RUTGERS (1-0) vs. TEMPLE (1-0)
September 9, 2023 • 7:30 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.
 
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coming off a Big Ten win, Rutgers football moves to non-conference play week two in hosting Temple Saturday at SHI Stadium. The Blackout is presented by Rutgers Health and is set for a 7:30 p.m. start on Big Ten Network.

Fans are encouraged to wear black and arrive early to see the pregame band performance plus the light show during the team walk-out. The team will wear its black uniforms and helmets. All Rutgers students in attendance and the first 3,000 fans will receive free blackout t-shirts.

The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, will open at 3:30 p.m. Starting at 4 p.m., the Rutgers men's basketball team will sign autographs, presented by Knights of the Raritan. Come out and enjoy the top food trucks in New Jersey, experience free rides, games, interactive experiences, prizes and live entertainment. The pregame parade, presented by Horizon, and pep rally featuring the Scarlet Knight Marching Band, Spirit Team, the Scarlet Knight horse "Excalibur" with the Knight and the football team arrival will begin at 4:45pm.

Giveaways for the day include black "Beat Temple" buttons, shakers, Blackout t-shirts for all students and the Blackout version of the limited-edition new Rutgers comic series. The halftime entertainment showcases the band with a Blackout-themed performance and a fireworks display.



The Blackout will celebrate Spirit Day, where all youth cheer and dance programs that participate will perform on the field with the Rutgers Spirit Squad.

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 game will broadcast on 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: Joe Beninati
Analyst: Brock Vereen
Sideline: Tamara Brown

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 134 or 196, 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
Eddie Kalegi, Alex Carmenaty, Jessica Buckley


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers seeks to start 2-0 for the third-straight season.
• Rutgers is 7-2 in September games since 2021.
• Rutgers is 9-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers is 16-10 in home night games with fans under head coach Greg Schiano (excludes 2020).
• Rutgers saw 14 players make their team debut in the opener, nine make their collegiate debut and three earn their first career start.
 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers opened the season with a 24-7 Big Ten victory over Northwestern. It was the first time since joining the conference it began a campaign with a Big Ten home game.
• Rutgers scored touchdowns on a pair of 16-play drives to start the game, running 32 of the first 37 plays and ending with a time of possession of 37:56, the second-highest mark in a Big Ten play.
• The defense held the Wildcats to 201 total yards and 12 rushing yards, the fewest permitted by RU in a Big Ten game.
• DL Rene Konga, DB Shaquan Loyal, LB Tyreem Powell, LB Mohamed Toure and DL Kenny Fletcher all registered sacks, while DB Robert Longerbeam and DB Max Melton recorded interceptions.
• Rutgers allowed just one touchdown, the fourth time in Big Ten play allowing one or fewer in a game. The Scarlet Knights held the Wildcats scoreless until 19 seconds remaining in the game.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt accounted for both a rushing and passing score, as he completed 17 passes for 163 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to WR Ian Strong. RB Kyle Monangai rushed for 49 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to pace RU's rushing attack.
• Rutgers allowed no sacks, the seventh overall and fourth time in a Big Ten game since 2020. The Scarlet Knights improved to 28-3 under head coach Greg Schiano when permitting no sacks in a game.
• Rutgers improved to 11-4 in season openers under Schiano. It was the fourth-straight season RU won its opener, improving to 81-64-9 all-time.
 

OFFENSE

• Kirk Ciarrocca is in his first season back as Rutgers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Ciarrocca, who has over 30 years of coaching experience (19 as an offensive coordinator), returns to Piscataway after serving on Schiano's staff for three seasons and winning two bowl games from 2008-10. He has previously been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 26 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round).
• QB Gavin Wimsatt went 17-of-29 with a touchdown pass and touchdown rush in the season opener. He completed passes to eight different receivers, with WR Ian Strong bringing in a score. RB Kyle Monangai led the team with 49 rushing yards, while RB Ja'shon Benjamin rushed 20 times for 46 yards.
• Rutgers did not allow a sack versus Northwestern and went 8-for-18 on third down and 3-for-3 on fourth down.


