Rutgers Cracks Top 10 With Win Over Army
Teel Struggles Early, Pulls Out The Win
01/01/2007
Written By: Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN NCAA Football Analyst
[New Brunswick, New Jersey]-- The running game was non-existent all day. The passing game struggled mightily early on.
Mike Teel had been intercepted twice in the first quarter, resulting in a 0-0 tie entering the second. Luckily for Rutgers, they caught all the right breaks.
Army kicker Adam DeMarco missed two field goals in the first quarter, one from only 13 yards out, another from 24 yards out. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Knight offense was unable to capitalize on any of the Black Knights miscues.
"We got really lucky out there today," stated head coach
Greg Schiano.
"We're going to have to execute a lot better then that the next couple weeks, or else it's going to be disappointing here in New Brunswick."
Rutgers finally got on the board though, when cornerback
Jason McCourty intercepted a pass and returned it into Army territory, setting up a Jeremy Ito thirty yard field goal, giving the Scarlet Knights a 3-0 lead.
Rutgers next possession would result in a touchdown, this time on a brilliant move by wide receiver
Kenny Britt. Teel was being rushed by the defensive end and somehow managed to get the pass off and into the hands of Britt, who made a defender missed and ran the ball sixty-nine yards down the field for his sixth touchdown of the season.
After the halftime show, Army came right out and moved the ball down the field once more. However, DeMarco missed his third kick of the day, which would've brought the score to 10-9. Instead, Rutgers sat comfortably at 10-0.
A scoreless third went by, and on came the fourth quarter. Teel somehow managed a fifteen yard touchdown pass early in the fourth off a playaction to
Tiquan Underwood in the endzone, which gave Rutgers their 17-0 lead. The game was seemingly over, only four minutes remaining, and the fourth and final missed field goal by DeMarco had just occured. Rutgers had the ball and capitalized on a one yard run from
Kordell Young, putting the score out of reach, 24-0.
Army would score with fifteen seconds remaining, but it was too late. The sixty-four yard touchdown pass wouldn't be enough, and Rutgers improved to 9-1 on the season, and cracked the top 10 in the BCS Standings.
"Hopefully we get into a top bowl game," said senior lineman
Pedro Sosa.
"I just want to go out with one more Bowl Championship under my belt and I'll be happy."
It is evident that with the win, Rutgers in one step closer to that big Bowl game they are dreaming of. Next week they'll take on 6-3 Pittsburgh, back home in New Brunswick.