PISCATAWAY, N.J. — A cup of whiskey in hand, Kevin Zitko, the deputy chief for the Washington Township Fire Department, sat inside his decommissioned fire truck outside Gate B of HighPoint.com Stadium on a recent Saturday. He laughed as Rutgers fans motioned for him to turn on the siren and flash the lights.

Typically, Zitko activated them only in victory, but a win was not likely against Michigan, the No. 4 team in the nation, so he obliged. Passers-by erupted with applause for the rare display.

“If we ever win a game again, I’ll keep the lights and siren on afterward,” he said. “If. Wait until we play Little Sisters of the Poor. We might have a shot then.”

The emergency medical worker knew his Scarlet Knights. Rutgers looked like a little brother in losing to Michigan, 42-7, that day and falling to Penn State, 20-7, last weekend to remain winless in Big Ten games this season. Now 1-10 over all and 0-8 in conference play heading into Saturday’s season finale at Michigan State, the Rutgers program has slowed to a complete halt since beating North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl in 2014 after its inaugural Big Ten season. A loss against Michigan State would leave Rutgers with its worst record since 2002.