DATE: Thursday, December 27, 2023
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY
TIME/TV: 2:15 PM EST/ESPN
LIVE AUDIO: 560 WQAM
MIAMI: Official Site | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
RUTGERS: Official Site | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
The unranked Miami Hurricanes (7-5, 3-5 ACC) is undefeated in the all-time series with unranked Rutgers (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten), 11-0.
The last meeting between the two former Big East schools came in 2003 when Miami defeated Rutgers 34-10 at the Orange Bowl.
The Hurricanes and Scarlet Knights remain outside the AP and Coaches Poll going into bowl season.
Rutgers is looking to secure its first winning season since 2014 with a win, and Miami will aim for its first eight-win season since 2020.
The Hurricanes own a 20-24 record in bowl games all-time and are making their second trip ever for the Pinstripe Bowl. UM fell in the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl to Wisconsin.
Head Coach Mario Cristobal has a 3-3 record in bowl games as head coach and a 3-2 mark as a full-time head coach; he was named interim head coach for the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl at Oregon.
UM is playing in a bowl for the first time under Cristobal and the 45th time in history; Miami is 20-24 in bowls, with its last bowl win coming in 2016.
The Scarlet Knights are 5-2 in bowl games under head coach Greg Schiano and 6-5 overall.
Schiano's five bowl victories are ranked tied for third among active Big Ten head coaches.
This will be the third time Rutgers appears in the Pinstripe Bowl, the only bowl in which the Scarlet Knights have played multiple times.
Rutgers owns six wins overall in 2023, the most in a season since going 8-5 in 2014.
Rutgers picked up three Big Ten wins, matching the program high previously set in 2014, 2017, and 2020.
Series History
Before joining the ACC, Miami and Rutgers were once BIG EAST foes and played every year from 1993 to 2003.
The upcoming bowl is the first neutral site matchup.
Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal coached tight ends and offensive line under Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers from 2001-2003, facing off against Miami three times there.
The Pinstripe Bowl marks the first head-to-head meeting between Cristobal and one of his coaching mentors, Greg Schiano.
Honors
Thirteen student-athletes were recognized with All-ACC honors, including first-team picks WR Xavier Restrepo, DB Kam Kinchens, and K Andy Borregales.
DL Rueben Bain, Jr. was recognized with ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and was named a Freshman All-America by every outlet.
Stats
Miami
QB Jacurri Brown is projected to make his first start of the season and third of his career against Rutgers.
He saw action in eight games as a true freshman in 2022, with his best outing coming in a road win at Georgia Tech, when he threw for three touchdown passes and rushed for 87 yards.
George and Restrepo are one of six FBS duos and the only ACC duo to record at least 850 receiving yards and 55 receptions this season. It is the only time UM has had such a duo over the past 25 years; Restrepo was second in the ACC in receiving yards (993), while George was third (851).
Bain ranked first among defensive linemen with 37 total tackles, which included a team-high-tying 7.5 sacks to go along with 9.5 tackles for loss.
Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa ranks No. 9 in the nation and No. 2 in the ACC with an average of 1.4 tackles for loss per contest so far this year; he leads the Hurricanes with 17 tackles for loss this season.
The Hurricanes rank No. 26 in FBS in total defense (324.1 yards per game), No. 13 in FBS in team sacks (2.92), No. 19 in FBS in tackles for loss per game (6.9), and No. 16 in first downs on defense (209).
The Canes are one of just 11 teams in all of FBS, allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards per game (97.1).
Miami ranks No. 10 in rushing defense and No. 1 in the ACC in the same category.
In other categories, the Hurricanes rank No. 38 nationally in scoring defense (22.1 points), No. 27 in passes intercepted (12), No. 34 in third-down defense (35.4), and No. 15 in fourth-down defense (38.5).
Miami is No. 22 in FBS in yards per play at 6.51. Against FBS competition, UM is one of 31 in the nation, averaging more than 6.0 yards per play (6.1). UM ranked No. 104 in FBS last season in yards per play.
Miami rushed for 211 yards in a 2OT win over Clemson on Oct. 21, marking only the 30th time a Dabo Swinney-led Tigers defense had surrendered 200 or more rushing yards in more than 200 games.
Among other categories where Dawson's work has been precise, Miami ranks No. 28 in FBS and No. 1 in the ACC in completion percentage (64.9), and No. 25 in FBS and No. 2 in ACC in total offense (441.2). Miami is averaging more than 70+ more yards per game of offense compared to last year's average (367.1).
In games involving only FBS teams across the country, the Hurricanes rank No. 21 in the nation in the fourth quarter, scoring 8.5 points per game in 2023. Only 30 teams average more than 8.0 in 4Q.
Borregales is one of 44 kickers in FBS with an 80%-or-better success rate this year - he is 26th in FBS (84.0%) in the category. He is one of only 17 kickers in the country with at least 20 made field goals.
