THE PERTINENT INFO
When: Saturday, September 8, 2018
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus
TV: 3:30 // BTN
Announcers: Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen and Rick Pizzo
This is the fifth time Ohio State and Rutgers will play each other in football. The Buckeyes are 4–0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights. Chris Ash's team enters this contest with a 1–0 record.
Below, you will find some interesting facts about the teams, key offensive player stats, coach information, and team stats.
THE LAST TIME...
- Ohio State played Rutgers, the Buckeyes won 56-0.
- Ohio State shutout an opponent in Ohio Stadium was against Rutgers on Oct. 1, 2016 (58-0).
- The Buckeyes defeated Rutgers by less than 38 points was...never.
- Ohio State played on the eighth of September the team beat UCF 31-16 in 2012.
- The Buckeyes lost the second game of the season was last year against Oklahoma.
- A ranked Ohio State team lost the Big Ten opener to an unranked opponent, in Columbus, was 1999 against Wisconsin (42-17).
- The Buckeyes had 400 yards in a half was last week against Oregon State (407).
- Rutgers defeated a Big Ten opponent on the road was last year against Illinois (35-24).
- The Scarlet Knights defeated a ranked team was 2009. They beat No. 24 South Florida (31-0).
ON THE HORIZON
- Ohio State is one win away from the program's 900th victory (the program has 911 wins if you count the 2010 season).
- Mike Weber is 92 yards away from rushing for 2,000 career yards. 25 other Ohio State players have reached this milestone.
- Ohio State has won six-straight Big Ten opening games.
- Saturday is Hall of Fame Day. 10 Buckeyes will be inducted, including James Laurinaitis.
- The Buckeyes have an all-time winning percentage of .725 and are .04 percentage points from taking the all-time lead.
Rutgers University
GET TO KNOW RUTGERS
- Rutgers University is located in New Brunswick, Piscataway and Camden, NJ.
- The university was established in 1766. It was formerly known as Queen's College (1766-1825) and Rutgers College (1825-1925).
- The Scarlet Knights are 1–0 this season.
- Chris Ash's team defeated Texas State 35-7 last week.
- Since joining the Big Ten, Rutgers is 7–27 (.206) against conference opponents.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
- Ohio State racked up 721 yards of offense last week, the second most in school history. Against which opponent did the Buckeyes amass 776 yards of total offense?
- Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, can you name the team they defeated for their first conference win?
- When was the last time Ohio State lost its Big Ten opening game?
- The Buckeyes have shut out Rutgers in back to back games (2017 and 2016). Can you name the last Big Ten team Ohio State has shutout in back to back games? The years?
Answers at the bottom of today's article.
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| OFFENSIVE LEADERS | ||||
| DWAYNE HASKINS | 313 YDS // 5 TD // 1 INT | PASSING | ARTUR SITKOWSKI | 205 YDS // 1 TD // 3 INT |
| MIKE WEBER | 186 YDS // 9.3 YPC // 3 TD | RUSHING | ISAIH PACHECO | 76 YDS // 5.2 YPC // 0 TD |
| TERRY McLAURIN | 121 YDS // 2 TD | RECEIVING | BO MELTON | 57 YDS // 0 TD |
| DEFENSIVE LEADERS | ||||
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PETE WERNER JAHSEN WINT |
5 | TACKLES | TREVOR MORRIS | 9 |
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NICK BOSA DRE'MONT JONES |
2.0 | SACKS | ELORM LUMOR | 1.0 |
| NONE | 0 | INTERCEPTIONS | BLESSUAN AUSTIN | 1 |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||||
| DEMARIO McCALL | 26.0 YPR | PUNT RETURNER | RAHEEM BLACKSHEAR | -1.0 |
| DEMARIO McCALL | 21.0 YPR | KICKOFF RETURN | RAHEEM BLACKSHEAR | 16.5 |
| DRUE CHRISMAN | 65.0 | PUNTING | ADAM KORSAK | 39.3 |
| 7 | EDGE | 2 | ||
THE COACHES
Ryan Day
- 1–0 (1.00) at Ohio State*
- 1–0 (1.00) overall*
*Acting Head Coach
Chris Ash
- 7–18 (.280) at Rutgers (3rd year)
- 7–18 (.280) overall as a college coach (3rd year)
Ash was hired as Rutgers' head coach in December of 2015. He signed a guaranteed 5-year $11 million dollar contract. Prior to taking the Rutgers job, Ash was Ohio State's defensive coordinator (2014-15), Arkansas' defensive coordinator (2013) and Wisconsin's defensive backs and defensive coordinator (2010-12). Ash was also a defensive coordinator at Drake, Iowa State and San Diego State.
