Rutgers Football

With so much excitement and expectations surrounding the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football program in 2012, it seems like a good time to review how Rutgers Football has evolved to national relevance.

In 2008, former Rutgers tight end Michael J. Pellowski wrote Rutgers Football: A Gridiron Tradition in Scarlet.  Pellowski delves into the history of Rutgers Football, starting with its establishment in 1869 and ending with its reestablishment as a nationally respected program in the mid-2000s. This book is still a great resource despite not covering the last half-decade. 

Perhaps Rutgers University’s most important contribution to the world is college football. Known as “The Birthplace of College Football,” Rutgers hosted what was called the College of New Jersey on November 6, 1869, where the two New Jersey schools played the first intercollegiate football game. The Queensmen (which was Rutgers’ nickname at the time) defeated the college know called Princeton, 6-4. 

In the 1910s, Paul Robeson became one of Rutgers’s first college football superstars. Robeson was also one of the best African-American players of his generation. Some people may know Robeson more for his exploits as an actor and singer, but his legend was born on the banks of the Raritan River.

Homer “Pop” Hazel was one of the nation’s premier fullbacks in the early 1920s. A jack-of-all-trades, Hazel received praise from such college football legends as Walter Camp. “The Father of College Football” once wrote:

“Hazel of Rutgers can out-pass and out-kick any of our other stars.”

Rutgers opened its new stadium, Rutgers Stadium, in 1938. The stadium has since undergone a name change to High Point Solutions Stadium, as well as many updates and expansions, but the location in Piscataway remains the same.

Frank Burns’s legend at Rutgers began in 1945 as a quarterback and as a linebacker. Pellowski wrote:

“He became one of Rutgers’ best football players ever. Later, he enjoyed a pro career and became an assistant coach and then the head football coach at Rutgers.”

A decade later, Rutgers became known as the Scarlet Knights. Bill Austin, a halfback and a quarterback, was the team’s first superstar after switching to the new mascot. Though a Rutgers player has never won the Heisman Trophy, Austin was the first player to have a legitimate shot, finishing 6^th in voting for the 1958 Heisman. Pellowski wrote:

“Sports experts regarded Austin as one of college football’s elite players in 1958. His name was mentioned in the same breath as stars like Billy Cannon of LSU…”

In 1958, Rutgers lost only one game, and the Scarlet Knights lost that game by one point. Austin missed the game due to injury. Had Austin played, Rutgers could have gone undefeated for the first time in school history.

The Scarlet Knights indeed went undefeated three seasons later. Center Alex Kroll led the team in 1961 after transferring from Yale University the year before. Pellowski wrote:

“Kroll had been an All-Ivy League lineman as a sophomore at Yale. Unhappy with Ivy League life, Alex Kroll left Yale for Rutgers. He found Rutgers appealing both academically and athletically.”

Speaking of national relevance, Kroll’s decision to leave Yale for Rutgers shows the renown the university has maintained throughout its history.

Rutgers defeated Princeton 29-0 in the game that signified college football’s centennial anniversary in 1969. ABC televised the game, which was played at Rutgers Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights went undefeated again in 1976, under the leadership of former star player and now head coach Frank Burns. Though Rutgers did not lose that year, the college football world did not see the team as one of the nation’s best. Pellowski wrote:

“The Scarlet Knights ended up ranked number 17 in the final AP poll of 1976. Rutgers had a better record than every other team in the Top 20 excluding Pittsburgh, the only other undefeated team in the Top 20. Rutgers was invited to play in the new Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. The team voted not to accept the bowl bid because the players felt they deserved to be invited to a more established bowl game.”

Rutgers, though, did not play the elite college football programs. The typical schedule during that time featured schools that currently play in the Ivy League and in the Patriot League, not in big-time college football.

In 1978, Rutgers played in its first bowl game. Arizona State University defeated the Scarlet Knights, 34-18, in the Garden State Bowl at the Meadowlands. Rutgers would not play in another bowl game for nearly 30 years.

Deron Cherry starred at defensive back and at punter for Rutgers. Cherry became one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time great players in the 1980s.

Cherry’s final season at Rutgers in 1980 was significant for two reasons. First, it was the last season the Scarlet Knights played Princeton, which officially ended the nation’s first college football rivalry. Also, the University of Alabama, the No. 1 team in the nation, beat Rutgers at Giants Stadium by only four points, 17-13.

Thanks to facility improvements, Rutgers began playing big-time college football by the 1990s. Marco Battaglia was perhaps the best player during the early 1990s. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the 2^nd round of the 1995 NFL Draft. The tight end won First Team All-American honors from various media outlets in 1995.

The latter half of the decade saw some future NFL players in scarlet, such as Shaun O’Hara, Mike McMahon, L.J. Smith, and Gary Brackett.

