Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football
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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football program represents
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
in the
Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Rutgers competes as a member of the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
. Prior to joining the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights were a member of the
American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...
(formerly the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
) from 1991 to 2013. Rutgers plays its home games at
SHI Stadium SHI Stadium is the football stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse use the venue for home games. It is located on the Busch Campu ...
, in
Piscataway, New Jersey Piscataway ( ) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of the New York metropolitan area, in the Raritan River, Raritan Valley. As of the 2020 United ...
. The team is currently led by head coach Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights football team is also notable for playing in the first collegiate football game in 1869, in which the Scarlet Knights won 6–4.


History


Early history (1869–1958)

On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University and
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
competed in the first intercollegiate football game. The site for the contest was a small plot of land on what is now College Avenue on Rutgers' campus in
New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
and rugby-style contest in which players were allowed to kick and bat the ball with their fists and hands, instead of modern-day football. At the time, Rutgers was referred to as the Queensmen, a homage to the school's chartered name of Queen's College. The Rutgers squad was captained by William J. Leggett and donned scarlet kerchiefs atop their heads in an effort to distinguish between the two teams. Rutgers won the contest by a score of 6–4. A week after the first game was held in New Brunswick, Rutgers visited Princeton for a second matchup. This time, Princeton prevailed by a score of 8–0. Rutgers and Princeton had planned for a third game in the 1869 season, but the contest never took place due to fears that the games were interfering with the students' studies. Thus, both schools would end the season with a record of 1–1. From 1929 to 1975, Rutgers was a member of the Middle Three Conference, which consisted of a round-robin against
Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
and
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...
. J. Wilder Tasker served as the head football coach of the Queensmen football program for seven seasons, from 1931 to 1937. Under his leadership, the Scarlet Knights compiled a record of 31–27–5. Tasker was replaced by Harvey Harman, who led the team from 1938 through the 1940s and into the 1950s (Rutgers did not field a football team from 1942 to 1946 due to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
). Harvey Harman's record was 33–26–1 in a total of 14 seasons. Succeeding Tasker was John Stiegman, who compiled a record of 22–15 in four seasons. Starting in 1940, the 'conference champion' received the Little Brass Cannon. Following Lehigh's capture of the Little Brass Cannon in 1951, Rutgers became an independent team in 1952, Rutgers still played games against Lafayette and the Middle Three round-robin in the 1953 season.


John Bateman era (1960–1972)

John Bateman succeeded Stiegman and coached the Scarlet Knights for 13 seasons, compiling a record of 73–51. After compiling an 8–1 record in their first year under Bateman, the 1961 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team compiled a perfect 9–0 record, the first undefeated season in program history, and won the Middle Atlantic Conference University Division championship. Center Alex Kroll was the 1961 team captain and selected as a consensus All-American. In 1961, Rutgers was one of two major teams to compile a perfect season, Alabama being the other. The Scarlet Knights were considered a contender for the Rose Bowl, but were not selected because university president Mason Welch Gross did not express the same interest with the Rose Bowl's organizers. Rutgers also compiled an 8–2 campaign in 1968. Although Rutgers continued to be a part of the Middle Three until 1975, Rutgers became a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference from 1958 to 1961. Rutgers won the conference championship in three of those four years (1958, 1960, and 1961) and was awarded the Wilmington Touchdown Club Trophy. Rutgers then again became independent, and then remained so until it joined the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
in
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
.


Frank Burns era (1973–1983)

Frank Burns Frank Burns may refer to: * Frank Burns (Pennsylvania politician) (born 1975), Pennsylvania politician * Frank Burns (Delaware politician), Delaware state representative * Frank L. Burns (1939–2003), director of the US Army's Delta Force leadersh ...
was promoted from assistant coach, to head coach after John Bateman's departure, under Burns, the Scarlet Knights enjoyed eight consecutive winning seasons, which included a 9–2 campaign in the 1975 season, and a perfect 11–0 season in 1976, followed by winning records of 8–3, 9–3, 8–3 and 7–4 seasons. In
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, Rutgers declined an invitation to play an unranked McNeese State University team at the inaugural Independence Bowl, by feeling snubbed by more prestigious bowl games despite their 11–0 perfect season. In 1978, Rutgers appeared in its first bowl game, the Garden State Bowl, which it lost to Arizona State by a score of 34–18. However, with consecutive 5–6 campaigns in 1981 and 1982, and a 3–8 record in 1983, resulted in Frank Burns being dismissed as Rutgers head coach. Frank Burns left Rutgers with a 78–43–1 overall record.


