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OCTOBER 26, 2012
KNIGHTS GAMEDAY RUTGERS VS. KENT STATE
GAME 8: High Point Solutions Stadium, 3:30 p.m. TV: SNY RADIO: 1450 AM
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INSIDE the NUMBERS
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SCARLET KNIGHTS (7-0, 4-0)
KENT STATE (6-1)
PASSING CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. G. Nova 61.2% 1503 15 3 214.7
PASSING CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. S. Keith 55.6% 1042 6 3 148.9
RUSHING NO. YDS TD J. Jamison 177 779 3 S. Huggins 40 121 1 RECEIVING NO. YDS TD B. Coleman 26 399 5 T. Wright 25 307 1 M. Harrison 24 238 4 DEFENSE TKL K. Greene 67 Jamal Merrell 47 L. Ryan 40 INJURIES Questionable — K K. Federico
RUSHING D. Archer T. Durham RECEIVING J. Boyle D. Archer M. Hurdle
LNG 64 31 LNG 43 46 60 SCK 3.5 0.5 0
AVG. 4.4 3.0 AVG. 15.3 12.3 9.9 INT 2 1 3
NO. 68 144 NO. 20 20 19
YDS 687 649 YDS 280 278 201
DEFENSE
L. Batton L. Wollet S. Saulter INJURIES Probable — CB N. Wolfe
TD 8 7 TD 2 3 1 TKL 71 52 46
LNG 87 33 LNG 63 48 28 SCK 1 0 0
AVG. 10.1 4.5 AVG. 14.0 13.9 10.6 INT 1 2 0
Cornerback Tejay Johnson, a redshirt freshman, prepares to tackle Connecticut’s Nick Williams, who fumbled on the play Oct. 6 on a first-half kickoff return. MARIELLE SUMERGIDO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Returner, MAC prove elusive BY TYLER BARTO SPORTS EDITOR
Tejay Johnson wasted little time describing Kent State’s Dri Archer. “Very fast, very fast, very, very fast,” the redshirt freshman cornerback said. “He makes a lot of small plays. He breaks tackles, a little wiggle to him. He does everything — running back, he’s the kickoff returner, he’s a receiver.” Archer, arguably No. 1 on the Rutgers football team’s scouting report, could turn High Point Solutions Stadium into a track meet tomorrow. He averages a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash, but his best time was 4.21, Archer told The Cleveland Plain Dealer on Oct. 9. It suits Johnson, who finished first in the 100-meter dash at the Meet of Champions as a junior at Egg Harbor Township (N.J.) High School and still feels he has yet to show his top-end speed. “At corner, I have to run at the pace of the receiver,” Johnson said. “But on kickoff, if God forbid he gets open through a hole,
then that’d be the opportunity I get to show and go get him. I’m not shy about that — I’m going to go get him.” The Scarlet Knights (7-0, 4-0) do not want to play the waiting game, either. They watched Big East rival Cincinnati lose to the MAC’s Toledo last weekend, foiling a previously unblemished record. Head coach Kyle Flood said the team took note of Connecticut and South Florida’s losses to MAC schools. It has its own experience to draw from, as well. The Knights held off Ohio and quarterback Tyler Tettleton, 38-26, last season. Tettleton threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 1 in a win at Penn State. “Certainly our players know that teams from that conference don’t go anywhere in the country and are intimidated,” Flood said. Archer fuels the MAC’s firstplace team. He leads the nation with 47.7 yards per kick return and three
touchdowns. He lines up in the backfield, along the line of scrimmage and touches the ball in motion. “I heard people were making comparisons to [West Virginia’s] Tavon Austin,” said senior linebacker Khaseem Greene. “I could see that, but he’s his own player.” The Knights point to their success against UConn’s Nick Williams three weeks ago, when they forced a fumble on a kickoff and pinned the Huskies inside their 15-yard line. Williams accounted for more than 150 return yards in a 2011 meeting and scored on a kickoff two years ago in Piscataway. Flood said he will kick to the Golden Flashes’ (6-1) biggest playmaker. “We think we’ve got talented players on there, guys that can run,” Flood said. “I would be disappointed if they weren’t excited about the challenge.”
SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 13 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Nov. 29
Tulane Howard South Florida Arkansas Connecticut Syracuse Temple Kent State Army Cincinnati Pittsburgh Louisville
W, 24-12 W, 26-0 W, 23-13 W, 35-26 W, 19-3 W, 23-15 W, 35-10 3:30 p.m. TBA noon TBA 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 Sept. 8 Sept. 19 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 23
Towson Kentucky Buffalo Ball State Eastern Mich. Army Western Mich Rutgers Akron Miami (Ohio) Bowling Green Ohio
W, 41-21 L, 47-14 W, 23-7 W, 45-43 W, 41-14 W, 31-17 W, 41-24 3:30 p.m. 2 p.m. 1 p.m. noon TBA
Key Matchup RUTGERS LINEBACKERS VS. KENT STATE’S DRI ARCHER Archer lines up all over the field, and it is up to the Knights’ outside linebacking duo of senior Khaseem Greene and junior Jamal Merrell to set the edge and force Archer into the middle of the defense. They also might see him in the slot in zone coverage.
For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Tyler Barto on Twitter @TBartoTargum.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE
BRANDON COLEMAN WIDE RECEIVER
KALEB JOHNSON TACKLE
ANTWAN LOWERY GUARD
BETIM BUJARI CENTER
ANDRE CIVIL GUARD
R.J. DILL TACKLE
D.C. JEFFERSON TIGHT END
MARK HARRISON WIDE RECEIVER
GARY NOVA QUARTERBACK
PAUL CARREZOLA FULLBACK
JAWAN JAMISON RUNNING BACK
Sophomore 6’-6”, 220 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-4”, 300 lbs.
Junior 6’-4”, 305 lbs.
Sophomore 6’-4”, 290 lbs.
Junior 6’-3”, 275 lbs.
Senior 6’-7”, 310 lbs.
Senior 6’-6”, 250 lbs
Senior 6’-3”, 230 lbs
Sophomore 6’-2”, 225 lbs
Junior 6’-2”, 241 lbs
Sophomore 5’-8”, 200 lbs
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE
MARCUS THOMPSON RIGHT END
SCOTT VALLONE TACKLE
JAMIL MERRELL TACKLE
KA’LIAL GLAUD LEFT END
JAMAL MERRELL LINEBACKER
STEVE BEAUHARNAIS LINEBACKER
KHASEEM GREENE LINEBACKER
MARCUS COOPER CORNERBACK
LORENZO WATERS STRONG SAFETY
DURON HARMON FREE SAFETY
LOGAN RYAN CORNERBACK
Junior 6’-2”, 260 lbs
Senior 6’-3”, 275 lbs
Junior 6’-4”, 255 lbs
Senior 6’-2”, 230 lbs
Junior 6’-4”, 220 lbs
Senior 6’-2”, 230 lbs
Senior 6’-1”, 230 lbs
Senior 6’-2”, 190 lbs
Sophomore 6’-0”, 200 lbs
Senior 6’-1”, 200 lbs
Junior 6’-0”, 190 lbs
OCTOBER 26, 2012
GAMEDAY PAGE 3
KNIGHT NUGGETS BY THE NUMBERS The Knights have given up and lost 489 yards off of penalties this year, which along with their 62 total penalties, leads the Big East. Rutgers had seven penalties in its last game at Temple.
Kent State averages 33.7 points per game this season, which is 7.3 points per game more than Rutgers’ average of 26.4. Kent State’s season high of 45 points came Sept. 29 in a win against Ball State.
Rutgers has converted 87 percent of its point-after tries. Its 20-for-23 rate of converstion is the worst in the Big East. Rutgers’ shaky kicking situation puts its success rate in further jeopardy.
Kent State’s kicker Freddy Cortez is 11-for-15 on field goals attempts, good for a 73.3 field-goal percentage. He is also 29-for-29 on extra points and sits second in scoring behind Dri Archer.
489 87
7.3
73.3
BIG QUESTION HOW WILL RUTGERS APPROACH KICKOFF PLAYS AGAINST THE SHIFTY ARCHER? KYLE FLOOD Head Coach
Head coach Kyle Flood said Wednesday he plans to kick to Kent State’s Dri Archer, who leads the nation in average on kick returns and return touchdowns. But Flood’s plan likely involves different kicks.
THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO... OFFENSE It is difficult to discount Archer’s dynamic plays, but the Knights have more weapons on the offensive end.
DEFENSE Rutgers sits inside the top 20 nationally in total defense and has 20 takeaways, tied for ninth-best in the country.
COACHING Despite a nearly entirely new coaching staff, Rutgers has actually gained a step in each aspect of the game.
SPECIAL TEAMS A spotty kicking game hurts Rutgers here, but its kick coverage should compare favorably to Archer’s explosion.
X-FACTOR A veteran quarterback in Spencer Keith from a respectable conference should not have trouble keeping his composure.
MOMENTUM The Knights’ impressive second-half performance against Temple could carry over into a Homecoming matchup.
RUTGERS WINS IF...
KENT STATE WINS IF...
IT CONROLS TIME OF POSSESSION, SHORTENS KENT STATE SERIES
ANOTHER PLAYER CONTRIBUTES ON OFFENSE BESIDES HOUSEHOLD NAMES
The Knights allowed only 49 yards in the second half last week at Temple. Minimizing chances for big plays could mean another win entering the team’s last bye.
Rutgers likely spent the entire week game planning against the dynamic Archer beating it. The Golden Flashes could use that to their advantage with a decoy.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “If God forbid [Dri Archer] gets open ... then that’d be the opportunity I get to show and go get him. I’m not shy about that — I’m going to go get him.”
TEJAY JOHNSON Redshirt freshman cornerback
TARGUM’S FINAL VERDICT RUTGERS WINS, 28-14 The Knights outlast Kent State for their second Homecoming victory in a row before entering a bye.
Junior cornerback Logan Ryan returns an interception Oct. 20 at Temple for his third of the year, which is tied for the Knights’ team lead. NELSON MORALES, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ryan offers valued versatility BY JOEY GREGORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
Logan Ryan’s statistics speak for themselves. The Rutgers football team’s junior cornerback leads the Big East with an average of 1.71 passes defended per game and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He also has 11 more tackles than any other Scarlet Knights defensive back, mostly because of his role in stopping the run. But Ryan said numbers do not tell the entire story. “I would think [my role in] the run game is just something that shows,” he said, “but I think my knowledge of when teams are trying to run, when they’re trying to pass, football IQ, I think that’s grown tremendously and that’s helped give me a leg up in the run and the pass.” When Ryan reflects on the player he was when he first arrived at Rutgers and compares that to how he plays now, he sees a stark difference. He sees a more mature player that understands playing the game better than he used to. “I think that comes with confidence and in-game experience,” he said. “Obviously you need to have those good reps and those bad reps to learn from and a lot of film study. It’s a lot more than just watching film. You need to learn how to watch film, and that’s something that the four years I’ve been here have taught me.” Ryan did not have to learn those things on his own. When he began his career at Rutgers, one of the best Knights to play on the defensive side of the ball was finishing his.
