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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. RU and the Northwestern Wildcats will face off in a Big Ten battle at noon ET on Saturday at Ryan Field. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W.'
The Scarlet Knights were first on the board but had to settle for second at the end of their matchup against the Michigan State Spartans last week. The contest between them was not particularly close, with RU falling 31-13. QB Noah Vedral had a pretty forgettable game, fumbling the ball once.
Meanwhile, Northwestern took a serious blow against the Nebraska Cornhuskers two weeks ago, falling 56-7. Northwestern was in a tough position by the half, with the score already sitting at 35-7. A silver lining for them was the play of WR Stephon Robinson Jr., who caught eight passes for one TD and 116 yards. Robinson Jr. had some trouble finding his footing against the Ohio Bobcats three weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.
This next game is expected to be close, with RU going off at just a 2-point favorite. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past two games, so buyers beware.
The losses put the Scarlet Knights at 3-3 and the Wildcats at 2-3. A couple defensive stats to keep an eye on: RU is stumbling into the matchup with the 183rd most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up nine on the season. Northwestern has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 235th worst in the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed, with 14 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