Dick Anderson era (1984–1989)

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
offensive line coach Dick Anderson was hired to replace Burns in 1984. The Scarlet Knights mostly struggled during Dick Anderson's tenure as head coach despite winning records in 1984, 1986 and 1987, which resulted in Anderson's firing after the end of the 1989 season.


Doug Graber era (1990–1995)

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defensive coordinator Doug Graber took over the Rutgers football program starting in 1990. Under Graber's tutelage, the Scarlet Knights achieved winning seasons in 1991 and 1992, but struggled to maintain consistency and, following a 4–7 campaign in 1995, Graber was fired with two years remaining on his original seven-year contract. Rutgers joined the Big East Conference in all sports in 1991. The team struggled to compete throughout the 1990s, facing powerhouse teams from
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
,
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
on a yearly basis.


Terry Shea era (1996–2000)

Longtime assistant coach Terry Shea was hired to replace Graber in December 1995, However, the Rutgers program suffered its worst five-year stretch in program history. Shea's tenure not only failed to produce a single winning season, it failed to win more than three games in a single season with the exception of a 5–6 campaign in 1998. After the 2000 season Shea was fired.


Greg Schiano era (2001–2011)

Greg Schiano took over as head coach after Terry Shea's termination. Despite some early recruiting successes, his first four years resulted in losing seasons. In 2005, the team achieved its first winning season since Graber's 7-4 campaign in 1992, which notched them a rematch bowl berth against Arizona State in the 2005 Insight Bowl. In that game, Rutgers lost 45–40 in a shootout, but was led by a 100-yard rushing performance from freshman running back Ray Rice. In 2006, Rutgers started the season with nine straight wins, culminating in a momentous eighteen-point comeback victory at home against the
Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...
, ranked third at the time, in what became known as the "Pandemonium In Piscataway." Kicker Jeremy Ito sealed the 28–25 win with a field goal. The following week, Rutgers got to its highest polling rank in school history, topping out at No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the BCS. At year's end, the Scarlet Knights had a record of 11–2 and a postseason rank of No. 12 in the AP Poll, with a victory in the postseason: Rutgers beat Kansas State 37–10 in the Texas Bowl. It was the first bowl win in Rutgers history. The following year, Rutgers received its first preseason rank in the AP Poll at No. 16. 2007 was an up-and-down year for the Scarlet Knights, rising into the Top 10 for the second consecutive year, only to suffer back-to-back losses. Highlighted by a 30–27 upset over second ranked
South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...
, and ended with an 8–5 record and a 52–30 victory over Ball State in the International Bowl. 2008 saw Rutgers again go 8–5, beginning the year 1–5 with a slow start, before seven straight victories to finish the season, winning 29–23 in the PapaJohns.com Bowl with a victory over NC State. In 2009, Rutgers entered the season as the favorite to win the Big East Conference. However, the season opener was a loss to Cincinnati, who would end up with a perfect regular season—and the conference title. Rutgers finished the season with a 9–4 record, defeating UCF 45–24 in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Rutgers' streak of five consecutive bowl appearances ended in 2010, a year marred by a spinal cord injury suffered by defensive lineman Eric LeGrand in the sixth game of the season against
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
. Rutgers lost its final six games that year, and finished with a record of 4–8. In 2011 Rutgers finished 9–4 with a postseason win over Iowa State 27–13 in the Pinstripe Bowl. After the 2011 season, Schiano left Rutgers less than a week before
National Signing Day National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school that is a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
to become the head coach of the NFL's
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. Schiano left Rutgers with a 68–67 overall record. Schiano also finished 5–1 overall in the post season in eleven years as head coach. He left Rutgers ranked second on the all-time wins list.


