Game 1: Football vs. UMass

Thursday, September 3

Piscataway, N.J.

6:00 PM

Rutgers

UMass

Tickets From $32 - $92

Aug 30 | Football

Game Notes

Postgame Fireworks & Youth Sports Knight

RUTGERS (0-0) vs. UMASS (0-0)
September 3, 2026 • 6 p.m. ET • Big Ten Network
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football opens its 2026 season by hosting UMass Thursday at SHI Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights are 13-4 in season openers under head coach Greg Schiano, including victories each of the past six years.

Celebrate Youth Sports Knight at SHI Stadium, as youth teams from across the area will participate in the pregame parade down The Rutgers Boardwalk and will be featured during the game. Stick around after the final whistle for a postgame fireworks show. Guests are advised to review Football Game Day Central before arriving.

Rutgers Athletics is proud to announce the launch of R Guest Services, a new game day unit dedicated to providing exceptional support and assistance to fans attending Scarlet Knights sporting events. R Guest Services has been established to enhance the overall fan experience by serving as a visible, approachable resource throughout athletic venues on game day. Team members will be stationed strategically across venues to answer questions, provide directions and information, assist with guest needs and respond to customer concerns in real time. A new helpline will be available to fans to report issues and receive assistance in venue when they text "KNIGHTS" to 69050 on game days. The R Guest Services staff can also be reached via email at guestservices@scarletknights.com.

Fans will see an improved entry process at SHI Stadium with additional screening and ticket scanners throughout. Visitors will be directed to access optimal gates. Through the feedback received from postgame surveys completed by season ticket holders, fans and guests, the following adjustments will continue to remain in place:

• Fans are permitted to enter stadium gates with an approved bag.
• All students must enter the stadium through the South Gate (G&H).
• A full list of approved bag sizes and dimensions is available here. An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection.
• Lockers for a $12 fee are located in Athletes Glen across from North Gate (C&D) and South Gate (G&H).

Fans are advised to arrive early to ensure a smooth entry into the stadium before kickoff. The walk-through weapons detection system, familiar to spectators who have attended other events in the region, does not require individuals to empty their pockets to enter. Those attending the event are asked to follow the instructions of public safety personnel.

The Rutgers Boardwalk, presented by Visit New Jersey, returns for year five to highlight the pregame festivities around SHI Stadium. The fun on Scarlet Knight Way begins at 2 p.m. and is free for all fans to enjoy. Check out the top food trucks in New Jersey, plus free rides, mini golf, petting zoos, pony rides, prizes and live entertainment. Get to The Rutgers Boardwalk early for the pregame parade and pep rally featuring The Marching Scarlet Knights, Spirit Team, our mascot "Sir Henry," the Scarlet Knight horse "Excalibur" with the Knight and the Scarlet Walk.

Third-party experts Populous and WSP conducted an extensive review of traffic patterns and parking, and pedestrian flow last season. As a result of those findings, fans will see an improved process for ingress and egress at the parking lots and gates at SHI Stadium. Traffic flows have been modified to direct vehicles into the most optimal routes for respective parking lots when leaving the stadium postgame.

Parking lots are set to open five hours prior to kickoff. Game day lots at Jersey Mike's Arena cost $32 per car (tax included). Johnson Park is no longer a parking option.

Rutgers will operate a courtesy shuttle on the Busch campus to serve fans parking in the outer lots. Shuttle bus pickup begins three hours before kickoff between the Purple and Black Lots on the corner of Brett Road and Bartholomew Road, and it will drop fans off near Athletes Glen. The shuttle will run for one hour following the game. Rutgers will continue to provide ADA shuttle service as in years past with pickup locations at Jersey Mike's Arena, the Busch Student Center and Lot 53. Click here for more information on complimentary shuttles available on game day. Additionally, ridesharing apps offer fans another safe and reliable option to travel to and from SHI Stadium. The Light Blue Lot (Taylor Road, Piscataway NJ 08854) is designated as the drop-off and pick-up location on game day.

Game Day Timeline - 2026 UMass

TV: Big Ten Network
Play-by-Play: Jason Horowitz
Analyst: Anthony Herron
Reporter: Dannie Rogers

Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network
WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 257, 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 & Gus Zilinskas

Student Radio: WRSU 88.7-FM
Will Carmenaty, Sean Newcomb & Mo Golubtchik

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• RB Antwan Raymond is the Big Ten's leading returning rusher, while WR KJ Duff is second in returning receiving yards.
• OL Kwabena Asamoah joins Duff and Raymond as preseason All-America picks, giving the Scarlet Knights three such selections for the first time since 2008.
• Rutgers is 104-40-11 all-time in home openers, winning 14 of the last 16, and is 12-5 under head coach Greg Schiano.
• Rutgers is 15-0 in non-conference regular season games since Schiano returned. The Scarlet Knights are 56-21 overall in non-conference games under Schiano.
• Since 2020, Rutgers is 20-3 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has scored 66 non-offensive touchdowns under Schiano, including 15 since 2020 and three last season.
• Rutgers has at least one NFL Draft pick each of the past five years, matching a program record also done from 1981-85.
• Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," has played 1,434 games in program history, dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.

