Rutgers opened its 2020 season with a 38-27 win on the road against Michigan State in a game it entered as a 10.5-point underdog.
Now, this was not exactly a pretty game for either team. They combined for 16 penalties and 10 turnovers, but the Spartans gave up seven of those turnovers. Rutgers forced four turnovers in the first half — including on Michigan State’s first two drives — and that’s excluding the Spartans turning the ball over on downs on their third drive of the game.
Rutgers had an 18-point lead at two different points in the game, and, fittingly, the Scarlet Knights secured their victory by picking off Michigan State junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Although the Spartans, clearly, aren’t even looking mediocre after the first game of the season, the win is a big deal for Rutgers, especially in the Big Ten. So here are three stats illustrating just how big this W is.
1. Rutgers is 1-0 for the first time in Big Ten play.
Yes, the last time the Scarlet Knights won a conference game was in 2017 against Maryland — a 31-24 victory — and they finished 3-6 in Big Ten play that year after losing their last three conference matchups. But then they went 0-9 in 2018 and in 2019 and extended that very sad losing streak to an incredible 21 games.
Isaih Pacheco scored two touchdowns and @RFootball capitalized on Michigan State turnovers to score a 38-27 win over the Spartans. pic.twitter.com/OMkcLFfGaU
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) October 24, 2020
Well, by taking out Michigan State on Saturday, Rutgers is 1-0 in conference play for the first time since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
2. Rutgers needed 9 Big Ten quarters to score a TD in 2019. It scored on the opening drive vs. Michigan State.
Last season, Rutgers didn’t score a Big Ten touchdown until its third conference game of the season, which was against Maryland in a 48-7 loss. Not the case this year with only Big Ten opponents on the regular-season schedule.
Noah Vedral ➡️ Shameen Jones = 6⃣.
That's an @RFootball #B1GStandout TD.
📍 @AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/iHSxY6VrqR
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 24, 2020
But against Michigan State on Saturday, they scored on their opening drive for a lead they never relinquished. On 1st-and-10 early in the first quarter, junior running back Isaih Pacheco ran the ball into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run to get the Scarlet Knights on the board first.
And they put up four of their five total touchdowns in the first half.
3. It’s the second time Rutgers had a 2-TD lead at halftime, and the first time they ultimately won.
At halftime, Rutgers had a 28-13 lead over the Spartans, and, as ESPN Stats & Info noted, it was only the second time since the Scarlet Knights joined the conference that they had a two-touchdown lead in a Big Ten game at the break.
Except this time, Rutgers won the game.
Rutgers currently leads Michigan State 28-13 at the half.
This is the 2nd time since joining the Big Ten in 2014 the Scarlet Knights have held a 2 TD lead in a conference game at the half.
The last time this happened, Rutgers would go on to lose to Maryland 46-41 in 2015. pic.twitter.com/LIvEVtfAis
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 24, 2020
Does all this mean Rutgers is quietly a Big Ten East contender? No, almost certainly not. But Saturday’s victory was a surely a big deal for a fan base that’s used to disappointment, particularly in conference games.
Rutgers’ next game is its home-opener against Indiana next Saturday.