Kyle Flood era (2012–2015)

Kyle Flood was promoted from offensive line coach and took over as head coach after Schiano's departure. He was the 29th head coach in Rutgers football history. In 2012, Rutgers began the season 7–0, including a 35–26 defeat of
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
on the road in Fayetteville. The team reached a No. 15 ranking in both the BCS and AP Polls, before a surprise homecoming loss to Kent State by a score of 35–23. Rutgers would go on to finish the regular season 9–3, including a heartbreaking 20–17 loss to
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in the last game of the season, in which the winner would clinch the conference's BCS Bowl berth. Rutgers suffered yet another bowl loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl, dropping an overtime decision to former Big East foe
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
by a score of 13–10. In November 2012, Rutgers was announced as a formal expansion acquisition of the Big Ten Conference, alongside rival
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
of the ACC. Both Maryland and Rutgers were unanimously accepted to join the conference in all sports, effective July 1, 2014. Before this, however, Rutgers competed for one season in the
American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...
, created from the remaining teams of the Big East Conference. Despite high expectations, Rutgers had an underwhelming 2013 season in the AAC, finishing 6–7 after losing the New Era Pinstripe Bowl to Notre Dame by a score of 29–16. 2014 marked Rutgers football's first official season of Big Ten play, with conference home games against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
,
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, and
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, as well as road games against Ohio State,
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
, Michigan State, and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. Rutgers finished the 2014 season in the Big Ten with a conference record of 3–5, including its first Big Ten Conference win over conference member Michigan, and an overall record of 7–5. Rutgers became bowl-eligible with that record and earned an invitation to play on December 26, 2014, in the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, where it trounced
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
40–21 and capped off its inaugural Big Ten season at 8–5. After the 2014 season, the Scarlet Knights were awarded their first Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, being recognized as the top team in the eastern region. Looking to back up its strong showing in 2014 with another successful campaign in the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights struggled in 2015, beleaguered before the onset of the season by the arrest of multiple active players on assault-related charges. During the season, the Scarlet Knights failed to gain traction, finishing 4–8 with a 1–7 Big Ten Record. Amid the disappointment of a poor season and off-the field issues, both head coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann were both fired on November 29, 2015.


Chris Ash era (2016–2019)

On December 7, 2015, Rutgers officially announced Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash as the Scarlet Knights' new head football coach, becoming the 30th head coach in program history. Rutgers posted a 2–10 record in Ash's first season, in the 2016 campaign. In 2017, Rutgers started their first 4 games with only 1 win against Morgan State by the score of 65–0. They won their second game of the season in Illinois, for their first Big Ten win in 2 years. Rutgers finished 4–8 overall in Chris Ash second season as head coach. In 2018, Rutgers had a disappointing season, finishing 1–11 in Chris Ash third season as head coach. Rutgers won their home season opener against Texas State 35–7. Rutgers finished last in Big Ten play. Chris Ash, entering his fourth season as head coach, started the 2019 Rutgers football season with a win over the UMass Minutemen 48–21. On September 29, 2019, a day after a 52–0 loss to
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, Ash was fired as the Rutgers football head coach. Assistant Nunzio Campanile would replace him as interim head coach. Chris Ash had a dismal record in the four seasons he was with the Scarlet Knights, he finished 8–32 overall.


Greg Schiano's return (2020–present)

On December 1, 2019, Rutgers and Greg Schiano agreed to an 8-year, $32 million contract that would see him return as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights. The 2020 season presented unforeseen challenges dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Playing a Big Ten-only schedule, the Scarlet Knights were one of just two teams in the conference to play all nine of its scheduled games. Rutgers, despite missing spring and summer camp, matched the program high with three Big Ten victories, all away to equal the number of league road wins the previous six seasons combined. Rutgers finished the 2020 season 3–6 overall. The program also achieved academic success with 46 student-athletes recognized on the Fall Academic All-Big Ten list, the most for the Scarlet Knights since joining the conference. The team posted its highest GPA ever as a program during the spring 2020 semester. In 2021 Schiano's second season back as head coach and playing a full schedule, Rutgers went 5–7 overall. It was an improvement but also disappointing given that expectations were for bowl eligibility. However On December 23, the NCAA football oversight committee approved Rutgers as the first bowl alternate, under rules whereby five-win teams are ranked by Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculations. Rutgers finished first in APR among the five-win schools and was given the option to accept the bid. Rutgers accepted the bowl bid to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to play against Wake Forest with only a week of preparation for the game, Rutgers would go on to lose by a score of 38–10. In 2022, Rutgers won their first three games of the season, then would go on to win only one game the rest of the season, winning against the
Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...
for their only conference win, finishing the season with a disappointing 4–8 overall record. However, despite the team's losing record, it was a milestone year for head coach Greg Schiano becoming the all-time winningest coach in the programs history with 79 career wins, passing legendary coach Frank Burns 78 career wins. In 2023 Rutgers won seven games to secure its first winning season since 2014. The Scarlet Knights picked up three Big Ten wins to match the program high previously set in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Rutgers strength of schedule was ranked second nationally heading into bowl season and finished number four and highest among Big Ten teams according to the ESPN College Football Power Index. Eight opponents from the regular season appeared in bowl games. Rutgers solid defense and running back Kyle Monangai who rushed for 1,262 yards with 8 touchdowns led the Scarlet Knights to the postseason where Rutgers defeated the
Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes, known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes, are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...
in the Pinstripe Bowl by a score of 31–24 in which Monangai rushed for 163 yards and 1 rushing touchdown and was the MVP of the game. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights under Schiano in 2024 finished 7–6 overall, including a tough disappointing loss in the post season bowl game to Kansas State in the Rate Bowl by a score of 44–41 in a barnburner to conclude the 2024 campaign.


