ENRICO CABREDO , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / OCTOBER 2012
Gameday Page 2
September 6, 2013
KNIGHTS GAMEDAY RUTGERS VS. NORFOLK STATE GAME 2: High Point Solutions Stadium, noon
TV: CBS Sports Network
RADIO: 710-WOR, 1450-WCTC, 610-WIP
INSIDE the
NUMBERS RUTGERS (0-1)
PASSING G. Nova
CMP YDS 63.4% 348
RUSHING P. James S. Huggins RECEVING B. Coleman L. Carroo R. Peele DEFENSE S. Longa Jamal Merrell M. Thompson
Junior linebacker Kevin Snyder said he wants to see a more complete game from the defense. The Knights focused on perimeter tackling drills this week in practice. SHIRLEY YU , ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
FCS foe allows for experimenting By Josh Bakan Sports Editor
Although his previous school was not in the FCS, Western Michigan transfer Lew Toler knew what it was like to enter a BCS-conference stadium as the underdog. “You can’t take them lightly,” the senior cornerback said of FCS schools. “We have to prepare each and every week like it’s your last game. We just have to go ahead and work hard, get in that film room and study the film.” Norfolk State (0-1) enters High Point Solutions Stadium tomorrow as that underdog looking to surprise the Rutgers football team (0-1) and silence a nearly sold-out crowd. Even scoring a point would be uncharted ground for the Spartans, who the Scarlet Knights beat, 59-0 in 2007 and 31-0 in 2010. But recent FCS upsets could instill some paranoia, as eight FBS schools were upset in Week 1. FCS matches against FBS teams generally result in a large paycheck for the FCS school just for playing and an extra home game for the FBS school. For Rutgers, this match is about developing youth and fixing mistakes from last week’s 52-51 overtime loss to Fresno State.
The defense that allowed the Bulldogs 537 yards should have more of a speed advantage against Norfolk State. “I think what I want to see is a full game — a complete game of swarming defense and tough football,” said junior linebacker Kevin Snyder. “And obviously if you play that kind of way, you’ll give up minimal points.” Missed tackles aided Fresno State’s offensive drives. Rutgers also needs to improve its discipline and not generate 11 penalties again. Norfolk State’s offense likes to throw downfield, which will give Rutgers’ inexperienced secondary practice a wider variety of plays. Fresno State’s success with screens allowed them to use limited plays. But Fresno State also exposed Rutgers’ weakness against those plays. “I think we actually did a really good job in practice this week with coaches doing different perimeter toughness drills,” Snyder said. “Making us stay on the inside of guys’ hips and making sure we’re running them out the sideline, no cutback runs or things like that on the perimeter.” The Knights offense is more experienced but has arguably more to prove.
Junior quarterback Gary Nova is positioned for a strong performance after throwing 348 yards and five touchdowns against Fresno State. He will also face less pressure, which could allow him to experiment with his accuracy on the run because he will not be rushed as much. And this could be the make-orbreak game for the depth chart at running back. If sophomore P.J. James performs strongly again and junior Savon Huggins underwhelms, that could kill Huggins’ starting chances until injury or if James struggles. Rutgers has three more games and a bye week to figure itself out before its first American Athletic Conference game Oct. 5 against Southern Methodist. The last thing it needs is to be the third AAC team to lose to an FCS foe. “For us, we would like to see a steady progression through the first four games and then have a bye week to evaluate what it is we need to work on the bye week,” said head coach Kyle Flood.