PRESEASON AWARDS & HONORS

Preseason All-America
• OL Kwabena Asamoah
• WR KJ Duff
• RB Antwan Raymond

Senior Bowl Top 300
(recognizes the top draft-eligible prospects)
• WR KJ Duff (Aug. 20)
• RB Antwan Raymond

Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
• OL Dantae Chin (Aug. 20)
• LB Moses Walker

Biletnikoff Award Watch List
(recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position)
• WR KJ Duff (Aug. 19)

Walter Camp Player of Year Watch List
• WR KJ Duff (Aug. 17)

Maxwell Award Watch List
(presented to the outstanding player in college football)
• RB Antwan Raymond (Aug. 3)

Big Ten Preseason Honors List
• WR KJ Duff (July 28)
• RB Antwan Raymond

Shriners Children's 1000 Watch List
(collection of the top 1,000 all-star-game eligible players at the FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels, and serves as an early look into the scouting process ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft)
• OL Kwabena Asamoah (July 22)
• DL J'Dan Burnett
• DL Malachi Davis
• WR KJ Duff
• QB Dylan Lonergan
• LB Ty Morris
• OL Tyler Needham
• DL Rondo Porter
• RB Antwan Raymond
• DB Kaj Sanders

Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
(nominees honor college football players making a difference in their communities)
• LS Michael O'Connor (July 22)

Frank R. Burns Award
(named after former Scarlet Knight All-America quarterback Frank Burns and awarded to the player who demonstrates extraordinary mental and physical toughness during the spring)
• TE Logan Blake

Mark Mills Second Effort Award
(named in memory of former Scarlet Knight running back Mark Mills and awarded to the offensive player who through determination, dedication and hard work has shown the most improvement during the offseason and spring practices)
• WR Jourdin Houston

Douglas A. Smith Second Effort Award
(named in memory of former Scarlet Knight defensive tackle Doug Smith and awarded to the defensive player who through determination, dedication and hard work has shown the most improvement during the offseason and spring practices)
• DB Jesse Ofurie

OFFENSE

• Kirk Ciarrocca is in his fourth season back as Rutgers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2026. Ciarrocca, who has over 30 years of coaching experience (22 as an offensive coordinator), previously served on head coach Greg Schiano's staff for three seasons, winning two bowl games from 2008-10. He has been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 29 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round). Ciarrocca has mentored a first or second team All-Big Ten running back each of the past four seasons, as the Scarlet Knights are the only power conference program to feature a 1,200-yard rusher each of the past three seasons. In 2025, the RU offense produced three All-America selections.
• In 2025, Rutgers averaged 407.1 yards of total offense and 389.1 in Big Ten play, the team's best marks since joining the league. The Scarlet Knights passed for 266.1 yards per game to place third in the Big Ten for the program's best placement, also ranking ninth nationally in fewest turnovers lost (9) and 13th in time of possession (32:31) and yards per completion (13.7). The 28.7 points per game marked the second most in the Big Ten era, while the unit set a program record with 23.2 first downs per game and finished fifth in the school record book in total offense (4,885 yards).
• QB Dylan Lonergan was named the starter for the season opener on Aug. 24, totaling 2,025 passing yards and 12 touchdowns for Boston College in 2025.
• RB Antwan Raymond owns 1,698 career rushing yards on 344 carries, including five games with at least 100 yards. The Canadian has 21 career rushing touchdowns, two shy of moving into the program's top-10 career list.
• WR KJ Duff owns 87 career receptions for 1,509 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the country with 22 contested catches in 2025.

Zaire Angoy

DEFENSE

• Travis Johansen is in his first season as Rutgers' defensive coordinator in 2026. Leading South Dakota to the FCS Playoffs quarterfinals in his first season as head coach in 2025 and previously winning a national championship at Grand View, the Minnesota native has directed six top-10 defenses in bringing 14 years of defensive coordinator experience to New Jersey. Johansen has produced 16 defensive players who have gone on to be drafted in the NFL, signed as a free agent or received camp invites in his coaching career.
• Rutgers is 56-8 under head coach Greg Schiano when allowing fewer than 300 yards of total offense.
• DL Zaire Angoy leads the defense with 37 games of experience for Rutgers, while DL J'Dan Burnett is first on the roster with 42 career FBS games played.
• LB Sean Allison brings 289 career tackles from Drake, including 14.5 for loss.
• DB Kaj Sanders has totaled 108 tackles the past two seasons at Rutgers, adding two blocked punts in 2025.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Rutgers has blocked 76 kicks (46 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under head coach Greg Schiano, including three blocked punts returned for touchdowns last season.
• PK Jai Patel has connected on 43-of-55 career field goals with a long of 51 yards, ranking seventh in program history with 240 points scored.
• P Jakob Anderson has forced a fair catch on 46-of-83 career attempts with 12 punts of at least 50 yards and 25 downed inside the 20.
• PK Jack Scullion has booted 67-of-135 career kickoffs for a touchback.

VERSUS UMASS

• Rutgers and Massachusetts are set to meet for the sixth time overall and fourth time in New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights have won the last three meetings, most recently in 2019.
• Rutgers scored 41 unanswered points to win the 2019 season opener over UMass, 48-21. That included 38 points in the first half. Isiah Pacheco became the ninth player in Rutgers history to have four rushing touchdowns in a game, finishing with 156 rushing yards in the game. McLane Carter threw scoring passes to Bo Melton and Raheem Blackshear.
• In 1973, "JJ" Jennings rushed for 230 yards, the most in a game in Rutgers history at the time and currently the fifth most.
• DB Jesse Ofurie (Salem) is the only Scarlet Knight on the roster from the state of Massachusetts.
• UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak previously served three seasons (2022-24) as Rutgers' defensive coordinator.
• Rutgers game highs versus UMass:
Rushing Yards: "JJ" Jennings, 230 (1973)
Passing Yards: McLane Carter, 340 (2019)
Receiving Yards: Mark Twitty, 135 (1976)

UP NEXT

• Rutgers is on the road for the first time in 2026 with a Friday, Sept. 11 matchup at Boston College. The Scarlet Knights won the last meeting at Alumni Stadium in 2022. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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