Rutgers Football; They'll Be Back In 2011 After A Painful 2010

(Texas A&M.....Alabama....Miami)

Last night, before I watched a tough minded UCONN Husky football team beat South Florida 19-16 (without scoring a point on offense) to win the Big East championship and a berth in a BCS bowl- probably the Fiesta, against Big 12 champs Oklahoma, I sat down and wrote three pages freehand on a legal pad about "what happened?" to Rutgers football in the wake of a 4-8 season. Early in the year I stopped doing my weekly updates about the 2010 season; last year it was a fixture in this blog. There was a strange lack of continuity to the season, even before the six game losing streak to end 2010, when Rutgers started the year a respectable 4-2, though the two losses should have set off the alarms.....one was to a poor Tulane team at home, the second to a North Carolina squad beset with a dozen suspensions, also a loss in Piscataway.

But looking at what I wrote last night, I now have come to realize that any criticisms by me have already been said by hundreds on RU message boards and by dozens of print journalists. We know the the offensive line was probably the worst in the FBS with a ridiculous 61 sacks allowed (compared to 10 in 2007), and that poor run blocking and injuries at running back led to too much reliance on the "Wild Knight" formation to generate any semblance of a running game. The three and outs had the defense out on the field way too long game after game, and injuries to that unit and wear and tear caused it to collapse by the end of the year. And at quarterback, young freshman Chas Dodd took over for injured soph Tom Savage, and never relinquished the job....so who's team was it really, anyway?

And of course, there was the catastrophic injury to Eric LeGrand at the New Meadowlands Stadium in a win against Army that left the young defensive tackle paralyzed. It was Rutgers last win. They were 4-2, and then proceeded to drop the next six games in a row, culminating with yesterday's loss to West Virginia in Morgantown 35-14, Rutgers' 16th loss in a row to WVU.

The Army game on October 18, a 23-20 Rutgers win, followed by the tragic news that Eric LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down was the turning point of the season. It was as if a team that was already struggling for an identity was hit with a blow that it never really recovered from. The questions were asked then, "Will LeGrand's injury effect this team? How would they respond?". The answers were, yes it did effect the team. And I believe many of the players didn't know how to respond to such a terrible injury to a friend and teammate.

(Penn State....Tennessee....Nebraska)

Last year cornerback Jasper Howard of UCONN was murdered in an incident, stabbed to death. UCONN was able to turn it around what was a losing season and make it to a bowl game at the end of the year, defeating Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks. So if UCONN could right the ship after the death of a player, then why couldn't Rutgers after LeGrand's serious injury?

In football terms I think Rutgers had much more serious issues on the offensive side of the ball then UCONN had last year. The Huskies had a stellar running game with two 1,000 yard rushers and massive O line. Rutgers running game in 2010 was based on "trickeration" and too many doses of the Wildcat.

But on the emotional side of the game, dealing with losses of Howard and LeGrand, we see a vast psychological difference. Because as tragic as the loss of life of any friend is, we always find a way to turn the page and go on. But when someone close to us is seriously injured, as in LeGrand's case, paralyzed, how do we go on?

How do we handle our grief for a person who survives, but is forever changed by catastrophic injury? Where is the guidebook to lead us out of that one? I'm a believer in psychologist Eisabeth Kubler-Ross's theory of The Five Stages of Grief- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I was present at the game when LeGrand was injured; I felt a sense of depression for days, and I had not even met the guy personally. A college football team is made up of young people, some of whom were only in high school a few short months ago.....a bunch of kids. Most have probably had to deal with the death of a loved one; probably very few (if any) had a friend who was ever carted off the field with the paralysis in his limbs and below his neck. For all we know he may never be able to button his shirt, feed himself, change the channel on a TV, or text message his friends ever again without assistance. And in the back of each of those kid's minds could be hidden the guilt of a survivor, either overtly or buried deeply in their subconscious.

Probably to some degree the entire Rutgers football team, and even Greg Schiano's coaching staff, may be stuck somewhere in those five stages of grief. The stages don't always follow the sequence as I've listed them. As described to me, and experienced by me, the stages of grief can be found in conditions other than a death or a serious illness- the end of a relationship or financial ruin can lead to the same feelings of loss, denial, and the other stages.

Of course, the injury to Eric LeGrand was NOT the only reason for RU's struggles on the field, but it probably did act as a catalyst to speed its collapse in the second half of the season.

(Michigan.....Notre Dame.....Texas)


OK....so what's with the colleges in parenthesis and italics that I posted every couple of paragraphs?

Those are all universities that have powerhouse football programs, national names that few could dispute help to define college football. They have won national championships, some have worn the national crown on multiple occasions.

And they have something else in common; all have had one or more losing seasons since 2003.

All have rebounded, or will return to prominence. And so will Rutgers to at the very least the level of success they have achieved in recent years, and hopefully RU football will move beyond those limits.