These special players and moments kept Rutgers Football relevant in the 20^th century. Possibly the biggest name in Rutgers program history, though, arrived in the 21^st century: Greg Schiano.

Schiano coached Rutgers from 2001 to 2011. During his tenure, many Scarlet Knights players went on to succeed in the National Football League. The New Jersey native led Rutgers to its first bowl game since 1978, when the Scarlet Knights lost the 2005 Insight Bowl against the same opponent, Arizona State University. Schiano would win five bowl games as head coach.

2006 was Rutgers’s best season under Schiano. The Scarlet Knights finished the season ranked 12^th in the country.  Schiano won National Coach of the Year by many media outlets. Perhaps the best backfield in the country played in Piscataway that year.

Brian Leonard, the fullback, was considered a Heisman candidate in the preseason. 2006, though, became Ray Rice’s coming out party.  He finished 7^th in voting for the Heisman. Rice left after the 2007 season as the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the 2^nd round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Leonard was also drafted, going in the 2^nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft to the St. Louis Rams.

Today, Rutgers Football’s biggest story comes from Eric LeGrand, a former defensive tackle who was paralyzed in a game against Army in 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium. LeGrand cannot walk yet, but his efforts to one day walk again have provided the college football world with inspiration. Despite his limitations, LeGrand has kept a positive attitude. The country has taken notice of LeGrand, as readers of Sports Illustrated voted his entry into High Point Solutions Stadium amongst his teammates as the Best Moment of 2011. LeGrand was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated carrying an axe—which symbolizes Schiano’s motto to “Keep Chopping”—wearing a number 52 black Rutgers uniform.

Schiano took the head coaching job of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the offseason. He signed LeGrand to a contract with the team.

This season, former offensive line coach Kyle Flood takes over as head coach. The only other holdover from Rutgers’s 2011 coaching staff is former special teams coordinator—and now defensive coordinator—Robb Smith. Flood and his staff will need to maintain the level of success Schiano brought to Piscataway.  Rutgers brought in its best-ever recruiting class this offseason, which is a good start towards building a bright future. 

Continuing to attract the best high school football players from New Jersey, and across the country, will help Rutgers Football to stay in the national spotlight.

It is often said the first one is the best one. That has not been the case in college football, but Rutgers has undergone many changes through its history in an effort to live up to this adage. Even in the program’s darkest days, Rutgers remained relevant, because college football started there.

*All content not hyperlinked was collected from Rutgers Football: A Gridiron Tradition in Scarlet, by Michael J. Pellowski.

Questions abound this season for the 2012 Scarlet Knights. Having seen their coach of 11 years jump to the NFL and take several assistants with him, Rutgers also lost nine starters (five on offense, three on defense and their place kicker) from the surprising squad of 2011. First-year coach Kyle Flood will look to improve upon last season's 9-4 mark, when the Knights were awarded a postseason bowl bid despite an offense that was 65th overall in points scored.

Defense carried the team last year, but this season the Knights return numerous starters at the skilled positions on offense, including quarterback, tailback, wide receiver and tight end. That said, the battle between Chas Dodd and Gary Nova for the starting QB job may prove to be the most divisive force in the locker room.

The 12-game schedule begins on the road September 1, and winds up at home against a Big East rival on November 29.

TULANE, September 1: The Green Wave finished 2-11 last season, with a dismal offense that finished 71st in passing and 86th in rushing. However, starting quarterback Ryan Griffin (2502 yards passing and 13 touchdowns last season) returns for Tulane, as does last year's leading rusher, Orleans Darkwa (924 yards and 13 touchdowns). This season, defensive tackle Calvin Thomas committed to Tulane which may help shore up the defensive line, while linebacker Royce LaFrance and safety Jordan Batiste join the incoming defensive class.

HOWARD, September 8: A member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Howard Bison is currently in the midst of an investigation regarding possible rules violations. University spokesperson Kerry-Ann Hamilton indicated that"Most teams will compete as scheduled," but the university has "temporarily withheld a number of student-athletes from competition." Last season, the team posted a 5-6 record, but key players may not be eligible to play this season, making it difficult to assess if the Bison can improve a points-per-game average of 17.6 on offense and 25.2 on defense.

SOUTH FLORIDA, September 13: The Bulls and Scarlet Knights will square off at Raymond James Stadium on ESPN in this Thursday night Big East showdown. With a 5-7 record last season, South Florida lost leading rusher Darrell Scott to the NFL (signed as an undrafted free agent to the Dallas Cowboys). Quarterback B.J. Daniels returns this season, who last year posted a rating of 126.7 and over 2,600 yards passing, as does his favorite target, wide receiver Sterling Griffin (43 receptions, 530 yards and 3 touchdowns last season). In all, USF returns 18 starters, and the odds are that they will post a winning record this year.

