1988 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

1988 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
Conference	Independent
Record	5–6
Head coach	Dick Anderson (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Dick Curl (6th season)
Defensive coordinator	Otto Kneidinger (5th season)
Home stadium	Rutgers Stadium Giants Stadium

1988 Major eastern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 5 West Virginia $	5	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
No. 13 Syracuse	5	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Pittsburgh	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Temple	2	–	3	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Rutgers	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Penn State	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Boston College	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
$ – Lambert Trophy Winner Rankings from AP Poll

1988 NCAA Division I-A independents football records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Notre Dame		–		–				12	–	0	–	0
No. 2 Miami (FL)		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 3 Florida State		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 5 West Virginia		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
No. 13 Syracuse		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
Army		–		–				9	–	3	–	0
Louisville		–		–				8	–	3	–	0
South Carolina		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Northern Illinois		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Pittsburgh		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Memphis State		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Akron		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Penn State		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Tulane		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Temple		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Tulsa		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Boston College		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
East Carolina		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Navy		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1988 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represented Rutgers University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth season under head coach Dick Anderson, the Scarlet Knights compiled a 5–6 record while competing as an independent and outscored their opponents 273 to 255. They won games against two ranked opponents, Michigan State and Penn State.^[1][2] The team's statistical leaders included Scott Erney with 2,123 passing yards, Mike Botti with 715 rushing yards, and Eric Young with 592 receiving yards.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 10	at No. 15 Michigan State	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 17–13	70,693
September 17	Vanderbilt	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ	L 30–31	23,477	[4]
September 24	at No. 15 Penn State	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	W 21–16	85,531
October 1	Cincinnati	Rutgers Stadium Piscataway, NJ	W 38–9
October 8	at Syracuse	Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY	L 20–34	48,798
October 15	at Boston College	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA	W 17–6	32,000
October 22	Army	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ	L 24–34
October 29	Temple	Rutgers Stadium Piscataway, NJ	L 30–35
November 5	at Pittsburgh	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh,PA	L 10–20	20,051
November 12	No. 4 West Virginia	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ	L 25–35	32,517	[5]
November 19	Colgate	Rutgers Stadium Piscataway, NJ	W 41–22	14,415	[6]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1988 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
2. "Rutgers Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
3. "1988 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
4. "Rutgers takes it on the chin". Asbury Park Press. September 18, 1988. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "West Virginia rips Rutgers". Asbury Park Press. November 13, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Bruns, John (November 20, 1988). "RU Ends 5-6 Season with Win". The Home News. New Brunswick, N.J. p. E1 – via Newspapers.com.