Rutgers football Gameday, Motor City Bowl edition!

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are in Johnny's hometown of Detroit this afternoon to take on North Carolina (and their non-existant plan to actually have student athletes learn anything while enrolled) in at 4:30 today. We're just going to go ahead and call this the old Motor City Bowl for reference purposes because unless Johnny gets paid by the actual bowl sponsors themselves, six figures, he's not using corporate names. The game on paper anyway looks like it could be quite the offensive affair. Let's take a look.

Rutgers comes into their Motor City Bowl at 7-5 and a pretty good first season in the B1G all things considered. RU proved the doubters who said they didn't belong in such a conference, and certainly couldn't compete in such a conference, well wrong. RU is a good, not great team, that is a difficult team to play against, who never give up (See Maryland game) and are quite capable in getting the B1G off on the right bowl foot. In fact Johnny expects no less today.

North Carolina at the beginning of the year were nothing less than a sieve defense. Their 4-2-5 alignment gave up huge yards and points in losses to East Carolina and Clemson. A bowl game, with the extra practice and film time can help RU re-open the gashes in the UNC defense. Gary Nova' RU's "legendary" QB was third in both TD passes and yards in the B1G this season and should have a big day. Who better for Nova to throw to than the B1G's Leonte Carroo who was second statistically in the conference with 1,043 yards and third in TD catches with 10. The sky is the limit offensively for RU as the UNC defensive head coach for defense, Vic Koenning, left halfway through the year his defense was so very bad. It's not entirely better now.

When it comes to defense against the UNC offense the Scarlet Knights need to contain Tar Heel QB Marquise Williams who is a passing and running threat. He can do both and do both well. RU is going to have to limit one of the two things he does well. Stack the box with an extra LB or safety or play a nickel back often to help contain the UNC passing attack. The UNC offense is good, it can however be contained (they were only 6-6).

We think today the B1G pedigree will come to the fore. RU has played much better offenses and defenses than they'll face today in Michigan State and Ohio State. RU was smoked in both those games but here is where they apply what they learned from those teams and how they'll use it for motivation today. With a win and an 8-5 record this would have to be considered a great season for RU. We think that's exactly what happens today.

Fearless Forecast:
Rutgers 37
North Carolina 31

Rutgers football Gameday!

Well fans here we are, late late November and a season that was supposed to be a soul-crushing doormat trip through their first season ion the B1G actually has a huge opportunity. Rutgers is 6-5 and they NEED this win today and here's why.

Northwestern and Illinois are fighting to be bowl eligible at 6-6, one will today. With a huge upset over the Buckeyes (and they almost did last year) Michigan is 6-6. If Sparty beats Penn State today they will be 6-6. That is just too many 6-6 teams to ASSURE a bowl game for RU. Yes, 6-6 qualifies you but if you think a small bowl game is going to take Rutgers at 6-6 over Michigan and Penn State at 6-6 you're fooling yourself. Don't think the B1G itself would lobby for RU to not go over Michigan or PSU, B1G Commissioner Jim Delany is NOT your friend RU. The B1G look at 6-6 teams doesn't even begin to count all the other 6-6 teams out there. If the Knights want a payout this year they MUST win today.

7-4 Maryland awaits in The Noob Bowl. Maryland is a one TD favorite BUT this is going to have to be a program win for Rutgers. Most of Maryland's success has come away from Byrd Stadium on the road. Rutgers must dig deep, stick to their game plan and cinch a bowl game. We think Gary Nova will shine today.

For God and Country....and a bowl game

Fearless Forecast:
Rutgers 27
Maryland 25

Rutgers football Gameday!

Welcome to the RU football Gameday Johnny has waited all year for -- The Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State is proof Rutgers can succeed in the B1G. Michigan State had drifted for years in the conference without much to take away from, well any of it. Since Duffy Daugherty retired and after Nick Saban left in 1999 MSU fell into a general malaise winning only one Big Ten title in 1990. They'd have some nice runs and the occasional upset of Ohio State or Michigan but nothing you'd go up on rooftops yelling about.