Greg Schiano came to Rutgers 10 years ago, and after a rough start he accomplished what no RU football coach had done since Frank Burns in 1978.....he got Rutgers to a bowl game 2005. His 11-2 team in 2006 captured the imagination of the nation and won Schiano the National Coach of the Year Award. And the Scarlet Knights won a bowl game that year, their first ever bowl win. And they went to- and won- a bowl game the next year, and the year after that, and for good measure the year after that. For the record, that was five consecutive bowl appearances, and four consecutive wins. And while accomplishing those successes on the field, Rutgers players excelled in the classroom; every year Rutgers can be found in the top five of the NCAA's Academic Progress Report (APR). This year Rutgers was number one in the FBS in the APR. They were winning games, graduating players, and sending unprecedented numbers of young men into the NFL.

Greg Schiano and his staff did it the right way. And I have no reason to believe that he will not get the ship righted.

This was a year when the program hit a speed bump that ended up causing damage....and it was a step back. But as mentioned before, it happens to "The Big Guys" from time to time as well.

What is mindboggling are those types who come out of the woodwork to trash this program in a down year, calling it a failure, and even now there are loonies who call for a return to the days of playing Lehigh, Bucknell, and Princeton in front of 10,000 people or less. Some of the print media don't help the perception either; last week one local paper showed a nearly empty Rutgers Stadium late in the fourth quarter (and on Black Friday) against Louisville. For the record, the official attendance for that game was 37,422, far from being a sellout in the 52,000 seat stadium, but not a ghost town either. The 10,000 students who are usually at every game were represented by a fraction, maybe 1,000; the student body was on Thanksgiving break. In addition, many ticketholders and regular fans were out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, the season average per game was 46,195, roughly 6,000 fans short of capacity but also about 4,000 more than the capacity of the stadium before the expansion project two years ago. A cause for concern, yes. But hardly a cause for alarm.

The cranks, the critics, and overzealous editorial boards will write pieces complaining about Rutgers football and the waste of money it is. But do a GOOGLE search for Rutgers, and click on to IMAGES.....the vast majority of the pictures are not of old buildings and famous alums (other than James Gandolfini).....

The largest number of  pictures you'll find in that search will be of Rutgers football, it's players, it's coach, and it's fans. Some may hate the fact, but the recent football success has given Rutgers greater visibility than the university has ever had before despite it's high academic standing.

Forty thousand plus people don't pay $50 a ticket to attend a chemistry class on Saturdays in the fall. And ESPN won't give RU a check for $100,000 to televise a symposium on Hamlet's Oedipus Complex.....that is, unless Hamlet played high stakes poker as well.

So critics, take your best shot.....because this team and it's coach will be back.

And I'm one fan who says "Thank God!" for that.

18,000 Emails For Eric LeGrand

Eric LeGrand, the Rutgers football player who was paralyzed after a neck injury in the Rutgers- Army football game this past Saturday, has so far received more than 18,000 email "get well" wishes from around the world, according to ESPN New York.

He remains hospitalized at the Hackensack University Medical Center.

Rutgers head Coach Greg Schiano talked about Eric today, though he didn't elaborate on his medical status.

"He goes through different periods," Schiano said. "There are medications that have to be administered. He has been very responsive at times and very aware. He knows. I have tried to keep him informed. It's only been, even though it feels like a number of days, it's only been a few days.

"I have tried to keep him informed what is going on here," he said. "I see him each day and let him know what is happening with the guys. He understands."

To send Eric a "Get Well" message, visit Scarlet Knights.com, or click his picture on top of the left hand margin of this blog.

Read more at ESPN New York.

On Eric LeGrand; Rutgers Player Paralyzed In Game Injury

You knew it was a bad situation when the cart was brought onto the playing field of the New Meadowlands Stadium late in the fourth quarter of Rutgers' 23-20 overtime win over Army on Saturday October 16.

And it was, in all likelihood, the worst day ever in the life of defensive tackle Eric LeGrand, who just turned 20 years old last month. But what made the event even more heartbreaking was seeing Eric's mother watching it all happen from her seat in section 110. I was sitting about ten rows behind her in the same section, and saw something I hope I shall never see again.

Rutgers had just scored to tie the game at 17-17. On the kickoff to Army, Eric hit Army returner Malcolm Brown hard with his helmet on the Army 25 yardline. Both players hit the turf; Brown got up, but Eric was sprawled on the turf, unable to move. The training staff ran out to Eric, then head coach Greg Schiano.....and then the call came for the cart, which is used to move seriously injured players who can't get off the field under their own power.

