By Anthony Voelpel
PISCATAWAY, N.J-Attention New York football fans, I found a big time college football team for you. No, it’s not Syracuse and certainly not Buffalo. I’ll give you a hint, just like the Jets and Giants, it’s not located in the Empire State. Give up? If you guessed Rutgers you win a trip to Jamaica! (Actually you don’t, but thanks for playing.)
When USF quarterback Matt Groethe hurled his last pass from scrimmage, a fourth- and- 37 prayer, into the hands of Rutgers CB Zaire Kitchen, it branded a win over a top three team for the second consecutive season at Rutgers Stadium. (and you thought playing at The Swamp was tough). So what’s the difference between the two wins? The first might have been a fluke, the second one wasn’t.
It was one of the biggest questions in the minds of college football enthusiasts at the beginning of the season; Is Rutgers for real, or was last year a one time thing?
To put it frank, No! Not even close, absolutely not, nuh-uh, no way. Anyway you want to put it, Rutgers is a officially a football school.
Accounting the historic win first hand was a spoiling experience, in that I’m not sure what I did to deserve an epic game like the one played last Thursday night on ESPN.
Having never been to Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, I was curious to see what kind of game day atmosphere they had. If it was anything like my Boston College experience last year, I knew it would be my last visit. (If you’ve never been to BC for a game, be thankful. Any stadium in which visitor fan noise outweighs home fan noise is a travesty to sports in my book). To my surprise, New Jersey must of slipped vodka into their water that morning because the campus was buzzing. Put it this way, most of the kids obviously thought playing beer pong and flip cup all day and skipping out on class was a good idea and it certainly wasn’t my business to disagree. Charcoals had to be burning on at least 75 percent of the campus and the parking lots were (as expected) filled to capacity early in the afternoon.
There was only one problem however, I wasn’t feeling too good. The only remedy: Thursday night lights.
At last, game time. 65 degrees with a light breeze, 10 rows up in the north end zone, and a nice buzz (No it wasn’t heaven, it was Piscataway, New Jersey). And check this, my tickets came with a free history lesson too. You know the body of water between Africa and Asia, well it got its name from Rutgers Stadium, or the “Red Sea” (Even though I was calling it “The Dungeon.” for some unknown reason. Wait, maybe it was because once a visiting team enters, they’re rarely heard from again). I swear, out of the record crowd of 44,267 people in the stadium, 44,000 must of been wearing red shirts. It was incredible. And the noise. I know it’s one of the smaller stadiums for top ranked talent but it easily sounded like 80,000 ( Don’t worry about my credibility. I’ve been going to a Virginia Tech night game every year for the past six years.) The only thing the atmosphere didn’t compare to was the game itself.
Was Schiano kidding? A fake punt pass on the first series of the game, brilliant. Jeremy Ito capped his amazing fourth down pass with a short field goal to jump out to an early 3-0. Matt Grothe led the Bulls right back down the field on the ensuing possession and Delbert Alvarado tied the game with a 47 yarder. It was going to be one of those kind of games.
Early on, USF looked like the deserving No. 2 team in the country. After Tim Brown fumbled a punt midway through the second quarter, Groethe hit Jesse Hester in stride and let Hester show off his athleticism, grinding his way into pay-dirt to take the lead. Ito again would provide an answer with a 40 yarder of his own, cutting the halftime their halftime deficit to 17-13.
Schiano must of game some kind of half time speech because the Knights came out fired up. A quick three-and-out for the Rutgers defense led to an outstanding effort by Tiquan Underwood, who broke a few tackles on his way to a 69 yard touchdown. Next series, same result for the Bulls, only this time they got some more help from Tim Brown who fumbled yet another punt. Rutgers’ special teams would regroup and block a pivotal, game tying field goal attempt by the Bulls.
Next possession for the Knights, more trickeration from Coach Schiano. Only this time it was a fake field goal pass from third string QB Andrew Depaola to a diving Kevin Brock. The place went absolute bonkers. And the best part was, all the action was in my end zone!
Matt Groethe never seemed to look to rattled, scoring on every ensuing drive following a Rutgers score. If anything, he was trying to do to much and was taking way more sacks than he was used to.
An early fourth quarter touchdown run from Bulls RB Mike Ford would trim the lead to 30-27 but the Knights turnover problems would continue. This time it was workhorse Ray Rice giving up the rock with just under 4:30 left to play (I want to note it was the only negative of Rice that evening. The guy put Mike Teel and the offense on his back all night, carrying for 39 times for 181 and a score.) But once again it was Rutgers defense that came up with another sack their biggest 3-and-out of the night (scratch that, their second biggest).
Groethe and the Bulls got the ball back one last time with 1:26 on the clock for a chance to tie or for the win. First down, another sack for Rutgers. In a desperate act, Groethe spiked the ball with just over a minute to play, for what was his “bonehead moment of the game.” Next play, incomplete. The Stadium was at its peak volume of the night, even though I said the same thing on previous play and the previous series to my friend Mike. You all know what happens on the next play. Ball game over and the sea of red that was once in the stands, floods onto the field. What a game.
Since no one was in a rush to go home (due to the hellish traffic), everyone parked in the far lots ended up staying for post-game tailgate festivities.. “Lets go Rutgers” chants still echoed throughout the half- vacated campus for a good hour after the final gun had gone off.
Rumor has it their adding 12,000 more seats to the already disruptive Rutgers Stadium. Let this be a fair warning to all football fans in the tri-state area that we have a potential national powerhouse for years to come. If you’re not a Rutgers fan, become one.
Welcome to the Dungeon.
Showing true school spirit, Rutgers football fans pack the stands each home game, adding a 12th-man presence to the atmosphere. (teamscarlet.com)