After finally picking up a win in Ann Arbor, Penn State football will head to Piscataway in search of its second-straight victory.

The Nittany Lions finally got things clicking against Michigan, and a win against Rutgers is now crucial to make a run for a bowl game.

The Scarlet Knights are 2-4 this year with wins at Michigan State and Purdue. Rutgers hasn’t managed to beat Penn State since 1988, but this year is probably its best shot to do so in a long time.

Saturday afternoon’s contest between these two teams could get ugly. Here’s what you need to know about Penn State’s seventh opponent of the 2020 season:

The Team

Now with Greg Schiano at the helm, Rutgers is putting together one of its most impressive seasons in recent history.

The Scarlet Knights shocked the Big Ten world in their first game of the season, beating Michigan State in East Lansing. Rutgers lost four straight after that but was able to keep things close with Illinois and even take Michigan to overtime.

The Scarlet Knights were able to edge Purdue out by a touchdown last Saturday, so they do have a bit of momentum coming into this contest. After its win at Michigan, Penn State does as well. It’s possible we’ll see two teams playing their best football of the year Saturday.

Rutgers didn’t manage to win a conference game all of last year, so Schiano’s first year as head coach is already a step in the right direction. The team is energetic and fun to watch.

Offense

Rutgers has the 10th-best overall offense in the Big Ten and averages 396.3 yards per game. However, its 30.8 point per game ranks fifth in the Big Ten.

Quarterback Noah Vedral had led the Scarlet Knights throughout most of the season, but an injury in the Michigan game sidelined him against Purdue. Art Sitkowski got the start over him as a game-time decision.

Vedral had been completing more than 64% of his passes before his injury. He boasts a 123.78 passer rating and eight touchdowns on the year but has thrown eight picks as well. If he’s healthy against Penn State, Schiano will likely give him the start.

Johnny Langan, another one of Rutgers’ backup quarterbacks, has also been an offensive weapon throughout the year. Schiano used Langan extensively late in the game against Purdue. He threw three passes for 84 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 95 yards on 21 carries. He leads the team with four rushing scores.

Isaih Pacheco leads the Scarlet Knights with 390 yards on the season, good for about 65 per game. He has two touchdowns on the year and has been a threat through the air as well, averaging 15 receiving yards per contest.

Bo Melton, Aron Cruickshank, and Shameen Jones have been the Scarlet Knights’ go-to receivers this year. Melton, a senior, has five touchdowns on the season and averages an impressive 79 yards per game. Jones has been good for more than 50 yards per game as well.

Defense

Rutgers has arguably one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten. Its 35.7 points allowed per game ranks worst in the conference, and its 430.5 yards allowed per game is fifth worse.

Senior linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi is the Scarlet Knights’ best defensive weapon and is one of the greatest defenders in the Big Ten as a whole. He has a conference-best 73 tackles along with two sacks, a forced fumble, and an extremely impressive nine tackles-for-loss.

Senior Tyshon Fogg rounds out a scary linebacker group for Rutgers. His 53 tackles this year is also good for a top-10 placement in Big Ten rankings.

Rutgers has had one of the worst pass defenses in the league this year, giving up 260 yards per game. The Scarlet Knights have only recorded three interceptions this year, which is good news for a Penn State offense that has constantly turned the ball over so far despite a turnover-free game against Michigan.

Penn State’s offense will need to gash a struggling Rutgers defensive front early and often.

Special Teams

Rutgers has only attempted eight field goals this year but has made seven of them. Kicker Guy Fava made the team’s longest kick of the year from 48 yards out. Fava has combined with Ambrosio Valentino to hit 16/17 extra points this season.

The Scarlet Knight’s return game has been one of the strongest in the Big Ten this year. Rutgers averages 13.4 yards per return on punts and 25.3 yards per return on kickoffs. These are both good for second-best in the conference. Cruickshank even took a kick back 100 yards to the house thanks to a trick play against Ohio State.