Conference affiliations

* Middle States Intercollegiate Football League (1893–1894) * Middle Three Conference (1946–1951) * Middle Atlantic Conference (University Division) (1958–1961) *
Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
(1991–2012) *
American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...
(2013) *
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
(2014–present)


Championships


National championships

Rutgers has one national championship.


Conference championships

Rutgers has one conference championship. † Co-champions


Bowl games

Rutgers has played in 13 bowl games, with a postseason record of 7–6.Rutgers Historical Scores
at Division I-A Historical Scores, published by James Howell. Accessed on 12 January 2007.


Head coaches

There have been 29 head coaches of the Rutgers football team, 4 of whom have served in multiple tenures. Greg Schiano is currently the head coach. † Interim


Logos and uniforms

Traditional uniforms have featured red jerseys, white pants, and red helmets but the particular style has changed many times over the years. The helmets, in particular, have featured a wide range of logos. The Block R logo has seen various forms over the years but what fans now consider the "traditional" team logo debuted in 2001. Between 2012 and 2016, the uniform featured a distinctive chrome helmet with a rotation of red, black, and white jerseys that are based on the team's knight mascot. Rutgers returned to more of their traditional uniform (red jerseys, white pants, and red helmets) in 2016. Black jerseys have been rarely used by the team. Although black pants were worn on a couple of occasions with white jerseys on the road, the black jerseys (with black pants) have only been used eight times, in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2019, Rutgers sent a cease-and-desist letter about the Block R logo to Ruston High School in Ruston, Louisiana. The controversy was reported by national media outlets. In September 2022, Rutgers unveiled new, white uniforms with red trim and matching white helmets at the season opener against Boston College.


Traditions


The "Scarlet Walk"

Prior to every home football game, the team travels down the "Scarlet Walk" greeting fans and the players touch the "First Game" statue commemorating the first ever college football game played in 1869.


The Cannon

A cannon is fired after a Rutgers touchdown and at the end of a game with a Rutgers win.


The call-and-response

A chant where one side of the stadium yells "R" and the other side responds with "U".


