I know that I’ve mentioned that my dad went to Rutgers before, it was a different time, and he’s been an Iowa fan for as long as I can recall (my earliest football memory being watching the Hayden’s boys destroy Texas in the Freedom Bowl the day after Christmas 1985), but since Rutgers joined the B1G a decade ago, part of me has always wondered, is he secretly pulling for the Knights to eek out a win? The answer, if I’m being honest, is a definitive no, though he is likely rooting for them every other week of the season, as long as they’re not playing Iowa.
We last saw the Scarlet Knights at Kinnick in 2023, a rather banal 22-0 defeat that, iirc, felt like a long exhale, being the only game since Week 3’s blasting of Western Michigan that didn’t feel like a root canal. Iowa’s 3 RB attack managed to run for 150+ yards and a TD, Deacon Hill managed to look competent, and the defense completely shutdown Kyle Monangai and Gavin Wimsatt on their way to allowing just 127 total yards. I recall that being a good Saturday, in that I didn’t feel like I had run a half-marathon when that game was over, unlike, well, every other game that season.
Kirk Ferentz has never lost to Rutgers, even as Greg Schiano’s second stint as Head Coach has brought them back to respectability. I feel like we’ll still have a lot of unanswered questions about this Iowa team going into week 4, so I’m not exactly taking this one for granted.
The Schedule
Week 1: Saturday, August 30 vs Albany
Week 2: Saturday, September 6 at Iowa State
Week 3: Saturday, September 13 vs UMass
Week 4: Saturday, September 20 at Rutgers
Week 5: Saturday, September 2 vs Indiana
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Saturday, October 11 at Wisconsin
Week 8: Saturday, October 18 vs Penn State
Week 9: Saturday, October 25 vs Minnesota
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Saturday, November 8 vs Oregon
Week 12: Saturday, November 15 at USC
Week 13: Saturday, November 22 vs Michigan State
Week 14: Friday, November 28 at Nebraska
Series History
Iowa leads the all-time series against Rutgers 4-0.
The series got off to a rocky start in 2016 with a tight 14-7 Iowa victory in Piscataway – the closest game of the entire series. Iowa followed that up with a dominant 30-0 shutout at Kinnick Stadium in 2019 (the last Iowa game that I attended – sitting in the newly completed North End Zone box, drinking a few too many Easy Eddie’s).
View from the North Endzone Box, 9/7/2019
Iowa went to Piscataway in 2022 and won easily, 27-10, a game that shall be remembered forever thanks to Cooper DeJean’s incredible pick-six. The 2023 meeting in Kinnick was the closest thing to a complete game we saw from the Hawks that season, and the only game that was, dare I say, kind of boring.
Iowa has been especially dominant on the defensive side of the ball in this series, in 4 games Iowa has allowed Rutgers to score exactly 17 points (all of them coming in Piscataway), let’s hope that trend continues as Phil Parker rebuilds in several spots.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Greg Schiano (4th season at Rutgers)
Offensive Coordinator: Kirk Ciarrocca (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Joe Harasymiak (2nd season)
Schiano’s return to Rutgers has been exactly what you’d expect – steady improvement with occasional flashes of competence. He’s building something sustainable there, which is both admirable and concerning from an Iowa perspective. This isn’t the Rutgers that was getting blown out by 40 points anymore.
Ciarrocca brings some Big Ten experience from his time at Minnesota, and Harasymiak has done solid work developing their defense. The continuity in the coaching staff should have them well-prepared, especially with a full offseason to implement their systems.
Previous Season Results
Overall: 7-6
Conference: 4-5
Rutgers exceeded expectations in 2024, reaching a bowl game and showing legitimate improvement on both sides of the ball. They averaged 24.1 points per game on offense while allowing 21.8 on defense – not spectacular numbers, but functional enough to compete in the middle tier of the Big Ten.
Their season included a quality win over Washington and a respectable showing against most conference opponents. They’re not going to blow anyone away, but they’re also not the automatic win they used to be.
Key Departures
RB Kyle Monangai (Sr.) – Graduation – 1,262 rushing yards, 8 TDs
WR Dymere Miller (Sr.) – Graduation – 892 receiving yards, 6 TDs
DE Wesley Bailey (Sr.) – Graduation – 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks
Monangai was Rutgers’ workhorse in the backfield, and Miller provided consistent production out wide. Bailey was their best pass rusher, so Iowa’s offensive line should have a slightly easier time protecting whoever wins the quarterback battle.
Key Returners
QB Athan Kaliakmanis (Sr.) – Transfer from Minnesota, 1,865 passing yards, 9 TDs, 10 INTs
WR Ian Strong (Jr.) – 614 receiving yards, 4 TDs
LB Mohamed Toure (Sr.) – 88 tackles, 2 INTs
S Flip Dixon (Sr.) – 76 tackles, 1 INT
Kaliakmanis is back for his second year at the helm and his familiarity with Ciarrocca’s system from their time together at Minnesota is a huge plus. He’s not going to light up the scoreboard, but he’s competent enough to manage games. Strong gives them a reliable target, and their defense returns some solid pieces in Toure and Dixon.
Transfer Portal Additions
Rutgers has been active in the portal, bringing in 18 players (though losing 22), particularly on offense where they’ve added depth at running back and receiver. They’ve also bolstered their defensive line with a few transfers, suggesting Schiano is trying to build the kind of physical team that can compete in Big Ten trenches.
Season Expectations
Wins: Over/Under 5.5
Big Ten Championship Game: +5000
Vegas isn’t expecting much from Rutgers, they’re projected to finish in the bottom half of the conference, though they’ve shown they can be competitive enough to steal a game or two from teams that overlook them.
Game Details: Date: Saturday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM CDT
Location: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
TV Network: FOX
Fun Fact
Iowa has never given up more than 10 points in a game to Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights have yet to score in the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium. In the two games played in Piscataway Rutgers has outgained Iowa, only to have turnovers scuttle those efforts.
This feels like exactly the kind of game where Iowa needs to make a statement early. We can’t afford to sleepwalk through another B1G opener, especially with the Big Ten looking as brutal as ever. Tim Lester’s offense should be able to move the ball consistently against Rutgers’ defense, and if we can avoid the turnovers that plagued us in 2024, this should be a comfortable victory.
But this is Iowa football, where comfort is a luxury we can rarely affords. Kickoff will be right around Happy Hour out here in Glendale, so at least I won’t have to explain away some day drinking if things go south.
As always, GO HAWKS!!!