ARKANSAS, September 22: While the game is noteworthy as the backdrop of the quarterback Tom Savage transfer saga, the Razorbacks may well represent the most difficult opponent on this year's schedule. At 11-2 last season, Arkansas returns starting quarterback Tyler Wilson (277-for-438, 3,638 yards and 24 touchdowns, with a QB rating of 148.4), and has an influx of new talent with receivers D'Arthur Cowan, Keon Hatcher and Demetrius Wilson looking to catch Wilson's passes. Rutgers may benefit from being overlooked here, as they face the Razorbacks after Arkansas plays Alabama on September 15, and right before they travel to College Station to play Texas A&M on September 29.

CONNECTICUT, October 6: Another Big East matchup sees the Huskies (5-7 last season) come to Piscataway this year, with quarterback Johnny McEntee leading an anemic offense that was 84th in passing yards, 97th in rushing yards and 82nd overall in points scored in 2011. Running back Lyle McCombs (1,151 yards, 7 TDs) is a solid option on offense, but someone will need to step up as the No.1 receiver now that Kashif Moore has gone to the NFL (signed as a free agent with the Bengals). The Huskies are hopeful that new recruits Jazzmar Clax, Jon Hicks and Mikal Myers can help to firm up the interior of the defense, which ranked 50th in points allowed last season.

SYRACUSE, October 13: The fact that free safety Phillip Thomas was last season's leading tackler for the Orange is indicative of the type of campaign Syracuse had last year, with a 5-7 record overall and 1-6 in the Big East. Talented quarterback Ryan Nassib is back for his final season, and coach Doug Marrone is looking to get all the mileage he can before his QB heads to the NFL. "He's a very competitive person," said Marrone of his star quarterback. "We have to make sure we have the right people in place around him for us to be successful."

TEMPLE, October 20: Temple returns to the Big East this year, after posting a 9-4 record in 2011 and a victory in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The loss of starting quarterback Chester Stewart may well set the Owls back this year, unless Chris Coyer (30-for-50 for 463 yards and six touchdowns) can fill the role. Defense and the running game were Temple's strong suits last year, which was head coach Steve Addazio's first with the Owls. However, having lost four of their five starting offensive linemen, several defensive starters and leading rusher Bernard Pierce (1,481 yards and 27 TDs), the Owls may have difficulty reaching a bowl this year.

KENT STATE, October 27: A mediocre defense and an offense that was near the bottom in passing yards, rushing yards and points scored, achieving last season's 5-7 mark (the third year in a row with that record) was something of a surprise. Starting quarterback Spencer Keith (1,682 yards, 11 touchdowns) returns to lead the Golden Flashes on offense, but he will have competition from junior college transfer David Fisher. Returning veterans on defense include standouts Roosevelt Nix, Luke Batton and C.J. Malauulu, while freshmen DT Chris Fairchild and CB Adam Maxie will look to get starting roles.

ARMY, November 10: With an incredible running attack that amassed 4,158 yards in 2011, the Black Knights finished first in the nation in rushing, averaging an amazing 346 yards per game last season. However, coupled with a passing offense ranked 120th overall (averaging only 50 yards per game), it is easy to see why Rich Ellerson's team finished 3-9 last season. This spring the focus was on the maturing defensive line, which may help the Black Knights cut down last season's average of surrendering 28 points per game. "I'm encouraged by where the group up front on defense is," said Ellerson during recent spring practices. "It's a much more physically mature group." Senior QB Trent Steelman may be more well known for his legs (645 yards, 12 TDs) than his arm, but the odds of him leading the Black Knights to a winning season are a long shot at best.

CINCINNATI, November 17: The Bearcats were 10-3 last season, which may explain why they had four players chosen in April's NFL Draft. Returning defensive end Walter Stewart will anchor the line, one of just seven starters to come back in 2012. The offense was even more hard hit, returning only four starters for head coach Butch Jones' team. While depleted, the Bearcats always play Rutgers tough, and this year's contest will be at Cincinnati. The quarterback question looms large for the Bearcats however, as junior Munchie Legaux will try to fill the enormous cleats of departed Zach Collaros.

PITTSBURGH, November 24: New coach Paul Chryst could have his team in contention for the Big East title by late November, assuming things break right for the Panthers. Injuries will be a concern, but so will a schedule that includes Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. The Panthers averaged nearly 23 points per game last year behind the strong arm of Tino Sunseri (2,616 yards, 10 TDs), while running back Ray Graham (958 yards, nine TDs) will attempt to bounce back from last season's injuries. On defense, the Panthers will suffer from the loss of Brandon Lindsey, Chas Alecxih and Myles Caragein, but standout lineman Aaron Donald returns along with veterans Todd Thomas, Ejuan Price and Khaynin Mosley-Smith.

