Scarlet Knights Game Preview - West Virginia
Nov 29 | Football
RUTGERS (4-7, 1-5
) at WEST VIRGINIA (8-3, 4-2)
Saturday, December 4 • 12:00 p.m. • ABC
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)
Morgantown, W.Va.
Series: West Virginia Leads 31-4-2
TV: ABC Mike Patrick (play-by-play) Craig James (color)
Radio: Rutgers Radio Network
WOR-710 AM (New York City)
97.5 FM The Fanatic (Philadelphia)
WCTC-1450 AM (New Brunswick)
Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (color), Anthony Fucilli (sideline)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 1130
The Game
Rutgers closes out the 2010 season on the road as the Scarlet Knights travel to Morgantown, W.Va. to face No. 23/24 West Virginia Saturday at Mountaineer Field. The Scarlet Knights look to snap a 15-game losing streak to the Mountaineers and earn their first victory at West Virginia (0-16 all-time).
Kickoff is at 12 noon with live national coverage on ABC. Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Craig James (color) are calling the game.
The Rutgers Radio Network begins pre-game coverage at 11 a.m. as Chris Carlin calls the action with former Rutgers QB Ray Lucas (color analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline). The Rutgers Radio Network includes WOR-710 AM in New York City, WCTC-1450 AM in Central Jersey and 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia and South Jersey.
Sirius Satellite Radio has the Rutgers radio feed on channel 130 nationally while WRSU has complete coverage of the game on 88.7 FM in New Brunswick.
Head Coach Greg Schiano
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano (Bucknell '88) wraps up his 10th season with the Scarlet Knights Saturday at WVU. Schiano will be just the fourth coach in BIG EAST history to coach 10 seasons at the same school, joining Paul Pasqualoni (Syracuse, 14 years), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 13 years) and Don Nehlen (West Virginia, 10 years). Schiano passed former Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien earlier in the season as the fifth-winningest coach all-time in victories in the BIG EAST (59-62).
Schiano will tie former West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez for fourth place in BIG EAST history in coaching victories with one more win.
The 2006 National and BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Schiano has guided Rutgers to a school-record five consecutive bowl appearances, including four straight bowl victories. Rutgers is just one of four schools in the nation to win four consecutive bowl games.
Final Appearance for 17 Seniors
Rutgers' 17-member senior class will play one final time for the Scarlet Knights Saturday at West Virginia. The list of seniors playing their last game are: Howard Barbieri, C, Leonardo, N.J., Sorie Bayoh, DE, Miami, Fla., Brandon Bing, CB, Wyncote, Pa., Teddy Dellaganna, P, Templeton, Calif., Jim Dumont, LB, Newtown, Pa., Jonathan Freeny, DE, Tampa, Fla., Evan Lampert, TE, Montvale, N.J., Mo Lange, OL, Hillsborough, N.J., Joe Lefeged, DB, Germantown, Md., Antonio Lowery, LB, Miami, Fla., Colin McEvoy, FB, Hillsdale, N.J., Tyrone Putman, RB, Fort Washington, Md., Charlie Noonan, DT, Ardmore, Pa., Fabian Ruiz, TE, Miami, Fla., Alex Silvestro, DE, Gibbstown, N.J., Clem Udovich, LS, Annadale, N.J., Kordell Young, RB, West Deptford, N.J.
West Virginia Series
West Virginia leads the all-time series 31-4-2 against Rutgers. Saturday's game marks the third time in five season Rutgers and West Virginia close out the regular season against each other. Last season, West Virginia held off Rutgers 24-21 in Piscataway. The last time the two teams met in Morgantown, WVU stopped Rutgers on its final possession to secure a 24-17 victory.
Three of the previous four meetings have been decided by seven points or less, including last season's three-point victory for the Mountaineers.
LeGrand Injured in Army Victory
Rutgers junior defensive tackle Eric LeGrand suffered a spinal cord injury in the fourth quarter vs. Army.
"We want to say thank you to everyone for all of your prayers, kind words, and well wishes," the LeGrand family said. "We appreciate every single thought. Eric is in good spirits and we are praying for a full recovery."
LeGrand is at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, one of the nation's leaders in spinal cord rehabilitation, in West Orange, N.J. The LeGrand family requests that the media respect their privacy at this time as he transitions to this next phase of care and treatment.