I first noticed the woman wearing the scarlet #52 jersey with "LeGrand's Mom" stenciled in the back before game time; there were several other players families and friends seated in the section and those adjoining it. As her son lie on the turf with EMT's and the medical staffs of both Rutgers and Army working on him, my attention focused on Eric's mother in a cold, silent stadium with more than 40,000 onlookers. The fans were watching the medical staff trying to stabilize a man with no movement in his body, and could not even raise his neck....by all accounts, he's a good hardworking kid, and a solid contributor to the team.

But the lady wearing that #52 jersey was watching her baby suffer....and watching her made my heartbreak.

Eric's mother was allowed onto the field, where Coach Schiano met her, and somberly embraced her in a touching gesture that made me feel that I...and all of the other onlookers....were somehow eavesdropping on this very private moment of shared sorrow of two people who held the common bond of their individual love and affection for this young wounded warrior.

Eric was taken to Hackensack University Hospital after being treated for about seven minutes and carted out of the stadium. Rutgers went on to rally and win in overtime on Joe Martinek's touchdown. There was the immediate joy of the win for the team and the fans, but then the joy evaporated when thoughts turned to Eric LeGrand

Coach Schiano had an abbreviated post game press conference, but his main concern was for the well being of Eric LeGrand. Below, and excerpt from The Star-Ledger's Dave Hutchinson.

‘When you coach these kids, they’re your kids,’’ said Schiano, his eyes watering.
‘‘That’s the thing I don’t know if everybody gets. It’s not pro football. Those are your kids. You’re raising them. You’re finishing the job for their parents, so it’s tough.

Eric LeGrand underwent emergency surgery at Hackensack University Hospital late Saturday- in layman's terms, he has a broken neck. Eric fractured the C-3 and c-4 vertebrae in his neck, and has no feeling below his neck. There is concern that he may never walk again.

Below, the update from scarletknights.com on Eric Legrand's status.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (October 17, 2010) - Rutgers junior defensive tackle Eric LeGrand (Avenel, N.J.) suffered a spinal cord injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game vs. Army. The injury was at the C3-C4 level and emergency surgery was performed by doctors throughout the night at Hackensack University Medical Center to stabilize the spine.

“We want to say thank you to everyone for all of your prayers, kind words, and well wishes,” the LeGrand family said. “We appreciate every single thought. Eric is in good spirits and we are praying for a full recovery.”

Eric is resting in the intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center and will remain there for the near future. Currently, he has no movement below the neck.

“Eric, his family and the Rutgers Football family believe he will recover,” said Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano. “We ask our fans and the entire Rutgers community to believe and pray for Eric as he begins the recovery process.

Coach Schiano spent the night at the hospital with Eric's mother, Karen, and family members. Among those who wish Eric a full and speedy recovery is former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury 10 years ago and was given a 3% chance of recovery, but beat the odds and walked again. Eric was remembered as a selfless player by coaches and team mates at Colonia High School- his running backs coach at Colonia, Nick Ruta, said the following.....

“He’s one of the best kids to come through our program, not just as an athlete but as a human being. He’s one of those kids who is the reason why you love to coach. The reason why you love to teach.’’

I've spent a good deal of my life watching football. You always see injuries, large and small. In 99% of the cases there are full recoveries from sprains, pulls, and broken bones. You hope you never see something as terrible as a young man possibly crippled for life in playing the game. For every Adam Taliaferro and Dennis Byrd, who suffered spinal chord injuries and yet walked again, you will also find Darryl Stingley or Marc Buoniconti who did not.

When you see a serious injury during a game on TV the announcer will send the audience to a commercial break where you can be entertained by E-Trade Babies and the Geico Gecko. But in a silenced arena or stadium thousands share moments of horror- it's in front of you, and you don't and can't turn away. You're reminded of just how dangerous the sport can be....and in the case of Eric LeGrand, we were looking at a college student, not a well paid professional.

Football is a game that has high risks of injury, and yet we have fans who don't seem to appreciate the hard work, effort, and sacrifice those who play it make. I've never understood the mentality of certain fans who boo college players, often while their families are in the stands. Very simply, they don't deserve it.

My thoughts and prayers are with Eric LeGrand and his family. And our extended Rutgers family has experienced yet another tragedy, this following the suicide of Tyler Clementi several weeks ago.

Be strong friends..........

Much more on Eric LeGrand and the latest at Scarlet Scuttlebutt.

Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand carted off on backboard with neck injury

24 Hours Later- Defense and Special Teams Key Rutgers Over FIU

This is the latest chapter in my season long look at the 2010 Rutgers football campaign. Today, a look at the Knights win over Florida International on Saturday night in Miami, 19-14.

This entry is a little bit on the late side, but there is a reason. Because if I'm going to talk about the Rutgers offense, I needed a bit more time to think about it and find some positives. and I did- Joe Martinek's ankle injury doesn't appear to be serious. And that offense can only get better, because it's impossible for it to be any less efficient.

