Rutgers left Lincoln with nothing to show for Saturday’s trip, getting blanked 31-0 by Nebraska and dropping to 2-8 on the season. It was the Scarlet Knights’ first shutout loss since facing Iowa in 2023, and the game never really tilted back in their direction once Nebraska started stacking long drives.
The first warning sign came immediately. Rutgers opened with a punt, and Nebraska answered with a 16-play, 94-yard touchdown march that chewed up more than nine minutes and ended the first quarter with the Cornhuskers in control. After both teams traded punts to begin the second quarter, Nebraska went right back to work, covering 90 yards in 10 plays for another touchdown and a bigger cushion.
Rutgers did manage to create a few brief openings after halftime, but nothing stuck. The Knights forced a turnover on downs on Nebraska’s first possession of the third quarter, then gave the ball right back with another punt.
Nebraska responded with another touchdown drive. Later, Rutgers’ defense came up with another stop on downs, only for Nebraska to do the same on the next possession before cashing in on the short field with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
A later Nebraska field goal sealed the shutout.
Offensively, Rutgers never found a rhythm. Sean Ashenfelder started at quarterback and completed three of four passes for 18 yards before leaving the game.
AJ Surace took over and finished 4 of 12 for 24 yards with two interceptions. The ground game offered only scattered success, and the Scarlet Knights averaged just 3.1 yards per rush.
Nebraska controlled the game on the ground, piling up 237 rushing yards on 43 carries for 5.5 yards per attempt and two touchdowns. The Cornhuskers also found damage through the air from their tight ends, with Carter Nelson and Luke Lindenmeyer combining for five catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns. Anthony Colandrea and TJ Lateef split quarterback duties and together went 16 of 25 for 192 yards and two scores.
For Rutgers, the loss was another rough night for an offense that was already short-handed. No Lonergan, no Duff, no Asamoah, and those three were sorely missed in this game. The defense, meanwhile, kept running into the same season-long problems without much sign of a fix.
Next up is Penn State, with Rutgers heading to Happy Valley for a 3:30 kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 21. The game will air on Fox Sports 1.
In Other News...
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Rutgers Found Something It Needed Before A Much Bigger Test
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Acting head coach Brandin Knight said the in-game adjustments mattered as Rutgers took control and stayed there. The bigger challenge is next, with Houston waiting on the schedule, and this one offered a useful reminder that the Scarlet Knights can still lean on depth and defensive response when the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]