PISCATAWAY -- One quarterback is the Big Ten's most efficient passer. The other is the conference's most explosive.

Rutgers senior Gary Nova and Penn State sophomore Christian Hackenberg have been the Big Ten's two best quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the season, each leading their teams to an unblemished start.

The two quarterbacks will be in the spotlight Saturday (8 p.m., BTN) when Rutgers and Penn State square off in the Big Ten opener.

Nova leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with a 208.9 passing efficiency percentage, throwing for 563 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception on 31-for-46 passing.

"I think Gary has played at a high level,'' Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said Sunday, a day after the Scarlet Knights cruised by Howard, 38-25, in their home opener. "I thought he played a really efficient game. I think that's the word I used yesterday and I would agree with it after watching the tape. I thought did an excellent job of making decisions and taking what was given to him by that defense.''

Hackenberg tops the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with 386.5 passing yards per game, completing 54 of his 83 passes while throwing four TDs and four INTs. His 773 yards through the first two victories is the school record for passing yardage in consecutive games.

"Hack,'' Penn State coach James Franklin said, "has a chance to be really, really special.''

So which quarterback is playing at a higher level this season, and more importantly, which would you want in your team's huddle Saturday when the two teams meet for early bragging rights in the Big Ten?

Here's a tale of the tape to help you decide:

Rutgers QB Gary Nova

Gary Nova

Year: Senior

Ht., Wt: 6-2, 220

2014 passing stats: 31-for-46 passing, 563 yds., 6 TD, 1 INT

Career passing stats: 533-for-964 passing, 6,970 yds., 57 TD, 40 INT

Notable: With 219 yards, Nova will move into third place on Rutgers' all-time passing leaderboard and he needs just three touchdowns to shatter Mike Teel's career TD mark. ... Nova's career record as starting quarterback is 19-11, while Rutgers is 17-4 in his starts when he throws one or fewer interceptions. ... Nova is completing 67.4 percent of his passes, a vast improvement from the 54.7 completion percentage compiled through his first three seasons.

Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg

Christian Hackenberg

Year: Sophomore

Ht., Wt: 6-4, 234

2014 passing stats: 54-for-83 passing, 773 yds., 4 TD, 4 INT

Career passing stats: 285-for-475 passing, 3,728, 24 TD, 14 INT

Notable: Hackenberg broke 12 school freshman passing records, including the rookie marks for game and season passing completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes, last fall. ... He has six 300-yard performances in 14 career games, which already has him tied for the school record for most career 300-yard games. ... His 3,728 yards already has him ranked in 10th on Penn State's career passing yardage chart.

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.