New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty was the leader of a defensive backfield and became a mentor to nearly all of the players in the current secondary. “Devin was great role model for us when we were younger,” said senior cornerback Brandon Jones. “He just showed me the right way to do things. … On the field, he taught me how to play the game, and off the field he taught me how to be a person. And that’s a tribute to the kind of person he is.” Ryan was no different. McCourty served as someone who influenced Ryan’s game, and his experience with McCourty was similar to Jones’. “Devin taught me that it’s a lot more than just the flashy plays you see on the field,” Ryan said. “I learned what he put into it, what goes into making those plays. His football knowledge was one of the best I’ve ever been around. Just to try to get to his level is really something I shoot for.” But while McCourty’s body of work — both at Rutgers and in the NFL — is impressive, Ryan hesitates to imitate every aspect of McCourty’s game. He wants to be a diverse player. “I think every player has their unique style, just like any other performer,” Ryan said. “I don’t tr y to be exactly like Devin McCourty. I try to take parts of his game and emulate that as part of my game and have my own unique characteristics, as well.” Ryan’s expanded role in stopping the run is one of the key aspects of his game that sets him apart from other defensive backs. Although head coach Kyle Flood said all players on the field must help in run defense, Ryan’s position
on the field lends him more to it than the rest of the secondary. It also serves as another way his game has evolved in his time at Rutgers. “I don’t think I was impactful in the running game as I am now,” he said. “Now I expect to come up, fill my gap and make the tackle. Before I was trying to fill my gap or whatever it may be. I expect to make an impact in the run game every single run and I don’t think a lot of corners have that mentality.” And Ryan is far from alone when he is on the field. Several seniors surround him who have been on the field as long — if not longer — than he has, many of which have also been performing at a high level. Flood said that adds a boost to the entire team. “Your best years are when your seniors … play their best football,” Flood said. “I think any time your older players play their best football, it has the ability to raise the level of the team. They have more experience just by virtue of being here longer.” Ryan believes the secondary receives an extra lift from the group’s level of accountability, as well as the support the members provide each other. “If someone messes up, they know it’s on them … but also people are there to have your back,” he said. “It’s great having [senior safety] Duron [Harmon] and [sophomore safety] Lorenzo [Waters] behind me and [senior safety] Wayne [Warren], because I trust them and I’ve played many games with them. I think it’s a trust factor all across the board.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Joey Gregory on Twitter @JGregoryTargum.
GAMEDAY PAGE 4
OCTOBER 26, 2012
CHANGE OF
Jamison becomes rushing, receiving threat, passes Rice’s catching production from 2006 sophomore season
Sophomore running back Jawan Jamison evades Temple linebacker Sean Daniels, who missed Jamison on Oct. 20 on his 32-yard touchdown reception that gave the Knights a lead it did not relinquish. Jamison leads the Big East this season with 779 rushing yards. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
JAWAN JAMISON Sophomore Running Back
AGAINST
25
13
20 1100 4400 3300 20
32
CATCHES 15 11
6
Temple
Syracuse
Connecticut
Arkansas
South Florida
Howard
20 4400 30 30 20
12 18
24 28
RUNS
10 10
For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Josh Bakan on Twitter @JBakanTargum.
34
Tulane
more than capable of becoming a threat when he gets the ball past the line of scrimmage. The Owls were not ready for that when Jamison caught a 32yard touchdown to give Rutgers a four-point lead. Jamison caught the ball about 20 yards from the end zone, but he scored with little interference from defenders. He looks at each catch like a handoff, where the only difference is he needs to abruptly turn forward and then take it as long as possible. “You don’t want to be known as the guy that goes down on the first tackle all the time,” Jamison said. “You always want to break that first tackle and keep going and let the defenses know they have to wrap me up. If they don’t wrap me up and if you can’t stop me, then what are you going to do?” Jamison credits an offensive line that creates holes for him on
Sophomore running back Jawan Jamison’s longest run and catch in each game this season
40 40
“You don’t want to be known as the guy that goes down on the first tackle all the time.”
runs and protects sophomore quarterback Gar y Nova when Jamison runs a receiving route. Junior right guard Andre Civil, who plays a key role in opening holes when Jamison runs right, is equally grateful. “It’s a tremendous help to the offensive line because when you’re wrong, he can make you right,” Civil said. “You can blink an eye, you can miss a block and he makes you right. It’s always a good weapon to have that addition to the running game as far as the offensive line to have a back like Jamison.” Jamison said before the season that he wanted to be the best running back in the Big East, and by most metrics he has met his expectations so far. Rice was up there in 2006, leading the Big East with 1,794 rushing yards and finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting — the best finish in the conference besides West Virginia running back Steve Slaton’s placing fourth. Jamison is not on pace to rush as far as Rice, but equaling Rice’s 1,824 yards from scrimmage is a reasonable milestone. He has yet to get tired of the Rice comparisons, like he will never get tired of keeping pace with his idol and catalyzing a winning streak similar to 2006. Jamison, if anything, enjoys hearing himself in the same sentence as the two-time All-Pro tailback, and loves hearing that he surpassed Rice in something at this stage of his career. “It’s a blessing because he’s at where I want to get to and he’s done what I want to accomplish,” Jamison said. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment when I can get that [comparison].”
