Scarlet Knights Game Preview - Pittsburgh
Oct 03 | Football
PITTSBURGH (3-2, 1-0
) at RUTGERS (3-1, 1-0)
Sat., October 8 • 3:32 p.m. • ESPNU
High Point Solutions Stadium (52,454)
Piscataway, N.J.
Series: Pitt leads, 21-7
The Game
• In a battle for first place in the BIG EAST, Rutgers (3-1, 1-0) hosts Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0) Saturday, October 8 at High Point Solutions Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. with national television coverage on ESPNU.
• Calling the game for ESPNU is Pam Ward (play-by-play) and former Boise State and Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins (color analyst).
• Rutgers Rush Hour, a one-hour condensed replay of the game, airs Sunday at 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on SNY. The full-game replay airs Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. on SNY.
Series Information
• Rutgers and Pitt will meet for the 29th time in series history Saturday with the Panthers holding a 21-7 series advantage. Saturday's game marks the 27th consecutive season the two teams will meet on the gridiron.
• Over the last six meetings, the Scarlet Knights are 4-2 against Pitt, with the Panthers winning the last two.
• Rutgers is 4-9 at home vs. Pitt.
The Head Coaches
• Rutgers: Greg Schiano (Bucknell '88) is in his 11th season with the Scarlet Knights. Schiano is just the fourth coach in BIG EAST history to coach 10 seasons at the same school, along with Paul Pasqualoni (Syracuse, 14 years), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 13 years) and Don Nehlen (West Virginia, 10 years). Schiano (62-64) is third all-time in victories among BIG EAST coaches. The 2006 National and BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Schiano has guided Rutgers to a school-record five bowl appearances over the previous six seasons, including four bowl victories.
• Pitt: Todd Graham (East Central '87) is in his first year at Pitt. Graham spent the last four years as the head coach at Tulsa, leading the Golden Hurricane to a pair of C-USA West Division titles. He also served one year as the head coach at Rice. Graham is 46-25 in his six years as head coach.
Rutgers to Honor 1961 Team at Halftime
Rutgers' first undefeated squad - the 1961 team - will be honored at halftime Saturday vs. Pittsburgh at High Point Solutions Stadium. The majority of the team is scheduled to attend. The team finished the season ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 20.
Under the leadership of head coach John F. Bateman, the 1961 team was led by MVP Sam Mudie, who rushed for 403 yards and threw for another 300, including a team-best 10 touchdowns. He was 10th nationally in scoring and fourth in the country with six interceptions on defense.
Fullback Steve Simms led RU with 614 yards rushing as the Scarlet Knights closed out their perfect season with a 32-19 victory over Columbia on Nov. 25, 1961.
Center Alex Kroll was a consensus First Team All-American selection while Simms collected honorable mention All-America honors by AP.
Kroll is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and was credited with making the quarterback sneak an offensive weapon as RU scored seven touchdowns on that play during the 1961 campaign. He was a key cog in the nation's 10th-best scoring offense that averaged 27.3 points per game.
The Rutgers defense led the nation in interceptions (23).
Mo Knows
Junior WR Mohamed Sanu finished with one of the most prolific receiving days in NCAA history Sept. 24 in the 38-26 victory vs. Ohio.
Sanu set a new BIG EAST and school record with 16 receptions against the Bobcats. Sanu ended the day with career-highs in receptions (16), receiving yards (176) and receiving touchdowns (2).
He was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week by the league office for his performance vs. Ohio. Rivals.com also named Sanu the BIG EAST Player of the Week.
The 16 receptions by Sanu were the second-most by a player in a single-game nationally in 2011, trailing only Southern California's Robert Woods. Woods caught 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns vs. Minnesota on Sept. 3.
Sanu became the first Scarlet Knight since Tres Moses in 2004 to record 10-plus receptions in two consecutive games.
Guess Who? It is Sanu ...
Mohamed Sanu is tied for second nationally in receptions per game (10.8) and 20th in the country in receiving yards per game (107.0). He also leads the BIG EAST in both categories.
NCAA Receptions Per Game Leaders
1. Robert Woods, Southern California 11.0
2. Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers 10.8
2. Jordan White, Western Michigan 10.8
Moving On Up ...