But I'll get back to that in a minute....this was a 19-14 road win, and as Jimmy Johnson used to say a team needs to win two of the three phases of the game. Rutgers defense caused five FIU turnovers, and safety Joe Lefeged blocked two punts that led to Rutgers scoring drives. Lefeged had the defensive game of a lifetime- in addition to the two punt blocks he also forced two fumbles, had an interception, broke up a pass, and a tackle. For these heroics Lefeged is in the record books as the first player in the history of the Big East to win Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week Awards in the same week.

Rutgers defense and special teams were the story, limiting FIU to 371 yards in total offense....and they were helped by FIU's penchant for self destruction. The turnovers and blocked punts not withstanding, the Golden Panthers had a whopping 14 penalties for 146 yards. To put that into perspective, Rutgers only had 172 yards in total offense- FIU had almost that amount in penalty yards.

OK...the Rutgers offense is, to be charitable, out of sync. Quarterback Tom Savage was 7 for 15 with no touchdowns, an INT, and two lost fumbles. The offensive line, which lost three starters from last year (two of whom are on NFL rosters), had trouble pass blocking and was almost as bad on run blocking. The receivers weren't running good routes, there were some drops, and RU had 76 yards rushing at a two yard per carry clip.

Mohamed Sanu running the offense out of the Wildcat accounted for what little offense Rutgers had with a TD pass to tight end DC Jefferson, and a rushing touchdown. What was most disconcerting was Rutgers failure to cash in on the turnovers more than they did- five turnovers and two blocked punts had the potential to produce seven touchdowns and a game that was never even close. The bottomline is that RU's offense has a way to go before it can even be called mediocre.

In 2007 Rutgers had a 3,000 yard passer in Mike Teel, Ray Rice with more than 2,000 yards on the ground, and receivers Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood with more than 1,000 yards each receiving; the 3,000-2,000- 1,000 x 2 performance was a first in NCAA football history. This is a young team, and no one expects those lofty numbers....but Rutgers offense needs to jell, and to do so quickly, with North Carolina and then the Big East season coming up. I'm sure they will get better- Greg Schiano's teams always do.

There is sufficient offensive talent on this team to be better than they have shown so far. And I think each player on that team, and it's coaching staff, knows that. The Big East is wide open this year....and defense and special teams can't win games for you every week.

Enough said.

24 Hours Later- Rutgers Rallies Late To Put Norfolk State Away, 31-0

This is the first entry of my season long review of the 2010 Rutgers football season, written 24 hours after the the end of the game and after the emotion subsides. Here's what I saw from my seat in Section 104......

Time to break away from the political and pop culture for this year's look at Rutgers football. The season really did sneak up on me- it's hard to think of football when it's 100 degrees on gameday. This isn't the desert Southwest or SEC country- it's New Jersey, and we're still experiencing the hottest summer in history. And that was part of the game's story as it unfolded yesterday, with the game time temperature at 90 degrees (at 7:30PM)and a warm breeze blowing from the approaching Hurricane Earl in the Atlantic.

Rutgers of the Big East opened with Norfolk State University of the MEAC, a FCS division school that Rutgers was supposed to handle with relative ease. And the final score was 31-0, with Rutgers pitching a shutout.

But it was anything but a conventional blowout. In fact, Rutgers led at halftime by only 6-0, with the youth and inexperience in the offensive line and receiving corps causing drives to fizzle and die, with no touchdowns and two field goals to show for the half.And one of those field goals, to be frank, was probably a gift since San San Te was allowed to kick one with one second on the clock when time should have expired....Rutgers radio crew said the same thing. Te also missed two other field goals in the half.

There missed blocks, drops, and QB Tom Savage was sacked three times in the first half. Rutgers held the ball for 19:27 in the first half and 37:41 for the game. They marched up and down the field but couldn't put the ball into the end zone. Rutgers ran 71 total plays in the game to 49 for NSU....the Spartans were on defense most of the night so it seemed.

And they finally wore down in the second half....the hot night and lack of depth caused Norfolk State's defense to literally start dropping like flies midway in the third quarter. At one point two NSU players fell to the ground suffering from heat cramps at the same time....I counted five Spartan players on the bench trying to work out cramps in the third quarter. And when the starters started to drop on NSU's defense, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights finally saw their offense start to jell. Jersey Joe Martinek finished the drive with a touchdown (he rushed for 109 yards), and a two point conversion by Mohamed Sanu made the score 14-0 at the 7:55 of the third.

The RU defense was stellar, yielding only 25 yards rushing and 154 yards in the air.....and no points. Brandon Bing blocked an NSU punt and Joe Lefeged scoped it up and took it in for a TD at 5:45 in the third and a 21-0 lead.

Savage connected with Sanu with a ten yard TD pass at 8:27 of the fourth quarter, and San San Te added another field goal late in the game, accounting for the 31-0 win.