The "Eric LeGrand Believe Fund" has been established to assist the family. For more information, please visit www.ScarletKnights.com/Believe.
Inside the West Virginia Series
West Virginia leads, 31-4-2
(h:4-15-2, a:0-16-0, n:0-1-0)
1916 hT 0-0
1917 hT 7-7
1919 hL 7-30
1920 aL 0-17
1921 hW 17-7
1922 aL 0-28
1923 nL 7-27
(Polo Grounds)
1980 hL 15-24
1981 aL 3-20
1982 gsL 17-44
1983 aL 7-35
1984 gsW 23-19
1985 aL 0-27
1986 gsL 17-24
1987 aL 13-37
1988 gsL 25-35
1989 aL 20-21
1990 gsL 3-28
1991 aL 3-28
1992 hW 13-9
1993 aL 22-58
1994 hW 17-12
1995 aL 26-59
1996 hL 14-52
1997 aL 0-48
1998 hL 14-28
1999 aL 16-62
2000 hL 24-31 (2OT)
2001 aL 7-80
2002 hL 0-40
2003 aL 19-34
2004 hL 30-35
2005 hL 14-27
2006 aL 39-41 (3OT)
2007 hL 3-31
2008 aL 17-24
2009 hL 21-24
Lefeged Breaks Kickoff Return Record
With 92 yards on kickoff returns versus Louisville, senior DB Joe Lefeged became Rutgers' single-season all-time leader in kickoff return yardage with 894 yards on the season. He surpassed Terrell Willis' school record of 813 kickoff return yards during the 1995 season.
Lefeged is seventh in BIG EAST history in kickoff return yardage in a season. With 101 additional kickoff return yards, Lefeged would move into third place in league history.
BIG EAST Season Kickoff Return Yard Leaders
Player School Kickoff Return Yards
1. Max Suter ('07) Syracuse 1,299
2. Mardy Gilyard ('09) Cincinnati 1,281
3. Mardy Gilyard ('08) Cincinnati 994
4. Mike Holmes ('08) Syracuse 941
5. Lowell Robinson ('07) Pitt 940
6. Will Blackmon ('03) Boston College 922
7. Joe Lefeged ('10) Rutgers 894
8. Adam Jones ('03) West Virginia 867
9. Darius Reynaud ('06) West Virginia 813
9. Terrell Willis ('95) Rutgers 813
Dodd Moving Up BIG EAST Record Books
The BIG EAST record book for true freshmen quarterbacks has a distinct Scarlet flavor as four of the top five true freshmen passers in league history are Scarlet Knights.
Sophomore QB Tom Savage holds the league record for single-season passing yardage (2,211) and touchdown passes (14), set in 2009.
Freshman Chas Dodd has a chance to move into sole possession of second place in passing yards as he trails Pitt QB Pat Bostick by just two yards.
Dodd enters the WVU game third all-time in league history in passing yards for a true freshman in a single-season with 1,498. He is tied for second in conference history with nine touchdown passes for a true freshman playing under center.
BIG EAST True Freshman Passing Yards Leaders
Player Year Passing Yards
1. Tom Savage, Rutgers 2009 2,211
2. Pat Bostick, Pitt 2007 1,500
3. Chas Dodd, Rutgers 2010 1,498
4. Ryan Cubit, Rutgers 2001 1,433
5. Mike McMahon, Rutgers 1997 1,259
BIG EAST True Freshman Passing TD Leaders
Player Year Passing TDs
1. Tom Savage, Rutgers 2009 14
2. Chas Dodd, Rutgers 2010 9
2. Ryan Cubit, Rutgers 2001 9
4. Pat Bostick, Pitt 2007 8
5. Mike McMahon, Rutgers 1997 6
On the Mark
Sophomore WR Mark Harrison put together one of the best individual performances in school history in Rutgers' loss at Cincinnati.
The Connecticut native caught 10 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns vs. the Bearcats.
He tied an 18-year school record for receiving touchdowns in a game with four, joining Chris Brantley in the Rutgers' annals. Brantley totaled eight receptions for 124 yards and the four scores vs. Virginia Tech on Oct. 31, 1992.
Oh So Close
Mark Harrison's 240 yards vs. Cincinnati was the second-highest total in Rutgers single-game history. He became just the fourth player in school history to break the 200-yard mark for receiving yards in a game and was just nine yards shy of setting a new single-game benchmark at Rutgers.
