Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to help give Rutgers a 31-24 win over Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday.
The victory gave the Scarlet Knights (7-6) their first winning season since 2014, when they went 8-4 in their inaugural Big Ten season.
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The Scarlet Knights opened this season 6-2 but stumbled in November, losing four straight conference games by an average of 20 points.
Miami (7-6) has dropped five straight bowl games.
Rutgers took the lead for good at 21-17 after Trevor Yeboah-Kodie blocked a Miami punt that Timmy Ward recovered in the end zone.
Hurricanes quarterback Jacurri Brown scored on a 1-yard keeper with 27 seconds to play to draw Miami within seven at 31-24, and then the Hurricanes recovered the onside kick, but the rally fell short when Miami turned it over on downs with seven seconds left near midfield.
Brown, who hadn’t taken a snap in 2023, was the only healthy scholarship quarterback on the Miami roster. Tyler Van Dyke entered the portal and transferred to Wisconsin.
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Miami:
The Hurricanes are optimistic that Brown will be a reliable QB to replace Van Dyke next season. Brown, a dual threat, completed 20 of his 32 passes for 181 yards on Thursday. Brown’s backup, Emory Williams, passed for only 470 yards this season before suffering a broken arm in week 10 against Florida State.
Rutgers:
Monangai announced on Monday that he would return to the Scarlet Knights for his final season of eligibility, foregoing the NFL draft, and immediately elevating the Rutgers’ offense for 2024. The Big Ten’s leading rusher (1,099 yards) is the eighth player in Rutgers’ history to gain at least 1,000 yards in a season.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football