Over all, it was a mixed bag for Rutgers. The defense played well all night, except for a couple of blown coverages.....but the rush was stopped by Rutgers, and NSU qb Chris Walley never got into a rhythm, and was only 11-23-0 for 131 yards.

Since NSU never scored we only saw the Rutgers kickoff return team once, and that was the opening of the second half....the ball was pooched to an up man and returned to mid field. On punt returns, Mason Robinson did some nice things, but he also failed to field a ball in the third quarter and watched it roll to the Rutgers two yard line. San San Te had three field goals, but also missed two. The punt block team looked strong, and should be a force on special teams.

But it was the offense that raised eyebrows from the onlookers. It was maddening to see the blown blocking assignments, and even more so to see long gains called back because of holds or illegal shifts. Tom Savage is a great young quarterback, but even Peyton Manning can't complete passes if guys don't block and receivers drop the ball.

The Rutgers radio network did a brief on field interview after the half with Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. When asked what he thought of his teams play in the 6-0 first half, Schiano said that he thought the team was playing tight and just needed to settle down- he seemed calm. I'm not privy to what was said in the locker room, but my guess is he didn't chew butt for the disjointed offensive showing, but just tried to settle them down.

And it worked....in the second half they were able to put the ball in the end zone, and were able to accumulate 422 yards in total offense,268 of it on the ground.

Freshman Jordan Thomas had a nice debut, with 47 yards and a long of 12, and highly regarded freshman quarterback Chas Dodd (pronounced "Chase") came in late in the fourth quarter to finish up and get some game experience. He completed his first (and only) pass of his college career to redshirt freshman tight end Paul Carrezola for the first reception of his college career.

The bottom line on this game .....put it in the books, a shutout, but no blowout by any stretch. The defense looks ready for the season, the special teams are close....but the offense is a work in progress.

Some in the press- and in the fan base- are already either on the warpath or looking for a tall building to jump off of.

My words to them are..."it's college football" This is the nature of it. You are always in the state of rebuilding, nothing is static, it's always in flux. Players who leave at age 22 or 23 are replaced by 18 year olds who just a year ago were in high school and worrying about passing their driver's test.

They're only going to get better. It will take time, and they will cause anxiety and even agita on occasion. Bear Bryant probably said it best.....

"The best thing about freshmen is they eventually become sophomores."

This will be a good team....and an entertaining one....by the time we get to conference play.

Ya gotta believe.....and relax just a little.

12 Hours (I Mean 72 Hours) Later....RU Wins Bowl Game, "AD" Leaves For The NFL, The Big Dig Out, and Other Stuff

Rutgers celebrates its 45-24 victory in the ST. PETERSBURG BOWL (Star-Ledger Photo)

First my apologies for being away so long....you might have heard about a "slight issue" with the weather in the Northeast- a blizzard hit and dumped two feet of snow in much of the area, though we got about ten inches here, most of which fell Saturday into early Sunday. A good portion of Sunday involved digging out and waiting to be dug out, and Monday and Tuesday was dedicated to catching up with Christmas shopping that had to be scuttled because of the storm.

But I'm done....FINALLY. And some semblance of normalcy is returning to life.,,,and it feels good!

So, without further ado, lets talk about "some stuff".

(1). Five consecutive bowl games, four consecutive wins. Rutgers pounded Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl 45-24. The win gave Rutgers a 9-4 record for the 2009 season, its best win total since going 11-2 in 2006. This was the the fifth consecutive winning season for Rutgers- you have to go back to the 1991-92 seasons for the last time they even had back to back winning seasons.

You can talk about some of the disappointments of the year if you wish, but I won't. Naysayers first said "when Ray Rice leaves they'll start losing again". Ray left, and RU went to another bowl game. The same cynics then said "when Mike Teel and Kenny Britt leave, RU will collapse". Mike and Kenny moved on to the NFL, and Rutgers won one more game than last year.

It was the young freshmen who shined brightest this year....not to take away from great old grizzled veterans like Ryan D’Imperio, Devin McCourty, and Tim Brown. But it was the emergence of new stars Tom Savage, Mohamed Sanu, and Steve Beauharnais that gave promise to the beginning of a new era where the success can continue. Head Coach Greg Schiano has said that you have to be consistent before you can be great. The Scarlet Knights seemed poised to take that next step- the building blocks and keys to success are there.

When Schiano came to Rutgers he had to build a program from the ground up. His way is a amalgamation of a little bit Joe Paterno, with heavy emphasis on academics, graduating his players, and getting the "right kind of players"- in Paterno-speak its called "we don't want any bigshots". An RU player has to love football, and he has to dedicate himself to the academic demands of the institution. Often Schiano asks the team leaders if a potential recruit is an "RU recruit". So far, Greg Schiano has delivered on all promises save one- a Big East Championship.