NO. 22 6 NO. 9 5 4
YDS 182 15 YDS 94 135 31
TD 5
INT 1
AVG 348
TD 0 0 TD 2 3 0 TKL 12 9 7
LNG 65 11 LNG 28 69 21 SCK 0 0 1
AVG 182 15 AVG 94 135 31 INT 0 0 0
INJURIES GAME-TIME DECISION: CB J. Aiken, WR C. Agudosi, TE P. Carrezola, RG A. Civil, DE Jamil Merrell
NORFOLK STATE (0-1)
PASSING M. Stokes T. Clark RUSHING R. Finch B. Riddick RECEVING J. Hawkins R. Finch K. Johnson DEFENSE M. Coke M. Center B. Singleton
CMP 34.5% 37.5% NO. 17 6 NO. 3 3 2
YDS 104 40 YDS 80 25 YDS 49 24 32
TD 1 0 TD 0 0 TD 1 0 0 TKL 11 9 6
INT 0 1 LNG 16 9 LNG 34 20 21 SCK 0 0 0
AVG 104 40 AVG 80 25 AVG 49 24 32 INT 0 0 0
INJURIES
OUT: DB B. Gross-Armiento, DE M. Issaka, DE M. Jackson, DL J. Pinnix-Odrick PROBABLE: C D. Hendrickson, DE Q. Lambert
SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE Aug. 29 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Oct. 5 Oct. 10 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 16 Nov. 21 Nov. 30 Dec. 7
Fresno State Norfolk State Eastern Michigan Arkansas SMU Louisville Houston Temple Cincinnati UCF Connecticut USF
L, 52-51 noon 1 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA noon TBA TBA TBA TBA
Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23
Maine Rutgers Charleson South. Morgan State Savannah State Delaware State Hampton Old Dominion Florida A&M Bethune-Cookman N.C. Central S.C. State
L, 23-6 noon 4 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 2 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 2 p.m. 1 p.m.
Key Matchup
Knights d-line vs. Spartans o-line
Norfolk State’s offensive line has the size advantage, but so does almost every offensive line against Rutgers’ defensive line. But if the d-line’s athleticism is not good enough to put pressure on the Spartans, that should be concerning for Rutgers.
For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Josh Bakan on Twitter @JoshBakan. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @TargumSports.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE
QURON PRATT WIDE RECEIVER
KEITH LUMPKIN LEFT TACKLE
KALEB JOHNSON LEFT GUARD
BETIM BUJARI CENTER
CHRIS MULLER RIGHT GUARD
TAJ ALEXANDER RIGHT TACKLE
TYLER KROFT TIGHT END
BRANDON COLEMAN WIDE RECEIVER
GARY NOVA QUARTERBACK
MICHAEL BURTON FULLBACK
P.J. JAMES RUNNING BACK
Senior 6’-0”, 190 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-8”, 315 lbs.
Junior 6’-4”, 305 lbs.
Junior 6’-4”, 295 lbs.
Redshirt Freshman 6’-6”, 300 lbs.
Senior 6’-4”, 290 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-6”, 240 lbs.
Junior 6’-6”, 220 lbs.
Junior 6’-2”, 220 lbs.
Junior 6’-0”, 235 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-0”, 210 lbs.
GAREEF GLASHEN CORNERBACK
JEREMY DEERING FREE SAFETY
LORENZO WATERS STRONG SAFETY
IAN THOMAS CORNERBACK
Junior 5’-10”, 180 lbs.
Senior 6’-2”, 200 lbs.
Junior 6’-0”, 205 lbs.
Redshirt Freshman 6’-1”, 200 lbs.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE
MARCUS THOMPSON DEFENSIVE END
ISAAC HOLMES NOSE TACKLE
DARIUS HAMILTON DEF. TACKLE
JAMIL MERRELL DEFENSIVE END
KEVIN SNYDER OLB
STEVE LONGA MLB
JAMAL MERRELL OLB
Senior 6’-2”, 290 lbs.
Senior 6’-3”, 280 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-4”, 260 lbs.
Senior 6’-4”, 255 lbs.
Junior 6’-3”, 235 lbs.
R. Freshman 6’-1”, 220 lbs.
Senior 6’-4”, 220 lbs.
Gameday Page 3
September 6, 2013
KNIGHT NUGGETS BY THE NUMBERS
543
The Rutgers offense totaled 543 yards last Thursday against Fresno State in a 52-51 loss. Junior quarterback Gary Nova threw for 348 yards and five touchdowns, but fell short to quarterback Derek Carr in the shootout.
3.8
The Norfolk State offense found only 3.8 yards per pass in its season opener against Maine and allowed 7.5 yards per pass. By comparison, Rutgers more than doubled that number with 8.5 yards per pass against Fresno State.
11
Rutgers committed 11 penalties for 92 yards in its season opener. The Knights will look to cut down on that figure to secure its first win of the season and put together a dominant performance against Norfolk State.
1
Despite its lack of offensive efficiency moving the ball, Norfolk State committed only one turnover and won time of possession against Maine. It will need to be as secure with the ball to have a chance at upsetting Rutgers.
BIG QUESTION DO THE KNIGHTS HAVE ENOUGH DEFENSIVE LINE DEPTH? Defensive tackle Kenneth Kirksey is suspended, and defensive ends Myles Jackson and Jamil Pollard have career-ending injuries. Rutgers needs Merrell to be healthy as soon as possible.
