Rutgers vs. Minnesota Game Day Thread

Here we go again. Saturday morning in October. Perfect for football. The week before our long-awaited bye, Rutgers travels all the way to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers for their homecoming game.

Hopefully we can spoil their homecoming the way ours was spoiled.

Giovanni Rescigno is the starter for the Knights today. Gio has given a little more hope and life into this fan base that has been practically depleted by terrible losses this year. If Gio can go to Minnesota and win this game, Gio will be loved campus-wide.

Speaking of quarterbacks...

Here is how you can watch today’s game

Join me in the comments all afternoon long!

#GoKnights #RURahRah #BeatMinnesota #MINNvRUTG

1st Quarter

Minnesota’s Shannon Brooks gets a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Gophers up early

7-0 Minnesota 10:01 remaining in the quarter

Giovanni Rescigno and the Rutgers offense had little trouble moving the ball themselves.

In the red zone on third down, Gio got sacked forcing David Bonagura to kick a field goal

7-3 Minnesota 5:57 left in the quarter

Minnesota is having no trouble with our defense.

They score again, this time via a Rodney Smith 6-yard run

14-3 Gophers 1:55 left in the quarter

Giovanni Rescigno fumbled the ball giving Minnesota great field position

As mentioned, Minnesota has had no trouble moving the ball.

This time was no different as Mitch Leidner runs it in fro two yards out for the Gopher touchdown

21-3 Minnesota with 21 seconds left in the first

2nd Quarter

At midfield on third down, the Scarlet Knights’ offense sputters forcing Michael Cintron to punt

Rutgers got the ball back and Gio looked extraordinary.

He moved the ball well with his arm and his feet.

To cap it all off, he threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Justin Goodwin

Touchdown Rutgers!!! The first touchdown scored on the Golden Gophers in the first half in conference play all year.

21-10 Minnesota 7:48 left in the half

Gio now has 56 yards passing and 54 yards rushing. Solid day for sure

Unfortunately, our defense is really bad. Minnesota makes a huge play to put them right back in the red zone.

Minnesota, luckily, gets called for a personal foul. After Leidner got tackled short of the sticks, Rutgers forces fourth down

The kick is no good! the 34-yard attempt from Emmit Carpernter is no good!

Just under four minutes to go, Tylin Oden and Trey Sneed get a little work. Coach Ash wants to get the young guys some work

Giovanni comes in on third down, and gets brought down behind the line of scrimmage

On a deep throw to Andre Patton, Patton goes to the ground after the incompletion.

He goes off under his own power thankfully, but keep your eye on this

A couple of plays later, Gio is showing some discomfort.

Rutgers and Gio were moving the ball exquisitely. Next thing you know, interception in the end zone.

Minnesota gets the ball back with 30 seconds left in the half. Gio needs to make better decisions than that.

21-10 Minnesota at Halftime

3rd Quarter

Jack Lynne of Minnesota gets called for a targeting penalty and is ejected and will miss the first half of the Gopher’s next game

Andre Patton makes the beautiful catch for 37 yards and a RUTGERS TOUCHDOWN!

21-17 Minnesota 13:29 left in the quarter.

Minnesota takes the ball down the field and answers right back with a Emmit Carpenter field goal

24-17 Minnesota 9:21 left in the quarter

On one of the few passing plays Minnesota has actually run, Leidner threw an interception to Damon Hayes who returns it all the way to the house for a touchdown

David Bonagura misses the XP

24-23 Minnesota

Gotta love Rutgers football though as Minnesota returns the ensuing kick-off for a touchdown

31-23 Minnesota

On Rutgers’ next drive, Gio gets picked off again giving the Gophers the ball and all of the momentum

Rutgers stops the Gophers on third down giving them fourth and short on the ten.

The fourth down play was so close a measurement was needed. Rutgers gets the ball back by an inch

With Justin Goodwin and Josh Hicks moving the ball for the offense, Rutgers has the ball at midfield going into the third quarter

31-23 Minnesota after three quarters

4th Quarter

Despite Gio’s picks, he has looked very composed and well both under pressure and in big situations.

It also helps he can run it very well himself as well as throw on the run

Giovanni Rescigno throws a beautiful ball to Jawuan Harris for the Rutgers Touchdown!!

Rutgers will go for two, but fails

31-29 Minnesota 11:54 to play

A false start on 4&2 for the Gophers turns into 4&7 after they false start. Coach Ash was amped up to say the least.

Minnesota punts the ball back to Rutgers who is looking to finally get ahead in this game.

Unfortunately, Rutgers went three-and-out

On another fourth down, Ruters makes another incredible stop! I kind of feel bad for being mad at the defense earlier this game

On Michael Cintron’s punt, Minnesota muffs the fair catch and Rutgers recovers!

Rutgers has the ball back in great field position!

Rutgers could not get the touchdown, but David Bonagura comes up clutch hitting the 39-yard field goal

Rutgers finally leads for the first time in over four games

32-31 Rutgers with four minutes to play

Minnesota is moving the ball down the field and they are in field goal range with 40 seconds to go

Rodney Smith was hit short of the sticks, but somehow gets out of hit and gets the first down and then some

On the 14, Minnesota has the ball who are running the ball to run out the clock for the last second field goal

Emmit Carpenter enters the game for the game-winner with 10 seconds to play

Chris Ash uses the ol’ Ice the Kicker trick, lets see if it works

It does not as the Gophers go up 34-32 with a mere 6 seconds to play

Game is over. Rutgers loses 34-32