2008 Season Preview
Jul 29 | Football
As head coach Greg Schiano and his staff enter another new season in 2008, the goal and commitment to build a competitive and nationally-recognized program remains the same. Since his first season in 2001, the Scarlet Knights have continued to make marked improvements both on and off the field.
The 2007 football campaign was one of great historical significance and served as affirmation that the Rutgers program is on the rise. For the first time in 138 seasons of football at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights played in a bowl game for the third consecutive season with their appearance in the 2008 International Bowl. With the 52-30 victory over Ball State, RU won its second-straight bowl game - another first in school history.
After a season in which the defense cemented itself among the nation's elite (Rutgers ranked fourth nationally in total defense in 2006), the Scarlet Knight offense showed it too was one of the best in college football.
Rutgers earned the distinction of being the first school in NCAA history to boast a 3,000-yard passer, 2,000-yard rusher and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. The two 1,000-yard receivers were the first in BIG EAST history and 26th in NCAA history.
Although the Scarlet Knights return an experienced group with seven starters on offense and eight starters on defense, Rutgers must also look to overcome the departure of a Heisman Trophy candidate running back, two All-BIG EAST tackles, a trio of defensive standouts and one of the winningest senior classes in school history. These key losses coupled with a number of players recovering from off-season surgeries are one of the challenges facing Schiano as he welcomes his next group of Scarlet Knights.
OFFENSE
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The 2007 season for the Rutgers offense will go down as one of the most prolific in school history as last year's Scarlet Knights were just one of eight teams in 138 years of football to score 300 points in a season. RU set school records for scoring (426), first downs (294) and total offense (5,841) in 2007. The team also posted five of the Top 10 total offensive performances during the Schiano era.
Nationally, the Rutgers offense finished second in fewest sacks allowed, 18th in total offense, 22nd in passing efficiency, 26th in rushing offense and 33rd in scoring offense.
The Scarlet Knights return to the gridiron with a pair of signal callers who handled the bulk of the quarterbacking duties in 2007. Senior Mike Teel, the most consistent player under center last season, will look to continue his momentum from a stellar junior campaign in which he set a school record with 20 passing touchdowns. In his third year 'On the Banks,' Teel is 21-8 as the Rutgers starter and last season became the second player in school history with three consecutive 300-yard games and six for his career. Teel completed 203-of-349 passes for 3,147 yards and ranked 17th nationally in passing efficiency.
Junior quarterback Jabu Lovelace saw his playing significantly increase as a sophomore, appearing in 10 games after seeing time in just three as a redshirt freshman. Rutgers utilized Lovelace primarily in its rushing attack as he carried the ball from the shotgun set 82 times for 332 yards and scored four touchdowns. He had a pair of two TD games, against Norfolk State and at Army.
Sophomore Chris Paul-Etienne, who played in three games in his redshirt freshman season, will look to compete with junior Domenic Natale for time under center this fall. 2008 signee Steve Shimko enrolled at Rutgers for the spring and could also find himself in the mix at quarterback.
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Without arguably the best running back in Rutgers history, the Scarlet Knights will look to a number of talented backs to fill the shoes of the departed Ray Rice. Rice, the 55th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 NFL Draft, ended his career as a Scarlet Knight on an outstanding note. In his final game, the All-American rushed for a school-best 280 yards and became the first player in Rutgers and BIG EAST history and the 13th in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. The Doak Walker Finalist and unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading rusher in school history (4,926) and second-leading ball carrier all-time in the BIG EAST.
After suffering an injury in the third game of the 2007 season against Norfolk State, redshirt sophomore Kordell Young returns and is the most experienced tailback on the roster, having played in 14 career games. In his three games (in 2007), Young carried 18 times for 58 yards and amassed 96 yards on kickoff returns.
Joining Young as the other veteran tailback is sophomore Mason Robinson. Robinson appeared in 10 games as a true freshman, gaining 202 yards on the ground off 36 carries. He also handled kick and punt return duties with 304 total return yards.
Also battling for time at tailback will be a pair of redshirt freshmen in Joe Martinek and Jourdan Brooks. The all-time leading rusher in New Jersey state history, Martinek made the return to running back after spending much of his redshirt season as a defensive back. At 6-1, 245-pounds, Brooks presents a bruising running style and will look to add size and strength to the mix in the backfield.