LOUISVILLE, November 29: While they were just 7-6 last season, the Cardinals may represent the final hurdle the Scarlet Knights must clear to take the Big East title in 2012. QB Teddy Bridgewater will lead the Cardinals' offense—if he can stay upright in the pocket. Bridgewater was sacked 33 times last year, but still managed to achieve a QB rating of 132.4. The burden for keeping Bridgewater's talented arm safe will fall to center Mario Benavides and line mates John Miller, Jake Smith and Alex Kupper. Both teams will have a short week to prepare for this ESPN game, which is played on a Thursday night.

While a winning season and a bowl berth seem to be a foregone conclusion, this year's favorable schedule may well be the deciding factor in the Scarlet Knights' bid to grasp their first-ever conference title. Should that happen, critics will be sure to point to one more glaring reason why it occurred: West Virginia no longer stands in their way.

The answer to the question is: one time. They did it once, and only once, and it occurred on November 10, 1984.

While a member of the Big East Conference, the West Virginia Mountaineers have won the conference title seven times and, while a national championship has always eluded them, the team from Morgantown is always in the hunt.

After a fast start in 1984, the Detroit Tigers took the World Series, BYU was the class of NCAA football, and the smart money was on Swale at the Kentucky Derby. In theaters, Short Round was the sidekick to Indiana Jones as he explored the Temple of Doom, and the crew from the Starship Enterprise was searching for Spock.

On television, Alex P. Keaton was extolling the virtues of the Reagan presidency, and it appeared that perhaps author George Orwell was right about Big Brother in his novel, "1984." It seemed that soon, nothing would go unnoticed in society when Miss New Jersey, Suzette Charles, replaced Miss New York (Vanessa Williams) in a Miss America scandal.

It was a warm 70-degree Saturday, and the 25,140 fans in Giants Stadium saw West Virginia roll into East Rutherford, NJ as the No. 18 team in the nation. Rutgers could easily afford to make the trip up the New Jersey Turnpike from the Piscataway campus in those days, as the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.10.

Coach Dick Anderson's Scarlet Knights entered the game with a 5-3 record, having been beaten in their last game, 35-23, by a Boston College team led by Doug Flutie. It was Anderson's first year as the head coach of Rutgers, with junior quarterback Eric Hochberg leading the offense.

Hochberg saw limited action in his first two seasons at Rutgers as the backup QB, but as the starter, he amassed over 1900 yards passing with 9 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 110.73.

That year, Hochberg had thrown to targets like Andrew Baker, Alan Andrews and Boris Pendergrass, but the three top receivers for the Knights that season were held to a total of just 8 catches for the entire game.

It was the running game that carried the load for the Scarlet Knights, with running back Albert Smith scoring the game's first touchdown on a 7-yard run. With the score at 7-3, it was Smith scoring again, this time from 1 yard out, and the Knights were suddenly leading 14-3.

But Rutgers, rather than sitting back and protecting the lead, continued to pressure head coach Don Nehlen's Mountaineers. When Hochberg threw a 36-yard touchdown strike to Andrew Baker, the Scarlet Knights were ahead 20-3, and for the first time, anticipation of an upset-in-the-making began to move through the crowd.

But the starry-eyed fans were soon slapped back to reality when wide receiver Gary Mullen (7 catches for 152 yards) scored on a 57-yard touchdown pass from Mountaineer quarterback Kevin White. At the half, the Scarlet Knights still held the lead, 20-10.

In the second half, the Knights ground attack looked to shorten the game and keep the clock running. Rutgers ran the ball 51 times in the game for 217 yards on the ground, the majority of the work done by Albert Smith, who took the ball 23 times for 126 yards in the game. When the Knights weren't chewing up real estate on offense, the defense, led by lineman Harry Swayne and linebacker Tyronne Stowe, were making life miserable for the Mountaineers.

A third-quarter field goal by Paul Woodside got WVU to within a touchdown at 20-13, but when Rutgers' kicker Tom Angstadt hit on a clutch 50-yard attempt in the fourth quarter, the Knights were again leading by two scores, 23-13.

With time winding down, the Mountaineers scored on a Tom Gray 1-yard touchdown run, leaving the home crowd restless as they gazed at the scoreboard in Giants Stadium that showed a minute remaining in a 23-19 game.

The game would now come down to West Virginia's attempt to recover the ensuing onside kick. But, when backup receiver Scott Drake fell on the ensuing kickoff, the Knights took possession of the ball and ran out the clock to preserve the 23-19 victory.

Rutgers went on to beat Colgate in the following week and, while they finished 7-3-0, they missed out on a postseason bowl bid. The Mountaineers went on to play in the Bluebonnet Bowl against TCU.

Head coach Dick Anderson would coach Rutgers for five more years, but would have only one more winning season. He would finish his time at Rutgers with a 27-34-4 record.

Running back Albert Smith finished his college career with 2,269 yards, and currently ranks 9th all-time in rushing yards at Rutgers, and tied for 8th all-time in touchdowns with 23. Eric Hochberg ranks 6th all-time in passing yards, attempts and completions at Rutgers.

Harry Swayne and Tyronne Stowe went on to NFL careers. Swayne was drafted and converted to an offensive lineman in the pros, where he played from 1987 to 2001. During his long, successful career, he participated in four Super Bowls. Stowe's career spanned from 1987 to 1995, where he saw action with four different teams.

How many times has Rutgers beaten West Virginia when the Mountaineers were a nationally-ranked team? The answer to the question is: one time. They did it once, and only once, and it occurred on November 10, 1984.

Beating a rival when they are on top is about the most satisfaction a team can get, short of winning a title. But even when that rival is having a "down year," beating them in dramatic fashion is nearly as satisfying.

Like other college football powerhouses, Virginia Tech has left the Big East Conference. But before they did, they provided the opposition for one of Rutgers University's greatest wins ever, a Halloween homecoming day victory like no other.

It was October 31, 1992, and the United States was only days away from a presidential election that would see Bill Clinton succeed George Bush as the next chief executive. The Toronto Blue Jays were baseball's champions, and Tom Hanks reminded us that there was no crying in baseball when A League of Their Own premiered in theaters. Earlier in the year the Pittsburgh Penguins had taken the NHL title, and if that wasn't enough reality for the American public, The Real World premiered on MTV.

Two players who would go onto star in another great Rutgers victory in 1994, Ray Lucas and Marco Battaglia, were on the squad in 1992, but on this day, the spotlight belonged two young men who played trick-or-treat on the crowd that packed the old Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway that autumn afternoon.

The game was a high-scoring affair, due to the performance of Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo (15-of-27 for 302 yards on the day). Meanwhile, Rutgers starting quarterback Bryan Fortay struggled, throwing five interceptions in the game, including one that had been returned for a touchdown by Ken Brown, giving Virginia Tech a 28-7 lead.

Rattled but not deflated, the Scarlet Knights drew closer and trailed by 12 at halftime, 35-23. But to the Rutgers fans that day, any hopes for a comeback appeared to be dashed early in the second half. DeShazo, who had thrown a touchdown pass in the first half, completed a 49-yard strike to wide receiver Antonio Freeman in the third quarter to extend the Virginia Tech lead to 42-23.

However, it was the plays which followed that gave hope to the faithful. Wide receiver Chris Brantley caught his third touchdown of the game to make the score 42-30. Then, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, running back Craig Mitter punched it over on a one-yard dive, cutting the Hokie lead to 42-37.

This is when Coach Doug Graber's defense needed to dig in for a big stop. Instead, Virginia Tech marched down the field on their next possession with a six-play, 80-yard drive that again extended the Hokie's lead to 12 points, 49-37.

Undoubtedly, this was enough to send many of the most loyal fans to the exits, but those who stayed were treated to one of the most exciting finishes in the history of Rutgers football.

The Knights struck back quickly, and even though wide receiver Lance Evina caught a seven-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 49-44, even the most ardent alumni had to wonder if it was too little, too late. The stadium clock showed just 4:19 remaining in the game, and Rutgers was about to kickoff to the team that had just embarrassed the defense with an 80-yard touchdown drive.

But this time, the Rutgers defense held. The Knights got the ball back, only to have the hopes of the fans dashed again when Bryan Fortay threw yet another interception—his fifth of the game—giving the Hokies the ball and what appeared to be an apparent Virginia Tech victory.

Graber again called upon his defense and they responded. Using all of their timeouts to conserve precious time on the clock, Rutgers got the ball back with no timeouts and just 1:32 left to play in the contest.

Fortay took the Scarlet Knights down the field, and when he connected with Mario Henry on a 46-yard pass play, Rutgers was in striking distance on the Virginia Tech 15-yard line with just seven seconds left on the clock. On the game's final play, Fortay lined up in the shotgun, took the snap and heaved a prayer to the corner of the end zone where Chris Brantley—who caught his fourth touchdown of the day—hauled in the pass to give the Knights a 50-49 victory with no time remaining.

The fans streamed from the stands and mobbed the field in a postgame celebration, and the extra point was never attempted.

The hero of the game, Chris Brantley, finished with just six touchdowns for the entire season. He went on to a brief NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills. He also played in the Arena Football League, NFL Europe, and the short-lived XFL.

Bryan Fortay played one more season for the Scarlet Knights, and is eighth all time in passing touchdowns (25) at Rutgers. He is best known for his $10 million lawsuit (alleging a broken promise to be the Hurricanes' starting quarterback) against Miami University and its head coach, Dennis Erickson. Fortay is currently a vice president at a Philadelphia area surety company.

