud. The Spartans managed 13 first downs, and after a promising start on the ground that saw them rush for 99 yards in the first quarter and a half, barely reached 100 yards for the day.

Michigan State initiated the scoring less than three minutes in as Nate Carter ripped off a 26-yard touchdown run. But that was it for the Spartans’ attack until Aidan Chiles found Jack Velling for a 5-yard strike with 7:21 left in the game. Chiles finished 13-of-23 passing for 150 yards.

By then, Rutgers had more than done its damage. It took the lead for good before the midway point of the first quarter behind Monangai’s 7-yard touchdown run and the first of Jai Patel’s four field goals, a 25-yarder.

Antwan Raymond made it 17-7 at the 6:07 mark of the second quarter with a 13-yard scoring jaunt, capping a 94-yard drive. Patel then punched 42 and 30-yard field goals through snow and a stiff wind in the final 90 seconds of the half for a 23-7 advantage.

The Scarlet Knights essentially ended the game’s competitive phase on the first drive of the second half, chewing up 7 1/2 minutes to drive 75 yards. Kaliakmanis finished it off with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ian Strong.

Patel added his fourth field goal, a 29-yarder, with 10:55 left in the game to cap off another seven-minute drive. Raymond tacked on a 5-yard scoring jaunt with 1:57 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws a pass during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Kyle Monangai scores twice in return as Rutgers tops Maryland

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle Monangai rushed for two touchdowns and Athan Kaliakmanis tossed for two scores Saturday as Rutgers secured bowl eligibility with a 31-17 win over Maryland in College Park, Md.

Monangai scored from 2 and 6 yards out, the latter giving the Scarlet Knights a 21-17 lead with 5:14 left in the third quarter. He finished with 97 yards on 25 carries after missing last week’s game with an undisclosed injury.

Kaliakmanis completed 20 of 30 throws for 238 yards for Rutgers (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten), which clinched bowl eligibility in consecutive seasons for the first time since making four straight bowls from 2011-14.

Billy Edwards Jr. went 32-of-55 for 335 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Roman Hemby tallied 87 rushing yards and a score as the Terrapins lost their third straight game. Maryland (4-6, 1-6) must win its last two games to make a fourth straight bowl.

The Scarlet Knights seized control after Hemby’s 1-yard run slid the Terrapins ahead 17-14 early in the second half. Monangai’s second score put Rutgers back in front, and Dymere Miller’s 32-yard catch on the first play of the fourth quarter extended the lead to 28-17.

Miller finished with eight receptions for 107 yards, both game-highs.

Jordan Thompson intercepted Edwards at the Scarlet Knights’ 28-yard line on Maryland’s next possession, and Jai Patel drilled a 46-yard field goal to make it 31-17 with 9:53 left. Rutgers’ defense notched fourth-down stops on the Terrapins’ next two drives to seal the victory.

Maryland converted 3 of 6 fourth downs overall, while the Scarlet Knights finished 3-for-3.

Jack Howes’ 48-yard field goal with 2:01 left in the first quarter put Maryland up 3-0. Rutgers responded with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that lasted almost nine minutes and ended with Kaliakmanis’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Ian Strong.

Edwards hit Tai Felton for a 12-yard score on Maryland’s next possession for a 10-7 lead. The Scarlet Knights answered again, this time on Monangai’s 2-yard run to swing Rutgers ahead 14-10 with 1:01 remaining in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez (50) tackles Northwestern Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe (25) short of the end zone during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Washington embarks on first Big Ten road trip to Rutgers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Washington and Rutgers may be on opposite sides of the country, but some Huskies coaches are plenty familiar with the New Jersey flagship university.

The Huskies (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) are set to travel to Piscataway, N.J., for their first road game as a member of the Big Ten Conference on Friday night against Rutgers (3-0, 0-0).

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch grew up in Livingston, N.J., less than an hour from the state university, and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is a Rutgers alum.

“We’ve got to play our best football,” Fisch said. “We’ve got to bring our brand of football that we’re trying to work though in our process — being disciplined, being physical.”

The Huskies did that Saturday, opening their Big Ten slate with a 24-5 victory against visiting Northwestern. Belichick’s defense limited the Wildcats to 112 yards of total offense and made goal-line stands on back-to-back possessions in the second half.

Washington’s offense clicked early, taking a 17-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter as Will Rogers III threw 46- and 13-yard scoring strikes to Denzel Boston. The Huskies ran into penalty problems and stalled in the second half until Jonah Coleman scored on an 8-yard run with 5:58 remaining.

The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 26-23 victory at Virginia Tech in which Jai Patel made a 24-yard field goal with 1:56 left. Athan Kaliakmanis threw for a season-high 269 yards, Kyle Monangai and Samuel Brown V combined for 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns and Ian Strong had a career-high 110 yards receiving.