In addition to the competition at tailback, there will also likely be a challenge for the fullback position between returning players Jack Corcoran and Andres Morales. Corcoran enters his junior season, having played in all but one game in his first two seasons at fullback. Morales, who made the move from defensive end to linebacker and finally to lead blocker in 2007, played in the last eight games, making five starts.
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The Scarlet Knights return the bulk of their receiving corps and will also get a major boost from an outstanding recruiting class. Senior Tiquan Underwood and junior Kenny Britt became just the second and third receivers, respectively, in Rutgers history to top the 1,000-yard plateau. Britt and Underwood also finished second and third, respectively, in the BIG EAST in receiving yards per game.
Britt finished with a school-record 1,232 yards on 62 catches, while Underwood gained 1,100 yards through the air on 65 receptions. The pair also combined for 15 touchdowns (eight for Britt, seven for Underwood).
Junior Tim Brown will be back in action as the team's third-leading receiver. The Miami, Fla., native caught 24 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the International Bowl victory.
Adding to the depth at the wide receiver position will be junior Dennis Campbell, sophomore Julian Hayes and newly converted wideout Andrew DePaola. DePaola spent the previous three seasons as a quarterback. Keith Stroud, an early signee who enrolled at Rutgers in the spring, will also vie for playing time among the pass catchers.
After emerging as a reliable run blocker and receiver midway through last season, senior Kevin Brock returns to lead a talented group of tight ends. Brock caught 23 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns as he went on to start four of the final six games in 2007.
The Scarlet Knights' other returning letterwinner at the tight end position is sophomore Shamar Graves. In his redshirt freshman season, Graves appeared in nine games with three catches and a touchdown. Aside from Brock, he is the only other tight end with significant playing time on the roster. Senior Craig McGovern, redshirt freshman Fabian Ruiz and redshirt sophomore Tom Lang will also provide depth in 2008.
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Rutgers finished the 2006 season with one of the top-rated offensive lines in the nation (allowed eight sacks, fewest in country) and 2007 proved to be much of the same with the Scarlet Knights ranking second nationally, having relinquished just 10 sacks on the year. The offensive line blocked for a team that averaged 198.0 yards on the ground and 251.3 yards through the air, marks which ranked second and third, respectively, in the BIG EAST.
However, RU must look to replace three starters from its nationally-ranked offensive line in All-BIG EAST tackles Jeremy Zuttah and Pedro Sosa and left guard Mike Fladell.
Sophomore Anthony Davis will take over at left tackle following a stellar true freshman campaign in which he earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers of America Association and The Sporting News. The Piscataway native played in all 13 games and started the final eight contests.
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Junior Ryan Blaszczyk returns to his starting center position after a solid sophomore season. In his first season as a starter, Blaszczyk helped the offensive line through a smooth transition following the departure of former center and current Pittsburgh Steeler Darnell Stapleton.
Helping to fill in at the other three vacant spots on the offensive line will be a number of veterans and several redshirt freshmen. Junior Kevin Haslam played in all 13 games (five starts) last season, seeing time at right guard, and both tackle spots. He will be joined by senior Mike Gilmartin (28 career games), and sophomores Howard Barbieri (10 games) and Mo Lange (12 games).
Redshirt freshmen Caleb Ruch, Richard Muldrow and Desmond Stapleton will also help bolster the offensive line, while early enrollee Art Forst is expected to compete for a position on the line.
DEFENSE
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The Rutgers defense once again took its place among college football's top units in 2007 as the squad ranked fifth nationally in pass defense, 12th in sacks, 20th in tackles for loss, 16th in pass efficiency defense, 17th in total defense and 30th in scoring defense.
This season, Schiano is faced with the tough task of replacing three defensive stalwarts in All-American and First Team All-BIG EAST selection Eric Foster, four-year starter Ron Girault and Draddy Trophy finalist Brandon Renkart.
There will be a noticeable difference to the defensive line with the absence of Foster. The two-time captain was a mainstay for the defensive front, however, there are several Scarlet Knights poised to fill his shoes.
Senior Jamaal Westerman leads the group of returning linemen. Westerman paced the team and was tied for sixth in the conference with eight sacks in 2007. His 20 career sacks rank fifth on the school's all-time list. In all, Westerman recorded 50 tackles (21 solo, 29 assisted), 14 for loss and 11 quarterback hurries last season.
Classmate Pete Tverdov returns as the team's other regular starter on the defensive line. Tverdov played in 10 games last season after missing the first three with an injury. He posted 36 tackles (15 solo, 21 assisted), eight for loss and one sack.
Other veterans expected to make an impact on the defensive line will be senior Gary Watts and junior George Johnson. The pair appeared in all 13 games and combined for 55 tackles, 13 for loss and eight sacks.
Sophomores Alex Silvestro, Jonathan Freeny and Justin Francis also saw significant action as true freshmen last season and should provide excellent depth for the Scarlet Knights as they battle for position on the defensive line.
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The linebacking corps will be without Renkart, its captain and leader. The former walk-on took on the role of mentor last season as he helped guide a young group of linebackers that featured no senior other than himself and just two juniors.
Taking over the reins this season will be senior Kevin Malast, who in his first season as a starter ranked second on the team with 92 tackles (38 solo, 54 assisted). He also had 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble.
Malast will be joined by fellow second-year starter, junior Damaso Munoz. Munoz appeared in all 13 games at middle linebacker and was tied for third on the squad with 67 tackles (28 solo, 39 assisted). Redshirt freshman linebacker Manny Abreu had a terrific spring and vaulted himself into contention for a starting job this fall.
Juniors Blair Bines and Ryan D'Imperio will also look to help steady the linebacker position along with senior Chris Quaye. Both Bines and D'Imperio suffered injuries in 2007, but are expected to return to form and provide experienced depth.
Despite the graduation of Girault, who started all but four games at strong safety during his four-year career, the Scarlet Knights look to be in good shape with the return of free safety Courtney Greene. The two-time All-BIG EAST selection decided to return for his senior season 'On the Banks,' opting not to enter the draft early as a junior.
Greene, who led the Scarlet Knights in tackles with 101 (54 solo, 47 assisted), will help anchor a deep defensive backfield.
Also vying for time at safety will be sophomore Joe Lefeged who had an outstanding year as a true freshman. The Germantown, Md., native received Freshman All-America honors after a season in which he posted 38 tackles, 3.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.
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Others in the mix at safety will be senior Glen Lee and juniors Davon Smart and Zaire Kitchen. Lee played in 11 games, totaling 32 tackles. Smart was a mainstay on RU's kickoff and put units, appearing in 13 games with 18 tackles. Kitchen saw action in nine games before suffering a season-ending injury. He amassed 16 tackles and a key interception in those contests.
Jason and Devin McCourty proved to be reliable options at the two starting cornerback positions and they return this season to resume their duties. Jason, a senior, has started the past two seasons, while Devin earned the starting role for the first time last year. Jason had 44 tackles on the season and a team-best 12 pass breakups.
In his first season as a starter, Devin posted 63 tackles and two interceptions, including one which he returned for a touchdown. He was also a stellar performer on special teams, coming up with the team's three blocked kicks, all of which led to eventual touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights.
Junior Billy Anderson, sophomore Brandon Bing and redshirt freshman Robenson Alexis are three players to also watch for in the defensive backfield in 2008. Anderson appeared in four games, while Bing appeared in 12 games, primarily in special team situations. Alexis will join them on the defensive side of the ball after making the switch from wide receiver during spring camp.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rutgers kicking game will deeply miss the services of All-American place-kicker Jeremy Ito. Ito handled the place-kicking duties for the past four years and also added punting to his repertoire last season. Ito converted 23-of-31 field goals in 2007. Rutgers' all-time leader in field goals made, Ito became one of six players in NCAA history to record at least 80 career field goals.
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Taking over at place-kicker will be redshirt freshman San San Te. Coming out of high school Te ranked as the No. 5 place-kicking prospect in the nation by Scout.com.
After a solid spring campaign, sophomore transfer Teddy Dellaganna seems poised to take hold of the starting position at punter. Junior Matt Voliva will add depth as both a capable punter and place-kicker.
With every new college football season, the coaching staff focuses on finding the perfect combination of players that gives the squad the best chances to excel. Added to the previously stated talent will be a highly-touted 2008 recruiting class, a number of which may find themselves on the field in their first season. In 2007, a total of 10 true freshmen took to the field and the same number or more could potentially see playing time in 2008 as Schiano has made a commitment to field the best 11 players, regardless of experience.
Along with the obvious upgrades in talent and improvements on the field, RU also has a bright future to look forward to off the field as groundbreaking has begun on the $102 million expansion of Rutgers Stadium. RU has played in front of 10-straight sell-out crowds dating back to 2006 and averaged a school-record 43,663 fans per game in 2007. For the second-straight season, Rutgers set single-game and season attendance records, proving that fans have been ignited by the Scarlet Knights with a growing season ticket waiting list of nearly 12,000.
* Denotes redshirt season
What Rutgers Returns in 2008
| Category | Percent Returning |
| Starters | 62.5 % (15-of-24) |
| Letterwinners | 69.1 % (56-of-81) |
| Passing Yards | 98.9 % (3,231-of-3,267) |
| Rushing Yards | 21.3 % (549-of-2,574) |
| Receiving Yards | 91.1 % (2,975-of-3,267) |
| Passing Touchdowns | 100.0 % (21-of-21) |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 14.3 % (4-of-28) |
| Receiving Touchdowns | 95.2 % (20-of-21) |
| Receptions | 86.8 % (184-of-212) |
| Tackles | 81.2 % (805-of-991) |
| Sacks | 69.5 % (28.5-of-41) |
| Interceptions | 66.7 % (6-of-9) |
Welcome Back
This fall, the Scarlet Knights welcome the return of 15 starters and a total of 45 players who saw action in more than half of the team's 13 games in 2007. However, there will be major losses felt on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
All-American Ray Rice was an early entree into the NFL Draft and will be missed in the backfield as he set a school and BIG EAST record with 2,012 yards in his final season 'On the Banks' . Rutgers must also look to overcome the loss of two All-BIG EAST tackles in Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah, as well as All-BIG EAST defensive tackle Eric Foster.
Offensivley, the Scarlet Knights return veteran quarterback Mike Teel who started every game last season. Teel will also have his top two targets in tow as Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood lead the returning wide receivers. The pair became the first in BIG EAST history and 26th in NCAA history to each record 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.
On the defensive side, Rutgers welcomes the return of senior safety Courtney Greene along with seven other starters. Greene appeared in all 13 games last year and has led the Scarlet Knights in tackles two of the past three seasons.
The special teams unit will have to fill the void left behind by Lou Groza Award semifinialist Jeremy Ito. PK San San Te and P Teddy Dellaganna will look to take over for Ito, who handled both the place-kicking and punting duties last season.
Preseason Award Candidates
Kenny Britt
'? Biletnikoff Award Candidate
'? Phil Steele
Preseason No. 14 Wide Receiver
in the Nation
Tiquan Underwood
'? Biletnikoff Award Candidate
'? Phil Steele
Preseason No. 25 Wide Receiver
in the Nation
Anthony Davis
'? Outland Trophy Candidate
'? Rotary Lombardi Award Candidate
'? Phil Steele
Preseason No. 11 Tackle in the Nation
Mike Teel
'? Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Candidate
'? Davey O'Brien Award Candidate
Ryan Blaszczyk
'? Rimington Trophy Candidate
Courtney Greene
'? Bronko Nagurski Trophy Candidate
'? Lott Trophy Candidate
'? Phil Steele
Preseason No. 3 Free Safety
in the Nation
Jamaal Westerman
'? Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award Candidate
Preseason All-Americans
NationalChamps.net
Kenny Britt (HM)
Courtney Greene (HM)
Tiquan Underwood (HM)
Phil Steele
Courtney Greene (Third Team)
Preseason All-BIG EAST
Phil Steele
Manny Abreu (Third Team)
Kenny Britt (First Team)
Kevin Brock (Third Team)
Anthony Davis (First Team)
Courtney Greene (First Team)
George Johnson (Third Team)
Joe Lefeged (Third Team)
Devin McCourty (Third Team)
Jason McCourty (Fourth Team)
Mike Teel (Fourth Team)
Tiquan Underwood (Second Team)
Jamaal Westerman (Second Team)
Athlon
Kenny Britt (Second Team)
Kevin Brock (Second Team)
Dennis Campbell (First Team)
Anthony Davis (Second Team)
Courtney Greene (First Team)
Jason McCourty (Third Team)
Tiquan Underwood (First Team)
Jamaal Westerman (Second Team)
Blue Ribbon
Kenny Britt
Anthony Davis
Courtney Greene
