PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following two makes inside the two-minute timeout in Rutgers football's win at Purdue, PK
Jai Patel was named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. This marks the second such honor for Patel.
The Scarlet Knights used an 11-play, 73-yard drive capped by a Patel 20-yard field goal to tie the game at 24 with 1:06 remaining. On the next defensive play, DL
Jordan Walker batted down a pass that was returned to sender, as DL
Farell Gnago forced a fumble recovered by DB
Jett Elad. After RB
Ja'shon Benjamin rushed for 17 yards into Purdue territory, Patel connected on a walk-off field goal from 30 yards away to deliver the RU win.
It marked Patel's second go-ahead make inside two minutes of the fourth quarter, also done last season at Virginia Tech, and first game-winner for Rutgers as time expired since 2015 at Indiana (Kyle Federico, 26 yards).
Patel ranks second in program history in career field goal percentage (76.9) and fifth in successful field goal attempts (40). He previously set the school record with 18 consecutive makes dating back to last year earlier this season. The Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, native has 12 career games with multiple made field goals.
Patel previously won Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for week two of the 2023 season.
Rutgers is back on the road Saturday to face Illinois at Gies Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon ET/11 a.m. on NBC and the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network.
Big Ten Weekly Awards (Oct. 27, 2025)
Co-Offensive: Justice Haynes, MICH and Denzel Boston, WASH
Defensive: Jimmy Rolder, MICH
Co-Special Teams: Kenneth Williams, NEB and
Jai Patel, RU
Freshman: Jordon Davison, ORE
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