10 10 20 20 30 30 40 40
Before sophomore running back Jawan Jamison led the Big East with 1,005 all-purpose yards, he met a former Rutgers football team running back who led the conference in that statistic in 2007. Baltimore Ravens tailback Ray Rice visited Piscataway for Rutgers Day last spring, and he brought some advice for Jamison. “He tells you to stay humble and just build on what I have and just keep it going,” Jamison said. “It’s really cool because he’s one of my idols. He was one of the reasons that I came here.” Seven games and a conference-leading 789 rushing yards later, Jamison constantly hears comparisons of him and his hero. Rice was in Jamison’s position in 2006 as a sophomore running back making a name for himself in a lengthy undefeated run. The biggest difference is that Jamison is already a better receiver than 2006 Rice. It only took the Sept. 1 season opener against Tulane for Jamison to surpass Rice’s 30 receiving yards from six years ago. Unlike Rice, Jamison only took one-and-a-half seasons to become a legitimate threat in the Scarlet Knights passing game, catching seven passes for 211 yards this season. Offensive coordinator Dave Brock ensures that Jamison gets incorporated enough into his plays, whether that means taking a program-record 41 carries Sept. 13 at South Florida or leading Rutgers in both rushing and receiving yards Oct. 20 at Temple. “Coach Brock and the staff have done a good job of finding ways to make sure we get him the ball every week,” said head
coach Kyle Flood. “You don’t ever want to leave the game where he doesn’t have enough touches. You have to give Jamison his touches.” Rutgers’ offensive scheme has changed with the departure of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, making Jamison the biggest threat to gain yardage. When defenses zero in on Jamison in the backfield, he is
100 2200 3300
BY JOSH BAKAN ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
41
AGAINST
46
64 GRAPHIC BY SHAODI HUANG, ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR
OCTOBER 26, 2012
GAMEDAY PAGE 5
DIRECTION
Knights offensive line develops chemistry, consistency that produce improved rushing yards, QB protection
The Rutgers offensive line has improved from the units that took the field in the past two seasons, as evidenced by its improving rushing totals, total number of sacks allowed and yards per play. The Knights have allowed 32 less sacks this season than they did last year. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
RU OFFENSIVE LINE STATS 5.5 sacks allowed rush yd./carry
137.7
rush yd./ game yards/play
4.7 4.6
3.9
61 100.9
97.8
2.8
36 2.7
4
2010
2011
2012
GRAPHIC BY HAKAN UZUMCU, DESIGN EDITOR
BY JOEY GREGORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
By all accounts, the Rutgers football offensive line had been inconsistent at best during its past two seasons. In the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, it allowed 61 and 36 sacks, respectively, and did not produce a 1,000-yard rusher in either season. Then-redshir t freshman running back Jawan Jamison amassed 897 yards last year. Former Scarlet Knight Jordan Thomas led the team in rushing two seasons ago, but ran for only 417 yards. Junior left guard Antwan Lowery was a part of both of those units. He also understands the difference between those two groups and the one he is currently a part of. “My first couple years were rough,” he said. “[This group] worked really hard this offseason at mastering our crafts, and it’s starting to show.” Head coach Kyle Flood, the offensive line coach for those seasons, also remembers the days when the offensive line was one of the team’s weak points. But he believes those days are over. “I think we’re playing better football up front than we have the past couple years,” he said. “I think we’re benefiting from some of the situations we had to live through. Maybe some guys played a little earlier than we would have liked, but they were the best players available to us. But they had to play.” Jamison’s increase in production has also resulted from the offensive line’s improvement. Through the team’s first seven games, Jamison has
