1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

The 1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represented Rutgers University in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. Rutgers finished second in the Middle Three Conference.

1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
ConferenceMiddle Three Conference
Record6–3 (1–1 Middle Three)
Head coach
Home stadiumRutgers Stadium
1969 Middle Three Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lehigh $ 2 –0 –04 –5 –1
Rutgers 1 –1 –06 –3 –0
Lafayette 0 –2 –04 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

In their tenth season under head coach John F. Bateman, the Scarlet Knights compiled a 6–3 record and outscored their opponents 212 to 150.[1][2] The team's statistical leaders included Rich Policastro with 1,690 passing yards, Steve Ferrughelli with 564 rushing yards, and Jim Benedict with 650 receiving yards.[3]

Throughout the year, Rutgers celebrated the centennial of college football, one hundred years since the 1869 game between Rutgers and Princeton, recognized as the first intercollegiate football game. The 1969 game against Princeton, which Rutgers won 29–0, was broadcast in the Eastern United States by ABC Television.[4][5] Two weeks later, Rutgers was upset by Lehigh in a 7–17 loss,[6] making this the first year since 1965 that they did not sweep the Middle Three, and the first year since 1957 that Rutgers did not win or at least tie for the championship.

Rutgers played nine games, rather than the scheduled 10, because a November 15 matchup at Holy Cross was canceled following an outbreak of hepatitis among the Massachusetts school's football team.[7][4]

The Scarlet Knights played their home games at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, across the river from the university's main campus in New Brunswick.

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 20at Lafayette
W 44–2210,000[8]
September 27Princeton*
ABC SportsW 29-031,000[9]
October 4Cornell*
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 21-717,000[10]
October 11Lehigh
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
L 7-1717,000[11]
October 18Navy*
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 20-627,000[12]
October 25Columbia*dagger
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 21-1417,000[13]
November 1at Delaware*
L 0-4414,490[14]
November 8at Connecticut*
L 22-2810,346[15]
November 15at Holy Cross*
 Canceled[7][16]
November 22Colgate*
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 48-1214,500[17]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

References
  1. "1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. "Rutgers Yearly Results (1965-1969)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  3. "1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  4. "1869–1969, The Centennial of Rutgers Football" (PDF). Rutgers Football Media Guide. Rutgers University. 1969.
  5. White, Gordon S., Jr. (September 30, 1969). "Princeton Finds a Little Policastro Goes a Long Way; Rutgers' 5-Foot-10 Quarterback Seen Best in East; Passing Outstanding in Rout of Tigers in 100th Game". The New York Times. New York, N.Y.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. Werden, Lincoln A. (October 12, 1969). "Lehigh Defense Halts Rutgers, 17-7, Despite 29 Completions by Policastro". The New York Times. New York, N.Y.
  7. Neagle, Michael E. (Fall 2004). "1969: The Missing Season". Worcester, Mass.: Holy Cross Magazine.
  8. Reinhard, Paul (September 21, 1969). "Leopards Fall 44-22 to Rutgers". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Werden, Lincoln A. (September 28, 1969). "Rutgers Trounces Princeton, 29-0, in Centennial Game". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  10. Fleming, Jimmie (October 5, 1969). "Policastro, Defense Spark Rutgers' 21-7 Victory". The Sunday Home News. New Brunswick, N.J. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Fleming, Jimmie (October 12, 1969). "Rutgers' Miscues Give Lehigh Game, 17-7". The Sunday Home News. New Brunswick, N.J. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Jackson, James H. (October 19, 1969). "Rutgers Sends Navy to 5th Straight Loss". The Sunday Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Anderson, Dave (October 26, 1969). "Rutgers Sets Back Columbia, 21 to 14". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  14. Heisler, Mark (November 2, 1969). "Delaware Runs Wild, Humiliates Rutgers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. sect. 3, p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Newell, Bill (November 9, 1969). "UConn Sets Records in 28-22 Win". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Makeup Game Is Ruled Out". The Daily Home News. New Brunswick, N.J. October 8, 1969. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Fleming, Jimmie (November 23, 1969). "Policastro's Record TD Passes Rip Colgate, 48-12". The Sunday Home News. New Brunswick, N.J. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.


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