Current Jacksonville Jaguar WR Tiquan Underwood is the school's all-time leader for receiving yards in a single-game with 248 vs. Buffalo (8-30-07).
Rutgers Single-Game Receiving Yards Leaders
Player Opponent Receiving Yards
1. Tiquan Underwood Buffalo (8-30-07) 248
2. Mark Harrison at Cincinnati (11-20-10) 240
3. Jack Emmer at Holy Cross (11-16-66) 237
Rutgers Single-Game Receiving TD Leaders
Player Opponent Receiving TDs
1. Mark Harrison at Cincinnati (11-20-10) 4
1. Chris Brantley Virginia Tech (10-31-92) 4
3. Kenny Britt at Pittsburgh (10-25-08) 3
Worth Noting ...
Mark Harrison's 240 yards receiving vs. Cincinnati was the second-best game by a receiver in the nation this season, trailing only Michigan's Roy Roundtree (246 yards vs. Illinois) ... Harrison tied a BIG EAST single-game record with his four touchdown catches vs. the Bearcats ... the 240 yards receiving also ranked third all-time in BIG EAST history.
Moving Up the Charts
Mark Harrison leads Rutgers and is tied for second in the BIG EAST with eight receiving touchdowns in 2010. He now is tied for fourth all-time in school single-season history in the category, joining current Tennessee Titan Kenny Britt and Reggie Funderburk in fourth place.
Rutgers Single-Season Receiving TD Leaders
Player Receiving TDs
1. Marco Battaglia (1995) 10
2. Tim Brown (2009) 9
2. Bob Simms (1958) 9
4. Mark Harrison (2010) 8
4. Kenny Britt (2007) 8
4. Reggie Funderburk (1994) 8
Going Long Distance for Six
Mark Harrison is averaging 34.4 yards per touchdown reception in 2010 and has caught touchdown passes from three different quarterbacks in 2010.
Harrison has been on the receiving end of six touchdown passes from Chas Dodd, one by Tom Savage and one from fellow WR and Wild Knight QB Mohamed Sanu.
Chasing the Top Spot
Chas Dodd has three of the top seven single-game top passing yardage games by a true freshman in Rutgers school history in 2010.
Dodd threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns at Cincinnati, the second-best single-game yardage total by a true freshman at Rutgers.
Player Opponent C-A-I Yds TD
Mike McMahon at Army ('97) 26-42-1 386 1
Chas Dodd at Cincinnati ('10) 19-29-2 335 4
Ryan Cubit Navy ('01) 13-20-1 327 3
Chas Dodd Connecticut ('10) 18-29-0 322 2
Tom Savage UCF ('09) 14-27-1 294 2
Mike McMahon Pittsburgh ('97) 19-38-1 269 2
Chas Dodd Army ('10) 18-30-1 251 2
Finding a Rhythm
Chas Dodd and Mark Harrison are quickly becoming one of the top QB-WR duos in the BIG EAST.
In seven games with Dodd as the starter at quarterback, Harrison has become his favorite target.
Harrison has caught 36 passes for 693 yards and eight touchdowns during the seven games Dodd has started at QB. Dodd has thrown six touchdown passes to Harrison as the starter.
On Target
Chas Dodd set a single-game record for completion percentage by a QB during the Greg Schiano by going 19-of-22 passing for 139 yards Nov. 3 at USF.
He completed 86.4% of his passes vs. the Bulls, topping the previous single-game record for completion percentage under Schiano set by Ryan Hart in 2005 vs. Navy.
Top Single-Game Completion Percentage Games
QB C-A Pct. Yards TD Opponent (Date)
Chas Dodd 19-22 86.4 139 0 at USF (11-3-10)
Ryan Hart 18-21 85.7 221 0 Navy (10-29-05)
Joe Gagliardi 13-16 81.3 116 2 Colgate (11-16-85)
Mike Teel 21-26 80.8 447 7 Louisville (12-4-08)
The Comeback Kid
Chas Dodd has rallied the Scarlet Knights in the fourth quarter for two victories this season. Even more impressive, the two fourth quarter comebacks came in Dodd's first two career starts.
