2008 Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Rec. Class

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Head Coach: Greg Schiano

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Art Forst OL 6-8 305 Manasquan HS/Manasquan, N.J.
One of the top offensive line prospects in the country … three-year starter at Manasquan High School … played for the late Vic Kubu at Manasquan … Scout.com lists Forst as the No. 23 offensive tackle prospect in the nation … part of two Central Jersey Group II State Championship teams at Manasquan as a sophomore and junior, including a perfect 12-0 season in 2006 … finished high school career 29-5 at Manasquan.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Eric LeGrand LB 6-2 240 Colonia HS/Colonia, N.J.
Four-year starter for Colonia HS coach Ben LaSala ... consensus Top 15 recruit in New Jersey ... starred at linebacker and running back for a 7-3 Colonia team that finished with an undefeated division record for the first time in school history ... totaled 115 tackles from his middle linebacker spot and rushed for 980 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season ... ranked by Scout.com as the No. 14 recruit in New Jersey and the No. 21 middle linebacker prospect nationally ... First Team All-Area by the Home News Tribune ... Second Team All-State by the Associated Press ... First Team All-Middlesex County and Second Team All-State by The Star-Ledger.

Timothy Wright WR 6-4 205 Wall HS/Wall Township, N.J.
Versatile athlete who played tailback, wide receiver, cornerback and safety in leading Wall to a 5-5 record in 2007 … three-year starter for head coach Chris Barnes ... consensus Top 15 recruit in New Jersey ... rushed for 383 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in 23 receptions for 347 yards and six TDs ... rushed for 141 yards vs. Matawan ... caught four passes for 113 yards and two TDs vs. Middletown South ... Second Team All-Shore by the Asbury Park Press ... First Team All-Shore by The Star-Ledger ... ranked No. 10 in the state by Scout.com

Rest of the Class

MARVIN BOOKER	LB	6-2	200	Piscataway HS/Piscataway, N.J.
MORGAN CARTER	ATH	6-3	215	C.D. Hylton HS/Woodbridge, Va.
MARCUS COOPER	WR	6-2	180	Bloomfield HS/Bloomfield, Conn.
KHASEEM GREENE	DB	6-1	195	Elizabeth HS/Elizabeth, N.J.
MARQUIS HAMM	DE	6-4	220	New Brunswick HS/New Brunswick, N.J.
D.C. JEFFERSON	QB	6-6	240	Winter Haven HS/Winter Haven, Fla.
MALCOLM JOHNSON	WR	6-1	170	Bartow HS/Bartow, Fla.
BRANDON JONES	WR	6-1	175	Winslow Township HS/Sicklerville, N.J.
PATRICK  KIVLEHAN	DB	6-2	205	St. Joseph's (Montvale)/West Nyack, N.Y.
EDDIE POOLE	DB	6-3	185	Glades Central HS/Belle Glade, Fla.
DAVID ROWE	DB	6-0	195	Cocoa HS/Cocoa, Fla.
STEVE SHIMKO	QB	6-5	215	Ewing HS/Ewing, N.J.
KEITH STROUD	WR	6-3	190	Fort Hamilton HS/Brooklyn, N.Y.
SCOTT VALLONE	DT	6-3	260	St. Anthony’s/Central Islip, N.Y.
WAYNE WARREN	WR	6-1	200	Wicomico HS/Salisbury, Md.
DEVON WATKIS	OL	6-7	320	Longwood HS/Coram, N.Y.
RASHAD WHITE	RB	5-11	170	Teaneck HS/Teaneck. N.J.

