Rutgers heads into Saturday’s matchup with Nebraska carrying plenty of baggage and a hefty point spread to match.
FanDuel has the Scarlet Knights as 13.5-point underdogs at home, with the over/under set at 53.5 points. Rutgers is still chasing its first win ever against Nebraska, which has owned the series 7-0.
The Knights are trying to stop a three-game slide after getting blown out by Northwestern and Wisconsin and also losing to a struggling Michigan team. Nebraska hasn’t exactly been rolling either, but its skid has looked a little different. The Cornhuskers have dropped four straight to Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Illinois, with three of those defeats coming by a touchdown or less.
Nebraska’s offense starts with Anthony Colandrea, who has put together a solid season overall with 2,100 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. The last month has been rougher, though.
Over the past four games, he has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions. The yardage has still been there, but the scoring has dried up.
Colandrea also brings some run threat, averaging 4.5 yards per carry and scoring four total touchdowns on the ground. That matters against a Rutgers defense that has had trouble with mobile quarterbacks.
The Cornhuskers also have a pair of productive backs in Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson. Rule has 88 carries for 632 yards and five touchdowns, while Nelson has 78 carries for 348 yards and five scores. That combination gives Nebraska a chance to lean on Rutgers’ shaky run defense.
Through the air, Kwazi Gilmer has been Colandrea’s top target, hauling in 46 passes for 603 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, linebacker Owen Chambliss leads Nebraska in tackles, and Jahsear Whittington paces the pass rush with 4.5 sacks.
For Rutgers, this could have been the kind of game that offered a clean path to its first win over Nebraska. But with the Knights also spiraling and possibly missing several of their top offensive players again, the matchup looks a lot less forgiving. How close this one gets may come down to who is actually available for Rutgers.
Rutgers and Nebraska meet Saturday, November 14, at 12:30 p.m. at Rutgers. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.
In Other News...
Rutgers Catches Nebraska In The Middle Of An Offensive Reset
Nebraska is trying to steady its offense in the middle of a season that has forced some hard choices, and Rutgers is catching the Cornhuskers at an interesting moment. Matt Rhule said he does not view the unit as broken, even after the recent struggles, and the program has already shifted responsibilities by putting co-offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas in charge of play-calling after Dana Holgorsen was fired. Rhules message has been less about panic than about support, with an emphasis on helping the players navigate the reset.
For Rutgers, the timing matters because Nebraska is still sorting out what its offense should look like from here, while the rest of the team is being asked to keep its edge in the remaining games. Rhule said the defense gives him confidence and stressed that the players remain committed, but there is still a larger question hanging over the offense and the staff structure around it. The next stretch will say a lot about how quickly Nebraska can settle in, and whether the changes bring stability before the season runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Heads Into Another Painful Penn State Test With Plenty At Stake
Rutgers is heading into another difficult Big Ten afternoon when it meets Penn State on Nov. 21, a matchup that once again puts the Scarlet Knights in the role of heavy underdog. The Nittany Lions are still fighting for bowl eligibility at 5-4, while Rutgers comes in at 2-7 and already out of the postseason picture, which only adds to the contrast between the two programs at this point in the season.
The history between the schools makes the challenge even starker, with Penn State having long held the upper hand in the series. For Rutgers, the trip is less about standings and more about trying to find some traction against a rival that has made this matchup a one-sided affair for years. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Unveils A New Way To Bring More Heroes To Games
Rutgers Athletics and Scarlet Knight Enterprises are teaming with Veteran Tickets Foundation to make it easier for veterans, active-duty military personnel, first responders and their families to get into Rutgers Athletics events at no cost. The partnership also gives season ticket holders a way to donate tickets, adding a community-minded layer to the program while tying it to Vet Tixs broader mission of honoring service members.
The timing lines up with a Military Appreciation game on Nov. 14, a date the school plans to use for special recognitions and activities around the event. For Rutgers, it is another way to turn a game day into something bigger than the scoreboard, with the athletic department looking to deepen its connection to the military and first responder communities across the Scarlet Knights fan base. [Read more 🡒]