Week 4 of the college football season is imminent and for many programs, Rutgers included, this means one thing: In-Conference play is finally here.
The Scarlet Knights headed to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a Week 3 matchup against the Temple Owls. In a game in which they were favored by more than 20 points (courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook) by kickoff, the Knights left the City of Brotherly Love with a few bruises and scratches and most importantly – the victory.
Freshman quarterback Gavin Wimsatt joined the growing list of injured players to close out the first quarter. This, coupled with sloppy play and a struggling offensive line, led to Rutgers escaping Philly with a 16-14 victory to move to 3-0 on the season for the second consecutive year. Now – they will look to go 4-0 for the first time since 2012 where they ended up in the top 25 for a large chunk of the season.
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This Saturday’s matchup will be the third time overall where Rutgers and Iowa faced off (2016, 2019) – and all three times will end up being the Big Ten opener for both squads in those seasons.
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History has not been kind to the Scarlet Knights when it comes to the Hawkeyes. Their first matchup came back in 2016, which was not a good year for Rutgers. However, the Iowa game may have been their best of the season. An injury and getting stopped short on third and fourth-downs during a fourth quarter drive halted any hopes the Knights had to upset the Hawkeyes. Rutgers fell 14-7. Several NFL players were in this contest, including Sebastian Joseph-Day from Rutgers and George Kittle from Iowa.
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Their most recent matchup was not as close. 2019 was another rough season in Piscataway as Rutgers finished the year 2-10. Iowa made sure they handled their business handily this time around, dominating on their way to a 30-0 home victory. New Jersey native Ihmir Smith-Marsette caught two touchdowns for the Hawkeyes, and current starting quarterback (then backup) Spencer Petras even saw some light action at the end of the game. Now Kansas City Chief Isiah Pacheco was the team’s leading rusher and receiver on a day where the offense was held to an abysmal 125 yards from scrimmage.
Rutgers is in a much different place than they were in the previous two matchups, but still a rebuilding program at this time. Iowa may not have the same hype they did in 2019, but are still a top team in the Big Ten – West. Let’s take a look back at the history between the programs.
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