1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1969

| team = Rutgers Scarlet Knights

| sport = football

| image = Rutgers athletics logo.png

| image_size = 125

| conference = Middle Three Conference

| short_conf = Middle Three

| record = 6–3

| conf_record = 1–1

| head_coach = John F. Bateman

| hc_year = 10th

| captain =

| stadium = Rutgers Stadium

}}

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. 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.{{cite web|title=1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=June 12, 2016|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/rutgers/1969-schedule.html}} 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.{{cite web|title=1969 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=June 12, 2016|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/rutgers/1969.html}}

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.{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Gordon S. Jr. |title=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 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/09/30/archives/princeton-finds-a-little-policastro-goes-a-long-way-rutgers-5foot10.html |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y. |date=September 30, 1969}} Two weeks later, Rutgers was upset by Lehigh in a 7–17 loss,{{cite news |last1=Werden |first1=Lincoln A. |title=Lehigh Defense Halts Rutgers, 17-7, Despite 29 Completions by Policastro |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/10/12/archives/lehigh-defense-halts-rutgers-177-despite-29-completions-by.html |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y. |date=October 12, 1969}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Neagle |first1=Michael E. |title=1969: The Missing Season |url=https://www.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/hcm/fall04/features/feature1.html |publisher=Holy Cross Magazine |location=Worcester, Mass. |date=Fall 2004}}{{cite web |title=1869–1969, The Centennial of Rutgers Football |url=https://scarletknights.com/documents/2016/2/5/prospectus.pdf |publisher=Rutgers University |date=1969 |series=Rutgers Football Media Guide}}

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

{{CFB schedule

| timezone = Eastern

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 20

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Lafayette

| site_stadium = Fisher Field

| site_cityst = Easton, PA

| score = 44–22

| attend = 10,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Leopards Fall 44-22 to Rutgers |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=September 21, 1969 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69465177/1969-lafayette-rutgers/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 27

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Princeton

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| gamename = rivalry

| tv = ABC

| score = 29–0

| attend = 31,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers Trounces Princeton, 29-0, in Centennial Game |first=Lincoln A. |last=Werden |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y. |date=September 28, 1969 |page=S1}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 4

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Cornell

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| score = 21–7

| attend = 17,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Policastro, Defense Spark Rutgers' 21-7 Victory |first=Jimmie |last=Fleming |date=October 5, 1969 |page=A1 |newspaper=The Sunday Home News |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55828966/1969-cornell-rutgers}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 11

| w/l = l

| opponent = Lehigh

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| score = 7–17

| attend = 16,000–17,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers' Miscues Give Lehigh Game, 17-7 |first=Jimmie |last=Fleming |date=October 12, 1969 |page=A1 |newspaper=The Sunday Home News |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69471480/1969-lehigh-rutgers/ }}{{cite web |author= |title=Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Lehigh) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/352/stats/12866 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 18

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Navy

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| score = 20–6

| attend = 27,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers Sends Navy to 5th Straight Loss |first=James H. |last=Jackson |date=October 19, 1969 |page=A1 |newspaper=The Sunday Sun |location=Baltimore, Md.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69472486/1969-rutgers-navy/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 25

| w/l = w

| homecoming = y

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Columbia

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| score = 21–14

| attend = 17,000

| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers Sets Back Columbia, 21 to 14 |first=Dave |last=Anderson |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y. |date=October 26, 1969 |page=S1}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 1

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Delaware

| site_stadium = Delaware Stadium

| site_cityst = Newark, DE

| score = 0–44

| attend = 14,490

| source = {{cite news |title=Delaware Runs Wild, Humiliates Rutgers |first=Mark |last=Heisler |date=November 2, 1969 |at=sect. 3, p. 1 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69474065/1969-delaware-rutgers/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 8

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Connecticut

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Storrs, CT

| score = 22–28

| attend = 10,346

| source = {{cite news |title=UConn Sets Records in 28-22 Win |first=Bill |last=Newell |date=November 9, 1969 |page=1C |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69476701/1969-rutgers-uconn/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 15

| w/l = Canceled

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Holy Cross

| site_stadium = Fitton Field

| site_cityst = Worcester, MA

| source = {{cite news |title=Makeup Game Is Ruled Out |date=October 8, 1969 |page=13 |newspaper=The Daily Home News |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69479101/1969-rutgers-makeup/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 22

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Colgate

| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium

| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ

| score = 48–12

| attend = 14,500

| source = {{cite news |title=Policastro's Record TD Passes Rip Colgate, 48-12 |first=Jimmie |last=Fleming |date=November 23, 1969 |page=A1 |newspaper=The Sunday Home News |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69479485/1969-colgate-rutgers/ }}

}}

References

Rutgers

Category:Rutgers Scarlet Knights football seasons

Rutgers Scarlet Knights football