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Football Falls at Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Playing in its second consecutive road game, Rutgers football (1-2, 0-1) fell to Kansas (2-1, 0-0), 55-14, Saturday afternoon in Lawrence. Sophomore running back Raheem Blackshear led the offense with 102 yards on the ground, while freshman receiver Eddie Lewis and senior tight end Jerome Washington contributed 43 and 41 receiving yards, respectively. On defense, redshirt sophomores Tyreek Maddox-Williamsand Elorm Lumor each registered seven tackles and a tackle-for-loss. After falling behind 10-0 to start the contest, senior linebacker Deonte Roberts blocked a Jayhawk field goal attempt and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. The special teams score made it a 10-7 game with 9:06 left in the first quarter. The Scarlet Knights added another blocked field goal at the end of the first, this one courtesy of senior defensive lineman Jon Bateky. The blocked kick was the 52nd for the program since 2009 – the most nationally during that span. Kansas added another touchdown early in the second quarter, but RU responded with a nine-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a two-yard touchdown run from senior Jonathan Hilliman. Blackshear added three carries for 49 yards during the 2:58 drive, which helped make it just a 24-14 game late in the second quarter. The Jayhawks punched in a rushing score at the end of the half, as RU entered the locker room trailing 31-14. Kansas would use 24 points in the second half to put the game out of reach. UP NEXT Rutgers opens up a three-game homestand by hosting Buffalo next Saturday at noon on Big Ten Network. Click here for tickets. PARTICIPATION
First career start (1): LG Mike Lonsdorf
Collegiate debut (1): WR Jalen Jordan (10th true freshmen to play this season)
Transfers to make Rutgers debut (1): DL Muhammad Wainwright
TEAM NOTES
Rutgers blocked two kicks in a game for the first time since the 2016 game versus Indiana.
The last time blocking two kicks in the same quarter was in the fourth quarter 2009 at Syracuse (punt, field goal).
Rutgers has 52 blocked kicks since 2009, the most in the nation. That includes 22 field goals over that span.
Deonte Roberts became the first Scarlet Knight to return a blocked field goal for a touchdown since Brandon Haw (88 yards) against Navy in 2003. It was his first career block and touchdown.
Jon Bateky recorded his first career blocked kick.
Jonathan Hilliman registered his 29th career rushing touchdown.
Raheem Blackshear had his second career 100-yard rushing game.
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