That gave Rutgers a 3-0 start under coach Greg Schiano for a fourth consecutive season.

Schiano said he knows his offense will face a tough task Friday against Belichick, the son of the legendary New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick.

“Steven Belichick, who we all know well — really, really proud of what he’s doing. My goodness, they’re No. 1 in the league in defense. … But I don’t want to be proud of him Friday night. I want to be proud of him after Friday night,” Schiano said. “No one else really plays defense like that. It’s unique, very much like the New England package. He’s put his own slant on it, but it’s a challenge.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half against the Howard Bison at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Kyle Monangai’s 3 TDs lead Rutgers past Akron

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle Monangai rushed for a career-high 208 yards and three touchdowns to lead Rutgers to a 49-17 victory over Akron on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J.

Monangai eclipsed his previous career high of 165 yards, set in a 36-7 romp over Temple last season and matched on Aug. 29 in a 44-7 win over FCS foe Howard. Last year’s Big Ten Conference rushing champion highlighted his day on Saturday by scoring on touchdown runs of 3, 1 and 2 yards.

Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis completed 14 of 23 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns.

Chris Long highlighted his four-catch, 87-yard performance by reeling in a 58-yard scoring strike. Kenny Fletcher had a 9-yard touchdown reception and tight end KJ Duff hauled in his first career TD pass for the Scarlet Knights (2-0).

Antwan Raymond rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Akron’s Ben Finley completed 14 of 31 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Norton had a 32-yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter for the Zips (0-2).

Monangai rolled off a 45-yard run to set up Rutgers’ first touchdown of the day. He was brought down at the 3-yard line but he would not be denied as he bulled his way into the end zone on the next play.

Akron answered with a 41-yard field goal by Garrison Smith before Rutgers responded with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Duff kept his concentration and reeled in a pass by Kaliakmanis that deflected off the hands of Zips defensive lineman Bennett Adler for his first career touchdown reception to give the Scarlet Knights a 14-3 lead with 1:54 to play.

The Zips didn’t muster much on their ensuing drive and Monangai made them pay, capping a nine-pay, 80-yard sequence by scoring from 1 yard out with 9 seconds left in the second quarter.

Norton’s touchdown reception trimmed Rutgers’ lead to 21-10 early in the third quarter before the Scarlet Knights responded with another long drive. Monangai capped the 12-play, 75-yard drive by scoring from 2 yards out.

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) carries the ball against the Howard Bison during the second half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

‘Laundry list’ awaits Rutgers in matchup vs. Akron

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Coming off a 44-7 season-opening win over FCS opponent Howard, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano was asked what specific aspect his team can work on in Week 2.

“That list is a long, long list,” Schiano said. “We have a laundry list of things we have to improve on.”

The Scarlet Knights hope to tighten all phases of their game when they host Akron on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (1-0) led Howard just 17-7 at halftime last week before running away in the second half. The Scarlet Knights have no question marks at running back, where last year’s leading rusher in the Big Ten, Kyle Monangai, kicked off his season with a career-high-tying 165 rushing yards and a touchdown.

In his Rutgers debut after transferring from Minnesota, quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 15 of 24 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns and added 43 rushing yards. Schiano said he’s confident Kaliakmanis will be able to throw downfield when called upon after averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt in the opener.

“We’ll push the ball down the field. Athan is very good at that,” Schiano said. “I’m not concerned. But you’re right, we’ve got to hit (downfield passes). Until you hit them, they are not a threat.”

Schiano added he was “certainly concerned” that his defense only generated one sack against Howard.

The Scarlet Knights were against a mobile quarterback in Howard’s Ja’Shawn Scroggins and will face a similar test against dual-threat Akron quarterback Tahj Bullock, who led his team with 42 rushing yards on 14 attempts in a season-opening 52-6 loss to Ohio State.

The Zips (0-1) kept their deficit to 7-3 early in the second quarter, forcing a three-and-out and a turnover on downs on two of Ohio State’s first three possessions. The score was 17-3 at halftime before the Buckeyes pulled away.

Akron coach Joe Moorhead — who rotated Bullock and Ben Finley at quarterback in that game — coached against Schiano from his time as offensive coordinator at UConn during the Big East days.

“(Schiano’s) teams are always well-prepared,” Moorhead said. “They play with great competitiveness and energy and physicality. They look to establish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and that’s apparent on the film.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Howard Bison running back Eden James (5) is tackled by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Robert Longerbeam (7) during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Monangai rushes for 165 yards as Rutgers routs Howard

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries as the Scarlet Knights wore down the visiting Howard Bison 44-7 on Thursday night in the season opener for each team in Piscataway, N.J.

Monangai, who led the Big Ten in rushing last season with 1,262 yards, scored from 7 yards out with 8:06 left in the third quarter to give Rutgers some breathing room at 24-7. The senior had carries of 39 and 31 yards on consecutive drives in the second quarter as the Scarlet Knights (1-0) built a 17-7 halftime lead.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, in his first game for Rutgers after transferring from Minnesota, threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns. His 2-yard toss to Dymere Miller gave the Scarlet Knights a 14-0 lead with about five minutes left in the second quarter. A 34-yard scoring connection with Samuel Brown V late in the third quarter added to the rout.

Howard (0-1), an FCS school, hung around in the first half thanks to redshirt sophomore quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins and a defense that made just enough timely stops to limit Rutgers’ offense.

In his first collegiate start, Scroggins was 14-of-25 passing for 116 yards and ran 12 times for 67 yards. His 26-yard completion to Isiah Williams got the Bison going on a 10-play, 76-yard drive late in the second quarter. Eden James’ 2-yard touchdown run pulled Howard within 14-7.

The Scarlet Knights needed only four plays to get in position to score again, thanks mostly to Monangai’s 31-yard run and a personal foul by the Bison that added 15 yards. Jai Patel booted a 36-yard field goal with four seconds to go before intermission for a 17-7 lead.

Rutgers’ defense began the scoring when Eric Rogers returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown with just under nine minutes left in the first quarter.

Kaliakmanis’ 3-yard pass to Kenny Fletcher pushed the lead to 38-7 with about four minutes to play, and freshman Antwan Raymond scored on an 11-yard rush as time expired.

The Scarlet Knights finished with a 476-261 advantage in total yards, although the gap was only 204-142 after the first half.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2023; Bronx, NY, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) celebrates his touchdown against Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter with Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Isaiah Washington (14) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers takes down Miami to capture Pinstripe Bowl

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Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and Rutgers rallied in the second half to top Miami 31-24 Thursday in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

Monangai ripped off a 40-yard run to the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter that set up Wimsatt’s second 1-yard touchdown sneak with 11:51 remaining in the game, increasing the Scarlet Knights’ advantage to 28-17.

Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat the Hurricanes for the first time in 12 meetings, dating back to the schools’ time in the Big East Conference. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.

Miami (7-6) took its only lead with 10:33 left in the third quarter on Jacurri Brown’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Restrepo. But the Scarlet Knights regained the lead with 5:06 left in the period when Timmy Ward recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.

Brown was 20-of-31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start. He also ran for two touchdowns, including a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left that got the Hurricanes within seven points.

Miami recovered an onside kick but was stopped on downs at the Rutgers’ 47-yard line with seven seconds remaining.

Rutgers dominated the first quarter and a half behind a physical ground game coupled with a stifling defense. The Scarlet Knights chewed up the game’s first 8:06 with a 75-yard drive that Wimsatt capped with a 1-yard sneak.

Rutgers made it 14-0 at the 7:37 mark of the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Monangai. Rutgers cashed in a 42-yard field, set up after Abram Wright intercepted Brown.

At that point, Miami, which was outgained 115-5 in the first quarter, decided to join the game.

With the help of consecutive personal fouls on the Scarlet Knights’ Aaron Lewis, the Hurricanes got on the board with Brown’s 7-yard scoring jaunt. Then they drove 73 yards inside the final minute to set up a 35-yard field goal by Andres Borregales as time expired, drawing within 14-10 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (2) looks to throw a pass during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers not looking past mistake-prone Michigan State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rutgers aims to move closer to bowl eligibility when it hosts mistake-prone Michigan State in Big Ten action on Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (4-2, 1-2) opened league play with a 24-7 win over Northwestern on Sept. 3 and then took a 31-7 loss at No. 2 Michigan on Sept. 23. After rebounding with an easy 52-3 victory over visiting Wagner, the Scarlet Knights underwhelmed in last Saturday’s 24-13 loss at Wisconsin.

Rutgers trailed 17-0 at halftime before Aaron Young caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Evan Simon early in the third quarter. Simon was filling in for Gavin Wimsatt, who threw a 95-yard pick-6 just before halftime and was briefly in the medical tent.

Wimsatt returned to throw an 11-yard TD to Ian Strong late in the fourth and is expected to start Saturday against Michigan State (2-3, 0-2).

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said his team shouldn’t look past the struggling Spartans despite an upcoming date with No. 3 Ohio State.

“To me, every game is you give it every single thing you’ve got,” Schiano said. “If you start looking at this game is more important than that game, if I coach different against Wagner than I did against Wisconsin, then shame on me, they should get rid of me. The preparation is the same. The attitude’s the same. The focus is the same.