JAMIL MERRELL Senior Defensive End
THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO OFFENSE
No matter how inconsistent Fresno State’s defense was, the Knights still scored 51 points. There is no reason they cannot record a similar score against Norfolk State if holes are left open.
DEFENSE
The secondary is still inexperienced, but Rutgers’ defense is far from peaking. Norfolk State presents the Knights with a much easier test than quarterback Derek Carr and Fresno State.
COACHING
Head coach Kyle Flood’s coaching stops along his career trump Pete Adrian’s, who has only had one Division-1 coaching job. That is the same with Flood, but he has experience at more levels of coaching.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Freshman Janarion Grant’s 100-yard kickoff return against Fresno State says it all. Rutgers is still serious about its special teams. Leonte Carroo also nearly blocked a punt right after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore wide receiver Leonte Carroo will take some double teams off junior wide receiver Brandon Coleman while also causing damage himself. He is Rutgers’ top x-factor until a team figures him out.
MOMENTUM
Rutgers is still looking for its first win, but its performance against Fresno State was reason for much more optimism than Norfolk State’s 23-6 loss to Maine.
RUTGERS WINS IF
NORFOLK STATE WINS IF
EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN.
THE SPARTANS JUMP OUT EARLY AND KEEP MOMENTUM. Eight FBS schools were not expecting upsets against FCS schools last week. If Norfolk State has a unique plan that works, it could become No. 9.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The record is really for you all. It’s not really for me. I’m not going to throw a party for it or anything like that.”
BRANDON COLEMAN Junior Wide Receiver
TARGUM’S FINAL VERDICT RUTGERS WINS, 45-0 Rutgers wins its first game in its last five, and Norfolk State leaves with a nice payout.
Adrian praises RU athleticism By Bradly Derechailo Associate Sports Editor
X-FACTOR
Rutgers’ past success against Norfolk State and the MEAC suggests that anything less than a blowout is a disappointment for the Knights.
Sophomore offensive lineman Keith Lumpkin is one of four members of the front unit who weighs over 300 pounds. Lumpkin is listed at 6-foot-8, 315. SHIRLEY YU /,ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
This will be Pete Adrian’s third trip to Piscataway as head coach of Norfolk State, and one thing has always stood out to him about the Rutgers football team. “From top to bottom they have so many good individuals and guys who want to make them work and early in the season want to get out and play,” Adrian said. “I just think they’re an outstanding football team from top to bottom.” The Scarlet Knights are 2-0 alltime against the Spartans, with their last meeting in 2010 resulting in a 31-0 shutout in their home opener. This year’s team is no different in terms of looks according to Adrian. “Well, I watched film on them all the time and of course the Thursday night game [against Fresno State],” Adrian said. “They’re a very explosive football team. They’re absolutely huge at 6’7 and 6’8. … It’s a typical Rutgers team. They’re a good football team. They’re going to win a lot of football games.” One of the players Adrian mentioned was junior wide receiver Brandon Coleman, who at 6-foot-6, is three inches bigger than Norfolk State’s biggest defensive back. One position the Spartans do have an advantage over the Knights in terms of size is their defensive linemen. Of the six defensive linemen who saw time in Norfolk State’s opening game against Maine, two of them — Kevin Williams and Lamonte Clark — weigh more than 320 pounds. The unit averages 284 pounds — nearly 20 pounds more than what Rutgers on Saturday will put on the field. But the Spartans linemen have to face the Knights’ offensive line,
Sophomore defensive tackle Darius Hamilton is a member of a unit which is smaller than Norfolk State’s defensive tackles. SHIRLEY YU / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
which averages around 300 pounds. “Well, we’re big and they’re bigger,” Adrian said. “We have good size upfront and have some depth. … We’ve been able to stand up with them for awhile and hopefully we can do it for a whole football game, but I think our offense has to try and kick into gear and try to shorten the game on them and try to move the ball, which we haven’t really had any success with both times we went up to play them.” Another thing that has stood out to Adrian in his past two trips to Piscataway is the defense’s efficiency. Rutgers has defeated the Spartans a combined 90-0 in both trips, as Adrian said his teams have had great difficulty moving the ball consistently in both contests. And despite the plus-50 points the Knights allowed in their last game against the Bulldogs, the mediocre performance is the last thing Adrian wanted to see. “They’re ranked nationally defensively all the time,” Adrian said. “Unfortunately, they had a so-so
game last week so I’m sure they’re going to try and make it up with us. They’re just a good, quick and physical football team from top to bottom.” Adrian knows based on history and the difference in talent that his team is unlikely to win Saturday, but eight FBS teams fell to their FCS opponents in Week 1. Adrian is just happy his team gets to experience playing higher competition. “They’re always excited,” Adrian said of his players. “It’s a dream for most of those kids because most of them think they were [FBS] kids and then reality hits, but it’s always fun to go up there. Every time we go up there we’ve had 50,000-plus there and it’s a great thrill for the kids. That’s what they’re going to talk about when they’re done playing.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Bradly Derechailo on Twitter @Bradly_D. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @TargumSports.
