LOUISVILLE, Ky. (November 27, 2009) – True freshman Mohamed Sanu (South Brunswick, N.J.) rushed for a career-high 148 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns as Rutgers (8-3, 3-3 BIG EAST) defeated Louisville (4-8, 1-6 BIG EAST) 34-14 on Friday afternoon at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Sanu became the fourth Scarlet Knight to rush for 100 yards this season. Senior wide receiver Tim Brown (Miami, Fla.) also enjoyed a career day, recording 1,000 yards receiving in a season for the first time in his Rutgers career. Brown ended the day with seven catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. He became the fourth player in Rutgers history to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau in receiving (single-season) with 1,051 yards and added to his school record with 19 career touchdowns.
Rutgers opened with a 28-7 edge at halftime, scoring on its first four possessions – a first in the nine-year tenure of head coach Greg Schiano.
The Scarlet Knights took a seven-point lead on their opening drive, going 64 yards on six plays, capped by a two-yard TD run by sophomore Joe Martinek (Hopatcong, N.J.). Sanu picked up 20 yards on three plays from the wildcat formation to help spark the drive. Brown put Rutgers in scoring position with two receptions for 42 yards, including a 19-yard catch down to the two yard line, setting up the touchdown run by Martinek.
Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage (Springfield, Pa.), who was perfect to start the game, completing his first six pass, added to the Scarlet Knights’ lead with his feet. RU pulled ahead 14-0 as the true freshman capped a 16-play, 87-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run, the first rushing score of his young career.
Louisville narrowed the Rutgers advantage to seven points with a second quarter touchdown pass from junior Adam Froman to senior Trent Guy to make 14-7 in RU’s favor.
Sanu continued to rack up yards from the wildcat, tacking on a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put Rutgers ahead 21-7. It was Sanu’s second career rushing TD, ending a drive that went 80 yards, racking up 38 yards on three carries. He also hauled in a 10-yard catch from Savage.
The Scarlet Knights found the end zone again in the second quarter with less than two minutes remaining in the first half with a quick-strike, balanced scoring attack. Rutgers went 52 yards on four plays in just 43 seconds to increase their lead 28-7. Martinek converted a third-and-10 with a 20-yard run and Savage took RU the rest of the way with a 32-yard touchdown completion to Brown. It was Brown’s eighth score of the season, adding to his all-time school record with 19 career TDs.
The Cardinals scored on their first possession of the second half to pull within 14 points (28-14). Louisville went 82 yards on seven plays, ending with a one-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman Darius Ashley.
A 29-yard fourth-quarter rushing touchdown by Sanu with 3:52 left to play helped seal the 34-14 win for the Scarlet Knights. Sanu rushed for a total of 71 yards in the final quarter of the game.
Rutgers will return home for its regular-season finale against West Virginia on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Rutgers Stadium. The game is set for a noon kickoff and will be nationally-televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
Rutgers defeated Louisville 34-13 Friday to improve to 8-3 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST.
The Scarlet Knights have posted at least eight wins in each of the last four years.
Rutgers orchestrated touchdown drives on each of its first four possessions of the game for the first time in the Greg Schiano era.
In their last three games against the Cardinals, the Scarlet Knights scored touchdowns on each of their first two drives all three times and each of their first three drives twice (2007 and 2009).
The Scarlet Knights have scored on their first two possessions three times this season. Besides the TDs on its first two drives, RU also scored on their first two drives against USF (touchdown and field goal) and Army (touchdown and field goal).
The 239 rushing yards for the Scarlet Knights is a season-high in a BIG EAST game. RU’s previous season-best rushing total in a league game was 160 against USF on Nov. 12.
The Rutgers defense held Louisville to just 48 rushing yards on 27 carries in the game. It is the Cardinals’ lowest rushing total of the season by 32 yards.
Rutgers now has five players on its roster with a 100-yard rushing game after true freshman WR Mohamed Sanu (South Brunswick, N.J.) ran 18 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Junior RB Kordell Young (West Deptford, N.J.), sophomore RB Joe Martinek (Hopatcong, N.J.), sophomore RB Jourdan Brooks (Germantown, Md.) and true freshman RB De’Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, Va.) are the other Scarlet Knights to achieve the feat in their career.
RU is now 7-2 all-time against Louisville.
The Scarlet Knights have defeated Louisville by a combined score of 97-28 in the last two meetings.
Rutgers scored 28 first-half points while allowing just seven Louisville first-half points in Friday’s game. In their last two games combined, RU has out-scored U of L 77-7 in the first half.
Player Notes
With 124 yards on seven receptions, senior WR Tim Brown (Miami, Fla.) moved into fifth place in Rutgers history in career receiving yards. He now has 2,091 on 106 career receptions. Brown passed Clark Harris (2,015 yards from 2003-06) and Jim Guarantano (2,065 yards from 1989-92).
He also had his 19th career receiving touchdown in the contest which extended his school-record career receiving TD total.
The seven receptions tied his career-high, achieved four times previously.
For the season, Brown now has 51 receptions for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranks fifth in school history in single-season receiving yards and is tied with Kenny Britt (2007) and Reggie Funderburk (1994) for third in single-season receiving touchdowns.
Brown’s 100-yard receiving game was the ninth of his career. He ranks second in school history in career 100-yard receiving games, five behind Kenny Britt (14 from 2006-08).
True freshman WR Mohamed Sanu (South Brunswick, N.J.) recorded career-highs in rushing yards (148) carries (18) and touchdowns (2) out of the wildcat formation against Louisville. His previous high rushing total was 42 yards on four carries at Syracuse on Nov. 21. His 34-yard run against the Cardinals in the second quarter was also a career-long.
True freshman QB Tom Savage (Springfield, Pa.) recorded his first career rushing touchdown on a three-yard TD run in the second quarter against Louisville. Savage also completed his first eight passes of the game and finished 10-for-16 for 163 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore RB Joe Martinek (Hopatcong, N.J.) recorded his ninth rushing touchdown of the season. He is tied with nine other Scarlet Knights for 11th in school history in single-season rushing touchdowns. Martinek finished with 90 yards rushing on 22 carries.
Senior DB Billy Anderson (West Orange, N.J.) forced his first career fumble in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals.
Freshman DB Khaseem Greene (Elizabeth, N.J.) recovered his second career fumble at Louisville. He recovered a fumble earlier this year at Army.