Another coach Schiano borrowed from was Howard Schnellenberger. When he took over as the head coach of the University of Miami in 1979, Schnellenberger declared South Florida to be "The State of Miami", and used that as his recruiting base. The beginning of "The U's" dynasty began with that philosophy, and Schiano incorporated it into his "State of Rutgers" campaign- it extends to all of New Jersey and to a three hour driving radius from New Jersey's borders. True, Schiano does recruit Florida and other some other states as well- but its about New Jersey first. Six or seven years ago you couldn't find Rutgers fans anywhere. Its nearly 2010, and walk around any parking lot in Central New Jersey and try to count the scarlet block R  's on the cars, or the jerseys, tee-shirts, and and caps on the people walking around.

So far....a job well done.

(2) Speaking of Schiano the disciplinarian...sometimes he'll let a thing or two slide. As the game was winding down of Saturday night, check Coach's reaction to linebacker senior Damaso Munoz's fielding of an on side kick, and taking it back for a touchdown. Munoz, who was razzed by his fellow linebackers for never having scored a touchdown finally did on what would be his last touch of the ball in his college career- he did a frontwards flip into the end zone and then spiked the ball. It resulted in a TD, but with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well.
In this video, Coach Schiano seems like he's trying not to laugh.



(3) Saying goodbye to "AD". In the worst football secret since Brian Kelly's latest coaching destination, Rutgers junior All-America lineman Anthony Davis has decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL draft. Davis is projected to be a first round pick. He follows Ray Rice and Kenny Britt, who also left early following the two previous seasons.

Thanks AD....and good luck.

(4) The Giants and Redskins. Was it possible for the Giants to play a better game, or the Redskins to play worse, in that 45-12 blowout on Monday Night football? I'll say it right now- the first 15 minutes of the game might have been the best opening quarter for a team that I have ever seen for any team at any level. The Giants opening drive lasted 9:13, was 16 plays , covered 80 yards, and resulted in a Giants touchdown. The ensuing possession for Washington was a three and out. Then the Giants got the ball back at the 4:21 mark in the first quarter the Giants got the ball back and went on a 5:00 minute, 67 yard, 11 play touchdown drive that lasted into the second quarter. This was the equal of a first round TKO. The Skins showed a little fight in the second half, scoring twice....but the Giants D came alive. and kept them contained, while the Giants offense scored at will. Eli Manning might be playing the best quarterback of his career.

As a Giant fan....a tremendous game, and kudos to Big Blue.

(5) And finally....goodbye Melky Cabrera , and welcome back to New York Javier Vasquez. I followed Melky from his days with the Trenton Thunder, and I hate to see him leave. But when the Braves were willing to deal Vasquez back to New York it was a move you have to make. Vasquez will be a solid number four starter for the Yankees, while the Braves essentially receive Melky, who was usually the number nine hitter in the Yankee lineup. Cabrera still has a world of potential....maybe a change of leagues will help him take the next step.

That's all folks....I'll be back with some "pre-Christmas stuff" ina day or so.

12 Hours Later (Plus)..... Rutgers Football; Its Time- For The Second Time

This is part of my ongoing series reviewing the 2009 Rutgers Football season. Today we'll look at yesterday's loss to the Syracuse Orange, 31-13

I've been a Rutgers football fan for many years, attending my first game back in elementary school in the 1960's. And I've attended games spanning five decades. The reason I'm telling you this is to show that I've been around for awhile and just didn't jump on the bandwagon when Jeremy Ito hit that game winning field goal to beat Louisville in 2006. I've seen dramatic wins, a lot of losses, spent afternoon on the road following the team, and have missed maybe three home games in the last 20 years. With a certain amount of shame, I'll admit now, I ducked out of my aunt's wake to listen to Rutgers getting pasted by Miami way back in 1998.

Yes, I bleed Scarlet, even though I am not an alum.

This is a piece that actually troubles me to write, but I feel I have a responsibility to do so. And I'm not going to sugar coat my feelings about the 31-13 road loss of then #25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights to a last place Syracuse team.

This was an unfathomable, incomprehensible, mind boggling loss, one that any deserving ranked team should never have suffered. It follows a familiar pattern of Thursday night wins over ranked opponents being followed on the Saturday that follows nine days later with an embarrassing double digit loss, Its happened during the 2006, 2007, and now the 2009 seasons. You can read the stats here if you like. Its pretty ugly from the RU side of it. I won't go into the minutiae of it- but Syracuse, statistically one of the worst offensive teams in the country, was able to dominate Rutgers from start to finish with twice as many first downs and three times the total yardage. Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage was sacked an incredible nine times. The offense was bad, the defense was worse, and only the special teams seemed to have shown up at the Carrier Dome.