Gameday Page 4
September 6, 2013
GROWING
THE DAILY TARGUM / NOVEMBER 2012
By Bradly Derechailo Associate Sports Editor
When Gary Nova walked off Heinz Field on Nov. 24, 2012 after a 27-6 loss to Pittsburgh, he never envisioned he would still be waiting for his next win more than nine months later. He admitted it has been tough on him. “Yeah,” said the junior quarterback on the four-game losing streak that dates back to last sea-
son. “But I’m looking forward to winning our first game at home and starting next week’s game week with a victory.” A win tomorrow against Norfolk State will do little to foretell what kind of season is in store for the team or what kind of quarterback Nova will be, as the FCS program is the weakest opponent on paper. Nova showed glimpses of eliteness last season, when he threw 123-for-201 for 1,503
yards with 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions during the Scarlet Knights’ seven-game win streak. He also showed inconsistency, completing just 52 percent of his passes in the Knights’ last six contests of last year with seven touchdowns to 13 interceptions. But after Nova failed to connect with junior wide receiver Brandon Coleman on a roll out for a two-point conversion to win Thursday against Fresno State in
Junior quarterback Gary Nova has shown improvement in leadership early in the season after struggling with inconsistency last year. THE DAILY TARGUM / OCTOBER 2012
the season opener, Quron Pratt noticed something he had seen from Nova during training camp. “We were all down,” said the senior wideout. “The locker room just felt a little more of silence here and there, but soon as we got on the bus to go home, [Nova] just talked to everyone and told us we got them next time and to pick it up for next game.” It is all part of the changes to Nova’s approach players and coaches have raved about since the Knights opened summer drills. Nova has displayed leadership, maturity and 15 fewer pounds since last season. He will walk to the center of High Point Solutions Stadium before facing Norfolk Statet tomorrow as one of four captains. Pratt believes that type of role is important from the player who leads the offense. “Especially at the quarterback position, he sees the whole field,” Pratt said. “He knows everyone’s responsibilities, and he knows how to read defenses and everything, so there’s a lot on him. It’s tough on him, but he gets it done.” Despite the overtime loss, Nova showed poise against the Bulldogs, going drive-fordrive against Derek Carr, who passed for more than 4,100 yards last season. Nova finished the game with 348 passing yards, five touchdowns and just one interception — numbers indicating all of the work he put in over the offseason is set to pay off.
“It’s just competitors going at it,” Pratt said. “It’s a great thing to see the offense come out in the first game and just doing a better job than how we started off last year. Just seeing Gary just going out there and being a leader, throwing the ball everywhere and making completions. It’s a great feeling being able to watch him perform so well. It was a great thing to see.” If Nova can replicate his success against the Bulldogs throughout the season, it would complete the turnaround. Head coach Kyle Flood is not surprised. “Gary’s a competitor. He’s a competitor first, and an excellent leader as he’s matured,” Flood said. “Gary will go out and compete. He’s always been like that. The difference now is not only has he been like that, but he’s been in the best shape of his life and he’s a better leader.” The expectations are high and Nova knows all of the mistakes he has made, but his most important goal is to give the Knights their first win in what seems like ages. “You can’t really focus on the bad,” Nova said. “As well as we played on offense, we still have some things to fix up. And obviously we have a loss, so that still hurts. But we still have to move on.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Bradly Derechailo on Twitter @Bradly_D. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @TargumSports.
