This was the season that Rutgers was supposed to take the next step under second-year coach Chris Ash.

Two games into the season, the Scarlet Knights have to be concerned about a step in the wrong direction after losses to then-No. 8 Washington and Eastern Michigan, which was supposed to be a win on Rutgers' schedule.

The Eagles stunned Rutgers last week for their first win against a Big Ten Conference team and first win in 59 tries against a Power Five school.

Rutgers offensive coordinator, Jerry Kill, is back with the team after suffering a seizure early Sunday morning, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.  

Kill was back with the team on Monday head coach Chris Ash said. Kill was hit on the sideline following a play against Eastern Michigan Saturday, and hit his head. However, Ash isn't sure if the hit cause Kill to have a seizure the next morning. 

"There's a possibility of a number of things, including the sideline [hit]," Ash said Tuesday. "But that is not the definite things that tirggered anything. They don't know what happened. He hasn't had one in two years. He's been completely healthy. He was getting his sleep. He's been on a good diet. Obviously when you start to play games the stress level goes up. There's more nights with less sleep and that could contribute to it also."

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) Paulie Fricano kicked a go-ahead 24-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and Eastern Michigan made two late defensive stands in posting its biggest regular-season victory with a 16-13 decision over Rutgers Saturday.

It was the first win for the Eagles (2-0) against a Big Ten Conference foe in 39 overall games and their first win against a Power-5 school in 59 overall games. Their only other major win was a 30-27 victory over San Jose State in the California Bowl in 1987.

This was 11th straight loss for Rutgers (0-2) and it had to hurt after it played well against then No. 8 Washington last week.

Brogan Roback passed for 260 yards and threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Antoine Porter. Fricano, who tied his single-game high with three field goals, also hit from 33 and 21 yards, the latter tying the game at 13 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) Rutgers took a major step in its rebuilding under Chris Ash when it showed it could be competitive against a nationally ranked team last week.

With 10 straight losses in a row over the last two seasons, the Scarlet Knights need to take the next step.

They have to start winning, and they'll get that chance Saturday when they play host to Eastern Michigan (1-0) of the Mid-America Conference at High Point Solutions Stadium.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) Dante Pettis woke up No. 8 Washington just before halftime with his sixth career punt return for a touchdown and Jake Browning threw two second-half touchdown passes in a tougher-than-expected 30-14 victory over rebuilding Rutgers on Friday night.

Pettis' blistering 61-yard return gave the Huskies their first lead at 10-7 with 3:50 left in the half. He tied former California star DeSean Jackson's Pac-12 career record for punt returns for scores.

A senior receiver, Pettis actually set up the Huskies' first three scores this season. His 51-yard catch set up the first of three field goals by Tristan Vizcaino and his catches of 10 and 24 yards ignited an early third-quarter drive that Browning capped with a 7-yard swing pass to halfback Lavon Coleman for a 17-7 lead...

Rutgers is breaking in a new quarterback in fifth-year senior Kyle Bolin, a graduate transfer from Louisville.

Bolin will be making his seventh career start. He has passed for 2,104 yards in 17 career games.

"We're excited to watch him go play and I'm really glad he's here," second-year coach Chris Ash told reporters. "He's created a great competition at the quarterback position. I think he's elevated the play of others around him and just the leadership and the ethic the kid has demonstrated and brought to our offense has been outstanding so far."

Rutgers has suspended wide receiver Jawuan Harris for the team's season opener against Washington for violating team rules, head coach Chris Ash told reporters Wednesday. 

"Right now for this game Jawuan Harris has got a one-game suspension for [violation of] team rules," Ash said. "But after that he'll be fine.''

Harris, who also plays for the school's baseball team, recorded 39 catches (three touchdowns) for 481 yards during his sophomore season on the gridiron. Looking outside of the suspension, Ash has been pleased with Harris's progress in summer camp. 