Recognized players

Rutgers has had many key contributing players in its 156-year history of college football. Dating back to the 1910s, the university has had several All-American candidates as well as a couple of once potential Heisman Trophy candidates in its history. 1910s
Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 â€“ January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
, born in Princeton, NJ played under future College Football Hall of Fame coach George Sanford. In his junior and senior years, playing as an end, Robeson was selected as an All-American in
1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
and
1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...
. After college, he played three years in the early NFL, first with the
Akron Pros The Akron Pros were a professional American football, football team that played in Akron, Ohio, Akron, Ohio from 1908 to 1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-professional, semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, but later became Akron Pros ...
in 1921 and then the
Milwaukee Badgers The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team, based in Milwaukee, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee ...
in 1922. Robeson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1995. 1920s Homer Hazel first played for Rutgers in 1915, and then from 1923 to 1924. He was twice named an All-American, as an end in
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
and a fullback in 1924. Hazel was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1951. 1950s Bill Austin, a native of Fanwood, NJ was one of the first recognized players from Rutgers. Gifted with a twisting and elusive running style, Austin led the Scarlet Knights in rushing three straight seasons. Despite being undersized at 5'11 and 170 lbs, he rushed for 2,073 yards while ranking up 204 points in his career with Rutgers. His 32-touchdown career ranks second in the Rutgers annals among all-time scorers and he also had a total of 13 interceptions from his defensive back position, which is one short of all-time mark. Austin was inducted into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and was recognized as an AP All-American in 1958. That year, Austin led the team to an 8–1 record, though the team could've gone 9-0 if Austin did not sit out the Quantico Marines game with an apparent hand injury. Austin was also considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, though the award was won by Pete Dawkins of Army that year. Austin went on to play for the Washington Redskins after being drafted in 1959. 1960s By the 1960s, Alex Kroll came onto the scene as a formidable opponent. At 6'2 228 lbs playing center, Kroll played and was enrolled at Yale for two seasons before serving in the Army. He later formed a bond with the football captains at Rutgers before deciding to transfer there. Kroll was extremely physical in the trenches, giving way to his spot as the captain of the team in 1961. In his senior year biography, "his performance and leadership in 1960 helped Rutgers to a season which surpassed even the most optimistic of the previews. He has size, speed, hustle, and an uncanny ability to call defenses best equipped to stop the enemy." Kroll was an excellent student in the classroom, played linebacker at times, and helped lead Rutgers to a 17–1 record in his time at Rutgers, earning him AP All-American center award in the undefeated season of 1961. 1970s The 1970s featured several great players for the Scarlet Knights. From 1971 to 1973, running back JJ Jennings tore up the record books, ranking him third all time at Rutgers with 2,935 yards rushing. He also led the nation in scoring during the 1973 season, with Honorable Mention on the list of the AP All-American team. In the late 1970s, Rutgers football, led by coach Frank R. Burns, showed the nation its capabilities with an undefeated record in 1976 (11–0). That year included Rutgers star defensive tackle, Nate Toran, who finished his career with 52 sacks including 17 in 1976. Toran earned third team AP All-American that year, joined by honorable mentions John Alexander, Jim Hughes, Henry Jenkins, and Mark Twitty. 1980s An array of different players from the 1980s led Rutgers to match-ups against teams such as Penn State, Michigan State, Alabama, and more. During that time, Deron Cherry, a standout safety for Rutgers, was an honorable AP All-American in 1980, followed by his teammate Ed McMichael. Other standouts included Jim Dumont Sr. and Tyronne Stowe, who holds the all-time record of 533 tackles. In the late 1980s, Scott Erney was an Honorable AP All-American mention, leading the team to key victories in 1988 over Michigan State and Penn State. Wide receiver Eric Young, who later went on to play baseball in the MLB, He was also another Honorable AP All-American mention. 1990s The early 1990s brought in a great recruiting class for Rutgers football, featuring running backs Bruce Presley and Terrell Willis. Together they were known as "Thunder and Lightning," they racked up 5,889 yards combined earning Presley with second team Freshman All-American honors in 1992, and Willis with first team Freshman All-American honors in 1993. In 1994, tight end Marco Battaglia came onto the scene as a force. In his career "on the banks," Marco went from 27 catches, to 58, to 69 catches in 1995. With great size at 6'3", 245 lbs, he was drafted in the second round of the
1996 NFL draft The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 20–21, 1996 NFL seas ...
. 2000s Running back Ray Rice is a player who has stood out as a major icon in Rutgers Football. Recruited out of New Rochelle HS in New York, Rice beat out four other running backs his freshman year to earn a starting spot in 2005. He racked up 1,120 yards that season. In 2006, Rice finished second in the nation in rushing and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, given to the best player in the country. By 2007, Rutgers University had set up a Heisman campaign for Rice. By the end of his career, Ray amassed 4,926 yards on the ground with 49 career rushing touchdowns and leads the Rutgers record book in almost every major rushing category. He was second team AP All-American two years in a row in 2006 and 2007. Wide receiver Kenny Britt and defensive back Devin McCourty were both also Honorable Mentions on the AP All-American team. Fullback Brian Leonard recruited out of Gouverneur New York HS, Leonard finished his Rutgers' career ranked fourth all-time in rushing yards with 2,775, fourth all-time in rushing touchdowns with 32, sixth all-time in receiving yards with 1,864, first all-time in receptions with 207, and tied for fourth all-time in receiving touchdowns with 13, second all-time in all-purpose yards with 4,639, and first all-time in total combined touchdowns with 45, and first all-time in career points scored with 272 total. Leonard played for the Scarlet Knights from 2003 to 2006. 2010s Defensive back Logan Ryan played for Rutgers from 2010 to 2012. He was a first team All-Big East. Quarterback Gary Nova recruited out of Don Bosco Prep HS in New Jersey, he played for Rutgers from 2011 to 2014. Nova holds several passing records at Rutgers, with 73 career touchdown passes, making him number one in that category in the programs history. He is also number two in passing yards with 9,258 placing him second behind Mike Teel who passed for 9,383 yards. Nova is also number one in pass attempts and number two in completions in his career at Rutgers. Nova was the team's MVP in the 2014 season. Running back Isiah Pacheco recruited out of Vineland South HS in New Jersey, Pacheco finished his career ranked sixth in the Rutgers record books with 563 carries and seventh with 2,442 rushing yards with an overall total of 19 touchdowns. He also finished 11th in program history with 3,039 all-purpose yards. Punter Adam Korsak out of Melbourne Australia was a special teams weapon for Scarlet Knights. During his career at Rutgers, Korsak set many records. He is the NCAA all-time leader in punting yards with 15,318 and in attempts with 349 and also net punting yards in a season of (45.25 in 2021). He never had a punt blocked in his career at Rutgers. The greatest punter in Rutgers history was recognized as the best in the nation and was named the winner of the 2022 Ray Guy Award. It also marked a historic career for the most prolific punter in FBS history. 2020s Running back Kyle Monangai recruited out of Don Bosco prep HS in New Jersey, was a huge part of Rutgers rebuild under Schiano. Monangai was the first running back to have a 1,000 yard season since Jawan Jamison did in 2012. Kyle rushed for 3,222 yards in his career at Rutgers placing him second in program history. He also had a total of 28 career touchdowns as a Scarlet Knight. He also had zero fumbles in 669 career carries. Monangai earned First Team All-Big Ten honors his senior season in 2024.


