The structure of the game resembled more of a soccer and rugby-style contest in which players were allowed to kick and bat the ball with their fists and hands, instead of modern-day football.

The Rutgers squad was captained by William J. Leggett and donned scarlet kerchiefs atop their heads in an effort to distinguish between the two teams.

[51] In that game, Rutgers lost 45–40 in a shootout, but was led by a 100-yard rushing performance from freshman running back Ray Rice.

[52] In 2006, Rutgers started the season with nine straight wins, culminating in a momentous eighteen-point comeback victory at home against the Louisville Cardinals, ranked third at the time, in what became known as the "Pandemonium In Piscataway."

[56] Highlighted by a 30–27 upset over second ranked South Florida, and ended with an 8–5 record and a 52–30 victory over Ball State in the International Bowl.

[61] Rutgers' streak of five consecutive bowl appearances ended in 2010, a year marred by a spinal cord injury suffered by defensive lineman Eric LeGrand in the sixth game of the season against Army.

After the 2011 season, Schiano left Rutgers less than a week before National Signing Day to become the head coach of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[71] In November 2012, Rutgers was announced as a formal expansion acquisition of the Big Ten Conference, alongside rival Maryland of the ACC.

[73] Despite high expectations, Rutgers had an underwhelming 2013 season in the AAC,[74] finishing 6–7 after losing the New Era Pinstripe Bowl to Notre Dame by a score of 29–16.

Rutgers became bowl-eligible with that record and earned an invitation to play on December 26, 2014, in the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, where it trounced North Carolina 40–21 and capped off its inaugural Big Ten season at 8–5.

[78] Looking to back up its strong showing in 2014 with another successful campaign in the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights struggled in 2015, beleaguered before the onset of the season by the arrest of multiple active players on assault-related charges.

Amid the disappointment of a poor season and off-the field issues, both head coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann were both fired on November 29, 2015.

On December 1, 2019, Rutgers and Greg Schiano agreed to an 8-year, $32 million contract that would see him return as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers, despite missing spring and summer camp, matched the program high with three Big Ten victories, all away to equal the number of league road wins the previous six seasons combined.

However On December 23, the NCAA football oversight committee approved Rutgers as the first bowl alternate, under rules whereby five-win teams are ranked by Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculations.

[89] Rutgers strength of schedule was ranked second nationally heading into bowl season and finished number four and highest among Big Ten teams according to the ESPN College Football Power Index.

Between 2012 and 2016, the uniform featured a distinctive chrome helmet with a rotation of red, black, and white jerseys that are based on the team's knight mascot.

1910s Paul Robeson, born in Princeton, NJ played under future College Football Hall of Fame coach George Sanford.

Gifted with a twisting and elusive running style, Austin led the Scarlet Knights in rushing three straight seasons.

Austin was also considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, though the award was won by Pete Dawkins of Army that year.

From 1971 to 1973, running back JJ Jennings tore up the record books, ranking him third all time at Rutgers with 2,935 yards rushing.

In the late 1970s, Rutgers football, led by coach Frank R. Burns, showed the nation its capabilities with an undefeated record in 1976 (11–0).

Toran earned third team AP All-American that year, joined by honorable mentions John Alexander, Jim Hughes, Henry Jenkins, and Mark Twitty.

During that time, Deron Cherry, a standout safety for Rutgers, was an honorable AP All-American in 1980, followed by his teammate Ed McMichael.

1990s The early 1990s brought in a great recruiting class for Rutgers football, featuring running backs Bruce Presley and Terrell Willis.

Recruited out of New Rochelle HS in New York, Rice beat out four other running backs his freshman year to earn a starting spot in 2005.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt and defensive back Devin McCourty were both also Honorable Mentions on the AP All-American team.

2020s Running back Kyle Monangai recruited out of Don Bosco prep HS in New Jersey, was a huge part of Rutgers rebuild under Schiano.

Anthony Fucilli serves as the sideline reporter for all games, with Marc Malusis hosting all studio segments with Eric LeGrand as his co-host analyst.

The show, which debuted at the start of the 2001 season, is hosted by WNBC's Bruce Beck and features the Scarlet Knights' head football coach.