recorded a Big East-best 779 rushing yards on 177 carries, good enough for an average of 4.4 yards per carry. The kind of back he is makes the of fensive line’s job that much easier. “[If] we give him the slightest crease, the slightest look, he can make somebody miss and he’s off to the races,” Lower y said. “With a back like that, who’s as explosive as he is, it’s easy for us to just give him a little bit of daylight.” Jamison said he tries to be the type of back that makes one cut and then is gone. But more than that, he earns many of his yards after contact. Opposing coaches often note the difficulty in trying to bring him down, as Jamison said his mindset is to still gain yardage after getting hit. But Jamison’s running ability is not the only reason the offensive line’s numbers improved. After Jamison hits a hole he has made a habit out of picking up extra yards, adding to the offense’s confidence, which Jamison believes is when the offensive line’s best game emerges. “Once they get going, once they’re awake and once their adrenaline is pumping and their confidence is up, they do a tremendous job,” he said. “Once we’re rolling, we keep going.” That confidence stems from the offensive line’s new practice and work ethic. It strives not only to be in sync on the field, but off the field, as well. “The whole starting line comes in after practice … eats together, then watches film,” Lowery said. “[We] make sure guys are on top of knowing what their responsibility is, doing their
job, and overall just being accountable with each other.” That sort of trust was not easy to build immediately. Before the start of spring practices, sophomore Betim Bujari had never played at center, senior tackle R.J. Dill had not played a down for the Knights and Lowery started sparingly during his first two seasons. Junior guard Andre Civil and sophomore tackle Kaleb Johnson were the only ones to start nearly every game last season on the offensive line. This season has been a different stor y, as four of the five have started ever y game this season. Only Civil did not start against South Florida, where sophomore Taj Alexander filled in for him. And Dill’s addition after transferring from Mar yland was the final piece of a successful puzzle. “He’s a smart player. He knows a lot about the position,” Lowery said of Dill. “He’s a veteran guy. … Having him to come in at right tackle for us has been a huge boost to our program.” The consistent play brought about by running out the same five players and spending time together off the field has allowed the line to build a bond that has not existed in recent memory. “On Saturdays, that’s what it comes down to — being able to trust the guys next to you,” Lowery said. “The fact that I know that Kaleb Johnson knows his responsibilities, that Betim knows his responsibilities, and vice versa, and Betim trusts Andre and Andre trusts Dill, it comes in big for us on Saturdays.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Joey Gregory on Twitter @JGregoryTargum.
GAMEDAY PAGE 6
OCTOBER 26, 2012
BIGEAST GAME OF THE WEEK CINCINNATI
TEMPLE at PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh hosts Temple following a modest win last weekend at Buffalo, but it could springboard the Panthers under new head coach Paul Chryst. Temple looks to avoid a league losing streak for the first time since it rejoined the Big East this season. Owls head coach Steve Addazio has an outside chance at Big East Coach of the Year.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh, 17-7
LOUISVILLE
The Big East game with the most serious BCS implications so far awaits tonight, when Louisville, No. 16 in the BCS, hosts Cincinnati, which enters following a surprise loss a week ago at Toledo. The Bearcats have won the last four meetings in the battle for the Keg of Nails, but Louisville is primed for a deep Big East run of its own under Charlie Strong.
SYRACUSE at SOUTH FLORIDA The reeling Bulls remain at home following a last-minute loss last week to Louisville, which scored 27 points. Syracuse, meanwhile, dropped 40 points last week in a 30-point victory. PREDICTION: Syracuse, 27-20
BIG EAST STANDINGS Football
Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux said this week he is better than Louisville signal caller Teddy Bridgewater. THE DAILY TARGUM / NOVEMBER 2011
Key Matchup
PREDICTION
Bearcats QB Munchie Legaux vs. Louisville rush
LOUISVILLE, 38-31
Led by first-year starter Legaux, Cincinnati leads the Big East in scoring offense with more than 34 points per game. How well the Cardinals keep Legaux in the pocket could determine a Big East title frontrunner.
The contest has all the makings of a high-scoring affair in Louisville.
TEAM 1. RUTGERS 2. Louisville 3. Cincinnati 4. Temple 5. Syracuse 6. Pittsburgh 7. Connecticut 8. South Florida
RECORD PRE-RANK 2011 7-0, 4-0 3rd 9-4 7-0, 2-0 1st 7-6 5-1, 1-0 4th 10-3 3-3, 2-1 8th 9-4* 3-4, 2-1 7th 5-7 3-4, 0-3 5th 6-7 3-5, 0-3 6th 5-7 2-5, 0-3 2nd 5-7
*Temple played in the Mid-American Conference last season before accepting an invitation to rejoin the Big East beginning this season.
