IU football game day: Indiana at Rutgers primer and prediction

Friday, October 2

Penn State at Northwestern — 8 p.m., FOX

Saturday, October 3

Michigan at Minnesota — 12 p.m., FOX
Michigan State at Wisconsin — 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Ohio State at Iowa — 3:30 p.m., CBS
Maryland at Nebraska — 4 p.m., FS1
Purdue at Illinois — 4:15 p.m., Big Ten Network
Washington at USC — 7:30 p.m., NBC / Peacock
Indiana at Rutgers — 8 p.m., Big Ten Network

TALE OF THE TAPE 

INJURY REPORT

As of Friday evening:

RUTGERS RESULTS

RUTGERS NOTES AND NUMBERS

(Via Rutgers Athletics)

Rutgers is set to host its 92nd annual Homecoming game.

“The Blackout is Back.” Fans are being encouraged to wear black, arrive early and be in their seats by 7:30 p.m. for the return of “Light Up The Knight,” a stadium-wide, fully integrated pregame fan experience. Immediately following the arrival of the Scarlet Knight and his horse “Excalibur,” the entire stadium will unite in a synchronized light show.

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers ranks fifth nationally in fewest penalty yards per game (32.0), eighth in kickoff return defense (10.0), 17th in yards per completion (14.79), 27th in net punting (42.71), 27th in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed and 29th in passes intercepted (4).
• WR KJ Duff leads the nation with seven receiving touchdowns, ranks fourth in receiving yards per game (137.5) and 11th with 7.25 receptions per game. RB Antwan Raymond ranks eighth nationally with 109.3 rushing yards per game.
• OL Kwabena Asamoah joins Duff Jr. and Raymond as preseason All-America picks, giving the Scarlet Knights three such selections for the first time since 2008.
• Since 2020, Rutgers is 21-3 when not committing a turnover in a game.
• Rutgers has scored 66 non-offensive touchdowns under head coach Greg Schiano, including 15 since 2020 and three last season.
• Rutgers has blocked 76 kicks (46 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under Schiano, including three blocked punts returned for touchdowns last season.
• Rutgers, “The Birthplace of College Football,” has played 1,438 games in program history, dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.

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).
• QB Dylan Lonergan has thrown for 708 yards and seven touchdowns in three starts on the season.
• RB Antwan Raymond owns 2,136 career rushing yards on 422 carries, including eight games with at least 100 yards. The Canadian has 25 career rushing touchdowns, ninth most in program history.
• WR KJ Duff owns 116 career receptions for 2,059 yards and 15 touchdowns. The New York native has recorded a receiving touchdown in a school-record five consecutive games dating back to last season, totaling seven overall through four games. The RU school record for receiving touchdowns in a season is 10.

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.
• DL Rondo Porter leads the defensive line with 12 tackles through four games, including 2.5 for loss.
• LB Moses Walker recorded two interceptions and a sack at Boston College and leads the team with 3.5 tackles-for-loss on the season.
• DB Chris Joines leads the team with 20 tackles this season, while DB Kaj Sanders has totaled 119 career tackles.

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 Dane Pizzaro has converted all three field goal attempts and all 18 extra points this season.
• P Jakob Anderson has forced a fair catch on 48-of-90 career attempts with 13 punts of at least 50 yards and 26 downed inside the 20. He completed a pass for 40 yards on a fake punt against USC.
• PK Jack Scullion has booted 84-of-161 (52.1 percent) career kickoffs for a touchback.

MORE RUTGERS WEEK COVERAGE

• Urban Meyer says IU football has best WR blocking he’s seen in a decade
• Notes, numbers and key matchups for IU football’s Saturday matchup with Rutgers
• Indiana’s top 4 RBs now on the availability report ahead of Rutgers game
• Radio show: Curt Cignetti recaps Northwestern, previews Rutgers
• Rutgers’ Greg Schiano highlights the IU football streak he must end to have a chance vs. the Hoosiers
• IU football notebook: Cignetti says Daley and Marsh coming on strong
• Watch: IU football coach Curt Cignetti Monday Q&A — Rutgers week

PREDICTIONS

It still won’t be the complete dominant effort we’ve seen against lower levels of the Big Ten, but the Rutgers blackout crowd will vanish into the night by the start of the fourth quarter.

TDH PREDICTION:  INDIANA 42 RUTGERS 13

• ESPN SP+ (Computer):  Indiana 42 Rutgers 16 (95% win probability for IU)
• ESPN FPI (Computer):  Indiana has a 95.7% chance to win.

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