It’s been 17 years since Rutgers football beat a ranked opponent.
The Scarlet Knights’ next chance to end that streak will be on Saturday, Oct. 24 when they play Northwestern at the new Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.
Rutgers, whose last ranked win came on Nov. 12, 2009 when it beat No. 23 South Florida, is coming off a 37-30 win over Maryland.
Northwestern, which has been on a consistent climb under David Braun, is coming off a 24-21 win over Michigan State.
The Scarlet Knights have already played two ranked teams this season – USC and Indiana – but lost to both (they did push the Trojans in a seven-point win).
Rutgers is 4-2 all time against Northwestern.
The keys for the Scarlet Knights in this game will be to avoid turnovers, get the ball into the hands of KJ Duff and play consistently on defense for all four quarters, something Rutgers hasn’t done well this season.
Northwestern has become one of the better middle-tier teams in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights will need a clean performance if they’re going to pick up a second-straight road victory.
Rutgers football schedule: Scarlet Knights' next game
Rutgers plays Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Ryan Field in their Week 8 game.
What time is Rutgers vs. Northwestern?
Kickoff is scheduled for Noon ET.
What channel is Rutgers vs. Northwestern?
The game will be streamed on Peacock.
WATCH Rutgers vs. Northwestern on Peacock
Rutgers vs. Northwestern spread
Rutgers is a 16.5-point underdog, according to Vegas Insider.
Rutgers vs. Northwestern prediction
Northwestern has been one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten last year, steadily improving under David Braun. The Wildcats pushed Indiana, beat Penn State and just beat Michigan State (although that win was by just three points and the Wildcats were far from perfect in a mistake-filled performance). They're averaging 424.5 yards per game while giving up 368.0 per contest. Quarterback Aidan Chiles is a much-improved player from the one he was at Michigan State. He's completing 70.5 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,398 yards and nine touchdowns. Overall right now, Northwestern is just a better team than Rutgers is. While the Scarlet Knights have shown improvement since the start of the season, going on the road and beating a ranked team is a tall order for where they are right now.
Score prediction: Northwestern 31, Rutgers 20
Rutgers vs. Northwestern tickets
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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: What time is Rutgers football vs. Northwestern? TV, prediction for Week 8