Rutgers is going bowling. The 5-7 Scarlet Knights are headed to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, where they’ll oppose Wake Forest (10-3) December 31st at TIAA Bank Field, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. That will kick off an action-packed day of college football with five bowls on tap including semifinal matchups between undefeated Cincinnati and top-ranked Alabama, and in the later game, Georgia vs. Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
For the Scarlet Knights, it will be their first bowl appearance since 2014, when they defeated North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field. Rutgers’ seven-year dry spell was the second-longest bowl drought among Power Five schools (Kansas hasn’t played a postseason game since 2008). Rutgers replaces Texas A&M, who withdrew earlier this week. The Aggies were decimated by a COVID outbreak, leaving them with just 38 scholarship players.
Illinois, alma mater of Jaguars owner Shad Khan, was also considered as a potential fill-in. However, Rutgers ultimately got the nod because of its superior APR (Academic Progress Rate), which the NCAA Oversight Committee uses to determine which remaining schools qualify for bowls.
The Scarlet Knights got off to a hot start this season (3-0) but faded down the stretch, losing seven of their nine conference games with their only wins coming against Big Ten rivals Indiana and Illinois. Rutgers could be in for a long afternoon against the 17th-ranked Demon Deacons, who boast one of the nation’s top offenses (41.2 points per game, fifth-most in FBS). Coverage begins at 11 AM on ESPN.
LISTEN NOW on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram