Rutgers Keeps Bowl Hopes Alive with Win Over Maryland

Antoine Raymond had an impressive game, rushing for a career-high 240 yards, while Eysan Kaliakmanis tossed four touchdown passes, helping Rutgers maintain its postseason aspirations in a match against Maryland in Piscataway, New Jersey.

With this victory, Rutgers (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) is gearing up for upcoming games against Ohio State in two weeks and then hosting Penn State on November 29. They are aiming for their third consecutive bowl appearance.

Raymond’s 240 rushing yards mark the highest in the Big Ten this season, and it’s actually the third-best nationwide, trailing only Texas Tech’s Cameron Dickey and Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy.

The sophomore running back didn’t just break records; he also scored a touchdown and carried the ball 41 times, averaging about 5.9 yards per rush. This performance stands as the third-highest rushing total in Rutgers history, with Ray Rice holding the top two spots.

Since Kyle Monangai graduated and was drafted by the Chicago Bears this year, Raymond has taken on most of the carries. He has now reached 1,000 rushing yards this season, and those 41 carries tie him with Savon Huggins and Ja’Wuan Jamison for the most in Rutgers’ history.

This marks a notable achievement for the program, as it’s the first time in school history that Rutgers has seen back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers in a single season; Monangai had rushed for 1,279 yards in 2024.

“It’s definitely a special, special moment,” Raymond remarked. “Not just for me, but for coaches and all the other running backs who’ve put in so much hard work.”

He added, “I’m not really surprised things are going my way. I’ve put in a lot of effort; everything I’ve done has led me here, especially coming from Quebec, Canada, and being away from my family. I’ve made sacrifices for this.”

Honestly, I kind of had a feeling today would be a big one for Raymond.

He quickly set the game’s tempo, running up the middle six straight times for 30 yards on the Scarlet Knights’ opening drive.

The Scarlet Knights put on one of their most balanced performances this season, with Kaliakmanis going 9-of-12 on third down and racking up 229 passing yards while the team totaled 256 rushing yards.

“We wanted to play football every game,” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, although he noted that nobody expected Raymond would have 41 carries.

As for Maryland (4-5, 1-5), this loss marks their fifth straight setback.

For Rutgers, Ian Strong made a significant impact as well, catching three touchdowns, while Kaliakmanis contributed 229 passing yards. Strong’s 14-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter extended Rutgers’ lead to 28-17.

On the other side, Maryland’s freshman quarterback Malik Washington had a notable outing, rushing for 164 yards on just eight carries, including a 73-yard touchdown run early on in the game.

“We’re a very young team,” acknowledged Maryland coach Michael Locksley. “There are ups and downs as young teams develop. We’re currently in a tough phase. The young players don’t quite grasp that the opportunities for veterans are limited.”

The Terrapins, set to take on Illinois on November 15, only gained 83 total yards in the second half and have now lost four of their past five games by a narrow margin—just 18 points combined.