Gameday Page 5
September 6, 2013
PAINS
SHIRLEY YU , ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
By Josh Bakan Sports Editor
The Rutgers football team’s defense is no longer centered around former linebackers Khaseem Greene and Steve Beauharnais — or really anybody for that matter. But redshirt freshman linebacker Steve Longa might be Beauharnais 2.0. Longa quarterbacks the defense as the starting MIKE linebacker, and the Scarlet Knights’ production from that position has not blinked yet. A Saddle Brook (N.J.) High School product, like Beauharnais, Longa recorded 12 tackles — 11 solo — last Thursday against Fresno State. Although Fresno State’s 96 offensive plays made it easier, Longa already approached Beauharnais’ career high of 14 tackles
last year against Army. Longa was far different from his true freshman self, who realized he had much to learn thanks to Beauharnais. “He left a whole lot of impact because when I got here the first week,” Longa said. “I remember I got through the hallway, and he was in the film room watching film by himself. That right there struck me a lot, and I thought, ‘If this is what it takes to be a great player, I feel like I need to start doing this.’” Despite Longa’s early success though, Beauharnais’ complete level of play is still a distant reach. Beauharnais played defensive end on third downs, and Longa has yet to even see the field in that situation. Longa said he will play third downs more often, but he will stick to his position. Longa still wants to improve pass pressure either way.
“I want to say [I can improve] my blitz and be more precise,” he said. “I felt like some plays, I’d blitz and get in the backfield instead of where the ball is in the box.” Longa and the Scarlet Knights will receive more blitzing opportunities tomorrow against Norfolk State because of the slower offense and the lines’ athleticism differences. And whether it is fair, Longa might be held slightly responsible for the defense’s consistent mistakes, just like on offense with quarterbacks. As a defensive leader, those criticisms are fair sometimes. Allowing 52 points and 537 yards must somewhat fall on the defensive leaders’ shoulders. But Longa is one of the last players to blame, since defensive coordinator Dave Cohen is slowly giving him more responsibilities.
“Coach Cohen gave a little bit of flexibility checking audibles and everything,” Longa said. “If I see something going on, I have the right to check it if I feel like it’s going to be better for that position.” Head coach Kyle Flood knew he would have to rely heavily on a redshirt freshman to replace Beauharnais. It was between Longa and Quanzell Lambert. Lambert switched to defensive end after spring practices, leaving freshman L.J. Liston behind Longa at MIKE. Longa has developed on par with Flood’s expectations. “Steve’s had a very steady progress since stepping in there in the middle,” Flood said. “And I think the more he does it, the better he’ll get at it. He’ll become a better communicator, things will come more easily to him, checks will come faster to him, and when
Former linebacker Steve Beauharnais guided then-true freshman Steve Longa in his first week with the program. Beauharnais taught Longa how to analyze film a year before Longa filled his role as MIKE linebacker. THE DAILY TARGUM / SEPTEMBER 2012
all that stuff comes faster to him, he’s able to get it out to everyone else a little bit quicker.” Longa said he felt ready for his role against Fresno State because he had so much time to prepare. Facing adversity before he came to Rutgers might have helped. He was especially disappointed when former head coach Greg Schiano departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he verbally committed to Rutgers. Schiano told Longa two days earlier he would be with Rutgers for “a long time,” Longa said. But a text message from his high school best friend awoke Longa on Jan. 26, 2012, and Longa told him he did not believe him. Longa was confused even when he turned on the TV and confirmed it. Like most of his confirmed class though, he stuck with the Knights. “I ended my recruitment early because I knew where I wanted to go, so all the attention and everything — that wasn’t me,” Longa said. “When that came on the surface, I thought, ‘I have to go through this again.’ So I was kind of like all over the place. But one thing I knew is I kind of knew where I wanted to play. It was Rutgers.” Since then, even 2012 defensive coordinator Robb Smith left for the Bucs to be linebacker coach. Rutgers has gone through coaches and administrators about as quickly as anyone since Longa gave his verbal commitment. At this point, Longa staying the long-term defensive quarterback and possibly the next Beauharnais might be one of the only certainties entering the Big Ten. “The more you learn the defense and the more you learn different calls, the easier it is for you to be able to speak out because you don’t have that little bit in your mind that you don’t know,” said junior linebacker Kevin Snyder of Longa’s early development. “You can make calls and you can make the plays, so I think that’s been big for him.”
