The Rutgers Scarlet Knights kickoff year ten in the Big Ten with a rare Sunday afternoon kickoff against Big Ten West opponent Northwestern. A historic first, Rutgers-Northwestern will be the first Big Ten game broadcast under the conference’s new media rights deal with CBS. Kickoff is set for noon from Piscataway.
The Scarlet Knights enter 2023 looking to improve on a 4-8 record in 2022. Unlike years past, head coach Greg Schiano named Jr. Gavin Wimsatt starting quarterback before the starting of training camp. A former four-star recruit out of Kentucky, Wimsatt has had the luxury of working with new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca in furthering his development at the quarterback position rather than “competing” for a starting spot. The belief in Piscataway is this, combined with the return of a running back So. Sam Brown, will allow the Scarlet Knights to have more offensive consistency in 2023.
Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are returning a defensive unit that has potential to be one of the greatest in school history despite the increased level of competition in the Big Ten. Led by Jr. DE Aaron Lewis and Jr. LB Tyreem Powell –both of whom were named to the Butkus and Bednarik watchlist, respectively– Rutgers will be returning players with starting experience at every position on the field. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights will have the services of Sr. LB/Edge Mohamed Toure and So. LB Moses Walker, both of whom missed 2022 with injuries. In short, Rutgers has an experience defense that should be able to smother opponents.
Moving on to Northwestern, the Wildcats head into the opener after a tumultuous summer that saw the departure of longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald due to hazing allegations. The Wildcats were a woeful 1-11 in 2022 thanks in part to an offense that was turnover prone. Offensively, the Wildcats will turn the ball over to quarterback Ben Bryant who transferred to Evanston from Cincinnati in the off-season. Bryant will have to play behind an offensive line that is looking to replace Peter Skoronski, who departed for the NFL. Northwestern will have some offensive weapons, but there’s nothing that stands out.
It’s a lot of the same story for Northwestern on the defensive side of the football. The Wildcats are returning a handful of veterans, including linebackers Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller. But again, there’s not much that “flashes” defensively when it comes to Northwestern. The Wildcats will have to hope for a better play from their defensive line if they want to improve upon 2022’s record.
Big Ten standings aside, the 2023 opener is a pivotal game for Rutgers and Northwestern. A win could set both teams up for a successful month of September, which in turn could propel them towards a run at a bowl game in 2023.
How to Watch Rutgers vs. Northwestern
- 🏈 Northwestern Wildcats vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- 📅 Date: Sunday, September 3, 2023
- 🕛 Time: 12:00 PM/EDT
- 🏟 Where: Piscataway, NJ | SHI Stadium
- 📺 Telecast: CBS
- 📻 Broadcast: Fox Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM, SiriusXM 84, and the Audacy App
- 📊 Team Records: Northwestern (0-0) | Rutgers (0-0)
- 🎲 Betting Odds: Northwestern (+200) | Rutgers (-200)
Rutgers vs. Northwestern Betting Odds
| Bet | Northwestern | Rutgers | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +200 | -200 |  |
| Point Spread | +6.5 (-110) | -6.5 (-110) | |
| Total Points | Over 39.5 Points (-110) | Under 39.5 Points (-110) | |
Rutgers vs. Northwestern Team Stats
| Northwestern | Rutgers | |
| 13.8 | PTS/GM | 17.4 |
| 210.3 | Pass Yds/GM | 153.9 |
| 125.1 | Rush Yds/GM | 127.8 |
| 28.3 | Opp Pts/GM | 29.2 |
| 183.4 | Opp Pass Yds/GM | 206.8 |
| 191.3 | Opp Rush Yds/GM | 142.8 |
Rutgers vs. Northwestern: Players to Watch
Offense
- Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt (Jr): 8 G, 65-for-145, 757 Yds, 5.2 Y/A, 5 TD, 7 INT, 90.4 QBR, (2022). Named starter prior to training camp, former four-star prospect from Owensboro, KY.
- Northwestern QB Ben Bryant (SR/Grad): 11 G, 213-for-348, 2,731 Yds, 7.8 Y/A, 21 TD, 7 INT, 143.0 QBR (2022 with University of Cincinnati). Transfer from the University of Cincinnati. Two-year starter over the past-two seasons (Eastern Michigan-2021, Cincinnati-2022).
Defense
- Rutgers DE Aaron Lewis (Jr): 11 G, 55 TOT, 8.0 TFL, 1.5 Sacks (2022). Named to the Resse’s Senior Bowl and Bednarik watchlists.
- Northwestern LB Bryce Gallagher (Sr): 11 G, 100 TOT, 5.0 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR (2022)
Rutgers vs. Northwestern: Last Ten Five Head-to-Head
- Rutgers leads the all-time series three games to two.
- Northwestern has won two consecutive matchups dating back to 2018.
- Rutgers has not defeated Northwestern since joining the Big Ten (0-2) in 2014.
| Date | Location | Northwestern | Rutgers |
| 10/16/21 | Evanston, IL | 21 | 7 |
| 10/20/18 | Piscataway, NJ | 18 | 15 |
| 9/21/91 | Piscataway, NJ | 18 | 22 |
| 9/23/89 | Evanston, IL | 27 | 38 |
| 11/27/1919 | Newark, NJ | 0 | 28 |