Kinda sorta like Rutgers for the last 25-30 years. A lot of naysayers said Rutgers would be the doormat of the B1G this year and that has been far from true. Rutgers has established a calling card in only their first year as being a team that is difficult to play against and excellent on special teams. Quick, what's Maryland's calling card? Exactly. It's not as bad as all that Scarlet Knights fans. Mark Dantonio at MSU has taken overlooked two and three star recruits and coached them better than anyone else in the midwest and has become a national power in the process. Rutgers has a good coach in Kyle Flood. If he can have three or four years to get his guys in that FIT the program he's trying to build, and gets guys overlooked with something to prove and yes, nine or ten win seasons are not out of the question. Johnny's not saying it's going to happen overnight or that Rutgers will become Auburn or Alabama any time soon but RU is positioned well right now.

OK, football! This is an A gap blitz. MSU runs these a LOT:

See the two middle linebackers get a healthy running start at the opposing team's backfield? Yeah, and if Gary Nova does not handle these Pat Narduzzi blitzes Rutgers is in for a long day. Why can Michigan St. blitz like this? Their cornerbacks play tight press coverage and are very good at it. They know most long passes are not completed especially when A) the QB is under great pressure and B) The defender is good. The Spartans dare the opposition to throw long. In order for RU to keep things close and hope for an upset Gary Nova is going to have to hit at least three plays of 50 yards or more. He is going to have to prove to the 75,000 green and white fans on Senior Day he can go long and keep going long. Though not a strength Rutgers is going to need to run the ball against the Green Wall for around 100 yards to keep Nova upright when he passes.

When MSU has the ball they have perhaps the most balanced offense in the conference. Pro to be Connor Cook is not afraid to use his arm (Note: At least once a game he WILL throw a pass that makes MSU fans wonder if he's blind) and has a cadre of good receivers and one great one. Tony Lippett, (#14 in your program but #1 in your heart) has had a breakout season. He's big, strong, fast and makes great catches for long gains:

Getting back to how Rutgers can emulate Michigan St. by smart player selection; all everything running back Jeremy Langford was a third team defensive back after his freshman year. It cost MSU nothing to move him and see if his talents didn't fit better elsewhere. Smart good coaching can cover a lot of holes. Look at Langford now, over 100 yards for 13 straight games. He has 33 career TD's. All they did was move him.

Langford has fumbled in the past and as noted above Connor Cook is prone to a horrid throw every so often believing in his arm more than he should. Rutgers is going to need turnovers and will most likely need one of their patented blocked kicks for a score to keep it close and spring what would be a huge upset and BIG program win for Kyle Flood and RU.

All this being said Johnny is gonna go with his deep seeded loyalties today in the rain/snow/fog of East Lansing.

Fearless Forecast:
Michigan St. 45
Rutgers 14

Late last night Rutgers lost in overtime to Fresno St. 52-51

A late game out on the left coast ended the same way some of the games on the right coast do, with a loss.

The Star-Ledger reports the game came to an official end at 3:32 am this morning. Either way, late night or early morning losing a game Rutgers put themselves in a position to win on the road has to hurt. The Scarlet Knights were up 7 with under two minutes to play and let Fresno tie the game. Still the Piscataway 11 had a chance win on a late field goal in regulation but alas, missed. We also wonder about the decision to kick it when head coach Kyle Flood sent on kicker Kyle Federico maybe one play too early. We think Rutgers could have tried for even 5-10 more yards before that kick, they had the time to try. There was also Flood's risky (albeit successful) 2-point call in the first overtime to add more juice to the story. Rutgers will be anything but predictable this year we have a feeling.

So a tough loss in a wild shootout replete with strange coaching decisions, excitement to the very end, and plenty to work on. Way too many penalties (we know, first game) and 2 turnovers. Gary Nova had a good game out of the box throwing for 348 yards and 5 touchdowns on 26/41 passing. Junior Paul James had a strong game on the ground for Rutgers with 182 yards on 22 carries. That's huge.

Rutgers is home next Saturday to take on the Norfolk State Spartans, kickoff at noon.