Rutgers (10-2) vs. Kansas State (7-5)
Dec. 28,
8:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Get
Tickets for the Texas Bowl |
Get picks for the top games
for every sport
-
Texas Bowl Preview
|
| Texas Bowl History |
| 2005 |
TCU
27, Iowa State 24 |
| 2004 |
Colorado 33, UTEP 28 |
| 2003 |
Texas Tech 38, Navy 14 |
| 2002 |
Oklahoma State 33, Southern Miss 23 |
| 2001 |
Texas A&M 28, TCU 9 |
| 2000 |
East Carolina 40, Texas Tech 27 |
|
By
Richard Cirminiello
Texas Bowl Player profile
DT Eric Foster, Rutgers – This time last year, Foster could
only watch from the sidelines as the Scarlet Knights prepared for
their first bowl game since 1978. A knee injury in the second game
of the year prematurely ended what was supposed to be the
sophomore’s breakout season in Piscataway. Today, however, he’s the
emotional and physical leader of the nation’s No. 7 defense, and
stoked to finally be getting his chance to perform on the postseason
stage. In a season of surprises, Foster was one of the most
important, exploding on to the Big East scene with 51 tackles, 14
tackles for loss and six sacks. Using unstoppable quickness and an
insatiable appetite for the backfield, the converted end terrorized
quarterbacks en route to becoming the first first-team All-American
on defense in Rutgers history. At just 6-2, 260 pounds, Foster
looks physically miscast to be playing on the inside...and then the
game begins. Besides his physical dominance, the defensive captain
also plays with an attitude and intensity that has given the Knights
a personality in 2006. If the Rutgers D had an inferiority complex
before this season from decades of being a laughingstock, its most
vocal trash talker and motivator made sure it didn’t last. Foster
is the antithesis of a pre-Greg Schiano Scarlet Knight. He’s
explosive, from the state of Florida and extremely chatty, often
whipping his side into a frenzy before games and after wins. Foster
is a model of the 21st century Rutgers football player,
and for four quarters, the Kansas State offensive line is going to
hear all about it.
Best Scarlet Knight Bowl Moment – Despite falling short to
Arizona State in the 2005 Insight Bowl, Rutgers first bowl invite in
almost three decades was a coronation for a young program that was
clearly on the rise. The 45-40 loss, one of the most entertaining
of the December bowls, wound up being the launching point for the
program’s ten-win 2006 season. Beating Kansas State in Houston
would give the Knights their first-ever post-season win.
Best Wildcat Bowl Moment – Kansas State’s first really big
bowl win during the Bill Snyder era came in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl
over No. 14 Syracuse. In what was supposed to be an even game, the
Wildcats rolled up 457 total yards and pulled away in the fourth
quarter. The hero was Michael Bishop, who accounted for 390 total
yards and four touchdown passes, three to Darnell McDonald. In
front of an estimated 50,000 Wildcat fans, the school won its 11th
game for the first time in school history.
Kansas State's best win ...
Kansas State 45 ... Texas 42
Kansas State jumped on Texas
mistakes for a big third quarter run breaking a 21-21 tie with a
21-point run as RB Leon Patton threw a 18-yard touchdown pass to
Cedric Wilson and Josh Freeman hit Yamon Figurs for a 30-yard score
and ran for a one-yard touchdown. Texas mounted a huge comeback with
an amazing four-play, 75-yard drive with an 18-yard Jamaal Charles
touchdown run to spark a big run with Limas Sweed catching a 33-yard
touchdown pass and Chris Ogbonnaya running for a score from one-yard
out, but a line drive 51-yard Jeff Snodgrass field goal kept KSU
ahead. The Wildcats pounced on the onside kick after the Ogbonnaya
touchdown and were able to run out the clock. Longhorn QB Colt McCoy
was knocked out of the game early with a neck injury after running
for a one-yard score.
Kansas
State's worst loss ...
