Rutgers will try to rebound from its first loss of the season when it plays host to Wagner

2023-09-29 02:55

Rutgers will try to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it plays host to Wagner at SHI Stadium on Saturday afternoon

Wagner (2-2) at Rutgers (3-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

Line: No line, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Rutgers leads 1-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Rutgers needs the win to stay on track to become bowl eligible. Beating the Seahawks would get them to 4-1, meaning it would need two wins in the final seven games. The schedule gets tougher in the final two months with Wisconsin, Michigan State, Indiana, No. 4 Ohio State, Iowa, No. 6 Penn State and Maryland on tap.

KEY MATCHUP

Special Teams: Rutgers has excelled on special teams during Greg Schiano’s two stints as head coach. It has blocked 67 kicks under Schiano, 12 times scoring following a block. Wagner struggled last week against Merrimack’s special teams. Donovan Wadley scored on a 94-yard kickoff return and Merrimack also had Nasir Maryland scoop and score on an 8-yard return following a blocked punt.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wagner: Quarterback Steven Krajewski ran for two second-half touchdowns and threw a late 21-yard scoring pass to Jaylen Bonelli on fourth down to lift Wagner past Merrimack in a Northeast Conference game. He was 14-of-26 passing for 118 yards and two TD tosses.

Rutgers: Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. The junior has been very efficient. He has hit 47 of 84 passes for 587 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Things have slowed down for him this season, and it’s helped his line has allowed one sack.

FACTS & FIGURES

Wagner has won consecutive games for the first time since 2018. It has a 2-0 record in the Northeast Conference for the first time since 2016. The Seahawks are 0-16 against FBS teams. They are playing their second FBS opponent this season, losing 24-0 to Navy earlier. ... Linebacker Junior Wily has two of Wagner’s four interceptions. ... Wagner is 8 of 11 in the red zone with seven touchdowns. ... Rutgers, which faced Princeton on the first collegiate football game in 1869, will be playing its 1,400th game. ... Wagner is playing at SHI Stadium for the second straight year. ... The Scarlet Knights won 66-7 last season. The point total is the largest for Rutgers in coach Schiano’s 14-plus years. ... Rutgers is coming off its first loss of the season, falling 31-7 to No. 2 Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor. ... Flynn Appleby had a 75-yard punt last weekend, tied for the fifth longest in program history.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll