Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and Rutgers rallied in the second half to top Miami 31-24 Thursday in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Monangai ripped off a 40-yard run to the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter that set up Wimsatt’s second 1-yard touchdown sneak with 11:51 remaining in the game, increasing the Scarlet Knights’ advantage to 28-17.
Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat the Hurricanes for the first time in 12 meetings, dating back to the schools’ time in the Big East Conference. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.
Miami (7-6) took its only lead with 10:33 left in the third quarter on Jacurri Brown’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Restrepo. But the Scarlet Knights regained the lead with 5:06 left in the period when Timmy Ward recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.
Brown was 20-of-31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start. He also ran for two touchdowns, including a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left that got the Hurricanes within seven points.
Miami recovered an onside kick but was stopped on downs at the Rutgers’ 47-yard line with seven seconds remaining.
Rutgers dominated the first quarter and a half behind a physical ground game coupled with a stifling defense. The Scarlet Knights chewed up the game’s first 8:06 with a 75-yard drive that Wimsatt capped with a 1-yard sneak.
Rutgers made it 14-0 at the 7:37 mark of the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Monangai. Rutgers cashed in a 42-yard field, set up after Abram Wright intercepted Brown.
At that point, Miami, which was outgained 115-5 in the first quarter, decided to join the game.
With the help of consecutive personal fouls on the Scarlet Knights’ Aaron Lewis, the Hurricanes got on the board with Brown’s 7-yard scoring jaunt. Then they drove 73 yards inside the final minute to set up a 35-yard field goal by Andres Borregales as time expired, drawing within 14-10 at halftime.
–Field Level Media