RUTGERS (7-5) vs. KANSAS STATE (8-4)
December 26, 2024 • 5:30 p.m. ET • ESPN
Chase Field • Phoenix, Ariz.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Having won three of its last four games, Rutgers football travels to Phoenix to take on Kansas State in the 2024 Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local) on Thursday, Dec. 26 on ESPN. The Scarlet Knights are 6-2 in bowl games under head coach Greg Schiano and 7-5 overall.

Tickets and official Rutgers merchandise are on sale for the Rate Bowl. Visit Rutgers Bowl Central for more information.

The Rutgers Boardwalk heads west and will be in action on game day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time outside of Chase Field at the intersection of Jackson Street and 4^th Street. Stop by to pick up bowl gear, "Beat Kansas State" buttons, patches, t-shirts and more. The event features free rides, games, live entertainment, food trucks, beer carts, a fanfest area in collaboration with RevelXP and the premiere "Off The Banks Tailgate" with the Rutgers University Foundation and R Fund. The Marching Scarlet Knights will be in attendance and are set to perform pregame and at halftime.

This will mark RU's second trip to the Rate Bowl. The game, set for its 35^th edition, was titled the Insight Bowl when the Scarlet Knights took on Arizona State in 2005.

"Some of the best football this season was played in the Big Ten and Big 12 and we are proud that the Rate Bowl is the only bowl game that annually matches teams from these outstanding conferences. The Phoenix community is excited to welcome student-athletes, coaches, fans, alumni and families to the Valley of the Sun this holiday season to make lifetime memories for all involved," said Fiesta Sports Foundation Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses. "With an afternoon kickoff in downtown Phoenix, we expect a fun day and hard-fought game between two strong teams in Rutgers and Kansas State."

Click here for official watch parties through the Rutgers University Foundation.



TV: ESPN (ESPN app)
Play-By-Play: Wes Durham
Analyst: Tom Luginbill
Reporter: Dana Boyle

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 372, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app
Play-By-Play: Chris Carlin
Analyst: Julian Pinnix-Odrick
Sideline: Anthony Fucilli
Engineer: Paul Shrager
Pre/Post: Marc Malusis & Eric LeGrand

ESPN Radio: SiriusXM 80
Jorge Sedano & Taylor McHargue

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Eddie Kalegi & Nick Hart


 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers, winners of the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, seeks to win bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning four in a row from 2006-09. The Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible in consecutive seasons for the first time since four straight appearances from 2011-14.
• Rutgers has secured a winning season in back-to-back years for the first time since 2011-12.
• Rutgers won seven games in the regular season for the first time since 2014 and seeks to win an eighth for the first time since the 8-5 2014 campaign.
• Rutgers won a program-best four Big Ten games.
• Rutgers saw 12 different players recognized in the All-Big Ten voting, highlighted by RB Kyle Monangai (first), OL Hollin Pierce (second) and LB Dariel Djabome (third) earning spots on the first-three teams.
• Rutgers has won 10 consecutive non-conference games and 14 of the last 15. The Scarlet Knights last had a double-digit winning streak in non-conference play when winning 11 straight between 2008-10. RU is 53-20 overall in such games under head coach Greg Schiano.
• Rutgers ranks second nationally in fewest fumbles lost (2), third in fewest turnovers surrendered (8), fifth in blocked punts (2), eighth in fewest penalties per game (4.25) and 20th in time of possession (31:58). The Scarlet Knights also rank third in the Big Ten with 176.3 rushing yards per game.
• Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," has played 1,421 games in program history on record dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.
 

ALL-BIG TEN

• First Team (Coaches): RB Kyle Monangai
• First Team (Media): RB Kyle Monangai
• Second Team (Coaches): OL Hollin Pierce
• Second Team (Media): OL Hollin Pierce
• Third Team (Media): LB Dariel Djabome
• Honorable Mention (Coaches): OL Kwabena Asamoah, LB Dariel Djabome, DL Kyonte Hamilton, DB Robert Longerbeam, LS Austin Riggs, WR Ian Strong
• Honorable Mention (Media): OL Kwabena Asamoah, DL Kyonte Hamilton, DL Aaron Lewis, DB Robert Longerbeam, DB Shaquan Loyal, LB Tyreem Powell, LS Austin Riggs, OL Gus Zilinskas
• Sportsmanship Award: OL Reggie Sutton
 

LAST TIME OUT

• After Michigan State scored on its opening drive, Rutgers responded with 34 unanswered points on the way to a 41-14 win at Spartan Stadium. The 41 points scored were the most by the Scarlet Knights in 16 meetings against the Spartans and the 27-point win was the largest margin of victory for RU in the series.
• Rutgers posted points on 8-of-9 drives before kneeling out the clock.
• RB Kyle Monangai rushed for 129 yards on a career-high 31 carries with a touchdown. It was his sixth 100-yard game of the season and he moved to 3,221 career yards, second-most on the program's all-time leaderboard.
• RB Antwan Raymond added two scores with 71 yards (7.9 per carry) on the ground. The performance merited Big Ten Freshman of the Week in joining Johnny Langan (Oct. 28, 2019) and Johnathan Lewis (Sept. 18, 2017) as Scarlet Knights to win the honor since joining the league.
• QB Athan Kaliakmanis completed 13 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown to WR Ian Strong in the second half. Strong became the first Scarlet Knight to record a receiving touchdown in four straight games since Mark Harrison in 2010.
• LB Dariel Djabome led the team with seven tackles (one sack), while DL Jordan Walker had a sack and DB Bo Mascoe recorded his first career interception. The defense held Michigan State to 13 first downs, a season-low allowed.
• PK Jai Patel went 4-for-4 on field goals to set a career high for makes in a game. It was the first time a Scarlet Knight converted four field goals in a game since San San Te at Syracuse in 2011.