While top recruit Mamadou Doucoure was supposed to join Rutgers for the 2018-19 season, the power forward is set to join the team this year, according to Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press.

Carino reports that Doucoure has already enrolled at the university, but administration officials have not confirmed that he has been added to the roster.

Rutgers football will have a "Jersey Shore" themed home opener, according to NJ.com.

During the game, which takes place on Sept. 1 against No. 7 ranked Washington, a temporary pool or jacuzzi will be installed at the top of the student section.

The game is being promoted by Rutgers as the "War Before the Shore."

Jonas Schwartz sits down with Eric LeGrand to discuss his seventh annual "A Walk to Believe" 5K event, among other New York football topics.

Rutgers and Liberty football have agreed to play a game in 2019 (October 26) at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

The Flames of Liberty are moving up to the FBS level starting in 2018 and will compete as an independent, hosting three FBS home games. 

In addition to Liberty, Rutgers has already scheduled a non-conference opponent in 2019, as they will play Boston College on September 21.

Rutgers will rename its campus basketball court after former co-captain and legendary NCAA basketball coach Jim Valvano.

The university will honor Valvano on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on annual Rutgers Day by renaming College Ave Gym, commonly referred to as "The Barn," after him.

"We are incredibly proud to place Jimmy V's name upon the historic court on which he competed and began his coaching career," Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs said in a press release. "Jim inspired millions with his approach to life and how he dealt with adversity. It's only fitting that the place where he began his college basketball career honor him in this way."

Former Quinnipiac guard Peter Kiss announced he will transfer to Rutgers.

"The coaching staff was great and the whole team was just like a family," Kiss told NJ.com's Ryan Dunleavy. "I like the way Coach [Steve] Pikiell is putting his program in the right direction. I feel like he is going to make this a winning program, for sure."

Kiss, who was on the 2016-17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Rookie team, averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31 games played for the Bobcats, who finished 10-21.

On the latest edition of Timeout with Taylor Rooks, Taylor is joined by Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Moahamed Sanu.

WASHINGTON (AP) Vic Law led the way as Northwestern went on a run of 31 consecutive points in the first half of a 83-61 rout of Rutgers on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Law scored 10 of his 16 points during that 31-0 run that put the game out of reach and pushed sixth-seeded Northwestern into the quarterfinals where it will face third-seeded and 25th-ranked Maryland. The NCAA Tournament-bound Wildcats (22-10) can only improve their seeding from here after taking care of business against the 14th-seeded Scarlet Knights (15-18).

Nigel Johnson led Rutgers with 21 points. >> Read more

Nigel Johnson scored 21 points and made all eight free throws to lead Rutgers to a 66-57 over Ohio State Wednesday night in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Rutgers (15-17) now has won back-to-back games after a six-game skid. Now in its third season in the Big Ten, it's the first time the Scarlet Knights have won consecutive conference games.

DeShawn Freeman scored 21 points and hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to lead Rutgers past Illinois 62-59 on Saturday.

Freeman hit the game-winner from the wing, before flinging Tracy Abram's missed 3-point attempt into the student section.

Damonte Dodd scored six points inside in a 17-6 spurt to start the second half and Maryland avoided its first four-game losing streak since the 2004-05 season with a 79-59 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night.

Dodd had all nine of his points and six of his seven rebounds in the second half as the Terrapins (23-7, 11-6 Big Ten) won for only the third time in eight games. The skid took Maryland out of the Top 25.

Maryland did not put a scorer into double figures until Ivan Bender (10 points) scored on a layup with 4:07 to play. Melo Trimble led the Terps with 11 points and L.G. Gill had 10.

Mike Williams had 14 points to lead Rutgers (13-17, 2-15), which has lost six in a row and 16 of 18. C.J. Gettys added 12 points and Deshawn Freeman had 11. >> Read more on SNY...

