Wisconsin Routs Rutgers 31-10, Eliminating Bowl Hopes

The loss drops Rutgers to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play, leaving it not bowl eligible for the 2026 season.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Football

Wisconsin Routs Rutgers 31-10, Eliminating Bowl Hopes

Wisconsin defeated Rutgers 31-10 on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, at Camp Randall Stadium. The loss left Rutgers at 2-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play and eliminated the team from bowl contention.

Why it matters

The defeat ends Rutgers' postseason hopes for 2026 after a season marked by early losses to UMass and Boston College. Head coach Greg Schiano attributed the struggles in part to injuries that accumulated over the year.

Rutgers scored on two of its four first-half drives, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from AJ Surace to Dyzier Carter, while Wisconsin recorded two red-zone field goals in the first half. The loss leaves Rutgers at 2-7 overall with three games remaining, including one against Nebraska.

The players

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The football program of Rutgers University, a member of the Big Ten Conference based in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Wisconsin Badgers

The football program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a longtime Big Ten Conference competitor based in Madison, Wisconsin.

Greg Schiano

The head coach of the Rutgers football team, who previously led the program in the 2010s and later coached in the National Football League.

The details

Rutgers trailed Wisconsin 13-10 at halftime before Wisconsin pulled away with an 18-0 scoring run in the final half hour. Injuries have mounted for Rutgers, with Dylan Lonergan missing four games this season, Kaj Sanders lost for the season in mid-October, and KJ Duff out for two weeks.

Mid-October 2026: Starting safety Kaj Sanders was lost for the season.
2026 season, first two weeks: Rutgers lost to UMass and on the road to Boston College.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Rutgers lost 31-10 to Wisconsin.

Season Trajectory

Rutgers' elimination from bowl contention places the 2026 team on a path similar to other Big Ten programs that have struggled to recover from early-season injuries and losses. The Wisconsin win also strengthens the Badgers' position in the conference standings at 4-2.

Rutgers is now mathematically out of bowl eligibility, so fans and bettors should adjust expectations for the remaining three games, including the matchup against Nebraska. Fantasy and roster decisions involving Lonergan, Sanders, and Duff should account for their continued absences.

The takeaway

Injuries and early-season losses compounded into a season that now ends Rutgers' bowl hopes, underscoring how depth and health shape outcomes in the Big Ten. Readers following the program should watch how the remaining games shape the roster heading into the offseason.