After finishing the season at 5-7, Rutgers’ hopes of a bowl game were initially dashed with enough teams bowl eligible at 6-6. However, COVID-19 issues within the Texas A&M program led the Aggies to withdraw from the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Now, the Scarlet Knights are heading to Jacksonville to face Wake Forest with a shot at a bowl win. It will also put an interesting streak on the line for head coach Greg Schiano.

Schiano returned to Rutgers after previously leaving the program following the 2011 season and a win in the Pinstripe Bowl. That win gave Schiano a 5-game bowl winning streak that is still intact heading into the Gator Bowl.

Overall, Schiano is 5-1 with the Scarlet Knights in bowl games. His lone loss came in the Insight Bowl (now Cheez-It Bowl) following the 2005 season.

Regardless of Schiano’s streak and postseason success, the 10-3 Demon Deacons present a tough task. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Wake Forest has a 76.6% chance of coming away with the win, leaving Rutgers with just a 23.4% chance of coming out on top.

Can Rutgers shock the world after serving as a bowl fill-in? Friday’s kickoff is set for 11 am EST on ESPN.