While following the game I started to think that maybe the premise of The Prisoner was taking place- a separate reality where people and things are the same yet different in a corner of a dreamer's subconscious. If that were the case "the dreamer" was wearing Syracuse Orange and RU was in for a few hours of torment in the Village otherwise called the Carrier Dome.

This was not the team that destroyed South Florida, so I thought....and it wasn't. But who were these guys?

Now naysayers and critics will start yelling "fraud". I won't, because any program that keeps going to bowl games and winning them while graduating their players is NOT a fraud. But its getting harder for even the most supportive fans to keep arguing their case to the critics. And frankly, its getting redundant.

Every Rutgers fan should be happy to have Greg Schiano as our coach. He took a program that was in the tank and rebuilt it the right way, without recruiting violations and with a minimum of off the field embarrassments. He recruits good kids who play hard and get their degrees. The fanbase has grown, and much of New Jersey has embraced Rutgers as New Jersey's College Football Team.

When Coach Schiano took over the program in 2001 the Rutgers Touchdown Club gave its members long sleeved tee shirts that had two words printed on the back.....It's Time.

It was time for the losing to stop, for the culture to turn around, for New Jersey to get its college football team, for the world to see Rutgers in a new light. Coach Schiano said he wanted to win a national Championship at Rutgers.

In 2001 we fans thought about first things first- it was more important for Rutgers to win a Big East Conference game. Things were so bad at Rutgers in 2001 that RU was in the midst of a eight game Big East losing streak that extended back to a 24-21 win over Syracuse in 1999. They lost the next game to Miami, and continued to go 0-7 in conference 2000. When Schiano took over Rutgers wouldn't win a conference game in 2001 or 2002, going 0-14 in the Big East. In 2003 RU lost to Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pitt. They had a 25 game conference losing streak going to then conference member Temple on October 25- Rutgers won that game at The Linc, 30-14. Think about it- a 25 game conference losing streak that spanned five seasons, two decades, and two millennium ended only a little more than six years ago.

Respectability as a program came that year and in 2004, though both were losing years. The turnaround began -and "the Chop" was born in 2005 with a 7-5 record and the first bowl appearance in in 27 years. Three more bowls followed, as will another after the 2009 season.

But once again...Its Time.

Rutgers is in a mode now of taking two steps forward and one back. The bowl appearances, the Thursday night wins, the 50,000 seat expanded stadium, the buzz on campus and in the state are great....but the program is treading water.

The goal for Rutgers is to be one of the elite programs. Elite programs don't have hangover losses after significant wins. Consider this- what do you think the likelihood Ohio State following up a win at Penn State with a loss at Indiana would be? Or maybe perhaps Florida smacking down LSU and getting beat at Vandy?

Slim and none. And that's what many prognosticators said about a Syracuse win over Rutgers. They saw RU as ready for Prime Time, that the arrival that was hinted at was finally here. They were wrong, we were wrong...and, sad to say, Rutgers was not worthy of a Top 25 ranking.

And because of this shocking loss, they probably won't see the Top 25 again in 2009. And probably deservedly so.

Rutgers has made great strides in the past decade, but now It Time once again. Its time to make the move and be a challenger to the Big East title, and not be eliminated from contention by Halloween. Its time to follow up big wins with wins over teams they are supposed to beat. Its time to reach and fulfill the promise they have hinted at over the past four years. Its time to shut the critics up once and for all. Its time for the fans to demand more...support the team and its Coach, but not be satisfied.

Its time for the Rutgers program to emerge from adolescence and hang out with the Big Boys. There is not a reason in the world for them not to be.

Everyone....Its time..

Some notes on other games Kudos go out to UCONN after their 33-30 double OT win over Notre Dame yesterday. It was the most significant win in the history of the program, and for all intents and purposes knocked Notre Dame out of contention from Gator Bowl consideration, and will probably go to the second place Big East team, which could be Cincinnati, Pitt, or even West Virginia. UCONN has had five losses by a total of 15 points, while the Irish have now lost three in a row, and back to back losses to Big East teams.

The win was for Jasper Howard, the slain defensive back was lost his life hours after UCONN's win against Louisville.

The question of whether Notre Dame will retain head coach Charlie Weis has yet to be determined.. My guess is that next week's game at Stanford would be his last.

And I wonder this out loud....how long will the rest of college football allow Notre Dame to be treated as a separate but equal partner in the BCS when they have not been relevant in the national discussion since the era of Lou Holtz, which ended in 1996? Notre Dame in the 21st century is like old world aristocracy, living off the reputation and accomplishments of their distinguished ancestors. And how long will it take before the Notre Dame administration comes clean and has to make a decision- are they serious about winning a national title as an independent where they make a fortune through TV and other revenues that they don't have to share with a conference? Or should they break down and join a conference where they can play their way to a conference title and a BCS bid? Do they want a return to football glory and a shot at a national title, or do they just going to keep the money, live off of past glory, and continue this tiresome kabuki dance they've been doing for a generation now?

