Penn State’s rollercoaster regular season will conclude on Saturday in The Birthplace of College Football, when the Nittany Lions face Rutgers in SHI Stadium.
The game will air on Big Ten Network with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m., when both teams will battle to become bowl eligible.
Here’s everything to know about the Scarlet Knights before the game.
Head coach:
Rutgers is led by Greg Schiano, who’s in the sixth year of his second stint with the program. Schiano served as the head coach from 2001-2011 before leaving to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After an unceremonious exit from the NFL, Schiano returned to the college ranks and served as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator for three seasons before returning to his role as Rutgers’ head coach.
Overall, Schiano has a 99-107 record with the Scarlet Knights, peaking at 11-2 in 2006, the only double-digit win season.
Schiano also served as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach at Penn State from 1990-95.
Coordinators:
Rutgers’ offensive coordinator is Kirk Ciarrocca, who’s in his third consecutive season with the program but also served as its quarterbacks coach from 2008-2010. Ciarocca also has ties to the Nittany Lions, serving as the offensive coordinator in 2020.
The Scarlet Knights’ offense ranks middle of the pack in the Big Ten in yards and points, and is slightly more reliant on the pass than the run.
Interestingly, Rutgers has co-defensive coordinators: Robb Smith and Zach Sparber. Smith is in his first season in the role after spending the previous two seasons as an analyst for the Nittany Lions. He was also the Scarlet Knights’ defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2020-21 and special teams coordinator from 2009-2011. Sparber is also in his first season in the role and was previously a linebackers coach at James Madison.
The unit ranks dead last in the conference in yards allowed and second-last in points allowed this season, and it’s one of only two power conference teams allowing over 200 rushing yards per game.
The special teams unit, headed by Eddie Allen since 2022, has been middling this season but does have three punt return touchdowns, with two coming off blocks.
Standout players:
Veteran quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is in his second season at Rutgers and fifth overall after originally playing for Minnesota. He has three years of starting experience and has shown improvement over time.
This year, Kaliakmanis has completed 213 of 346 passes for 2,786 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His rushing yardage has dropped off, however.
Running back Antwan Raymond is the team’s premier rusher with 215 touches for 1,052 yards and 12 touchdowns. Raymond is the highest graded player on the team, per PFF, and is most successful when rushing between the tackles.
Wide receiver KJ Duff has 55 receptions for 957 yards and six touchdowns, including a 241-yard game against Purdue earlier this season. However, Duff was held in check last weekend with a season-low two catches for 34 yards against Ohio State. At 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, he’s built like a tight end and is most successful on intermediate routes (10-20 yards downfield).
Defensive back Bo Mascoe has impressed in his first season as a full time starter, allowing just 20 completions on 35 pass attempts. He’s credited with three pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and an interception, and is coming off two of his best performances of the season.
Sixth-year safety Jett Elad is the team’s leading tackler with 66 this season, including two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Record:
Rutgers sits at 5-6, chasing a third consecutive bowl appearance under Schiano. After cruising through a nonconference slate of Ohio, Miami (Ohio) and Norfolk State, the Scarlet Knights lost four consecutive Big Ten games. Since then, they’re 2-2 with wins over conference bottom-feeders Purdue and Maryland and blowout losses to Ohio State and Illinois.
Series history:
Penn State boasts a lopsided 32-2 edge in the all-time series, including a 17-game winning streak, which is the fifth-longest active win streak by any team against one opponent. The two met every year from 2014-2023 as division foes, with the Nittany Lions winning every game by an average of 24 points.
Rutgers’ wins include the first ever meeting in 1918 and a 21-16 win in 1988, though Penn State won 15 straight in between.
Prediction: Penn State 34, Rutgers 14
The Nittany Lions continue to show improvement each week, and the run game has rounded into form. With improved offensive line play, Kaytron Allen’s recent dominance and Nick Singleton coming off his best game of the season, Rutgers’ porous run defense will be challenged.
Penn State can keep the ball on the ground and control time of possession, similar to its win over Nebraska, to extend its winning streak.
Rutgers has a veteran quarterback in Kaliakmanis and multiple receiving threats, which could put some points on the board, but likely not enough to remain competitive in this game.