Dodd was 16-of-22 (72.7%) passing for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the victories over UConn and Army in the fourth quarter and overtime. Dodd was 7-of-9 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown vs. UConn in the fourth quarter on Oct. 8 before going 8-of-12 for 128 yards and two scores vs. Army in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Fourth Quarter Comebacks Under Schiano
Yr. Opponent, QB 4th Q Deficit Final Score
2010 Army (Dodd) 3-17 23-20 OT*
2010 UConn (Dodd) 17-24 27-24*
2010 at FIU (Savage) 13-14 19-14
2009 at UConn (Savage) 21-24 28-24*
2008 NC State (Teel) 19-23 29-23
2006 Louisville (Teel) 22-25 28-25*
2006 at USF (Teel) 13-14 22-20
2004 at Vanderbilt (Hart) 16-34 37-34*
* Game-winning drive with less than two minutes remaining
Runs Like a Deer
Freshman WR Jeremy Deering has turned into the Scarlet Knights' best option on the ground over the last three games.
Deering posted career-highs in rushes (29) and rushing yards (166) and matched his career-long run (22) out of the Wild Knight vs. Syracuse.
The 29 rushing attempts were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Ray Rice's 35 attempts vs. Ball State in the International Bowl (1-5-08).
Deering recorded his first career rushing touchdown with a 19-yard run in the third quarter against Syracuse.
He also caught one pass for 10 yards and completed his first career pass for five yards against the Orange.
In Rare Company
Jeremy Deering rushed for the most yards in a single-game by a non-running back in school history with his 166-yard performance as the Wild Knight quarterback vs. Syracuse.
He broke Mohamed Sanu's school record for rushing yards in a single-game by a non-running back after his 148-yard contest last season at Louisville.
Deering became the fourth player in the Greg Schiano era to rush for at least 165 yards in a game.
Lefeged Named a Semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award
Joe Lefeged was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, an honor given annually to the nation's top defensive back. The Germantown, Md., product has been all over the field on defense and special teams this season and was named a Mid-Season All-America by Phil Steele.
The Maryland product is second on the squad with 73 tackles and leads Rutgers with five pass breakups. He has also forced a team-best three fumbles in 2010.
Lefeged became the first player in BIG EAST history to be named the Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, in the same week, the league office announced Sept. 13. Lefeged earned the two awards after an incredible performance in the victory at FIU.
The senior strong safety blocked two punts, forced two fumbles, recorded one interception, broke up a pass and had six tackles in the win.
It marked the second time in two weeks a Scarlet Knight was named Special Teams Player of the Week after Brandon Bing earned the award on Sept. 6.
Lefeged was also named the Jim Thorpe National Defensive Back of the Week for his amazing performance at FIU.
Attack the Quarterback
Rutgers entered the Syracuse contest with just seven sacks on the season, but the Scarlet Knights totaled a season-high six sacks vs. the Orange. Seven players combined to record sacks in the game, led by senior DE Alex Silvestro's 1.5 sacks.
In addition, Rutgers totaled six quarterback hurries and a season-high 10 tackles-for-loss.
Sacks for Silvestro
Alex Silvestro has totaled 3.5 sacks over his last three games, including eight tackles, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks at Cincinnati on Nov. 20. The South Jersey native leads Rutgers in TFLs (11.5) and sacks (4.5) in 2010.
Fourth Quarter Magic
After trailing 17-3 to start the fourth quarter, Rutgers scored 14 points in the final stanza to force overtime and earn the 23-20 OT victory over Army on Oct. 16. The 14-point fourth quarter deficit was the largest Rutgers' has rallied from for a victory since trailing at Vanderbilt 34-16 on Oct. 9, 2004. Rutgers responded with a 37-34 victory at Vandy for the largest fourth quarter comeback in school history.
The Scarlet Knights moved to 2-4 all-time in overtime games with the win vs. Army.
Game-Winning Field Goal
For the second time under Greg Schiano, Rutgers converted a game-winning field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in the 27-24 victory over UConn.
Junior PK San San Te drilled a 34-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining to secure the three-point victory. He was named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 11 for his performance vs. UConn.
The only other game-winning field goal with less than 30 seconds to play came via the right foot of Jeremy Ito in 2006 vs. No. 3 Louisville. Ito booted a 28-yard field goal - with also 13 seconds remaining - to give Rutgers a thrilling 28-25 victory over Louisville.
A Debut for the Ages
Chas Dodd had one of the greatest debuts of any QB in school history with his 322-yard performance in the 27-24 victory over Connecticut on Oct. 8.