“That’s what professionals do, and that’s what I fully expect from our staff every week. This is a big game. It’s a Big Ten game. They are all big.”

Michigan State has been outscored 98-32 in its three-game losing streak, capped by a 26-16 setback at Iowa in its most recent game on Sept. 30.

The Spartans had a six-point lead early in the third but gave up the final 16 points, including a 70-yard punt return touchdown. Noah Kim was intercepted three times, prompting a potential change at quarterback this week to either Katin Houser or Sam Leavitt.

The Spartans have committed nine turnovers in their past two games and 12 overall.

“We have to cut down on our turnovers,” interim coach Harlon Barnett said. “If we do that, we win the previous two games actually because we outgained them in yards and time of possession but that turnover battle is what got us.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) passes the ball as Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) pressures during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers, Michigan State battle with bowl hopes in jeopardy

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Right now, the math is pretty simple for both Rutgers and Michigan State.

Each team is 4-5 going into a noon kickoff on Saturday at Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., so the Scarlet Knights and Spartans know it will take two wins in their last three games to gain bowl eligibility.

The loser on Saturday will have to win its last two games to become bowl-eligible, so the incentive will be great for each squad despite their place at or near the bottom of the Big Ten East standings.

Host Michigan State is coming off its best performance of the year, where it earned a 23-15 win at then-No. 16 Illinois.

It was a resilient performance given the Spartans suspended eight players following a fight in the tunnel after a 29-7 loss to Michigan the week before and had to rely on more youngsters than desired to fill key roles.

The win gave a jolt to a Michigan State team that had lost five of six games following a 2-0 start, but Spartans coach Mel Tucker wasn’t in the mood to talk about bowl eligibility on Monday.

“We don’t need to talk about winning out and bowl eligibility and things like that,” Tucker said. “We need to focus on what it takes to prepare to be in a position to win games.”

On the other side, Rutgers comes in reeling following a 52-17 home loss to Michigan, a game that saw the Scarlet Knights outscored 38-0 in the second half after leading 17-14 at halftime.

Rutgers started off the year 3-0 but has since lost five of six games.

But Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said after the Michigan game that he sees progress.

“We couldn’t have done what we did in the first half back in September,” Schiano said. “We’ve definitely gotten better. Just not good enough to beat that team. But we’re getting better. There’s no doubt about that.”

Rutgers will continue to start Gavin Wimsatt at quarterback after he went 14 of 29 for 166 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions against Michigan. He has a 43.5 percent completion rate this season with two touchdowns and six picks.

The Spartans are led by Payton Thorne, who has completed 64.4 percent of his throws for 1,896 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Michigan State won last year’s meeting at Rutgers, 31-13.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Noah Vedral (0) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Casey Thompson guides Nebraska’s comeback at Rutgers

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Casey Thompson threw two second-half touchdown passes and Nebraska rallied from down 13 at the half to beat Rutgers 14-13 in a Big Ten Conference game on Friday night in Piscataway, N.J.

Thompson’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Trey Palmer with 8:54 left was the game-winner. The score came one play after Myles Farmer intercepted Rutgers quarterback Evan Simon, who was picked off three times in the second half.

After throwing two interceptions in the first half, Thompson finished with 232 yards on 24-of-36 passing to help Nebraska (3-3, 2-1 Big Ten) snap a 10-game skid in one-score games.

Down 13-0 at the half, Nebraska got on the board with a 7-yard touchdown catch by tight end Travis Vokolek, who began his career at Rutgers. The Cornhuskers converted a fourth-and-2 from the Rutgers 26 earlier in the drive.

The Nebraska defense held Rutgers (3-3, 0-3) to 85 yards in the second half after allowing 263 in the opening half. The Scarlet Knights had one last chance, getting the ball at their own 20-yard line with 1:03 to go, but Simon was intercepted by Malcolm Hartzog near midfield three plays later.

Rutgers scored on its opening possession for the third consecutive game, with quarterback Noah Vedral running for a 21-yard touchdown. Vedral, who played for Nebraska in 2018 and ’19, had 160 yards of total offense but connected on just 6 of 15 passes.

Simon was 6 of 15 for 100 yards and three interceptions.

A blocked punt by the Scarlet Knights’ Max Melton set up a Jude McAtamney 25-yard field goal late in the first quarter, putting Rutgers up 10-0. McAtamney added a 40-yard field goal midway through the second quarter for a 13-0 edge.

Melton also had one of Rutgers’ two interceptions in the first half.

Nebraska snapped a six-game losing streak in road or neutral-site games, temporarily moving into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten’s West Division. Rutgers absorbed its 21st consecutive home loss in conference play.

The Cornhuskers remain on the road when they visit Purdue on Oct. 15, while Rutgers has a bye before hosting Indiana on Oct. 22.

–Field Level Media