Kyle Monangai rushed for two touchdowns and Athan Kaliakmanis tossed for two scores Saturday as Rutgers secured bowl eligibility with a 31-17 win over Maryland in College Park, Md.
Monangai scored from 2 and 6 yards out, the latter giving the Scarlet Knights a 21-17 lead with 5:14 left in the third quarter. He finished with 97 yards on 25 carries after missing last week’s game with an undisclosed injury.
Kaliakmanis completed 20 of 30 throws for 238 yards for Rutgers (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten), which clinched bowl eligibility in consecutive seasons for the first time since making four straight bowls from 2011-14.
Billy Edwards Jr. went 32-of-55 for 335 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Roman Hemby tallied 87 rushing yards and a score as the Terrapins lost their third straight game. Maryland (4-6, 1-6) must win its last two games to make a fourth straight bowl.
The Scarlet Knights seized control after Hemby’s 1-yard run slid the Terrapins ahead 17-14 early in the second half. Monangai’s second score put Rutgers back in front, and Dymere Miller’s 32-yard catch on the first play of the fourth quarter extended the lead to 28-17.
Miller finished with eight receptions for 107 yards, both game-highs.
Jordan Thompson intercepted Edwards at the Scarlet Knights’ 28-yard line on Maryland’s next possession, and Jai Patel drilled a 46-yard field goal to make it 31-17 with 9:53 left. Rutgers’ defense notched fourth-down stops on the Terrapins’ next two drives to seal the victory.
Maryland converted 3 of 6 fourth downs overall, while the Scarlet Knights finished 3-for-3.
Jack Howes’ 48-yard field goal with 2:01 left in the first quarter put Maryland up 3-0. Rutgers responded with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that lasted almost nine minutes and ended with Kaliakmanis’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Ian Strong.
Edwards hit Tai Felton for a 12-yard score on Maryland’s next possession for a 10-7 lead. The Scarlet Knights answered again, this time on Monangai’s 2-yard run to swing Rutgers ahead 14-10 with 1:01 remaining in the first half.