- 2007 Rutgers Season
- 2007 Rutgers Preview
- 2006 Rutgers Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2007 Record: 8-5

Aug. 30 Buffalo W 38-3
Sept. 7 Navy W 41-24
Sept. 15 Norfolk State W 59-0
Sept. 29 Maryland L 34-24
Oct. 6 Cincinnati L 28-23
Oct. 13 at Syracuse W 38-14
Oct. 18 South Florida W 30-27
Oct. 27 West Virginia L 31-3
Nov. 3 at Connecticut L 38-19
Nov. 9 at Army W 41-6
Nov. 17 Pitt W 20-16
Nov. 29 at Louisville L 41-38
International Bowl
Jan. 5 Ball State W 52-30

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Even with the early departure of RB Ray Rice, the offense should shine if QB Mike Teel makes another step up in his development. After doing nothing in 2006, he had a nice junior season and now gets his top receivers, Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood, back. With FS Courtney Greene putting off the NFL for one more year, eight starters return to the nation's 17th best defense.
Why to be grouchy: There's no replacing Rice. All he did was tear off 2,012 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 25 catches for 239 yards and a score. Making things hared for the running game is the loss of three key starters on the line, tackles Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah along with Mike Fladell. Jeremy Ito might have struggled as a punter, but he was a tremendously clutch placekicker.
The number one thing to work on is: Putting more pressure on Teel. Mason Robinson isn't going to be Ray Rice, and the line will need some retooling, so now Teel has to use all his experience and all his growing abilities to get the offense moving. Without Ito, the special teams will be a concern after finishing 117th in the nation in punting and doing little in the return game.
Biggest offensive loss: RB Ray Rice
Biggest defensive loss: DT Eric Foster
Best returning offensive player: WR Tiquan Underwood, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: FS Courtney Greene, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Although the Scarlet Knights didn’t win the Big East title that they crave, eight wins and a second straight bowl victory were still building blocks for a program that’s just a couple years removed from being a laughingstock.  Rutgers was tough to get a read on all year, finishing fifth in a league of nine teams, yet beating South Florida when it was No. 2 in the country, and thrashing Ball State in the International Bowl.  RB Ray Rice solidified his spot as one of the greatest players in school history, rushing for 2,012 yards and scoring 25 touchdowns to top an outstanding sophomore season.         

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Ray Rice

Defensive Player of the Year: DT Eric Foster

Biggest Surprise: It’s hard to imagine today, but South Florida looked borderline invincible when it descended upon New Jersey on Oct. 18.  The Scarlet Knights ended the Bulls’ brief plans for a national championship with a second-half rally and some gutsy play-calling from Greg Schiano.

Biggest Disappointment: Back-to-back home losses to Maryland and Cincinnati following a cushy non-conference got Rutgers booted from the Top 25, drastically changing expectations for the program.  Losing to the Terps was especially difficult because the Knights got manhandled by a school that played most of the game with a backup quarterback.       

Looking Ahead: Whether Rutgers is a contender for a BCS bowl game or another second-tier postseason game depends on how the program can get past Rice turning pro early.  The 2008 team belongs to QB Mike Teel, who made strides as a junior and will be welcoming back 1,000-yard receivers Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood.

Jan. 5
2008 International Bowl
Rutgers 52 ... Ball State 30
Ray Rice ran for 280 yards and four scores highlighted by a 90-yard scoring dash on the third play in the second half to give Rutgers a 31-9 lead. Ball State kept the pressure on with Nate Davis and the passing game, with two fourth quarter touchdown passes to Darius Hill and a ten-yard scoring toss to Dante Love, but balanced Scarlet Knight offense proved to be too much to overcome. Along with the big dash, Rice also scored three times for one yard out, but it was the passing attack that made it a blowout with Mike Teel starting off the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown on the opening drive, and putting it away with a 47-yard strike to Kenny Britt late in the fourth. Rutgers rolled up 595 yards of total offense, 292 on the ground and 303 through the air, while Ball State amassed 460 total yards.
Offensive Player of the Game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 35 times for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensive Player of the Game: Rutgers S Courtney Greene made ten tackles and broke up a pass
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 25-49, 291 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chris Clancy, 12-98. Receiving: Dante Love, 13-169, 1 TD
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 16-25, 303 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 35-280, 4 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 6-125, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ... It was a more entertaining game than it'll be remembered for. Ray Rice made a great final statement showing he belongs in the 2008 NFL Draft, while Nate Davis had a fantastic day throwing the ball under tremendous pressure throughout. Even though Rutgers had command from the beginning, there was a moment or two in the second half when it looked like the Cardinals had a shot to turn it around. ... Rice was the star of the game, but Mike Teel was terrific. He was on the mark most of the day, and he threw a beautiful, perfect ball to Kenny Britt to seal the win. ... Rutgers came up with six sacks, Ball State one. The Cardinals didn't have the defensive line to hold up against the solid Rutgers offensive front. ... The Scarlet Knights appeared to care from the beginning. This was an overmatched Ball State team, but Rutgers never played like it.