 

OFFENSE

• The offense produced a 2,000-yard passer (QB Athan Kaliakmanis), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Kyle Monangai) and two 500-yard receivers (WR Dymere Miller and WR Ian Strong) in the same season for the first time since 2012.
• Rutgers is averaging 27.9 points per game, on track for its best mark since 2009 (28.8).
• Rutgers scored at least 30 points in three consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since joining the conference. The last time the Scarlet Knights posted 30 or more points in four straight games in the same season was a streak of five in a row in 2008.
• In four November games, Rutgers averaged 32.2 points, 367.8 yards of total offense, 24.3 first downs and went 25-for-54 (46 percent) on third down.
• 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 18 with no more than one permitted.
• Kaliakmanis has thrown a career-high 17 touchdown passes, tied for eighth-most in a season in program history, and rushed for three. He has totaled 2,459 passing yards, the most by a Scarlet Knight in a season since Gary Nova totaled 2,851 in 2014, and his next completion will make him the fourth RU player to reach 200 completions in a season.
• Monangai ranks second in program history with 3,221 career rushing yards and seventh with 27 rushing touchdowns. He is one of four Scarlet Knights with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, has six 100-yard games this year and leads the Big Ten with 256 carries in 2024.
• Miller has multiple receptions in all 12 games and leads the team with 57 catches and 731 receiving yards. Strong has scored a receiving touchdown in each of the past four games.
 

DEFENSE

• Rutgers held three of the last four opponents under 20 points.
• Rutgers has held opponents scoreless on eight trips to the red zone.
• Rutgers has recorded two safeties on sacks, last posting multiple safeties in a season in 2005.
• Rutgers allowed a season-low 35 rushing yards against Minnesota, its second-best performance in a Big Ten game since joining the conference (12 versus Northwestern in 2023).
• LB Dariel Djabome leads the team with 102 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten with 8.5 tackles per game. He led the team in tackles in 7-of-12 games, has five games in double figures and is the first Scarlet Knight to reach triple digits in a season since Olakunle Fatukasi in 2020.
• LB Tyreem Powell is a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award. He owns 193 career tackles with 11.5 for loss, five sacks, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception.
• DB Shaquan Loyal leads the team with two interceptions, while DB Robert Longerbeam has 12 passes defended (11 breakups, one interception) and ranks third among active FBS players with 41 career passes defended.
• Ten different players have recorded a sack, with DL Jordan Walker recording four, DL Kyonte Hamilton at 3.5 and both Djabome and DL Aaron Lewis notching three. Lewis joined Christian Izien (2020-22) and Adam Korsak (2018-22) as Scarlet Knights to merit All-Big Ten recognition in three different seasons.
 

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.
• Rutgers is tied for the nation's lead with 10 blocked punts over the previous three seasons, along with Notre Dame.
• PK Jai Patel has connected on 28-of-34 career field goals with a long of 51 yards and has hit 11 consecutive attempts, the longest streak by a Scarlet Knight since Jeremy Ito made 12 in a row (2005-06).
• P Jakob Anderson has forced 26 fair catches with 15 punts overall downed inside the 20 on 46 attempts.
• PK Jack Scullion has booted 28-of-62 kickoffs for a touchback.


 

VERSUS KANSAS STATE

• Rutgers will face Kansas State for the second time in a bowl game. The Wildcats join Arizona State as a repeat bowl opponent for the Scarlet Knights.
• In the 2006 Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Rutgers defeated Kansas State, 37-10, for the program's first bowl championship. The win capped an 11-2 season for the Scarlet Knights that saw a final AP ranking of No. 12.
• Ray Rice rushed for 170 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown to earn the game's Most Valuable Player. Mike Teel went 16-for-28 passing for 268 yards and two touchdown passes to Tim Brown, who finished with 101 receiving yards on four catches. Clark Harris totaled seven receptions for 122 yards.
• The defense held Kansas State to six first downs, 31 rushing yards, 162 yards of total offense, 1-for-10 on third down and no touchdowns in the game. Quintero Frierson had a 27-yard pick-six, while Ron Girault also had an interception. Jamaal Westerman had two sacks and recovered a fumble forced by Ramel Meekins.
• Rutgers wide receivers coach Dave Brock spent two seasons (2007-08) on the Kansas State staff, including serving as offensive coordinator in 2008.
• Rutgers game highs versus Kansas State:
Rushing Yards: Ray Rice, 170 (2006)
Passing Yards: Mike Teel, 368 (2006)
Receiving Yards: Clark Harris, 122 (2006)
 

BOWL HISTORY

• 1978 Garden State Bowl: Arizona State 34, Rutgers 18
• 2005 Insight Bowl: Arizona State 45, Rutgers 40
• 2006 Texas Bowl: Rutgers 37, Kansas State 10
• 2008 International Bowl: Rutgers 52, Ball State 30
• 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl: Rutgers 29, NC State 23
• 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl: Rutgers 45, UCF 24
• 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 27, Iowa State 13
• 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT)
• 2013 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16
• 2014 Quick Lane Bowl: Rutgers 40, North Carolina 21
• 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10
• 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami 24
 

UP NEXT

• 2025 Schedule:
> Aug. 30: Ohio
> Sept. 6: Miami (Ohio)
> Sept. 13: Norfolk State
> Sept. 20: Iowa*
> Sept. 27: at Minnesota*
> Oct. 11: at Washington*
> Oct. 18: Oregon*
> Oct. 25: at Purdue*
> Nov. 1: at Illinois*
> Nov. 8: Maryland*
> Nov. 22: at Ohio State*
> Nov. 29: Penn State*
* - Big Ten

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