Also yesterday- BJ Daniels and USF bounced back with a 34-22 win over Louisville after losing to Rutgers 31-0 a week ago last Thursday. Maybe they can win out the last two games, against Miami and Connecticut, and finish the regular season with nine wins. Rutgers fans should be thankful for USF; without them RU would be known as the most unpredictable team in the conference.

Rutgers Swarms #23/24 USF, 31-0 (12 Hours Later)

This is part of my weekly series covering the Rutgers Football season, 2009, from my seat in Section 104. This week I'm incorporating and linking to the story as it appears on Scarlet Knights.com

Rutgers Swarms #23/24 USF, 31-0

I'll start off with a hackneyed cliche- this game was never has close as 31-0. Rutgers dominated from start to finish, and South Florida looked by the third quarter that that didn't want to be on the same field with the Scarlet Knights...or didn't deserve to be.

USF, a Top 25 team ranked team at numbers 23 and 24 in the polls, did not appear to be a team that- as ESPN's Chris Fowler said during the game's broadcast- belonged in the Top 75. It was hard to discern where USF's ineptitude ended and Rutgers dominance- particularly on the defensive side of the ball- began.

Rutgers led 13-0 at the half, but could have been as much as 21-0 or more if Rutgers didn't have to settle for two field goals (two other attempts failed) on a couple of possessions. In the first half alone there were two fumbles lost by USF, and two interceptions served up USF quarterback BJ Daniels. Rutgers turned the ball over once; a Tom Savage pass was picked, but two plays later USF turned the ball over to Rutgers.

Imagine a red blooded American male running away from stunning ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews. The miserable first half by USF drove their coach, Jim Leavitt, to do so, according to The Tampa Tribune's Scott Carter.

The first half was so atrocious for the Bulls that Coach Jim Leavitt became perhaps one of the first men in America to run away from ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews as she approached at the end of the first half. When Andrews finally caught up, Leavitt didn't have much to say.

Afterward, he broke down the Bulls' loss in simple terms. USF managed just seven first downs and 159 total yards, their lowest totals since joining the Big East in 2005.

"Our offense got dominated by their defense," Leavitt said. "To be down only 13 points at halftime, I was shocked. Give Rutgers a lot of credit.

"They just beat the dog out of us."

To be fair, the weather was pretty nasty on Thursday night- the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida reformed off of the Mid Atlantic for a strong nor'easter, with winds gusting in the 40 mph range, and temperatures in the 40's. Yesterday I said the weather would be a factor; Florida kids playing in northeastern weather in late autumn, some for probably the first time. I'm sure anyone who's watched the Giants and Jets in the Meadowlands over the years knows how the winds can be a factor in their games- and I do think it factored in altering the passing game (the winds blew in from the east across field at Rutgers Stadium) and it did wreak havoc on fielding punts for USF. There was no rain at the stadium during the game, but much of New Jersey and Long Island were getting battered rain, wind, and surf (accounting for about 5,000 no shows at the 53,000 seat stadium).

Rutgers played through the adverse conditions and adapted to them, while playing stellar defense against USF- and Bulls didn't, or couldn't. Rather than hit you with barrage of stats, here's a link to every stat you'll ever need on the game.

The bottom line- one team came to play, and the other seemed to leave all back in sunny Florida. USF still has a game with Miami, and an away contest with a proud and hungry UCONN squad in East Hartford in early December. USF might be in the midst of their annual El Foldo in the second half of the season.

And Rutgers?

They should be favored in away games against Syracuse and Louisville....and then they'll face West Virginia for the season finale at Rutgers Stadium. The bad news- Rutgers hasn't beaten WVU since 1994. The good news- South Florida handled the Mountaineers.

And they appear to be very beatable.

A couple of notes At the the game were RU alums and members of their respective Super Bowl champion teams the Giants' Shaun O'Hara and the Steelers' Darnell Stapleton. Also on the sidleines (and working the student section) was New Jersey Governor Elect Chris Christie.....the 31-0 loss was USF's first regular season shutout loss in their 13 year history. The 31-0 shutout was the first RU shutout of a Big East opponent since beating Temple 62-0 at Giants Stadium in 1993....for the first time since the second game of his first year on the job (at 1-1) Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is back .500 (53-53). His first two years Schiano was a combined 3-20. It took almost nine years to dig out of that deficit. Nice job, here's to perseverance.....with the win Rutgers is 7-2 and bowl eligible for the fifth year in a row......and finally, "Little Jovi" made his fourth quarter appearance, now performing a medley of Bon Jovi hits. He even got to meet Erin Andrews, who interviewed him when the game got out of control. He's a very lucky twelve year old.