Nov. 29
Louisville 41 ... Rutgers 38
Louisville scored 17 unanswered points over the final 13 minutes of the game, capped off by a 33-yard Art Carmody field goal with 20 seconds to play. Brock Bolen ran for two short scores in the second half, and Bilal Powell ran for an 18-yard touchdown to storm back after the Scarlet Knights appeared to be cruising to the win. Ray Rice scored from ten, 14 and six yards out, and Kenny Britt caught touchdown passes from 35 and 39 yards out. But Brian Brohm, who was sacked five times, connected with Patrick Carter on a 52-yard pass play with just 11 seconds left in the first half, and he ran for a six-yard score, to keep his Cardinals alive, and then he was led the team on every key drive in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 12 of 22 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, and ran for a score
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 12-22, 237 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brock Bolen, 13-117, 2 TD. Receiving: Gary Barnidge, 6-65
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 21-32, 265 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 30-120, 3 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 12-173, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Rutgers got 120 yards and three scores against Louisville, a great day from Mike Teel, and the defense his Brian Brohm early and often. It still lost. No, don't blame this at all on complacency after accepting the International Bowl bid earlier in the day. The Scarlet Knights had this won after three quarters and got beat by the resiliency of Brohm. In the end, this give Greg Schiano and the coaching staff a nice chance to rail on the team for a few weeks to get them ready for the bowl.

Nov. 17
Rutgers 20 ... Pitt 16
Rutgers got a 30-yard Jeremy Ito field goal, his second of the game, midway through the fourth quarter, and it turned out to make all the different as Pitt had a chance late, but Pat Bostick was picked off by Devin McCourty in the end zone. Mike Teel connected with Kenny Britt for a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Ray Rice ran for a 28-yard score in the second for 17-10 Rutgers lead with Pitt only managing two of Conor Lee's three field goals in the second half. The two teams combined for eight sacks.
Player of the game: In the loss, Pitt LB Scott McKillop made 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2. 5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception and two broken up passes.
Stat Leaders: Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 3-9, 98 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 26-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 3-82, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Kevan Smith, 7-11, 81 yds
Rushing: LeSean McCoy, 22-60. Receiving: T.J. Porter, 4-44
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The win over Pitt isn't exactly one that'll be saved for the vault. Mike Teel was obviously banged up as he completed just three of nine passes with two interceptions. Ray Rice was the offense yet again, and the defense was terrific, but Rutgers isn't going to win too many games when it gained just 219 yards of total offense and converts two of 11 passes. Getting five sacks certainly helped, and another good defensive performance should lead to a win over Louisville, but Teel, or another option under center, has to be stronger.

Nov. 9
Rutgers 41 ... Army 6
Ray Rice set a school-record with 243 rushing yards, with touchdown runs from 18 and three yards out, and QB Jabu Lovelace ran for scores from three and two yards out, in an easy win for the Scarlet Knights. Lovelace score his first touchdown on Rutgers' opening drive, but Army was able to come back quickly when Mike Teel, who stepped in for Lovelace despite having an injured thumb, threw the ball to Josh Mitchell who returned the pick 65 yards for a touchdown. That would be all the fun the Black Knights would have, as Adam DeMarco missed the extra point, Rutgers' Colin McEvoy returned a blocked punt for a score, and the rout was on. Army turned it over five times with four fumbles.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 34 times for 243 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Rutgers - Passing: Jabu Lovelace, 2-8, 28 yds
Rushing: Ray Rice, 34-243, 2 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 2-30
Army - Passing: Carlton Williams, 5-16, 44 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Smith, 3-53. Receiving: Jeremy Trimble, 3-32
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Why was Ray Rice playing into the fourth quarter against Army? Yeah, he set the school-record for rushing yards, and the passing game was abysmal, with Jabu Lovelace and Mike Teel combining to complete three of 12 passes for 42 yards and an interception, but the defense had the game well in hand early on, and Rice will be needed for Pitt and Louisville. All turned out fine, Rutgers won a laugher, and now it's bowl eligible.

