Northwestern vs Rutgers rivalry
Rutgers leads the series 4-2 in meetings on record since 1919.
All-time series
Northwestern 26 meetings since 19194 Rutgers
Series leader: Rutgers.
See the full all-time Northwestern vs Rutgers head-to-head record and every meeting on record.
By decade
1910s 0 1
1980s 0 1
1990s 0 1
2010s 1 0
2020s 1 1
Series notes
Meetings played6
Series wins, Northwestern2 of 6
Series wins, Rutgers4 of 6
Decided by 3 points or fewer1 of 6
Side by side, 2026 season
Northwestern Rutgers
- 33.0 7th
- Points per game
- 30.0 14th
- 16.8 8th
- Points allowed
- 32.2 17th
- 437.8 7th
- Total yards per game
- 396.2 12th
- 6.9 5th
- Yards per play
- 6.1 12th
- 212.8 4th
- Rush yards per game
- 135.4 13th
- 225.0 14th
- Pass yards per game
- 260.8 7th
- 21.5 10th
- First downs per game
- 20.4 12th
- 41.3% 10th
- Third-down rate
- 36.7% 16th
- +5 4th
- Turnover margin
- -4 16th
- 7 7th
- Takeaways
- 6 10th
- 6 15th
- Sacks
- 8 10th
- 8 12th
- Sacks allowed
- 13 15th
- 64.0 12th
- Penalty yards per game
- 26.6 1st
- 31:01 10th
- Time of possession
- 31:02 9th
Season totals from CollegeFootballData. Small figure: rank within the Big Ten; the better side is highlighted.
Recent meetings
Results are read from official box scores and republished after every meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the record in Northwestern vs Rutgers?
Rutgers leads the series 4-2 in meetings on record since 1919. That is Northwestern 2, Rutgers 4 across 6 meetings on record.
When do Northwestern and Rutgers play next?
The next Northwestern vs Rutgers meeting is around Week 8 of the 2026 season at Ryan Field.