ANNAPOLIS, Md. ' Despite a combined 195 yards rushing and three touchdowns from freshmen Jourdan Brooks (Germantown, Md.) and Joe Martinek (Hopatcong, N.J.), the Rutgers football team (0-3) was edged by Navy (2-2) on a field goal late in the fourth quarter as the Midshipmen won 23-21 on Saturday evening at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
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RB Joe Martinek eludes a Navy defender. (Patti Banks)
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Locked in a seesaw battle that saw five lead changes, the Scarlet Knights took a one-point advantage at the 7:38 mark in the fourth quarter, however the Mids kicked what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with two minutes remaining in the contest.
Brooks ended the game with 22 carries for a career-high 134 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Martinek also posted career-bests with 61 yards on eight carries, including a TD.
Navy got out to a 3-0 lead on its opening drive, connecting on a 36-yard field goal from Matt Harmon. During the drive, a would-be Midshipmen touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty and pushed Navy back to the Rutgers 15 yard line.
The RU defense proceeded to force a total loss of four yards on two-consecutive running plays and broke up a pass play on third down, resulting in the field goal attempt.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Scarlet Knights got a major boost in field position when senior WR Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.) broke off a return of 32 yards. Starting from its own 34 yard line, Rutgers drove 66 yards on 12 plays culminating in a five yard touchdown run by freshman Joe Martinek to make it 7-3. It was Martinek's first career TD run on just his second collegiate carry.
Earning his first career start, freshman Jourdan Brooks made the most of his early opportunities, rushing 39 yards on six carries during the touchdown drive.
Navy inched closer on its next series with a successful 26-yard field goal attempt to pull within one point at 7-6.
Both teams traded possessions on downs until the 7:17 mark in the second quarter when junior DB and special teams stalwart Devin McCourty (Nanuet, N.Y.) recorded his fourth career blocked kick.
Following a false start penalty which pushed the Midshipmen back to their own 40 yard line, McCourty got excellent penetration on the Navy line and was able to block Kyle Delahooke's punt. The fourth-down punt was recovered on the 15 yard line giving Rutgers its best starting field position of the afternoon. McCourty had previously blocked two punt attempts and a field goal during his career.
The Scarlet Knights then drove the remaining 15 yards on three plays, finding pay dirt on a six yard touchdown run by Brooks. It was the first rushing touchdown of his career, extending RU's lead to 14-6.
After the halftime break, the Midshipmen posted two consecutive touchdown scores to take a 20-14 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
In the Scarlet Knights' first drive of the fourth quarter, they drove 84 yards on 12 plays to reclaim the lead at 21-20 due in large part to a huge dose of Brooks. The redshirt freshman had a carry on seven of the 12 plays, racking up 45 of the 84 yards, including the 12-yard touchdown scamper.
Navy tacked on the go-ahead score following a 63-yard drive which ended with a 24-yard field goal at the 2:06 mark in the fourth to make it 23-21 on the scoreboard. On the ensuing possession, the Scarlet Knights' late-game rally was thwarted by an interception with 1:34 left to play as the Midshipmen picked up the two-point win.
Rutgers will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 27 when it hosts Morgan State at 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on SNY.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
Rutgers (0-3) lost to Navy (2-2) 23-21 Saturday afternoon in Annapolis. The loss snapped Rutgers' three-game winning streak vs. the Midshipmen.
Player Notes
Redshirt freshman RB Jourdan Brooks recorded his first career start in Saturday's game at Navy. The Germantown, Md. native totaled 22 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Brooks' yardage total against Navy ranked among the best in school history for a running back in his first career start. The following is a list of some of the top running backs in school history's performance in their first career start.
Player'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Opponent'''''''''''''''''''''''Att.-Yards-TD
Terrell Willis'''''''''''at Army (10-16-93)'''''''''''''''''''''''37-221-4
Jourdan Brooks''' at Navy (9-20-08)''''''''''''''''''''''''22-134-2
Bruce Presley''''''''''vs. West Virginia (11-14-92)'''''''''27-105-0
Kordell Young'''''''''vs. Fresno State (9-1-08)''''''''''''''26-94-0
Mason Robinson''''''vs. North Carolina (9-11-08)'''''''''16-82-0
Ray Rice'''''''''''''''''' at Illinois (9-3-05)'''''''''''''''''''''''''12-55-0
Brian Leonard'''''''''''vs. Buffalo (8-30-03) *'''''''''''''''''' 6-11-0
* started at fullback
Brooks also posted his first career touchdown on a six-yard run in the second quarter. The Maryland native led RU with two touchdowns on the day, the first multi-touchdown game by a Scarlet Knight in 2008.
Brooks is the first player other than Ray Rice to rush for 100 yards for the Scarlet Knights since Brian Leonard and Rice both went over the century mark in 2006 vs. Syracuse. The last person to have 100 yards rushing other than Rice was Leonard against Syracuse on Nov. 25, 2006 when Leonard accumulated 106 yards.
Brooks is the first Rutgers freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since Ray Rice in 2005. Rice rushed for 108 yards on Dec. 27, 2005 in the Insight Bowl vs. Arizona State.
Redshirt freshman RB Joe Martinek recorded his first career rushing attempt, gaining seven yards on a 1st and 10 at the 12-yard line in the first quarter. One play later, he posted his first career touchdown on a five-yard rush with 5:22 to play in the first quarter.
Martinek finished with career-highs in attempts (8) and rushing yards (61).
On the defensive side of the ball, junior DT Blair Bines recorded his first career start, replacing senior DT Pete Tverdov, who was out with an ankle injury. It ended a streak of 11 straight starts for Tverdov.
Junior SS Zaire Kitchen also recorded his first career start against Navy.
Junior CB Devin McCourty blocked his fourth career kick against Navy. It is his third career punt block. He also blocked a punt at Syracuse on Oct. 10, 2007 and at Army on Nov. 9 2007. McCourty blocked a field goal against USF on Oct. 18, 2007. All four of his blocked kicks have produced touchdowns.
Senior WR Tiquan Underwood moved into 10th place in Rutgers history in career receiving yards with a 20-yard reception in the first half against Navy. He passed Shawn Tucker (1,559 yards from 2002-06) and now has 1,564 yards.
Junior DE George Johnson left the game in the first half with a lower leg injury. He did not return to the game.
Sophomore SS Joe Lefeged made his return to his home state of Maryland and tied a career-high with nine tackles. He also totaled nine tackles at Louisville (11/29/07).
Sophomore DT Alex Silvestro recorded a career-high five tackles.
