Football Loses to UCLA

Saturday, October 19

Piscataway, N.J.

Noon

Rutgers University

4-3 , 1-3

UCLA

2-5 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UCLA

Rutgers

Photo by: (Mike Lawrence/Rutgers Athletics)

Oct 19 | Football

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UCLA 35 (2-5, 1-4), RUTGERS 32 (4-3, 1-3)

SHI STADIUM • PISCATAWAY, N.J.
OCTOBER 19, 2024 • ATTENDANCE: 53,726

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football (4-3, 1-3) lost to UCLA (2-5, 1-4), 35-32, on Saturday afternoon at SHI Stadium.

QB Athan Kaliakmanis finished 18-of-30 for a season-high 287 yards and rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the first half. RB Kyle Monangai added 19 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns, his 12th career game with 100 or more rushing yards and third career game with three scores.

LB Dariel Djabome led the defense with 11 tackles, while DL Kyonte Hamilton had 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble. PK Jai Patel drilled two field goals, including a season-long 49-yarder in the first half.

FIRST QUARTER

UCLA scored on its opening possession, but Rutgers quickly responded with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that was punctuated with a one-yard touchdown rush from Kaliakmanis. A 42-yard acrobatic catch from WR Ian Strong on the sideline highlighted the Scarlet Knights' first offensive series, which also saw a 17-yard reception from WR Dymere Miller.

UCLA and Rutgers remained tied 7-7 heading into the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

After the Bruins scored their second touchdown of the afternoon, RU added a 49-yard field goal from Patel. UCLA tacked on a touchdown late before halftime to take a 21-10 lead into the locker room.

THIRD QUARTER

Rutgers responded out of the break, as Monangai capped a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a six-yard touchdown run. Monangai's eighth rushing score of the season made it 21-16 Bruins, with Monangai also tallying a 30-yard run during the series. Kaliakmanis completed three passes to help set up the score, including a 24-yard connection with Miller.

The defense delivered on the following possession. With UCLA facing a third-and-five at its own 30-yard line, LB Abram Wright sacked Garbers, forcing the Bruins to punt. The defensive stand led to a 35-yard field goal from Patel to make it 21-19 with 5:41 left in the quarter. UCLA added a touchdown to take a 28-19 lead after three quarters.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Bruins tacked on a touchdown to begin the final quarter before RU's attempted comeback. Kaliakmanis connected with WR KJ Duff for a 59-yard completion to set up a five-yard touchdown run from Monangai. After a failed two-point conversion, RU trailed the Bruins by just 10 at 35-25 with 10:35 left on the clock.

With 3:34 remaining, Hamilton stripped the ball away from UCLA's quarterback and recovered it at the RU 42. The Scarlet Knights drove down the field in eight plays, with Monangai scoring his third touchdown of the game with 1:45 left to make it 35-32. The Bruins recovered the ensuing onside kick.

NOTES

• Saturday marked the first meeting on the gridiron between Rutgers and UCLA.
• Rutgers surpassed 400 yards of total offense for the fourth time this year (422).
• Rutgers now has 15 games since 2023 with no more than one sack allowed.
• RB Kyle Monangai rushed for 106 yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the season and 12th career. He tied Bryant Mitchell for fourth in program history with 12 career games in triple figures. Monangai passed Brian Leonard (2003-06) for fifth in program history with 2,787 career rushing yards.
• Monangai recorded his third career game with three rushing scores and is up to 24 career touchdowns on the ground, eighth-most in the school's record books. His 10 touchdowns in 2024 tie Bill Austin (1957) and Homer Hazel (1923) for 10th-most in a season in program history. Monangai has scored in 6-of-7 games this year.
• QB Athan Kaliakmanis passed for a season-high 287 yards and scored his fourth career rushing touchdown, first of the season.
• WR KJ Duff led the team with a career-high 82 receiving yards.
• WR Dymere Miller recorded five catches, his fifth game this season with at least four receptions.
• DL Kyonte Hamilton posted a career-high 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble.
• LB Dariel Djabome recorded 11 tackles to lead the team in stops for the fifth time in seven games.
• PK Jai Patel made two field goals for his fifth career game with multiple conversions.
• The attendance of 53,726 marked the ninth sellout at SHI Stadium since 2022.
• A mural honoring famed actor, singer, scholar, groundbreaking global activist and New Jersey native Paul Robeson was 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).
• Consecutive games played: DL Kyonte Hamilton (45), OL Hollin Pierce (45), DL Malcolm Ray (41), WR Christian Dremel (36)
• First career start (2): DL Keshon Griffin, TE Mike Higgins
• Collegiate debut (1): PK Riley McCann

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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