Nov. 3
Connecticut 38 ... Rutgers 19
Connecticut jumped out to an early 18-3 lead helped by two Tyler Lorenzen touchdown passes and a bad snap for a safety, and then let Donald Brown and the running game take over. The Huskies ran for 256 yards to overcome 343 passing yards from Scarlet Knight QB Mike Teel, while the defense did a good job of not breaking too often, only allowing a four-yard Ray Rice touchdown run and four Jeremy Ito field goals. After the second, Tyvon Branch put the game away with a 97-yard kickoff return for a score. Tony Ciaravino added field goals from 43, 30 and 26 for the Huskies.
Player of the game: Connecticut RB Donald Brown ran 24 times for 154 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for four yards.
Stat Leaders: Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 32-52, 343 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 21-116, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 8-122
Connecticut - Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 10-21, 140 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 24-154, 1 TD. Receiving: Steve Brouse, 4-55, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where's the defensive line? It's not doing anything against the run over the last several weeks, and while West Virginia and Connecticut can certainly run on anyone, the Scarlet Knight front needs to be far stronger. Considering the issues on defense, the offense did a relatively good job in the comeback, but for all the yards and the good play from Mike Teel, the offense couldn't close. Four Jeremy Ito field goals aren't a good thing in a game like this. Had two of those been touchdowns, it would've been a vastly different finish.

Oct. 27
West Virginia 31 ... Rutgers 3
West Virginia's defense gave up a 183 rushing yards and a big day to Ray Rice, but it forced four turnovers and only allowed just a 39-yard Jeremy Ito field goal. The Mountaineer offense was another story, getting three short Steve Slaton touchdown runs along with a one-yard Pat White scoring run. West Virginia ran for 254 yards and converted 11 of 18 third down chances.
Player of the game: West Virginia LB Reed Williams made 13 tackles
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 10-16, 144 yds
Rushing: Pat White, 22-156, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorrell Jalloh, 4-44
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 14-30, 128 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 20-142. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 7-59
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Just how hurt is Mike Teel? All week long there was a question about how healthy he'd be, and while the Rutgers' loss to West Virginia was more than just quarterback issues, it didn't help. Ray Rice got his yards, but the offensive line didn't exactly dominate the Mountaineer defensive front. The D line did a decent job against the high-powered Mountaineer rushing attack, but there weren't nearly enough big stops to turn the momentum around. Now things continue to stay tough with a trip to Connecticut next week, and the season-ender at Louisville still ahead.

Oct. 18
Rutgers 30 ... South Florida 27
Rutgers got 181 yards from Ray Rice, two touchdown catches from Tiquan Underwood, including a catch-and-run from 69 yards out, and a fake field goal for a perfectly placed pass from Andrew DePaola to Kevin Brock from 15 yards out to get ahead, but it was a 51-yard Jeremy Ito field goal, and an aggressive defensive stand that sealed it. Rutgers fought back in the fourth quarter with a 70-yard drive culminating in a one-yard Mike Ford touchdown run, and down three, got great field position for a chance to score late, but a sack, and later an offensive pass interference call on a 32-yard pass on fourth and 22 set up a game-sealing interception for the Scarlet Knights. Matt Grothe ran for a one-yard score and threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jessie Hester for the Bulls.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 39 times for 181 yards
Stat Leaders: South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 17-34, 247 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 18-58, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcus Edwards, 4-50
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 11-29, 179 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 39-181. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 5-114, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Rutgers lines showed up again. After having problems against Maryland and Cincinnati, the men in the trenches had a nice game against Syracuse, and then dominated South Florida. George Selvie and the Bull front four was shoved around, while the Scarlet Knight defense was pressuring Matt Grothe all game long. While the Big East season has been saved, to beat West Virginia next week, Mike Teel will have to play like he did over the first half of the year. He struggled way too much against USF, and was bailed out by great plays from Tiquan Underwood and the running of Ray Rice.

