RUTGERS (4-2, 1-2) vs. UCLA (1-5, 0-4)
October 19, 2024 • Noon ET • FS1
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football takes on UCLA for the first time on Saturday at noon. It will be the Scarlet Knights' fifth game at SHI Stadium in seven outings to start the season. The game, presented by RWJBarnabas Health, is part of Homecoming & Family Weekend on campus.

The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by VisitNJ.org, opens at 8 a.m. and features "Spookfest." Attendees are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating at each of the food trucks. The food trucks will have their standard menu items plus free candy and Halloween giveaways. Following the Scarlet Walk, members of the Rutgers men's and women's basketball teams will be signing autographs across from the stage until 11 a.m.

The Rutgers Boardwalk offers free rides and games, activities, live entertainment and fun for the whole family. Be on the lookout for special performances featuring alumni from both the Marching Scarlet Knights and spirit programs. Members of the Rutgers Kid's Club can stop by the stage to pick up the next edition of the pin series.

A mural of famed actor, singer, scholar, groundbreaking global activist and New Jersey native Paul Robeson will be unveiled in SHI Stadium during the game. Robeson played for Rutgers from 1915-18 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (class of 1995).



Fans will see an improved entry process at SHI Stadium for the remainder of the season. During our efforts to amplify safety measures at SHI Stadium, we have seen these changes present increased congestion at stadium gates and longer than expected wait times. Through the feedback we have received in our postgame surveys from our season ticket holders, fans and guests, the following adjustments will take effect immediately:

• Fans are permitted to enter ALL gates with an approved bag (view bag policy).
• Fans are permitted to walk through the weapons detection system with an approved bag.

In an effort to encourage a safe environment for fans, as well as improve the ease of entry into the stadium, Rutgers continues to use mobile tickets, which can be added to an Apple Wallet or Google Wallet app. Digital tickets provide for contactless entry, which can speed up entry time into the venue and also offers a secure means to transfer and exchange tickets. Representatives from the Rutgers ticket staff will be on hand to help assist customers with any digital ticket-related matters. Fans will also receive mobile parking passes that they can manage like their digital tickets. Fans are encouraged to download mobile tickets and parking passes to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet apps prior to arriving at the stadium.



SHI Stadium is now cashless at all merchandise and concession stands with the exception of parking lots, the ticket office and food trucks on The Rutgers Boardwalk. Cash-to-card kiosks (no fees) are available at sections 104 and 124 to convert cash to a debit card. Cards can be loaded for any value up to $500 and cards will work anywhere in the U.S. that accepts MasterCard. No cardholder information is gathered, while purchases and refunds are handled like any other credit card.

Fans who park in the Jersey Mike's Arena lots can take the free campus buses over to SHI Stadium (MAP). The drop-off area is located at Lot 53A, allowing fans to walk through The Rutgers Boardwalk on the way to the stadium. The return to Jersey Mike's Arena picks up near the Bubble on the Green Lot side. Buses from College Ave will run to Johnson Park and back. All buses operate three hours prior to kickoff and return up to one hour following the conclusion of the game. The ADA shuttles will continue to take passengers to and from the stadium with locations at the Blue Lot, Silver Lot and Jersey Mike's Arena, in service until 2.5 hours after the game.

Guests are advised to review Football Game Day Central before arriving.



TV: FS1 (FOX Sports app)
Play-By-Play: Guy Haberman
Analyst: Yogi Roth
Reporter: Rhett Lewis

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 162/196, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Eric LeGrand
Analyst: Mike Teel
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Julian Pinnix-Odrick

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Philip Jaccoma, Frankie Palumbo & Nick Hart
 

