On Saturday, Rutgers football (4-4, 1-4) returns home after their bye week to host Minnesota (6-3, 4-2). After starting the season 4-0, the Scarlet Knights look to snap a four-game losing streak as RU takes on the Golden Gophers at SHI Stadium.
Before entering their bye week, the Scarlet Knights traveled to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to take on USC. With a one-score game in the third quarter, USC scored two unanswered touchdowns to capture a 42-20 victory.
It was the teams’ first meeting on the gridiron, with Rutgers recording 434 total yards. The Scarlet Knights logged 89 snaps (the most for the Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten game and most since recording 95 in 2011 at Syracuse), converting 11-for-22 on third downs.
Minnesota transfer quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis recorded a career-high 27 completions and a season-best 313 passing yards in the game. Meanwhile, wide receiver Dymere Miller matched his career-high with 11 catches totaling 131 receiving yards. On the ground, running back Kyle Monangai rushed for 86 yards, while Antwan Raymond posted his third touchdown on the season.
As for the Golden Gophers, Minnesota captured their fourth-straight win with a 25-17 victory over No. 24 Illinois. Quarterback Max Brosmer completed 22 of 37 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown and running back Darius Taylor ran for 131 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.
Taylor also led the Golden Gophers’ in receptions with nine for 58 yards while wide receiver Elijah Spencer contributed six catches for 67 yards.
Rutgers vs. Minnesota: Football History
Saturday’s matchup will be the fourth all-time meeting between Rutgers football and Minnesota (second in Piscataway). In the most recent meeting in 2022, Minnesota held the ball for 41:02 to beat Rutgers, 31-0, at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Golden Gophers are undefeated against RU as the Scarlet Knights search for their first victory.
Rutgers has many connections with Minnesota, with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak spending time on the Golden Gophers’ coaching staff.
Ciarrocca served the same role at Minnesota for four seasons (2017-19, 2022) and Harasymiak spent three seasons (2019-21) at Minnesota after joining the staff for the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2020.
On top of that, starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis transferred from Minnesota to Rutgers in January. Kaliakmanis arrived from the transfer portal, fresh off a solid sophomore season with the Golden Gophers. He has a strong connection with the Scarlet Knights, playing for offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca when Ciarrocca was the OC at Minnesota in 2022.
Under Ciarrocca, Kaliakmanis was 60-of-111 passing (54.1 percent) for 946 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Kaliakmanis appeared in 23 games in two seasons with Minnesota, recording 216 completions on 405 attempts for 2,784 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He finished his Golden Gophers career with a 53.3 completion rating and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, logging a 9-9 career record as a starter.
Key Players for Rutgers
Kaliakmanis is the player to watch for the Scarlet Knights. The 6-foot 3-inch, 213-pound quarterback will look to show off his skills against his former team. Kaliakmanis has attempted 242 passes this season, completing 131 passes for 1,650 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He is coming off a career-high 313 yards, completing 57.4 percent of his passes.
Minnesota’s tough pass defense is a big reason why the Golden Gophers are riding a four-game winning streak. The Golden Gophers have only allowed six passing touchdowns this season.
Key Players for Minnesota
The player to watch for Minnesota is the No. 6 Big Ten-ranked quarterback Max Brosmer. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback has recorded a 68.2 completion percentage through nine games this season. He has completed 191 passes on 280 attempts for 1,989 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Also, keep an eye out for running back Darius Taylor. Taylor is ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten with 644 rushing yards. He has averaged 5.1 yards per attempt and 80.5 yards per game with eight touchdowns.
Keys to Victory for the Scarlet Knights
The key to a Rutgers’ victory is slowing down Brosmer and the Minnesota passing attack. Rutgers’ defense couldn’t stop USC last time, leading to 42 points by the Trojans.
Injuries throughout the Scarlet Knights’ roster are a major factor in their four-game losing streak. Having a bye last week allowed Rutgers to rest up and get some key players back. And historically, Rutgers is 12-6 coming off a bye week with Greg Schiano as head coach of the football team. That includes a 26-23 victory earlier this season at Virginia Tech.
If the Scarlet Knights take care of the football on offense they have a high chance to capture a victory. Rutgers is 15-2 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
Mike Cavallo
A sportswriter for The League Winners covering all Rutgers athletics. Follow my social media page for all coverage of Rutgers sports. X (Twitter): @M_Cavs55