Rutgers is going bowling, even after it went 5-7 during the 2021 regular season.

On Thursday, the Scarlet Knights announced that they’ll be replacing Texas A&M and will be taking on Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 31. The Aggies withdrew from the game due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program.

For Rutgers, this will be its 1st bowl appearance since it won the Quick Lane Bowl at the end of the 2014 season. It’s also the Scarlet Knights’ 1st bowl game since Greg Schiano returned as head coach in 2020.

Rutgers opened the season with 3 straight non-conference wins, but it struggled once Big Ten play began, going 2-7 against conference opponents. Its most recent win came at Indiana on Nov. 13, as it ended the regular season with back-to-back losses to Penn State and Maryland.

After not playing a game for more than a month, the Scarlet Knights will look to cap off their year with a victory over Wake Forest, something they didn’t think they’d get a chance to do when they weren’t originally eligible for a bowl game.

Rutgers and Wake Forest have played only 2 previous times, and the Demon Deacons won both meetings — on Nov. 8, 1997, and Oct. 2, 1999.

The Gator Bowl is set for Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.