Wide receiver Brashard Smith ranks No. 2 on Miami in all-purpose yards this season, including a season-high 168 at North Carolina.
He ranks fifth in the nation in the kickoff return average, averaging 29.0 yards per return this year.
Smith's 98-yard kickoff return TD vs. was his first return for a career touchdown.
Rutgers
Rutgers saw 13 players recognized in the All-Big Ten voting, the second-highest total for the program behind the 14 honored in 2020.
According to the ESPN College Football Power Index, Rutgers' 2023 strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 nationally. Eight opponents from this season will appear in bowl games.
Rutgers has won its last six non-conference games, and 10 of the last 11 date back to 2019. The Scarlet Knights are 49-20 overall in non-conference games under Schiano.
Rutgers is 2-2 in bowl games against ACC members, defeating NC State (2008 PapaJohns. com) and North Carolina (2014 Quick Lane). The Scarlet Knights have one ACC win in each of the last three years (2023 Virginia Tech, 2022 Boston College, 2021 Syracuse).
Rutgers has 26 players on the current roster who played in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, including six offense and defense starters.
Rutgers is 12-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.
Rutgers leads the nation in kickoff returns (33.0), ranks second in punts blocked (2), ninth in red zone defense (0.738), 11th in passing defense (175.9), 13th in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (4.00), 14th in fewest sacks allowed (1.17), 19th in total defense (313.7), 19th in fumbles recovered (9), 24th in fewest turnovers lost (13), 27th in scoring defense (21.0), 29th in fewest penalties (5.00) and 29th in time of possession (31:34).
Rutgers went 5-2 at home this season, the most home victories in a season since picking up six in 2011.
Rutgers ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest sacks (1.17), third in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (4.00), fourth in time of possession (31:34), and fourth in rushing offense (165.4). Rutgers has four games with over 250 rushing yards this season (12 games), matching the number of games the previous six seasons combined (70 games). The Scarlet Knights have five games this year with 200 or more rushing yards, the most since having six such games in 2007.
Rutgers has posted 21 rushing touchdowns after posting 11 last year. Six different Scarlet Knights have rushed for a score in 2023.
Rutgers has rushed for 1,985 yards, the most since 2015 (2,039).
Twelve of the 31 offensive touchdown drives have been ten plays or more, and ten have taken at least five minutes.
Rutgers scored points on its opening drive seven times (four touchdowns three field goals).
Rutgers has allowed just 14 sacks this season, allowing one or zero in nine games, down from 26 by opponents in 2022 (12 games). The 14 is the fewest allowed in a season since permitting 11 in 2012 (13 games)
Gavin Wimsatt has accounted for 18 touchdowns (nine passing, nine rushing), the most in a season for a Rutgers quarterback since Gary Nova's 25 in 2014 (22 passing, three rushing).
Ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 101 points responsible for.
Leads Big Ten quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns (tied 10th nationally) and 488 rushing yards. Both marks are the most in a season by a quarterback in Rutgers history.
Second on the team with 488 rushing yards, posting at least 40 yards in five games with a high of 143.
Kyle Monangai was Named All-Big Ten Second Team by the coaches and media, becoming the highest-honored Rutgers running back since joining the league.
He leads the Big Ten with 1,099 rushing yards, the only player in the league to reach 1,000 during the regular season and 115 more than any other player before championship weekend.
He leads the Big Ten and 16th nationally with 217 rushing attempts, posting at least 20 carries in five games.
Christian Dremel Leads the team with three receiving touchdowns, 34 receptions and 440 yards. Has at least once catch in all 12 games and multiple receptions in 11 games.
A nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
He led the team with five receptions for 69 yards against Ohio State.
He recorded a career-high six catches, plus a two-point conversion, in a win over Michigan State.
He scored his third receiving touchdown in as many weeks versus Wagner, the first Scarlet Knight to achieve the feat since Andre Patton in 2016.
He picked up a 69-yard touchdown at Michigan, finishing with a career-high 85 yards.
Mohamed Toure was a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award after missing last season due to injury.
He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
Leads the team with 7.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks, second with 85 tackles.
He posted a career-high 11 stops versus Maryland, adding a sack.
Deion Jennings played in 57 career games, one shy of tying the school record. • Owns 242 career tackles with 18.5 for loss, 12 pass breakups, and one interception.
He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
He ranks 10th in the Big Ten with 7.2 tackles per game this year. Posted at least six stops in nine games. He leads the team with 86 tackles overall.
Rutgers, "The Birthplace of College Football," will play its 1,408th game in program history on record dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.
Stats are as of December 27, 2023
Rutgers Athletics and Miami Athletics contributed to this report.
Line: Rutgers -1.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Weather: 47 Degrees with partly cloudy skies
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