HOMECOMING

• Rutgers is set to host its 90th annual Homecoming game and is 55-33-1. The event has been held every season since 1933, except 1943 and 2020.
• Rutgers defeated Michigan State, 27-24, last season in a memorable Homecoming comeback victory. The Scarlet Knights scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase an 18-point deficit. RU outgained MSU by 140 yards, 120 to minus 20, in the fourth quarter. RB Kyle Monangai recorded 148 rushing yards (107 in the fourth quarter) on 24 carries. He scored a rushing touchdown to put RU ahead with 8:21 remaining. The go-ahead score was set up by a recovered sky kick by DB Thomas Amankwaa. DB Desmond Igbinosun recorded a career-high four tackles-for-loss and DB Robert Longerbeam forced two fumbles on defense. The attendance of 52,879 marked the highest for a Homecoming game.
• Rutgers is 11-3 in Homecoming games under head coach Greg Schiano.
• UCLA will mark the 42nd different opponent for Rutgers on Homecoming. The Scarlet Knights have faced Lehigh the most (13), followed by Lafayette (7), Columbia (6), Colgate (5) and Temple (5).
• Rutgers has scored 59 points twice in the game (2007 vs. Norfolk State and 2000 vs. Buffalo) and also reached 50 in 1992 after the Scarlet Knights overcame in 28-7 deficit, with Chris Brantley recording his school-record fourth receiving touchdown as time expired in a memorable 50-49 triumph over Virginia Tech. Malik Jackson matched the program record with three interceptions in the contest played on Halloween.
• The longest consecutive streak of Homecoming victories was seven (1958-64).
• Rutgers once play back-to-back Homecoming games, ending the 1938 season by beating Lafayette before opening 1939 with a win against Wesleyan.
 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 4-2 to start the season for the second consecutive year.
• Rutgers ranks second nationally in blocked punts (2), fourth in fewest penalties per game (4.0), ninth in red zone defense (68.4 percent), 20th in fewest turnovers surrendered (5), 30th in passing defense (187.0) and 33rd in rushing offense (199.5).
• Rutgers is 15-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has scored 63 non-offensive touchdowns under head coach Greg Schiano, including 12 since 2020.
• Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," has played 1,415 games in program history on record dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.


 

LAST TIME OUT

• Rutgers lost to Wisconsin, 42-7, at SHI Stadium in the sixth all-time meeting between the programs.
• RB Kyle Monangai scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, totaling 72 yards on the ground. QB Athan Kaliakmanis recorded a career-high 48 rushing yards.
• LB Dariel Djabome totaled 12 tackles to lead the defense, while DL Jordan Walker picked up his second sack of the season. The Scarlet Knights forced two turnovers, including an interception from DB Shaquan Loyal and a forced fumble from Djabome, which was recovered by DB Bo Mascoe.
 

OFFENSE

• Kirk Ciarrocca is in his second season back as Rutgers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024. Ciarrocca has over 30 years of coaching experience (20 as an offensive coordinator). He has been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 27 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round). Ciarrocca has coached the Big Ten's leading rusher each of the past two seasons (Monangai, Mohamed Ibrahim).
• The offensive line earned a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll. The Joe Moore Award annually honors the top offensive line in college football based on toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. Rutgers has seven games since 2023 with no sacks allowed and 14 with no more than one permitted.
• QB Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown eight touchdown passes and accumulated 1,050 yards through the air.
• RB Kyle Monangai ranks seventh nationally with 123.2 rushing yards per game. He is now sixth on the program's leaderboard with 2,681 career yards, needing 94 yards to tie Brian Leonard (2003-06) for fifth place.
• WR Dymere Miller has multiple receptions in all six games and leads the team with 21 catches and 279 receiving yards.
 

DEFENSE

• Joe Harasymiak is in his third season as the Rutgers football defensive coordinator in 2024. A native of Waldwick, New Jersey, Harasymiak also leads the linebackers and has been a nominee for the Broyles Award each of the past two seasons.
• Rutgers has held opponents scoreless on six trips to the red zone.
• LB Dariel Djabome leads the team with 56 tackles, ranking 16th nationally and third in the Big Ten with 9.3 tackles per game.
• DB Shaquan Loyal leads the team with seven passes defended (five breakups, two interceptions).
• Eight different players have recorded a sack, with DL Jordan Walker posting two so far.
 

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Rutgers has blocked 73 kicks (43 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under head coach Greg Schiano. That includes 15 games with multiple blocks, 15 touchdowns off blocks and two resulting in safeties. The Scarlet Knights lead the nation with 10 blocked punts over the previous three seasons.
• PK Jai Patel has connected on 17-of-24 career field goals with a long of 51 yards.
• P Jakob Anderson has forced 14 fair catches with 10 punts overall downed inside the 20 on 28 attempts.
 

VERSUS UCLA

• Rutgers will play UCLA for the first time.
• UCLA will join Cal (2001) and Fresno State (2008) as opponents from California to visit Rutgers.
• Rutgers is 106-67-1 all-time when playing a team for the first time, with victories the last four occasions (2022 Wagner, 2019 Liberty, 2018 Texas State, 2017 Purdue).
• WR Gunnison Bloodgood (Los Angeles) is the only player on the roster from the state of California.
 

UP NEXT

Rutgers travels to California for the third time in program history and first time since 2013 to face USC Friday, Oct. 25 at 11 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast on FOX and mark the first meeting on the gridiron between the programs.

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