GAMEDAY PAGE 7
OCTOBER 26, 2012
Sophomore quarterback Gary Nova rushes for a 10-yard gain Oct. 20 at Temple before losing a fumble. Nova worked on eliminating turnovers during the summer, when he forced himself to throw passes out of bounds during seven-on-seven drills. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Nova’s reformation sees early returns BY TYLER BARTO SPORTS EDITOR
Gary Nova leads the Big East in passing touchdowns this season, ranks third in pass efficiency and improved his completion percentage more than 10 points as a sophomore. But the Rutgers football team’s quarterback spent as much time in the offseason avoiding receivers as throwing to them. “There were probably drills where guys were open,” Nova said, “and I’d try throwing it
away, throwing it at the ground, throwing it at their feet.” It was part of a philosophy to condition Nova to use sounder decision-making. During the summer, Nova threw the ball out of bounds in seven-on-seven drills instead of tucking it and r unning. He tossed passes aside on oneon-one scenarios when receivers did not separate from defenders. And he did so with no prior background in the craft. “It was hard,” Nova said. “You’re not used to doing that in
high school. I probably threw the ball [away] once in high school in two years. You probably throw it away three times in a game [now].” On the verge of a matchup with Kent State tomorrow, Nova says he is better for it. At Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep, Nova rarely had to go through progressions in the pocket. If wide receiver Leonte Carroo, now a Scarlet Knights freshman, was not open, he deferred to running back Paul Canevari, a former Knights fullback, Nova said.
Sophomore quarterback Gary Nova has thrown only three interceptions through seven games along with a Big East-leading 15 touchdown passes. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
“That’s how it was in high school,” he said. “Nobody could stop Leonte, so why not keep throwing it to him?” But following a freshman season in which Nova lost for the first time since Pop Warner and recorded double-digit giveaways, he took to a new philosophy. He enlisted the help of quarterbacks coach Rob Spence, part of a coaching overhaul after former head coach Greg Schiano’s abrupt January departure. And he learned the art of giving up on plays. The work has paid dividends. Nova has won Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors twice, and Rutgers is undefeated this late in the season for the first time since 2006. “The bottom line is he’s a winner,” Carroo said. “That’s what he loves to do is win. That’s the biggest thing he does.” Nova has had help. He worked with a position coach in each of his three seasons as a starter, including two at the Ramsey, N.J., high school powerhouse, where he learned under Nunzio Campanile. Campanile, now head coach at Bergen Catholic (N.J.) High School, played the position at Paramus Catholic (N.J.) before suiting up at Amherst College. Nova also learned along the way from Anthony Campanile, Nunzio’s brother and now a Rutgers graduate assistant; and former Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, now quarterbacks coach of the St. Louis Rams. “He has taken his knowledge of the offense a little bit further every week,” said head coach Kyle Flood. “As that happens, he’ll have more things available to him.” Flood said he did not open up the offense at Temple in the
second half Oct. 20, when Nova accounted for more than 75 percent of his pass yards and four touchdowns. Rutgers trailed in that game like it did Sept. 22 at Arkansas, when Nova tossed three second-half scores and recorded career highs in touchdowns, pass yards and completions. But Nova’s track record with deficits stretches back to his junior season at Don Bosco. The Ironmen stared down a one-point hole at Prattville (Ala.) High School before Nova threw two touchdowns in the last 8:27. “That’s pretty much the best team Bosco’s ever played,” Carroo said. Nunzio Campanile was in the last of 10 seasons as offensive coordinator then before Anthony took over the following season. Their older brother, Vito, also played quarterback at Paramus and still holds a few state records, Caroo said. “Those guys know a lot about football and really work me hard,” Nova said. But Nova’s toughest lessons came this summer, when he had to acclimate his body — and conscience — to let plays go. He says his expectations have not budged — he would like to complete more than 70 percent of his passes, improve his patience and let plays develop. But arguably Nova’s most defining plays this season have been the ones he did not make. “I think it’s just one more experience that in the future he’ll be able to draw from and say, ‘Hey, I remember how this feels and I remember how we reacted to it,’” Flood said of Nova’s performance at Temple. “We need to do that again.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Tyler Barto on Twitter @TBartoTargum.