Baylor 17 ... Kansas State 3
Baylor got a 75-yard touchdown from
Trent Shelton, an 11-yard scoring grab from Dominique Ziegler and a
22-yard Ryan Havens field goal and let the defense do the rest
holding Kansas State to 45 rushing yards and just a 41-yard Jeff
Snodgrass field goal. The Wildcats moved the ball through the air,
but turned it over five times with Dwain Crawford picking off two
passes.
Rutgers' best win ...
Rutgers 28 ... Louisville 25
With the game tied at 25, Rutgers PK Jeremy Ito missed a
28-yard field goal attempt with :13 to play. Louisville was flagged for
an offsides penalty, Ito got another chance, and hit it right down the
middle to complete an 18-point comeback. The Cardinals got up 25-7 in
the first half on a two-yard Anthony Allen run and a five-yard Jimmy
Riley touchdown run, and answered a 26-yard Tiquan Underwood touchdown
that tied it at seven with a 100-yard kickoff return for a score from
JaJuan Spillman. Ray Rice ran for an 18-yard score late in the first
half to start off Rutgers' run, and then ran for a four-yard score in
the third quarter to pull within three. A 46-yard Ito field goal tied
it, but it was the 11-play, 80-yard drive with a key 26-yard
catch-and-run on third and six from Brian Leonard to get in Louisville
territory, and then Rice ripped off 20 yards to get into field goal
range.
Rutgers' worst loss ...
Cincinnati 30 ... Rutgers 11
Cincinnati stuffed the Rutgers offense holding it to 50
rushing yards and keeping it out of the end zone until late in the
fourth quarter on a one-yard Ray Rice run. Despite losing three
fumbles, the Bearcats jumped out to a 17-0 lead helped by a 84-yard
DeAngelo Smith interception return for a touchdown and a one-yard
Nick Davila scoring run, but didn't pull away for good until Brent
Celek took a pass 83 yards for a score. Kevin Lowell hit three field
goals for the Bearcats.
2005 Houston Bowl
TCU 27 ... Iowa State 24
Peter LoCoco hit a 44-yard field goal with 5:25 to play for
TCU's only points of the second half breaking a 24-24 tie. Iowa State's
ensuing drive stalled, and TCU never let go of the ball again using RB
Robert Merrill, who helped the Horned Frogs outrush the Cyclones 135-34,
to run out the clock. ISU made its run in the second quarter with a
17-point flurry in under five minutes highlighted by the first of two
Todd Blythe touchdown catches on the day. TCU reversed the second
quarter momentum with an 84-yard touchdown pass to Michael DePriest.
Bylthe's 22-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter were Iowa State's
only points of the second half.
Player of the game: TCU RB Robert Merrill ran 11
times for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing:
Jeff Ballard, 21-33, 275 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Robert Merrill, 11-109, 1 TD. Receiving:
Cory Rodgers, 4-46
Iowa State - Passing: Bret Meyer, 20-32,
254 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Bret Meyer, 12-27. Receiving: Todd Blythe,
5-105, 2 TD
Rutgers Bowl History (0-2)
|
2005 |
Insight |
Arizona State 45,
Rutgers 40 |
|
1978 |
Garden State |
Arizona State 34,
Rutgers 18 |
|
Kansas State Bowl History (6-6)
|
2003 |
Fiesta |
Ohio State 35, Kansas
State 28 |
|
2002 |
Holiday |
Kansas State 34, Arizona
State 27 |
|
2001 |
Insight.com |
Syracuse 26, Kansas
State 3 |
|
2000 |
Cotton |
Kansas State 35,
Tennessee 21 |
|
1999 |
Holiday |
Kansas State 24,
Washington 20 |
|
1998 |
Alamo |
Purdue 37, Kansas State
34 |
|
1997 |
Fiesta |
Kansas State 35,
Syracuse 18 |
|
1996 |
Cotton |
Brigham Young 19, Kansas
State 15 |
|
1995 |
Holiday |
Kansas State 54,
Colorado State 21 |
|
1994 |
Aloha |
Boston College 12,
Kansas State 7 |
|
1993 |
Copper |
Kansas State 52, Wyoming
17 |
|
1982 |
Independence |
Wisconsin 14, Kansas
State 3 |
|