CLIFF CLAVEN'S LITTLE KNOWN FACTS CORNER
- Since 2012, Ohio State has averaged 40.1 points per game in Big Ten opening games.
- Urban Meyer led Ohio State teams are undefeated in Big Ten openers.
- Ohio State has won 12 of its last 13 Big Ten openers.
- Four current Buckeyes are from New Jersey: Chris Chugunov, Tyler Friday, Jordan Fuller and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
- The 77 points scored against Oregon State last week were the most by Ohio State against a Power 5 team since dropping 83 on Iowa in 1950.
- Nick Bosa has had at least one sack in four straight games. He has 15.5 in his career.
- Since 2012, the Buckeyes are 21–2 in the month of September.
- .786, Ohio State has the highest home winning percentage of programs with at least 500 home games in their current stadium.
- Ohio Stadium has had 114 consecutive games of attendance over 100,000.
- With Urban Meyer as head coach, Ohio State is 41–3 when playing at home.
- Buckeye teams under Urban Meyer have scored 50 or more points 25 times. The Scarlet and Gray won all of those games.
- Ohio State is 78–24–3 (.757) in Big Ten opening games.
- When playing on September 8, the Buckeyes are 6–0.
- This is the first time Ohio State will play a Big Ten opponent on September 8.
- Last week, every team in the Big Ten East won, except for one...Michigan.
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| OFFENSE | ||||
| 77.0 | 2nd | POINTS FOR | 35.0 | 57th |
| 375.0 | 4th | RUSHING OFFENSE | 218.0 | 45th |
| 346.0 | 19th | PASSING OFFENSE | 205.0 | 83rd |
| 721.0 | 4th | TOTAL OFFENSE | 423.0 | 67th |
| .800 | 2nd | 3rd DOWNS | .643 | 13th |
| .875 | 76th | RED ZONE | .667 | 99th |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| 31.0 | 85th | POINTS ALLOWED | 7.0 | 12th |
| 196.0 | 93rd | RUSH DEFENSE | 69.0 | 19th |
| 196.0 | 51st | PASS DEFENSE | 100.0 | 15th |
| 154.4 | 100th | PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE | 65.6 | 9th |
| 392.0 | 74th | TOTAL DEFENSE | 169.0 | 8th |
| .375 | 71st | 3rd DOWNS | .077 | 3rd |
| 1.00 | 65th | RED ZONE | 0.00 | 1st |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||||
| 10.3 | 39th | PUNT RETURN | -1.5 | 121st |
| 21.0 | 61st | KICKOFF RETURN | 16.5 | 84th |
| 65.0 | 1st | NET PUNTING | 39.7 | 49th |
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
| +0.0 | 51st | TURNOVER MARGIN | -1.0 | 83rd |
| 6.0 | 50th | PENALTIES | 7.0 | 70th |
| 11 | EDGE | 7 | ||
TODAY'S TRIVIA ANSWERS
Ohio State racked up 721 yards of offense last week, the second most in school history. Against which opponent did the Buckeyes amass 776 yards of total offense?
Answer: In 2016, Ohio State had 776 total yards of offense in the season opening 77-10 dismantling of Bowling Green.
Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, can you name the team they defeated for their first conference win?
Answer: Michigan. Rutgers won 26-24 in 2014.
When was the last time Ohio State lost its Big Ten opening game?
Answer: Michigan State defeated the Buckeyes 10-7 in 2011 in Columbus. Both teams were not ranked.
The Buckeyes have shut out Rutgers in back to back games (2017 and 2016). Can you name the last Big Ten team Ohio State has shutout in back to back games? The years?
Answer: Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 59-0 (1979) and 21-0 (1980).
