Rutgers has played one game on two different days and in two different months. When Rutgers played the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, 1974 in Hawaii, it was already 12:15 a.m., Sunday, December 1, 1974 in New Jersey.
Rutgers played its first games off the continent when both the Rutgers football and basketball teams and 2,000 followers finished the 1974 football season with a November 30 game in Hawaii. It was the first time Hawaii had ever played an east coast school. On Friday night before 7,495 at the Honolulu International Center (1:15 a.m. in New Brunswick), the men’s basketball team upset Hawaii 75-70 with Phil Sellers scoring 24, Mike Dabney 23 and Hollis Copeland 18 points. Fans were annoyed at the officiating and when the football team played Saturday night (12:15 a.m. in New Brunswick) the play was termed dirty and the crowd rowdy. Fights broke out and in one of them a Rutgers player knocked out several teeth of one of the Hawaiian players. Rutgers was favored but lost 28-16 and finished 7-3-1. The December 5, 1974 Targum said, “‘The behavior on the part of the University of Hawaii was ‘abominable,’’ said a Trustee member at the regular meeting of the Board of Governors yesterday in the Alexander Library. ‘Fans threw cups and fruit at our cheerleaders. I hope President (Ed Bloustein) receives some sort of apology.’ ‘The crowd was not what I would call a well-ordered crowd,’ said Henry Winkler, vice president for academic affairs, in a tone of understatement. It was not a well ordered game. There was nothing questionable done by Rutgers fans or players.”
Rutgers played its first games off the continent when both the Rutgers football and basketball teams and 2,000 followers finished the 1974 football season with a November 30 game in Hawaii. It was the first time Hawaii had ever played an east coast school. On Friday night before 7,495 at the Honolulu International Center (1:15 a.m. in New Brunswick), the men’s basketball team upset Hawaii 75-70 with Phil Sellers scoring 24, Mike Dabney 23 and Hollis Copeland 18 points. Fans were annoyed at the officiating and when the football team played Saturday night (12:15 a.m. in New Brunswick) the play was termed dirty and the crowd rowdy. Fights broke out and in one of them a Rutgers player knocked out several teeth of one of the Hawaiian players. Rutgers was favored but lost 28-16 and finished 7-3-1. The December 5, 1974 Targum said, “‘The behavior on the part of the University of Hawaii was ‘abominable,’’ said a Trustee member at the regular meeting of the Board of Governors yesterday in the Alexander Library. ‘Fans threw cups and fruit at our cheerleaders. I hope President (Ed Bloustein) receives some sort of apology.’ ‘The crowd was not what I would call a well-ordered crowd,’ said Henry Winkler, vice president for academic affairs, in a tone of understatement. It was not a well ordered game. There was nothing questionable done by Rutgers fans or players.”
