Rutgers now knows when it will head to Happy Valley.
The Scarlet Knights’ Nov. 21 road game against Penn State is set for 3:30 p.m., and FS1 will carry the broadcast. Rutgers is home against Nebraska this Saturday at 12:30, but the Big Ten has already locked in the kickoff time for the matchup with the Nittany Lions two weeks later.
By then, both teams will be trying to finish a rough season on a better note. Penn State enters at 5-4, with wins over Temple, Marshall, Buffalo, Purdue and Washington, and losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern, USC and Michigan. The Nittany Lions still need wins in their final three games to secure bowl eligibility.
Rutgers’ path is already closed. The Scarlet Knights have seven losses and cannot reach bowl eligibility, with their only victories coming against Maryland and Howard.
The series history has been one-sided for a long time. Rutgers and Penn State have played 35 times, and the Nittany Lions have won all but two of those meetings.
Rutgers’ last win in the series came in 1988, a 21-16 result. Since then, Penn State has taken the last 18 matchups, including every game in Big Ten play.
Penn State also brings a couple of players Rutgers will have to account for. Quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown for 2,079 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, while linebacker Tony Rojas has piled up 65 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions. Rojas, in particular, could be a problem for a Rutgers offense that has struggled to keep pressure off its quarterbacks all year.
In Other News...
Rutgers Faces A Familiar Nebraska Problem At The Worst Time
Rutgers is back home on Nov. 14 with a chance to steady itself, but the matchup on paper does not offer much comfort. Nebraska comes in as a familiar problem for the Scarlet Knights, and both teams are trying to stop losing streaks before the late-season stretch gets any tighter.
The setting only adds to the pressure because Rutgers is still looking for its first win in the series, and the gap between the programs has shown up in the betting line as well. For a team trying to find some footing, this is the kind of game that can either reset the mood around the program or leave another frustrating chapter in a matchup that has gone Nebraskas way every time. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]