PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football continued its impressive early-season momentum, routing Norfolk State 60-10 at SHI Stadium on Saturday, successfully starting 3-0 for the fifth consecutive season – a remarkable program achievement.
Kaliakmanis Leads Offensive Onslaught
Senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis continued his remarkable start to the 2025 season, orchestrating an efficient offensive performance that saw the Scarlet Knights score on seven of nine drives. Kaliakmanis completed 18 of 26 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown, extending his streak of touchdown passes to eight consecutive games.
“Athan, again, kind of quietly threw for over 300 yards,” head coach Greg Schiano said postgame. “I think we have a fun offense to be a part of.”
Kaliakmanis’ Impressive Stat Line:
- 18/26 passing
- 309 yards
- 1 touchdown
- Continues streak of touchdown passes in eight straight games
Balanced Attack Overwhelms Spartans
Rutgers demonstrated remarkable offensive versatility, with multiple players contributing to the dominant victory. Running back Antwan Raymond led the ground attack, scoring two rushing touchdowns and continuing his streak of scoring in four consecutive games.
Key Offensive Performers:
- Antwan Raymond: 2 rushing touchdowns
- KJ Duff: 6 receptions, 119 yards
- Ben Black: 3 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown
- DT Sheffield: 3 receptions, 79 yards, 1 touchdown
The Scarlet Knights totaled 421 yards of offense, converting 7 of 10 third-down attempts and securing 31 first downs – their most against an FBS opponent since 2015.
“It was really taking what the defense gives you,” Schiano explained about the offensive approach. “We felt we could get it going. You know, we tried to run the ball a little bit more today for a lot of reasons.”
Defensive Highlights
The Rutgers defense continued to impress, with several players making significant contributions while holding Norfolk State to just 2-of-10 on third-down conversions.
“Today we took the ball away twice. We did well on third down. I think they were two of ten on third down. That’s where you need to be,” Schiano noted about the defensive performance.
Defensive Impact:
- Bo Mascoe intercepted a pass, returning it 21 yards
- Djibril Abdou Rahman and Dariel Djabome each recorded sacks
- Moses Walker led the team with 14 tackles, including two for loss
Special Teams Dominance
The Scarlet Knights’ special teams unit delivered game-changing plays, blocking two punts for touchdowns while kicker Jai Patel extended his school record to 16 consecutive field goal makes.
“Defense, punt block is an extension of defense and blocked two punts for score. We’re starting to get the hang of it,” Schiano said. “When you score two times in special teams, that’s important.”
Backup Quarterbacks Shine
With the game well in hand, Schiano was able to give valuable experience to backup quarterbacks AJ Surace and Sean Ashenfelder, both making their collegiate debuts.
“I was really glad to see A.J. get in there and do well and run the offense, and then to get Sean in there was icing on the cake,” Schiano said. “A.J. shows why we do have a lot of faith in him. Very cool under pressure in the pocket, and then delivered some nice balls.”
Injury Concerns
Despite the dominant victory, Schiano expressed concern about injuries to key players CJ Campbell and Tyler Needham.
“The level of concern is high, yeah, very high,” Schiano said. “Both those guys are critical, especially the offensive tackle position. We are already down. We’re down quite a few guys at the position. But that’s it, man. Life in the big city. You’ve got next guy up.”
Norfolk State’s Perspective
Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick, making his return to face Rutgers 25 years after playing against them as a Virginia Tech quarterback, remained positive despite the loss.
“These games are important, it’s an opportunity to grow and compete hard,” Vick said. “Every experience matters, and so we’ve got to always go into a game thinking we’re going to win.”
Vick praised the postgame interaction with Schiano: “I love Greg. I have a lot of respect for him. The way he coaches is always offering advice, offering help behind closed doors, and he’s just another guy I can reach out to if I need to.”
Historical Context
The victory continues Rutgers’ impressive non-conference dominance under Schiano. The Scarlet Knights are now 14-0 in non-conference regular-season games since Schiano’s return and maintain their perfect record when not committing turnovers.
“I’m proud of the offense now, three straight games, zero turnovers and when we don’t turn the ball over we win a real high percentage of winning, real high,” Schiano emphasized. “I think we are 19-2 when we don’t turn the ball over since we’ve been back.”
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will look to maintain their momentum when they open Big Ten play against Iowa on Friday, September 19, in what promises to be an electrifying “Blackout” game at SHI Stadium.
“It doesn’t matter if I think so or not because it’s coming, man, six days,” Schiano said about Big Ten readiness. “I’m going to take about a couple hours to relax and then get back at it tonight and get going because it’s a short week.”
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