 

DEFENSE

• Joe Harasymiak is in his second season as defensive coordinator and was named a nominee for the 2022 Broyles Award. Statistically, the unit allowed 46.7 less yards per game last season compared to 2021, 28.1 less passing yards and 18.6 less rushing yards. The Scarlet Knights posted their best mark in total defense (349.8) in 10 years.
• LB Deion Jennings led the team with nine tackles in the season opener, while DL Kenny Fletcher and DL Rene Konga each had strip sacks.
• DB Robert Longerbeam and DB Max Melton both have 17 career pass breakups, as each hauled in an interception week one.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• RU has blocked 67 kicks under head coach Greg Schiano (12 times scoring off a blocked punt), including five in 2022. That includes 12 games under Schiano with multiple blocked kicks.
• PK Jai Patel connected on a 32-yard field goal and three extra points in his collegiate debut. PK Jude McAtamney booted a touchback on all five kickoffs.
• P Flynn Appleby netted 39.4 yards with no return yards and 4-of-5 attempts downed inside the 20 in collegiate debut.


 

VERSUS TEMPLE

• Rutgers will take on Temple for the 39th time, leading the series, 23-15, and having won the last six meetings. The Scarlet Knights are 15-6 at home versus the Owls.
• This will be the third-straight season the teams meet on the gridiron.
• Rutgers has only played three FBS teams more than Temple: Army (44), Syracuse (44) and West Virginia (39). The game was played every season between 1977-2004.
• Last season in Philadelphia, Rutgers picked up a comeback road win in defeating Temple, 16-14. Temple scored first with a touchdown drive, but Rutgers responded with a 45-yard field goal by PK Jude McAtamney and a 43-yard pick-six by DB Shaquan Loyal, his first career interception. McAtamney added two field goals in the second half and the defense made a late fourth-down stop to hold the lead. TE Johnny Langan rushed for 38 yards to help burn the final 2:25 of clock and seal the victory. DL Aaron Lewis recorded a career-high 11 tackles with two for loss and a forced fumble.
• Propelled by an early safety on a sack by LB Olakunle Fatukasi in the 2021 season opener, Rutgers raced out to a 26-0 lead and tacked on to claim a 61-14 season-opening win over Temple. The Scarlet Knights scored at least 10 points in each quarter in a game for the first time since at Fresno State in 2013. Rutgers scored five different ways on 10 scores, a safety, a field goal, a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and an interception return touchdown. The Scarlet Knights picked up six rushing touchdowns overall, the most in a game in the Schiano era. Rutgers won the turnover battle, 5-0, with three fumbles recovered and two interceptions, including a pick-six by DB Max Melton. Rutgers won the field position game by averaging starting at own 47 compared to Temple beginning at own 22.
• Rutgers set a school record with 36 first downs in the 62-0 victory over Temple at Giants Stadium in 1993, also setting program single-game highs with 10 turnovers forced and seven interceptions in the 25-0 shutout win in 1954. The longest pass play in team history came in 1977 versus the Owls, 95 yards from Bert Kosup to George Carter.
• Terrell Willis' 232 rushing yards in the 1994 home win still stands as Rutgers' stadium record, as he finished with 326 all-purpose yards, which is now second-most in a game in program history.
• Rutgers has had 10 games versus Temple with a player rushing for at least 100 yards, eight with a player totaling at least 100 receiving yards and five with a player passing for 300 or more yards (most versus any opponent).
• The first meeting between the programs took place in 1948, a 34-20 Rutgers home victory.
• Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is a 1990 graduate of Temple and started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Owls (1990-91). Wide receivers coach Dave Brock served as Temple's offensive coordinator from 2002-04. Running backs coach Damiere Shaw is from Chester, Pennsylvania, graduated from Temple in 2016 and served on the Owls' coaching staff from 2013-16.
• Rutgers has 13 players on the roster from Pennsylvania: RB Samuel Brown V (Philadelphia), WR Davoun Fuse (Washington), PK/P Michael Hartshorn (Clarks Summit), WR JaQuae Jackson (Pittsburgh), OL Cole Kozlowski (Holland), DB Kareem Lewis (Philadelphia), OL Tyler Needham (Newton), QB Colin O'Sullivan (Fort Washington), QB Evan Simon (Mount Joy), DL Cam'Ron Stewart (Shillington), OL Emir Stinette (Philadelphia), DB Timmy Ward (Canton) and RB Aaron Young (Coatesville).
• Rutgers game highs versus Temple:
Rushing Yards: Terrell Willis, 232 (1994)
Passing Yards: Gary Nova, 371 (2013)
Receiving Yards: Gary Melton, 155 (1991)
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers wraps up its three-game homestand hosting Virginia Tech on Sept. 16 at SHI Stadium, presented by PNC Bank. The programs last met at the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl and will play in New Jersey for the first time since 2003. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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