PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers got a jolt from an unlikely source on Saturday night, and it came with a pass.
Jakob Anderson, the Scarlet Knights punter, stepped into the quarterback spotlight and delivered a 40-yard fake punt throw in Rutgers’ 42-35 loss to No. 12 USC. The play landed cleanly, with Anderson hitting safety Jesse Ofurie in stride for a first down at 2:31 of the second quarter.
It wasn’t just a trick play for show. The completion helped spark a drive that turned into points and tightened the game. Five plays after Anderson’s throw, Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan found Elias Coke for a 13-yard touchdown, trimming USC’s lead to 17-14.
For Anderson, the moment was the product of steady work rather than improvisation. He grew up playing Australian rules football, where the ball is kicked rather than thrown forward, so the passing motion has been a different kind of challenge.
"When I first got here, it was something that I knew I had to work on. It definitely wasn't a skill of mine," Anderson said when asked by Scarlet Nation about the fake punt.
"In Australia we pass the ball by kicking it, so it's something that I'm not extremely comfortable with. I dedicate a little bit of time each week to it.
You just never know what could come up and what you have to be ready for. I was glad that I was comfortable enough to execute it tonight."
That work has been happening with special teams coordinator Eddie Allen, who has helped Anderson sharpen both the throw itself and the motion leading into it. The result looked smooth enough to fool the defense and give Rutgers one of the game’s most memorable moments.
It also fit a familiar Rutgers script from Greg Schiano’s first run as head coach, when special teams creativity was part of the program’s identity. On this night, that kind of deception helped the Scarlet Knights stay close to a ranked opponent.
"Jakob did a great job, as did Jesse," Schiano said.
"You know, Jakob Anderson grew up in Australia. They don't throw footballs. He's worked very hard to be able to do that over the last two years."
Anderson’s influence wasn’t limited to the fake punt. He is averaging 48.3 yards per punt this season, easily the best mark of his career. He also uncorked a 70-yard punt on Saturday, though it took a strong bounce and ended as a touchback.
Rutgers added another notable piece to Anderson’s development this offseason by bringing former punter Adam Korsak onto the staff. Korsak, a former Ray Guy Award winner, has Big Ten experience from his time at Rutgers and has been working with Anderson to elevate his game.
"I owe a lot to Adam. He's probably the best mentor I could have, especially in the scheme we run here. Adam's obviously probably the best to ever do it at this level, and the way he went about his craft - it was awesome," Anderson said.
"And to have him here working with me, something I'm very grateful for, and you know, obviously there's a lot of other punters in the Big Ten and around the country, and I know they're all jealous that I get to have Adam at my disposal from day to day. So very fortunate, and I've got a great relationship with him. So it's really cool to have him here."
Afterward, Anderson joked to Korsak that the pass might be the one thing he does in his career that Korsak never will.
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