Oct. 13
Rutgers 38 ... Syracuse 14
Rutgers gained 538 yards of total offense, but it took a little while to get rolling. Syracuse scored the first 14 points of the game on a 16-yard Mike Williams touchdown catch and a 15-yard Curtis Brinkley run, and then it was all Rutgers, scoring 38 unanswered points with Ray Rice scoring three short touchdowns and Mike Teel connecting with Kenny Britt from 42 yards out and Kevin Brock from 32 yards away.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 36 times for 196 yards and three touchdowns, and caught four passes for 29 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 15-32, 158 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 16-98, 1 TD. Receiving: Jawad Nesheiwai, 4-81
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 20-29, 310 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 36-196, 3 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 6-176, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After two straight losses, the first quarter against Syracuse was a nightmare. And then Rutgers went back to being Rutgers, getting the running game rolling and getting Ray Rice into a groove. The defense finally stiffened, while Mike Teel threw the ball extremely well as a perfect compliment to Rice. Now it all has to come together over the next two weeks against South Florida and West Virginia. Win those two, and the BCS spot will be there for the taking.

Oct. 6
Cincinnati 28 ... Rutgers 23
Cincinnati came up with three interceptions, with a pick by Ryan Manalac snuffing out a final Rutgers drive to seal the win. The Bearcat offense got three Ben Mauk touchdown passes, including a 27-yarder to Marshawn Gilyard late in the third quarter to pull ahead for good. Rutgers got a one-yard Ray Rice touchdown run, three Jeremy Ito field goals, and started off the scoring with a 36-yard interception return for a score, but couldn't get the running game, and was hurt by all four turnovers.
Player of the game: Cincinnati LB Ryan Manalac made 11 tackles and sealed the win with an interception
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Ben Mauk, 20-37, 257 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Greg Moore, 14-60. Receiving: Marcus Barnett, 6-74, 1 TD
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 22-38, 334 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 34-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Tim Brown, 7-127
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What happened to the offensive line and the running game? Maryland and Cincinnati keyed on stopping Ray Rice, and while the carries were there, there weren't enough long runs in grinding efforts. Mike Teel has thrown for a ton of yards, doing a decent job of moving the ball, but for the second straight week, a late turnover screwed things up. Things aren't as bad as they may seem, and everything should turnaround with a date at Syracuse. Beat South Florida and beat West Virginia, and Rutgers will be right back in the race.

Sept. 29
Maryland 34 ... Rutgers 24
Maryland cranked out 239 rushing yards with Lance Ball running for scores from 19 and 14 yards out and Keon Lattimore tearing off a two-yard scoring run to stun the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers took a 17-14 lead going into halftime on a seven-yard Tiquan Underwood touchdown pass with six seconds to play, but Maryland owned the second half with two Obi Egekeze field goals and two of the rushing touchdowns. Rutgers pulled within three on a one-yard Ray Rice run, but on its next drive, lost a fumble on its own 20-yard line on a sack, and the Terps put it away on the ensuing play on the 14-yard Ball run.
Player of the game: Maryland RB Keon Lattimore rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries.
Stat Leaders: Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 14-20, 149 yds
Rushing: Keon Lattimore, 34-124, 1 TD. Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey, 5-61, 1 TD
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 25-44, 310 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 21-97, 1 TD. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 8-101, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now it has to be asked; did the breather start to the season, and the two-week layoff affect the team before losing to Maryland? That might not be giving enough credit to the Terps, but Rutgers certainly didn't play as well as it thinks it probably should've. The lines got whipped, with problems getting the running game rolling and little production against the Terp ground game. Mike Teel had yet another good game throwing the ball, but the offense failed to execute in the second half outside of the one long scoring drive. It'll be important to remember that this game doesn't really matter too much, considering it's really all about the Big East race. Beating Cincinnati next week would all but erase this loss.

