🏈 A Final Homeland Showdown

Welcome to Knights of the Raritan, a newsletter fueled by Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL) for Rutgers University’s collective Knights of the Raritan.

In today’s content:
- A word from Schiano 🗣️
- Know the foe 🧠
+ So much more 💪

🥍 Women’s LAX unveils 2025 team captians

🏑 Field Hockey star tabbed to NFHCA Senior Team

🏀 The Winter Village returns for hooping season 

🏀 Men’s Basketball standout named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

🏈 Football closes out home play against Illinois

🎤 COACH SCHIANO WEEKLY PRESSER: ILLINOIS

Coach Schiano hits the podium to chat with media ahead of RU’s second to last game of the 2024 regular season:

• “Defensively, I think they get after the quarterback very well. We’re going to have to protect well” (2:38)

• What would it mean for the program if Football wins its third Big Ten game in a row? (4:35)

• Coach shares his first impression of QB Athan Kaliakmanis (6:50)

• “We need him to play a few more games for us and then he’s going to go play in the National Football League” (7:42)

Check out The Knight Report today, the No. 1 insider scoop on everything Rutgers Athletics!

🟠 SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: FIGHTING ILLINI

With the Fighting Illini landing in New Jersey this weekend, let’s get to know the 7-3 visitors:

• Illinois holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-1 record in RU territory

• The visitors rank 32nd in the nation in scoring defense (20.6)

• This season, Illini OLB Gabe Jacas ranks in the top 15 across the nation in forced fumbles (t-8th, 3) and sacks (t-13th, 8.0)

• He leads the Big Ten in forced fumbles and is second in sacks

• Averaging 13.8 punt returns this season, Illini WR Hank Beatty holds the second-best record in Illinois single-season history for players that have returned 16 or more punts

• Beatty also leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the nation with 13.8 yards per punt return

🏊 November 22-23 // Women’s Diving competes at the Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio

🏐 November 22 // Women’s Volleyball battles Illinois away at 5:00 pm ET on B1G+

🤼 November 22 // Wrestling takes on Virginia Tech away at 7:00 pm ET on ACC Network X

🏈 November 23 // Football clashes with No. 24 Illinois at home at noon ET on Peacock

🏐 November 23 // Women’s Volleyball meets Northwestern on the road at 8:00 pm ET on B1G+