Dodd was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week by the league office and the BIG EAST Player of the Week by Rivals.com following the UConn game.
He completed six passes of 20 yards or longer in the contest. Dodd had career-bests in completions (18), yards (322) and touchdowns (2), while he completed a career-long pass of 52 yards.
Dodd threw for the third-highest yardage total in a single-game by a true freshman QB in school history.
The 322 passing yards for Dodd were the most ever by a quarterback making their first career start in the Greg Schiano era. It was the second-most passing yards by a quarterback in his first career start in school history, trailing only Mike McMahon with his 386 yards on 26-for-42 passing at Army in 1997.
It also marked the first 300-yard passing performance since Mike Teel (319 yards) against NC State in the PapaJohns.com Bowl on Dec. 29, 2008.
The 322 yards passing by Dodd were also the most by any player in the BIG EAST in 2010 at the time of the game.
Notable First Starts for Rutgers QBs
Year Player Opponent C-A-I Yards TD Long
2010 Chas Dodd* Connecticut 18-29-0 322 2 52
2009 Tom Savage* Howard 8-13-0 223 2 68
2009 Domenic Natale Cincinnati 8-12-3 108 0 20
2005 Mike Teel at Syracuse 13-27-2 203 2 37
2002 Ryan Hart* #1/1 Miami 9-23-2 110 0 40
2002 Ted Trump Buffalo 16-38-3 166 1 22
2001 Ryan Cubit* at Buffalo 11-23-2 157 2 39
1997 Mike McMahon* at Army 26-42-1 386 1 40
1981 Jacque LaPrairie* at Boston College 2-16-2 38 0 N/A
*True freshman
Shutout in Five Straight Seasons
Rutgers and Boise State are the only teams in the nation to record a shutout in each of the last five seasons. Here is a look at Rutgers' shutouts over the last five years:
2006: Illinois (33-0); Navy (34-0)
2007: Norfolk State (59-0)
2008: Morgan State (38-0)
2009: Texas Southern (42-0); USF (31-0)
2010: Norfolk State (31-0)
Everyone Loves a Block Party
Greg Schiano has always preached the importance of special teams and the results have shown over his coaching career in Piscataway. Rutgers has blocked 48 kicks during the Schiano era, including two in the first game of the 2010 season by Brandon Bing against Norfolk State.
Joe Lefeged followed that effort up with two blocked punts of his own in the victory at Florida International. Rutgers is 21-16 under Schiano when blocking a kick in a game.
NCAA Blocked Kick Leaders (Since 2002)
1. Fresno State 55
2. Texas 49
3. Rutgers 48
4. Louisiana-Lafayette 43
5. Florida 42
Sweet Te
Rutgers junior PK San San Te is 18th among active career kickers in the nation with 44 made field goals. The 44 field goals also place Te third in school history in career field goals made. The North Carolina native is 14-for-20 on the season.
Inside 40 yards this season, Te has been nearly automatic, going 12-of-13. His only miss inside 40 yards was from 38 yards vs. North Carolina. In his career, Te is 38-of-44 from under 40 yards (86%).
Te also ranks 10th in BIG EAST history in career field goals. He needs one field goal to move into a tie for ninth place in the conference annals with former Miami PK Todd Sievers.
Representing the 305
Antonio Lowery, a native of Miami, has been all over the field in 2010. Lowery leads the team in tackles (97) and ranks third in the BIG EAST with 8.8 tackles per game.
Lowery totaled a career-high 19 tackles in the 23-20 overtime victory over Army. It was the most tackles by a Scarlet Knight during the Greg Schiano era and the most tackles by any player in the BIG EAST this season. The active linebacker has also recovered three fumbles and forced two fumbles this season.
The Century Mark for Thomas
Freshman RB Jordan Thomas cracked the century mark for the first time in his career with a personal-best 120 rushing yards on 16 carries and a touchdown vs. Louisville. The 16 rushing attempts were also a career-high for the New York native.
Thomas became the fourth player in 2010 to rush for 100 yards in a game this season and the sixth player on the roster to break the century mark in a game. In 2010, Thomas joined Mohamed Sanu, Joe Martinek and Jeremy Deering as backs who have rushed for more than 100 yards in a game. Kordell Young and De'Antwan Williams have also capped the 100-yard mark in a game during their careers at Rutgers.