Lance Evina played just that one season with the Knights, chalking up 11 career receptions and two touchdowns. Craig Mitter also played just one year, amassing 775 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Particularly interesting, was one other player on the field that day: Tim Pernetti. A tight end with the Scarlet Knights, Pernetti finished his college career with one reception for 30 yards. Pernetti is currently the athletic director for Rutgers.

Coach Frank Beamer's Hokies would go onto greatness, becoming a perennial contender for the national championship. The homecoming game was the last time Rutgers beat Virginia Tech, and the Hokies have gone on to win the last 11 contests between the two teams. But for one day in October, 1992, Rutgers was the better team.

It was the year Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the world lost John Candy, Seinfeld ruled the airwaves and America watched a white Ford Bronco pursued by the police down a California freeway.

Life really was like a box of chocolates, as "Forest Gump" reminded us in the biggest movie of the year.

In 1994, Nebraska was the big story in college football, but in Piscataway, New Jersey, the Rutgers campus was buzzing about their newly-renovated stadium, and their star tight end Marco Battaglia, who was a legitimate All-American candidate.

The year began with Rutgers easily handling a far-inferior Kent State squad in the season opener, but the coaching staff, team and fans knew that the real tests would come in the following four weeks as the Scarlet Knights would face West Virginia, Syracuse, Penn State and Miami.

Many wondered how the Knights would fair, as all four games against those opponents had been losses in the 1993 season, when RU posed a dismal 4-7-0 record (1-6 against Big East rivals).

On September 10th, 1994, West Virginia came into town with a 1-1 record, having lost their opener to Nebraska (who would go on to be the National Champs), and followed that up with a victory over Ball State. WVU had dominated the series between the two teams, having won 12 of 14 games against RU since the Knights had joined Division-I football. West Virginia was the defending Big East champs, and had throttled the Scarlet Knights 55-22 the previous year.

There wasn't much to make the 31,624 fans who turned out that warm autumn day think differently, as the Scarlet Knights struggled to get anything going offensively. While West Virginia quarterback Eric Boykin had a good day statistically (24-of-37 for 233 yards), the Rutgers defense kept the Mountaineers out of the end zone in the first two quarters, and despite the dismal offensive showing the Scarlet Knights were fortunate to only be trailing 6-0 at the half.

In the second half, the Knights finally put things together behind the play of starting quarterback Ray Lucas. Spreading his 7 completions in the game to five different receivers, Lucas (7-for-15 for 107 yards) threw just one touchdown, a four-yard scoring strike to third-string tight end Jason Curry. Even Battaglia could only collect 3 passes, enough to make him the Scarlet Knights' leading receiver in the game.

With just 8 first downs for the entire game, 190 total offensive yards and a mere 22:23 in time of possession for the Knights, the true star of the game was the Rutgers defense. While they relinquished 366 yards to the Mountaineers, the defense—under the direction of Coordinator John Gutekunst—kept West Virginia out of the end zone when it counted most.

The Knights collected 3 sacks in the game, kept Mountaineers' leading rusher Robert Walker (20 attempts for 55 total yards) in check and collected two turnovers.

In the third quarter, Walker coughed up the ball and Rutgers recovered the fumble at the Mountaineers' 35-yard line. The Knights then went on a nine-play drive that ended in Lucas' 4-yard touchdown pass to Curry, giving them a 7-6 lead.

While the Mountaineers ripped the Rutgers secondary (coached by Steve Spagnuolo) for 26 receptions and 253 yards in the game, it was linebacker Alcides Catanho who broke the Mountaineers' backs on the very next offensive play from scrimmage following the ensuing kickoff. 

Quarterback Eric Boykin attempted to start West Virginia's next drive with a seemingly innocent pass in the flat. It ended up being the biggest play of the game as Catanho picked off the pass and rumbled 24 yards for a touchdown. For Catanho—who went on to play 27 games in the NFL—it was the biggest moment in his college career.

The fourth quarter began with Rutgers protecting an eight-point lead, which was extended to 11 when kicker Eddie Duborg split the uprights with a 34-yard field goal.

But the Mountaineers, who had no quit in them, finally scored their lone touchdown of the game with less than two minutes remaining, and elected to go for the two-point conversion. Again it was the Scarlet Knights' defense that came up with the big play when linebacker Rusty Schwartz knocked down the pass attempt that would have cut the deficit to three points.

Out of options, the Mountaineers were forced to attempt an onside kick, but Battaglia made the kickoff recovery and all that was left for the Scarlet Knights to do was run out the clock on their 17-12 victory.

"I like this team," said head coach Doug Graber after the game. "I like its character." In a reverse foreshadowing to this year's news of Greg Schiano leaving the Scarlet Knights for the NFL, Graber had come to Rutgers in 1990 after a stint as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He later went on to coach in NFL Europe and then joined the coaching staff with the New York Jets.