D.J. Wilson scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, three other Wolverines scored in double figures, and Michigan beat Rutgers 68-64 on Wednesday.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 14 points, Derrick Walton Jr. had 13 and Zak Irvin added 16 for Michigan (18-10, 8-7 Big Ten), which made 10 of 31 from behind the arc to Rutgers' 6 of 16.

Northwestern regained the lead in the final minute against Rutgers and held on to win, 69-65, as the Scarlet Knights suffered their fourth consecutive loss.

Bryant McIntosh led Northwestern (20-7, 9-5 Big Ten) with 18 points, while Corey Sanders paced Rutgers (13-15, 2-13) with 17 points. 

>> Read more on SNY ...

Kam Williams had 23 points and Trevor Thompson added 15 points and 13 rebounds as Ohio State beat Rutgers 70-64 on Wednesday night.

Williams hit a 3-pointer and a subsequent foul shot to break a 62-62 tie at 1:05 after Rutgers had overcame a 12-point deficit. After Ohio State's Jae-Sean Tate missed a pair of foul shots, Rutgers' Deshawn Freeman tipped in a rebound to cut the lead to two, but the Scarlet Knights ran out of time.

Eric LeGrand speaks with SNY's Jonas Schwartz about Rutgers alums who played during the Patriots' Super Bowl LI win.

Corey Sanders scored 25 points, with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals to lead Rutgers past Penn State 70-68 on Saturday for the Scarlet Knights' first-ever Big Ten road win.

Rutgers, which has just five wins in the Big Ten since joining in 2014-15, was 0-23 on the road in conference play. The last conference win was in 2014 against South Florida, an American Athletic Conference member.

Mater Dei 3-star wide receiver Eddie Lewis will sign with Rutgers on Wednesday, Lewis told NJ.com Tuesday night.

Lewis held offers from 12 schools, including Syracuse Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Iowa, and Temple. However his recruitment ultimately came down to two programs: Rutgers and Indiana.

But because of the coaching changes that took place within the Hoosiers staff, Indiana simply ran out of time. Lewis had already planned his visit to Rutgers on the weekend of Jan. 20. He was scheduled to visit Indiana this past weekend, but after finishing his trip to Piscataway, the wide receiver decided he had seen enough.

Jordan Bohannon scored 17 points and Iowa took command early and posted its first road win of the season with an 83-63 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night.

Deshawn Freeman scored 17 points and Mike Williams added 16 for Rutgers (12-11, 1-9), which has lost three in a row and 10 of 11. Corey Sanders was limited to eight points. >> Read more from SNY 

Ethan Happ scored seven of his career-high 32 points in overtime and No. 15 Wisconsin overcame offensive struggles to beat Rutgers 61-54 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Happ was the only player for the Badgers (18-3, 7-1 Big Ten) to shoot above 50 percent (12 for 18) and the team finished at 33.3 percent for the game (20 for 60) including 3 for 23 from 3-point range.

Melo Trimble fueled a second-half surge that put No. 22 Maryland in control, and the Terrapins beat Rutgers 67-55 on Tuesday night to remain in first place in the Big Ten.

Trimble scored 17 points and freshman Kevin Huerter had 11 for the Terrapins (18-2, 6-1), who own their best record after 20 games since the 1998-99 season.

Facing a team that has never won a conference game on the road, Maryland led only 38-35 shortly after halftime before Trimble took over. He threw an outlet pass that led to an easy layup, then drilled a 3-pointer. Huerter followed with a 3 to make it 46-35 - too big a deficit for Rutgers to make up.

Maryland entered the game tied with Wisconsin atop the Big Ten standings. >> Read more from SNY...

Rutgers defensive lineman Julian Pinnix-Odrick is retiring from football without pursuing the NFL, he told NJ.com's Ryan Dunleavy.

Pinnix-Odrick, a 2016 co-captain who started all 12 games at defensive end and recorded 10 tackles for loss and five sacks for the Scarlet Knights, said he felt "indifferent" to the game after attending the College Gridiron Showcase in Texas.