Mohamed Sanu is eighth in Rutgers history with 138 career receptions. With his next 100-yard receiving game, Sanu will move into a tie for fifth in school history in career 100-yard receiving games with six.
Rutgers Career Receptions Leaders
1. Brian Leonard (2003-06) 207
2. Tres Moses (2001-05) 192
3. Kenny Britt (2006-08) 178
4. Marco Battaglia (1992-95) 171
5. Jim Guarantano (1989-92) 158
6. Chris Brantley (1990-93) 144
7. Clark Harris (2003-06) 143
8. Mohamed Sanu (2009-present) 138
9. Tiquan Underwood (2005-08) 132
In the Month of October
Rutgers is 20-19 (.513) overall under Greg Schiano in the month of October. Since 2005, the Scarlet Knights are 13-7 (.650) in October.
Year-by-Year in October under Schiano
Year Overall
2001 1-2
2002 0-3
2003 1-3
2004 2-3
2005 3-1
2006 3-0
2007 2-2
2008 2-2
2009 3-1
2010 2-2
2011 1-0
Total 20-19
In BIG EAST Play
Rutgers is 61-105-4 all-time against current BIG EAST members.
Rutgers Against the BIG EAST
Cincinnati 7-8-1
Connecticut 21-9
Louisville 7-3
Pittsburgh 7-21
Syracuse 11-30-1
USF 4-2
West Virginia 4-32-2
Facing a Familiar Foe
There are several connections between Rutgers and Pittsburgh. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti, tight ends coach Brian Angelichio and secondary coach Jeff Hafley served on Dave Wannstedt's staff in Pittsburgh before joining Greg Schiano's staff at RU.
Cignetti spent two years in the Steel City on the Pitt staff while Angelichio and Hafley coached at Pitt for five seasons.
Former Pitt quarterback Andrew Janocko, who played for the Panthers from 2006-09, joined the RU coaching staff as an offensive assistant prior to the 2011 season.
Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene, the team leader in tackles, should have plenty of opportunities to add to his totals Saturday vs. Pitt running back Ray Graham. Graham, the nation's third-leading rusher, is the younger brother of Greene.
Six Straight Years with a Shutout
Rutgers is the only school in the nation to post a shutout in each of the last six seasons. The Scarlet Knights blanked North Carolina Central 48-0 to open the year.
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)
2011: North Carolina Central (48-0)
This Week's Opponent: Pitt
Pitt is coming off its most impressive victory of the season with a 44-17 blowout of No. 16 USF last Thursday evening at Heinz Field. Ray Graham, the Walter Camp National Player of the Week on offense, rushed for 226 yards in the win over the Bulls.
Pitt has victories over USF, Buffalo (35-16) and Maine (35-29) in 2011 while losing to Notre Dame (15-12) and at Iowa (31-27).
Under first-year head coach Todd Graham, the Panthers rank 60th in total offense (400.8 ypg), 52nd in scoring offense (30.6 ppg), 40th in rushing offense (180.4 ypg) and 69th in passing offense (220.4 ypg).
On defense, Pitt ranks 96th nationally in total defense (414.4 ypg), 39th in scoring defense (21.6 ppg), 107th in pass defense (289.6 ypg) and 44th in rushing defense (124.8 ypg).
Noting the Victory at Syracuse
• Rutgers moved to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in BIG EAST play with a 19-16 double overtime victory over Syracuse (3-2, 0-1 BIG EAST) in the BIG EAST opener for both schools at the Carrier Dome.
• Game captains for Rutgers were senior DB Patrick Kivlehan, junior OT Devon Watkis, junior WR Mohamed Sanu and junior DT Scott Vallone.
• Rutgers defeated Syracuse for the fourth time in six meetings to move to 11-30-1 all-time vs. SU. Under head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers is 6-5 vs. the Orange.
• The Scarlet Knights are 3-4 all-time in overtime games and have won two straight in extra time after last season's OT win vs. Army and the victory against the Orange.
• On defense, Rutgers forced five turnovers, including the game-clinching forced fumble in double overtime by senior LB Edmond Laryea and sophomore CB Logan Ryan recovered the fumble. The Scarlet Knights entered the game with 13 forced turnovers on the season.
• Saturday's victory was just the second time Rutgers has opened BIG EAST play with a road victory. The Scarlet Knights last won a BIG EAST opener away from home in 2006 at USF (22-20).