September 6, 2013
Page 6
AAC GAME OF THE WEEK
Eastern Kentucky at No. 8 Louisville FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky travels to No .8 Louisville after a Week 1 victory against Robert Morris. Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater dazzled against Ohio, throwing five touchdowns before he was pulled in the second half.
PREDICTION: Louisville, 63-3 Cincinnati at
HOUSTON
Illinois
TEMPLE
Houston looks to win the first game in AAC history Saturday against Temple, who kept up with No. 14 Notre Dame in the Fighting Irish’s 28-6 victory against the Owls.
The Bearcats will play their second Big Ten opponent of the season after running all over Purdue for a 42-7 road victory. Illionis won in less convincing fashion with its 42-34 win against FCS member Southern Illinois.
PREDICTION: Cincinnati, 28-14
AAC STANDINGS FOOTBALL
Temple quarterback Connor Reilly threw only 23 for 46 in Week 1 against Notre Dame. Temple needs better to win its first game. GETTY IMAGES
Key Matchup
PREDICTION
Quarterbacks Dray Joseph and John O’Korn threw for a combined for four touchdowns threw the air last week against Southern, while Temple allowed four to Tommy Rees of Notre Dame.
Temple plays well, but Houston’s offense is just too much for the Owls at home.
Houston’s QB duo vs. Temple’s secondary
Houston, 34-17
TEAM 1. Cincinnati 2. Houston 3. Louisville 4. UCF 5. Memphis 6. Connecticut 7. RUTGERS 8. South Florida 9. SMU 10. Temple
RECORD 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1
PRE-RANK 2ND 6TH 1ST 4TH 10TH 7TH 3RD 5TH 8TH 9TH
2011 10-3 5-7 11-2 10-4 4-8 5-7 9-4 3-9 7-6 4-7
Marsh moves on from stress through yoga, transfer By Josh Bakan Sports Editor
Senior punter Nick Marsh’s story of conquering his stress began with gymnastics. That is where he developed the flexibility to begin yoga. After last season’s inconsistent punting, Marsh transferred from Utah for the Rutgers football team. If he stays consistent, he will serve as a reminder that punting is not supposed to be a high-stress situation. Marsh’s decision to transfer and his yoga have brought him far.
“There’s a specific heart rate that you want to be at which is the perfect athletic stress that you can have between eustress and stress which is bad stress,” Marsh said. He was poised enough last Thursday against Fresno State for a strong performance. His five punts averaged 41 yards. His longest went for 55 yards, and two landed inside the Bulldogs’ 20. Yet Marsh only punted in six Utah games, and the difference was his stress level. He said he never felt comfortable there, and the new coaching staff’s decision to overhaul special teams made
him decide to transfer this spring. “By starting over, they also wanted to get me out of there, I guess,” Marsh said. “They wanted a whole new group, all new fresh faces. In the eyes of the coaches, they didn’t want me to be part of that.” Marsh was a Ute for four years, but it never felt right to him. There was always too much pressure to perform, which he could not handle at the time. He used yoga to cope, which he began in high school. He wanted to maintain his flexibility after gymnastics and learn to use his breath-
ing to his advantage. Then he met with specialists in sports and psychology: former NFL special teams coach Gary Zonner and Deborah Dubree. Dubree and Zonner have teamed up to help athletes with psychology, a program called “Clear Edge.” “[Dubree] kind of worked with me through some visualization,” Marsh said. “I worked with her. She would take me through some relaxation things, some breathing things, things that helped me to calm my heartbeat.” Marsh said his nerves hindered him from starting at Utah, but
Senior punter Nick Marsh, who also kicks off, has found a comfortable home in Rutgers. Marsh only punted in six games at Utah in the three years that he played. He said the pressure the coaches put on him there affected his performance. SHIRLEY YU / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
something clicked in Piscataway. The Petaluma, Calif., native demonstrated his kicking and punting at the Chris Sailer Kicking Competition — a national combine for special teams. Scarlet Knights special teams coach Joe Rossi contacted him afterward for an official Rutgers visit, which went well on both ends. “They have a lot of belief in me, and it felt like they had a lot of confidence in me,” Marsh said. “Coming in, they’d never seen me before, and I already felt like I was needed and I belonged. I had a good time on my official visit, saw New York, which is something that I always wanted to go to.” Marsh arrived at an ideal time for Rutgers. Justin Doerner had graduated, and the roster had no suitable heir. The NCAA declared punter Dean Crozier — ranked the fifthbest punting recruit of 2013 by Rivals — ineligible days before National Signing Day. Anthony DiPaula’s and redshirt freshman Aiden Murray’s spring displays were unimpressive, and head coach Kyle Flood cut DiPaula in May. “The one-year transfers are always looking for opportunity,” Flood said, “and in the situation of punting, we had opportunity for him. And what you find around the country is that the kickers and the punters and the long-snappers, they really travel in their own groups. They’re coached by a very small group of people around the country, and they go to all the same camps.” Marsh said he will only do yoga now when he struggles. But his new level of confidence might mean he will never have to at Rutgers. “I’m not as uptight as I used to be because here they have more confidence in me,” Marsh said. “At Utah, no one really had any confidence in me. So I guess that confidence has helped me regain confidence in myself.”