Battaglia—an All-American in 1995—went onto an NFL career with five different teams, while quarterback Lucas now serves as the analyst for Rutgers' radio broadcasts after a seven-year NFL career.

The significance of this game cannot be overlooked. In beating West Virginia, Coach Graber accomplished something that neither of his successors (Terry Shea and Greg Schiano) could do, and something that the Scarlet Knights haven't done since that 1994 victory.

To date, the Mountaineers own the series with a 33-4-2 record against Rutgers, and have won the last 17 meetings between the two teams. With West Virginia leaving the Big East, the 1994 defeat of the Mountaineers is something Rutgers fans may not see again for a long time.

With the resignation of John Marinatto as Big East commissioner, the Big East once again seems to be on the respirator.

With WVU, Pitt and Syracuse gone, and Boise State a year away from joining the conference, Rutgers is left in the position of being one of the favorites to win the league this year.

Something Greg Schiano could not accomplish, winning the conference would mean Rutgers' first ever Big East conference title, and its first BCS bowl.

But you have to wonder what the title would really mean.

There is no doubt that Big East football is going more toward the way of C-USA and the Sun Belt Conference than toward the SEC or the Big Ten.

Rutgers, among other schools, may look to leave the Big East, but for one reason or another, has failed to do so while feigning solidarity to the Big East.

In desperation, the Big East has even sought to reacquire Temple for football after unceremoniously booting the school out several years ago.

Going for quantity over quality, the Big East has attempted to add schools like SMU, San Diego State and Central Florida as football-only members.

After being spurned by perennial power TCU, the Big East is hopeful that Houston will bring the Texas market into the Big East and that Boise State replaces WVU as a school that gives the Big East a national power and presence.

However, these schools don't enter the fray until 2013, leaving 2012 as a very wide open and very small conference that is tenuously holding on to its automatic BCS bid.

Once the league expands, its sheer numbers that attempt to mask its dearth of top-flight programs like what Miami and Va. Tech were at the time of their departure, will make the league tougher to win when you consider it will also add a championship game.

If Rutgers does pull off what it has been unable to do in its history, it will be tainted in that the school never was able to beat out WVU or Pitt to win the title and it will be pre-Boise State and Houston joining the league. Major asterisk.

*Writer's update: In looking at the upcoming schedule, I made a mistake, not realizing that these schools would not be out by 2012 as I looked at the wrong future opponents schedule for Rutgers.

I still maintain that in the current state of the Big East, that RU having never beaten out WVU and with two teams on their way out the door, the title would still be a tainted one for Rutgers.  Such a title would also be captured prior to the arrival of Houston and Boise State.

In many ways, December 28, 2006 is the most important date in the history of Rutgers Football. It was the conclusion of a long, thirty-year journey from Rutgers' first Division-1 football game in 1977, culminating in its first-ever postseason bowl victory.

For the dedicated alumni and fans of the team, 2006 was a magical year for Rutgers, punctuated by heartache at the hands of a familiar nemesis before redemption and a never-before-seen victory.

In 2006, movies like "Cars" and "Night at the Museum" were entertaining Americans at the theaters, "American Idol" ruled the airwaves on television and the Nintendo Wii got video game enthusiasts off their couches and hopping around the living room. The Miami Heat were kings of the NBA, and the St. Louis Cardinals were on their way to winning the World Series.

But also in college football in 2006, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights were loaded with NFL-ready talent. The starting backfield consisted of quarterback Mike Teel, fullback Brian Leonard and a sophomore halfback by the name of Ray Rice. After the running game softened up opposing defenses, Teel would shoot passes to NFL-bound Kenny Britt or Tiquan Underwood.

In many ways, the Rutgers football program not only matured in 2006, it hit its decided high-water mark. The Scarlet Knights rolled through their schedule in 2006, and were 10-1 and going into a showdown with West Virginia in the final week of the regular season. It was the game that would decide the Big East title. It took triple overtime, but the Mountaineers defeated Greg Schiano's team, just as they had done every year prior, dashing the dream of a bid to a BCS bowl game.

For their efforts, the Number 16-ranked Scarlet Knights received an invitation to the inaugural Texas Bowl against the Kansas State Wildcats.

From the outset of the game, Rutgers dictated the rhythm of the game. Mike Teel handed to Ray Rice on the first play from scrimmage, and he sprinted for 16 yards. Rice would eventually carry the ball 24 times in the game for 170 yards and a touchdown.

The first score of the game came from an unlikely place, as Tim Brown—who only had four catches all season coming into the game—caught a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Scarlet Knights the early 7-0 lead. Shortly thereafter, Teel (16-for-28 for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns) connected with the speedy Brown again, this time from 49 yards, and Rutgers had a 14-0 lead in the first twelve minutes of the game.