• San San Te booted a career-high four field goals, including the game-winner from 47 yards out. Te is now fifth in BIG EAST history with 54 career field goals. Te missed three field goals in a game for the first time in his career.
• Freshman QB Gary Nova replaced Chas Dodd in the third quarter and finished the game 14-of-24 passing for 122 yards and one touchdown. He tied the game late in the fourth quarter with a three-yard touchdown with 4:25 to play in regulation.
• Junior LB Khaseem Greene finished with a team-high 11 tackles.
• Junior LB Steve Beauharnais totaled a season-high nine tackles and picked off his first career pass late in the game for the Scarlet Knights. The junior also totaled two sacks on the afternoon.
• Sophomore LB Jamal Merrell produced four tackles - and blocked the first two kicks of his career.
• Junior WR Mohamed Sanu moved into seventh place in Rutgers' history with 138 career receptions. He totaled seven catches on the day for 65 yards and a touchdown to move past Tiquan Underwood in the Rutgers' record books.
Return of the Swarm
In its 48-0 shutout victory of North Carolina Central, Rutgers limited the Eagles to 120 yards of total offense, including just eight yards rushing.
Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed (Schiano Era)
1. -25 vs. Texas Southern (10/10/09)
2. -23 vs. Cincinnati (11/26/05)
3. -11 vs. Pittsburgh (9/30/05)
4. -6 vs. Ohio (9/16/06)
5. 8 vs. North Carolina Central (9/1/11)
Fewest Total Yards Allowed (Schiano Era)
1. 109 vs. Morgan State (9/27/08)
2. 119 vs. Ohio (9/16/06)
3. 120 vs. North Carolina Central (9/1/11)
4. 122 vs. Norfolk State (9/15/07)
5. 126 vs. Texas Southern (10/10/09)
5. 126 vs. Illinois (9/9/06)
Sweet Te
Senior PK San San Te is ranked among the career active leaders in the nation in field goals made. Te is tied for fourth among active players in the NCAA with 54 career field goals.
Te is also fifth in BIG EAST history with 54 career field goals. Former RU standout Jeremy Ito is the BIG EAST's all-time leader with 80 career field goals.
BIG EAST Career Field Goal Leaders
1. Jeremy Ito, Rutgers (2004-07) 80
2. Shayne Graham, Virginia Tech (1996-99) 68
3. Pat McAfee, West Virginia (2005-08) 58
3. Dave Teggert, Connecticut (2007-present) 58
5. San San Te, Rutgers (2008-present) 54
6. Jacob Rogers, Cincinnati (2007-10) 51
7. Conor Lee, Pittsburgh (2006-08) 50
At Rutgers, Te is second all-time in career field goals (54) behind Ito.
Te leads the nation in field goals made per game (2.5).
Scoring Leaders
San San Te moved into third place in Rutgers history with 285 career points following his four field goal performance at Syracuse. Te trails only Jeremy Ito (400 career points) and Ray Rice (300 career points) in the Rutgers record books.
True Freshmen in 2011
In 2011, 10 Rutgers true freshmen have seen the field for the Scarlet Knights. The lone starter of the group is right tackle Kaleb Johnson.
DB Johnathan Aiken
RB Savon Huggins
DE Myles Jackson
OT Kaleb Johnson
CB Tejay Johnson
DT Kenneth Kirksey
QB Gary Nova
WR Miles Shuler
LB Kevin Snyder
DT Daryl Stephenson
Finding the End Zone
Savon Huggins had one of the most anticipated debuts of any Scarlet Knight in school history and the New Jersey native did not let the home crowd down.
The true freshman running back scored twice against North Carolina Central to become the first Rutgers RB to score two touchdowns in his first game since Terrell Willis scored two TDs vs. Colgate on Sept., 5, 1993. Willis finished his day with seven carries for 89 yards and two scores vs. Colgate in a 68-6 Rutgers victory at Giants Stadium.
Huggins leads Rutgers with three rushing touchdowns in 2011.
Putting Heat on the Quarterback
Greg Schiano returned to calling the defense in 2011 and if the first game of the season was any indication, the Scarlet Knights will be putting plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2011. Rutgers opened the season with nine sacks in the 48-0 win over North Carolina Central.