Sept. 15
Rutgers 59 ... Norfolk State 0
Norfolk State hung tough for a quarter, only allowing a 30-yard Jeremy Ito field goal, and then the second quarter started. Rutgers cranked out 42 second quarter points, with Mike Teel connecting with Kenny Britt on touchdown passes from 42 and 34 yards out, Tiquan Underwood caught a 28-yard scoring pass, and Ray Rice scored three times. With the starters pulled, Jabu Lovelace was the main man in the second half for the Scarlet Knights with two 16-yard touchdown runs.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 12 times for 72 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Norfolk State - Passing: Casey Hansen, 12-26, 108 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Daryl Jones, 12-38. Receiving: Rashad Howard, 3-13
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 8-15, 269 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jabu Lovelace, 8-78, 2 TD. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood,  4-148, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Finally, finally, Rutgers will actually play a team with a pulse when Maryland comes to town next week. Norfolk State wasn't even a light scrimmage, as it only gained 122 yards of total offense, committed 16 penalties, and didn't have a prayer once the Scarlet Knight offense got rolling. Ray Rice was Ray Rice in his limited time on the field, while Mike Teel had another nice passing game. None of it matters outside of the team's ability to maintain its focus. Now the season actually begins.

Sept. 7
Rutgers 41 ... Navy 24
Ray Rice became Rutgers' all-time leading rusher as he ripped off 175 yards to go along with three touchdowns in a tough fight with the Midshipmen. Navy stayed alive into the fourth quarter, but misfired on two key chances with an interception thrown into the end zone and a stuffed drive when it had a shot to change the momentum. Navy got a short touchdown run and a scoring pass from QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, but Rice always kept Rutgers ahead. The Heisman candidate ran for a four-yard score in the first quarter, scored on a 22-yard pass play in the second, and finally put things out of reach with a two-yard run in the fourth.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 37 times for 175 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 40 yards and a core
Stat Leaders: Navy - Passing: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, 5-12, 35 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Eric Kettani, 9-48. Receiving: Greg Sudderth, 2-20
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 14-19, 266 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 37-175, 2 TD. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood,  6-104
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Rutgers got a second straight Heisman-caliber game out of Ray Rice, but most importantly as the season goes on, it got another balanced offensive performance with QB Mike Teel throwing three touchdown passes and only throwing one interception. While Navy hung tough throughout, give Rutgers credit for getting ahead and being just comfortable enough to not have to press. Next up is Norfolk State to continue to work on Teel and the passing game and to get Rice some rest. After 40 touches this week, he has to be kept fresh for the bigger days ahead.

Aug. 30
Rutgers 38 ... Buffalo 3
Ray Rice ran for three scores, but Tiquan Underwood stole the show with ten catches for a school-record 248 yards with two touchdowns in the easy Scarlet Knight win. Rutgers jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead on Underwood scores from 65 and 66 yards out, and Rice closed out the touchdown scoring with a 41-yard dash in the third quarter. A.J. Principle got the only Buffalo points on a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Player of the game: Rutgers WR Tiquan Underwood caught ten passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 19-32, 165
Rushing: Mario Henry, 8-49. Receiving: Brett Hamlin, 4-54
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 16-23, 328 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 25-184, 3 TD. Receiving: Tiquan Underwood, 10-248, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Did Ray Rice really need 25 carries against Buffalo? Rutgers is more than just Rice, and the passing game showed it can move the ball a bit, but Rice is the franchise and has to be healthy for the long haul. It'll be interesting to note how much work he gets against Navy and Norfolk State over the next few weeks before Maryland and Cincinnati come to town. While Tiquan Underwood had a lot to do with it, Mike Teel was efficient and made some nice throws. If Underwood can keep cranking out big plays, Rice will go ballistic.