"Being out there on the field in front of scouts against good players is no place to be indifferent," he said. "Everything is on the platter to say, 'Go! This is it!' And I wasn't feeling it. Not that I wasn't trying to: I was doing the extra work, but I wasn't excited. It reinforced what I had felt."

Rutgers will be the most represented college in Super Bowl LI with a combined four players between the Patriots and Falcons roster, writes Steve Politi of New Jersey Advanced Media.

"I think it shows that you don't necessarily have to chase a logo to make it in the NFL," Rutgers head coach Chris Ash said. "I'm very excited for those players and proud of the way they represent Rutgers."

Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon play in the New England defensive secondary and each recorded an interception last week in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Corey Sanders scored 25 points, including the game-winner with one second left, to lead Rutgers past Nebraska 65-64 on Saturday for first-year coach Steve Pikiell's first Big Ten win.

Rutgers wide receiver and special teams specialist Janarion Grant will forego the NFL Draft and return to Rutgers for his fifth season after being granted a medical redshirt by the Big Ten.

After months of contemplating, Grant announced his decision on Instagram. "Fifth year, here I come! I'm excited about what I have been able to accomplish so far, but I look forward to getting out there and competing with my teammates again," said Grant. "I thank coach Ash and the staff as well as my family for their support through this process. Let's make this season special. Go Knights!"

Grant hasn't played since breaking his ankle on Sep. 24 against Iowa, forcing him to miss most of his senior season.

Rutgers assistant defensive backs coach Aaron Henry will leave the program to become a position coach at North Carolina State, NJ.com's Keith Sargeant reports.

Henry played under NC State's Dave Doeren at Wisconsin from 2007 to 2011 when Doeren was the Badgers' defensive coordinator.

Henry spent one season with the Scarlet Knights, working with the team's safeties under head coach Chris Ash. He earned $140,000 as the lowest paid member among Rutgers' nine assisants.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- James Blackmon Jr. scored 16 points and OG Anunoby had 11 points and seven steals Sunday to lead Indiana past Rutgers 76-57.

It was the Hoosiers (12-6, 2-3 Big Ten) second win in six games.

Corey Sanders scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and C.J. Gettys added 12 points and seven rebounds for Rutgers (11-8, 0-6), which has lost seven straight overall and five in a row to Indiana.

Northwestern kept Rutgers winless in Big Ten play Thursday, defeating the Scarlet Knights 69-60 in Piscataway.

Rutgers dropped to 0-4 in the Big Ten with a 68-62 loss to Iowa Sunday in Iowa City. The Scarlet Knights (11-6, 0-4) haven't won a Big Ten road game since joining in the conference in 2014.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Miles Bridges had six points and six rebounds in a 17-minute return from an ankle injury and Eron Harris scored 24 points, helping Michigan State beat Rutgers 93-65 Wednesday night.

The Spartans (11-5, 3-0 Big Ten) have won four straight.

The Scarlet Knights (11-5, 0-3) have lost four in a row.

Payton Banks had 20 points and Tony Carr had 15 points to lead Penn State past Rutgers 60-47 on Sunday in a New Year's Day matinee.

Nigel Hayes scored 20 points, Zak Showalter added 18 and No. 14 Wisconsin used an active start on the defensive end to build an early lead and defeat Rutgers 72-52 on Tuesday night.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Angel Delgado had 19 points and 16 rebounds and Khadeen Carrington scored 20 points to lead Seton Hall to a 72-61 victory over cross-state rival Rutgers on Friday night at the Prudential Center.

The NCAA has issued a Notice of Allegations to Rutgers University following the completion of an 18-month investigation into the athletics program, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media.

Due to allegations that members of the athletics department, particularly the football program, had not been operating in full compliance with NCAA standards, Rutgers is facing seven possible violations.

The accusations involve the football program while former head coach Kyle Flood was running the program. Flood was fired after the 2015 season, a season in which he was suspended three games by Rutgers for academic misconduct.