The nine sacks by Rutgers were the most by a Scarlet Knight defense since totaling nine sacks in a 44-9 victory over Cincinnati on November 26, 2005.
Most Sacks in a Game (Schiano Era)
1. vs. North Carolina Central (9/1/11) 9
vs. Cincinnati (11-26-05) 9
3. vs. Kent State (9-18-04) 8
4. at Navy (10-14-06) 7
vs. #2 USF (10-18-07) 7
vs. Texas Southern (10-10-09) 7
vs. #23 USF (11-12-09) 7
8. vs. Temple (10-16-04) 6
6 vs. Connecticut (10-29-06) 6
6 vs. Ball State (1-5-08, International Bowl) 6
6 vs. UCF (12-19-09, St. Petersburg Bowl) 6
6 vs. Syracuse (11-12-10) 6
Under Pressure
Rutgers has put the pressure on the opposition in 2011 as the Scarlet Knights rank tied for fourth nationally in sacks per game (3.5). The Scarlet Knights trail only Texas A&M (4.5), Hawaii (3.8), Colorado State (3.8) and are tied with Stanford.
Game Captains in 2011
For the first time in the Greg Schiano era, Rutgers will select game captains in 2011.
North Carolina Central
FB Joe Martinek
OG Desmond Wynn
LB Edmond Laryea
CB Mason Robinson
North Carolina
OG Art Forst
DL Justin Francis
PK San San Te
OT Desmond Stapleton
Ohio
DE Manny Abreu
WR Jawann Westerman
FS David Rowe
OL Caleb Ruch
Syracuse
LB Edmond Laryea
DB Patrick Kivlehan
DT Scott Vallone
OT Devon Watkis
Creating Turnovers
Rutgers is tied for first in the NCAA with 18 turnovers gained in 2011. Under Greg Schiano, Rutgers has finished in the top 15 nationally in turnovers gained three times. In 2009, Rutgers forced 34 turnovers - the most of the Schiano era - and finished tied for fifth nationally.
Rutgers is tied with Cincinnati with 18 turnovers gained this season, but the Bearcats have played five games so far in 2011, compared to RU's four.
Last season, RU forced just 22 turnovers - good for 59th nationally.
Anchor of the Line
Junior DT Scott Vallone is in his third year as a starter on the Rutgers defensive line and has become the anchor of the team's defense. After playing the three-technique his first two years as a starter, Vallone moved to nose tackle in 2011 and started the season in impressive fashion.
In the 48-0 victory against North Carolina Central, Vallone posted four tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. In addition, he scored his first career touchdown as he recovered a fumble in the end zone after David Milewski sacked the NCCU quarterback. It was the first touchdown for Vallone since he was 13 years old playing fullback in the PAL.
J-Fran Worth the Wait
In his 31st career game at Rutgers, senior DT Justin Francis earned his first career start vs. North Carolina Central, and it was well worth the wait. Francis was all over the field as he tied for the team lead with four tackles and two sacks in the 48-0 victory.
Francis teamed with Vallone to register four of Rutgers' nine sacks in the contest.
Red Zone Defense Faces Stiff Challenge
Rutgers leads the BIG EAST and is sixth nationally in red zone defense in 2011. The Scarlet Knights have yielded just six scores in 10 opportunities, including just four touchdowns. Pitt brings in the BIG EAST's top red zone offense (10th nationally), converting 20-of-21 red zone chances, including 16 touchdowns.
This and that ...
Rutgers leads the conference (22nd nationally) in fourth down conversion percentage, converting 66.7 of fourth downs (4-of-6) ... RU is allowing just 15 first downs per game, tops in the league (tied for 15th nationally) ... the Scarlet Knights lead the BIG EAST and are third in the NCAA in time of possession (35:36) ... Rutgers' turnover margin of +2.75 ranks first nationally ... Junior punter Justin Doerner is tied for the conference lead in punting (39.9 yards per punt) and is tops among league punters with eight punts inside the 20-yard line ... sophomore cornerback Logan Ryan ranks first in the BIG EAST in fumbles forced per game with teammate Jamal Merrell and is first in the conference in fumbles recovered per game with Ka'Lial Glaud and David Rowe ... Ryan is second in the BIG EAST in passes defended per game (1.25) ... Rutgers erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter at Syracuse, the third-best fourth quarter comeback of the Schiano era. RU rallied from 18 down in the final period of play in the Vanderbilt victory in 2004 and from 14 down in 2010 against Army.