Retired numbers

;Notes


Scarlet Knights in the NFL

The Scarlet Knights have had 3 players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. In 2010, Anthony Davis was selected 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Devin McCourty was chosen No. 27 overall by the New England Patriots and in 2009, Kenny Britt was chosen No. 30 overall by the Tennessee Titans. An Associated Press All-America selection, Britt became the first player in Rutgers history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. 2010 also marked the fourth consecutive year that a Scarlet Knights player been taken on the draft's first day after Brian Leonard (2007) and Ray Rice (2008) were both second-round draft selections. In the 2024 NFL draft the Arizona Cardinals drafted Max Melton, he was selected No. 43 overall in the second-round, further bolstering Rutgers presence in the NFL.


Current NFL players who played for Rutgers

As of May 12, 2025, there are a total of 14 Scarlet Knights listed on NFL team rosters. * Jude McAtamney – PK –
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
* Sebastian Joseph-Day – DT –
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
* Robert Longerbeam – CB –
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
* Michael Burton – FB –
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
* Tyreem Powell – LB –
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
* Max Melton – CB –
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
* Hollin Pierce – OL –
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
* Isiah Pacheco – RB –
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
* Christian Braswell – CB –
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
* Kyle Monangai – RB –
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
* Bo Melton – WR –
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
* Christian Izien – CB –
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
* Andrew DePaola – LS –
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
* Kyonte Hamilton – DT –
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...


Local media coverage

Rutgers has a contract with SportsNet New York to air various football-related programming during the season. Previous to its Big Ten membership (where its media rights are mainly a part of the
Big Ten Network Big Ten Network (BTN) is an American sports network based in Chicago, Illinois. The channel is dedicated to coverage of College athletics, collegiate sports sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference, including live and recorded event telecasts, news ...
), this included games produced by ESPN Plus. Football games air on the Rutgers Football Radio Network, the flagship of which as of 2022 is WFAN-AM/ FM in New York. As of 2023, the Rutgers football broadcast team is led by Chris Carlin as play-by-play. Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel is the analyst for games played at home, while the team's road games feature former defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick as analyst. Anthony Fucilli serves as the sideline reporter for all games, with Marc Malusis hosting all studio segments with Eric LeGrand as his co-host analyst. ''Inside Rutgers Football'' is the coach's show of
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
's football team. The show, which debuted at the start of the 2001 season, is hosted by
WNBC WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey†...
's Bruce Beck and features the Scarlet Knights' head football coach.


See also

* The Scarlet-White Game * The First Game *
American football in the United States American football is a form of gridiron football and the most popular sport in the United States. In the United States, the game is most often referred to as simply "football". Football is played in leagues of different size, age and quality, i ...


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 10, 2025.


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football American football teams established in 1869 1869 establishments in New Jersey