2022 Rutgers Football Game: Week 12 Preview vs. Penn State

Nov 18, 2022 - 2:49 PM

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How To Watch, Stream & Listen

Rutgers (4-6, 1-6) at Penn State (8-2, 5-2)

Where: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ

Kick-off: Saturday, November 19 at 3:30 PM ET

Weather: 41 degrees, sunny with a 3% chance of rain, 11 mph winds

TV: BTN with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Jake Butt (color), and Rick Pizzo (sideline)

Stream: Fox Sports App

Radio: Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network (WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM, Fox Sports New Jersey 93.5 FM/1450 AM) with Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Mike Teel and Eric LeGrand (analyst), and Anthony Fucilli (sideline); WRSU 88.7 FM - Dylan McCoy & Alex Carmenaty; SiriusXM 158 or 203, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app

Series History: Penn State leads all-time series 30-2; Penn State won 28-0 in 2021

Penn State SB Nation Site: Black Shoe Diaries

Statistical Leaders

Rutgers

Passing: Evan Simon - 71-for-123, 57.7%, 740 yards, 4 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Rushing: Kyle Monangai - 391 yards on 90 carries, 4.3 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Receiving: Aron Cruickshank - 40 catches for 362 yards, 9.1 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Defense: Deion Jennings - 75 tackles, Wesley Bailey- 3.5 sacks, Christian Braswell - 3 interceptions

Penn State

Passing: Sean Clifford - 174-for-280, 62.1%, 2,184 yards, 17 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Rushing: Nicholas Singleton - 801 yards on 123 carries, 6.5 ypc, 10 touchdowns

Receiving: Parker Washington - 46 catches for 611 yards, 13.3 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Defense: Ji’Ayir Brown - 55 tackles, Demeioun Robinson - 4 sacks, Ji’Ayir Brown - 3 interception

What To Watch For

When Rutgers has the ball

Penn State has not allowed over 175 passing yards in four of the last five games. This does not bode well for Rutgers, who has not had a semblance of a passing attack all season.

Gavin Wimsatt will face his toughest test yet after his best statistical performance. The Scarlet Knights got the ground game going against Michigan State.

Kyle Monangai rushed for 162 yards on Saturday and this will have to be the theme once again. Rutgers needs to establish the run early and maintain drives in attempts to wear down the Nittany Lion defense — as difficult as that might be.

The Scarlet Knights are focused on giving their young players experience over the final two games. That is what will continue to happen as Penn State comes to town.

When Penn State has the ball

Ohio State or Michigan are not walking through the door on Saturday and that is good news for Penn State.

What is Penn State?

This is a team that has solidified itself as the top of the second tier in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are dominating the lower level of the conference but has not been able to reach the level of the Buckeyes and Wolverines. That is the James Franklin effect.

This year, it does not look like Penn State will be tripped up and will likely finish 10-2. Against Rutgers, the Nittany Lions can attack offensively in multiple ways.

Rutgers is strong against the run but Penn State has a two-headed monster with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Nittany Lions have played physical against Rutgers in the past and won games in the trenches. On the outside, the battle between Parker Washington and Max Melton is a matchup to watch.

Penn State has won lopsided games against Rutgers and mainly because its defense keeps the Scarlet Knights off the board. This year, there could be some chances to make plays and put up some points.

Could Rutgers win this game?

As 19-point underdogs, it would be a huge surprise if Rutgers stayed within single digits. This is a matchup that has not been kind in the past and the talent gap remains wide in 2022.

Final thoughts

Rutgers has not scored double-figures against Penn State since 2014. It is not a given that the streak gets broken this time around. If the offense has looked like it has all year, this could be another one-touchdown game.