On This Date
Rutgers has played 18 times on October 8 - going 7-10-1 on this date. One year ago, Rutgers stopped UConn 27-24 on October 8 at High Point Solutions Stadium behind a fourth-quarter comeback by QB Chas Dodd.
Rutgers All-Time Results on October 8
10-8-10 Rutgers 27, Connecticut 24
10-8-05 West Virginia 27, Rutgers 14
10-8-94 Rutgers 16, Army 14
10-8-88 Syracuse 34, Rutgers 20
10-8-83 Army 20, Rutgers 12
10-8-77 Rutgers 48, Connecticut 18
10-8-66 Rutgers 42, Lehigh 14
10-8-60 Rutgers 49, Colgate 12
10-8-49 Rutgers 40, Lehigh 27
10-8-38 NYU 25, Rutgers 6
10-8-32 NYU 21, Rutgers 0
10-8-27 Lafayette 56, Rutgers 0
10-8-21 Lehigh 7, Rutgers 0
10-8-10 Rutgers 0, Navy 0
10-8-04 Haverford 40, Rutgers 0
10-8-1898 Swarthmore 6, Rutgers 0
10-8-1890 Princeton 27, Rutgers 0
10-8-1887 Rutgers 26, Stevens 0
2-0 Start in BIG EAST Play?
With a win Saturday against Pitt, Rutgers would start 2-0 for just the second time in 21 seasons in BIG EAST play. The only other year Rutgers started 2-0 in conference play was 2006, when the Scarlet Knights opened BIG EAST play with victories over USF and Pittsburgh.
Rutgers Second Nationally in Academic Progress Rate
The Rutgers football team has achieved the nation's number two ranking in Academic Progress Rate, according to the latest multi-year APR figures released by the NCAA. The impressive accomplishment continues a trend for the Rutgers football program under head coach Greg Schiano of success both in the classroom and on the playing field.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Rutgers football team was ranked in the top three nationally in multi-year APR rates, becoming the only university in the entire nation to earn such a prestigious honor.
The Scarlet Knights, who secured the nation's top APR multi-year figure (992) in 2010, continued their model of success and achievement in the classroom with a multi-year APR figure of 988 in 2011.
"Thanks to their hard work, the young men we cheer every Saturday will be tomorrow's leaders in whatever career path they pursue," said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. "Congratulations - yet again - to Coach Schiano and the outstanding men and women across our Scarlet Knights athletics programs for exemplifying what it means to be a 'student-athlete.'"
Rutgers' four-year APR score of 988 covered the academic years of 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
The top three Football Bowl Subdivision schools in terms of APR are Northwestern (993), Rutgers (988) and Northern Illinois (987). For the fourth straight year, Rutgers has the best APR mark of any state university in the nation.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Head Coach Greg Schiano
Coaching Experience
2000- Rutgers University (head coach)
1999-00 University of Miami (defensive coordinator)
1998 Chicago Bears (defensive backfield coach)
1996-97 Chicago Bears (defensive assistant)
1991-96 Penn State University (defensive backfield coach)
1990 Penn State University (graduate assistant)
1989 Rutgers University (graduate assistant)
1988 Ramapo High School (assistant coach)
Career Record
62-64 (11th season; longest tenured coach in BIG?EAST)
Bowl Appearances (12)
2009 St. Petersburg Bowl, 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl, 2008 International Bowl, 2006 Texas Bowl, 2005 Insight Bowl, 2000 Gator Bowl, 1996 Outback Bowl, 1995 Rose Bowl, 1994 Citrus Bowl, 1993 Blockbuster Bowl, 1992 Fiesta Bowl, 1990 Blockbuster Bowl
Honors and Accomplishments
2006 Eddie Robinson/FWAA National Coach of the Year
2006 The Home Depot National Coach of the Year
2006 Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year
2006 Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year
2006 George Munger (Maxwell Club) National Coach of the Year
2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year
First coach in Rutgers history to lead team to four consecutive bowl appearances
First coach in Rutgers history to lead team to three consecutive bowl championships
First coach to guide Rutgers to a top-10 national ranking