The Wildcats, led by freshman Josh Freeman (who is now Greg Schiano's starting quarterback at Tampa Bay), were unable to muster an offensive touchdown in the game, but closed the gap at 14-10 with a Jeff Snodgrass field goal and a punt return by Yamon Figurs. Rutgers added a field goal from kicker Jeremy Ito and the half ended with the game close at 17-10.

The Rutgers defense dominated the game, with Freeman (10-for-21 for 129 yards and two interceptions) unable to move the Wildcats, and their running game gaining a mere 31 total yards in the game. Early in the second half, Rutgers linebacker Quintero Frierson intercepted a pass and ran 27 yards to put the Scarlet Knights up 24-10. It was one of three turnovers collected by the Scarlet Knights in the game.

"The defensive play there was critical," said Kansas State coach Ron Prince. "To have the opportunity to come out and tie the game at the start of the second half and the worst thing that could happen would be a turnover and a touchdown, and that's what occurred."

From that point, the game became a Rutgers postseason party, when Ray Rice ran for a 46-yard touchdown and Jeremy Ito added two field goals on the way to a 37-10 victory.

"It certainly hurt quite a bit after the West Virginia game," Schiano reflected afterward, discussing the need to get his team motivated for the game against Kansas State. "The chance to win eleven games, that's something our seniors will carry forever."

"I think they were really hungry because they felt like they got left out of a BCS game," said Josh Freeman after the game. "They were out there to prove something and we weren't able to respond."

While the defense dominated, the Rutgers offense also tore through the Kansas State defense. Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris (whom Greg Schiano recently replaced as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) saw the Scarlet Knights exploit his schemes for 21 first-downs and 479 total yards.

Rutgers' players openly admitted that after being so close to a BCS bowl berth, settling for the Texas Bowl was a disappointment. But the game took on greater significance than they realized at the time, as it was the University's third appearance in a bowl game, but more importantly, their first-ever victory. Rutgers football had finally matured after thirty years of Division 1 competition. The Knights finished 11-2 for the season, and were ranked 12th in the nation by year's end.

"We've tasted it, tasted the water and it's a great feeling," declared the game's most valuable player, Ray Rice. Since that victory, the Scarlet Knights have not lost a postseason bowl in the last five contests.

The music is beginning to slow, and there are not many open seats left for when it finally stops.

As expected, talented wide receiver Mohamed Sanu was chosen in this year's NFL draft, which was then followed by the three signings of Rutgers' undrafted free-agents Joe Martinek, Desmond Stapleton and Desmond Wynn, with a fourth, Justin Francis, signing with the New England Patriots shortly thereafter.

Martinek, signed by the New York Giants, will battle for playing time at fullback with Henry Hynoski, while Desmond Stapleton will attempt to make the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as his older brother did. Desmond Wynn received an invite to camp from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where his former college coach, Greg Schiano, will pace the sidelines this fall.

Following on the heels of those three signings was that of defensive lineman Justin Francis with the New England Patriots.

The addition of Francis brings the number of former Scarlet Knights on Coach Belichick's team to five, including Tiquan Underwood, Nate Jones, and two RU teammates of Francis: Devin McCourty and Alex Silvestro. At 6'2" and 268 pounds Francis is small, which could prove problematic when he faces off against 300-pound linemen in the NFL. 

Surely the nicest story of the post-draft period was that of defensive lineman Eric Legrand, who was signed by his former coach Greg Schiano in Tampa. Since being paralyzed in a freak collision during a game at the Meadowlands, Legrand has been an inspiration with his tireless work to overcome his present condition.

That leaves just three more Rutgers graduates looking to catch on with a team before the NFL teams' focus shifts back to finding the best veteran free-agents:

1. Manny Abreu, defensive lineman. In the opinion of some, Abreu never reached the level of play originally projected for him. Standing just over 6'2" and weighing a mere 256 pounds, scouts and coaches no doubt question the ability of this DE to fight through blocks and make tackles.

2. Art Forst, offensive lineman. Standing over 6'7" and weighing 307 pounds, Forst was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2010, and began starting for Rutgers as a true freshman. Look for someone to bring him in for a look, possibly even his former coach.

3. David Rowe, defensive back. At just 5'11" and 199 pounds, Rowe had been rated as Rutgers' most NFL-ready prospect by Mel Keiper of ESPN going into his senior year. Pro teams may have soured on him when he switched from cornerback to safety in his final season.

The initial flurry of signings has subsided, and the calendar has turned to May. Training camps will be opening in late July.

Free-agents who do not find a suitor before then and want to keep their NFL dream alive may look to stay ready by signing on with an Arena Football League team, the Canadian Football League, or the fledgling United Football League.