September 6, 2013
Gameday Page 7
Junior wide receiver Brandon Coleman is just two touchdowns away from tying Tim Brown’s school record with 20. But despite having a chance of doing so Saturday against Norfolk State, Coleman says his only focus is becoming a more complete receiver and helping Rutgers win as many games as possible. THE DAILY TARGUM / SEPTEMBER 2012
Coleman inches closer to historic record By Greg Johnson Correspondent
He has nearly two full seasons of eligibility remaining, and Brandon Coleman is already on the verge of becoming the Rutgers football team’s all-time touchdown receptions leader. After finding the end zone twice in the Scarlet Knights’ season
opener at Fresno State, the junior wide receiver needs just two more scores to tie Tim Brown’s school record of 20. That milestone could come as early as tomorrow’s home opener against Norfolk State. But as Rutgers prepares to secure its first win of the season, the record is the furthest thing from Coleman’s mind.
“The record is really for you all. It’s not really for me,” he said. “I’m not going to throw a party for it or anything like that. I’m just out here trying to win football games and just try to put my team in as best situation to win the game.” In order to do that, the 6-foot-6 Coleman spent the summer trying to become a more complete receiver.
Sophomore wide receiver Leonte Carroo has emerged as a viable No. 2 behind Brandon Coleman. Coleman’s versatility has aided Carroo’s vertical receiving game. THE DAILY TARGUM / SEPTEMBER 2012
Almost exclusively a big-play wideout in his first two seasons, Coleman knows he needs to make better use of his large frame to shake potential double teams as Rutgers’ No. 1 receiver. “I’ve just been working hard, and it’s not going to stop here,” he said. “I want to be able to convert on third downs. I want to be able to convert the big plays. I want to get that 2-point conversion — everything that my team needs. I want to be that guy and not just lead the game with three catches for 200 yards.” It has taken the Accokeek, Md., native only one game to showcase his new mindset. Against the Bulldogs, Coleman set a career-high in receptions (nine) while recording one of his lowest yards per catch (10.4) outings in his career. But more importantly, he showed a consistent ability to move the chains. A critical reception for a first down with 40 seconds left in the third quarter summed up Coleman’s newfound versatility. Junior quarterback Gary Nova found his top target on a quick 1-yard toss on third and goal. “I feel like that makes me a well-rounded receiver,” Coleman said. “I don’t want to just be that deep threat guy, but I have that ability, and I want to be able to score from anywhere on the field — 1-yard line on our side and the one-yard line on their side.” It has created a dynam-
ic element to open up holes in the vertical passing game for emerging sophomore wideout Leonte Carroo. Carroo, making his first offensive start for Rutgers, recorded five catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns at Fresno. But Coleman and Carroo both understand that it was only one game, and that tape of the Knights’ aggressive aerial attack is now out. “I don’t know what [defenses] are going to do now, but hopefully Brandon and I still just go out and play hard,” Carroo said. “We’re just going to do what [wide receivers] coach [Matt] Simon tells us to do, and we’re just going to play physical and play with high effort.” Regardless, Rutgers now possesses promising talent in its receiving corps — unseen in recent memory — for new offensive coordinator Ron Prince to exploit. That is all Coleman is concerned with this season. “It’s not my goal to break [Brown’s] record,” Coleman said. “My goal is just to help my team win, and if I can help my team win by catching 100 balls but no more touchdowns, then I’m all for it. But if that comes with it, then I’m happy.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Greg Johnson on Twitter @GregJohnsonRU. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @TargumSports.
THE DAILY TARGUM / OCTOBER 2012