Scarlet Knights Game Preview - North Carolina Central
Aug 27 | Football
RUTGERS (0-0) vs NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (0-0)
Thursday, Septemeber 1 • 7:34 p.m. • ESPN3.com (SNY - Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 a.m.)
High Point Solutions Stadium (52,454)
Piscataway, N.J.
Series: First Meeting
TV: ESPN3.com, Replay - SNY, Fri., Sept. 2 8:30am
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), Marco Battaglia (color), Anthony Fucilli (sideline)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 130
The Game
• Rutgers begins its 142nd season of college football Thursday, Sept. 1 as the Scarlet Knights host North Carolina Central in the first meeting between the two schools. Kickoff is set for 7:34 p.m. at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights are opening the season at home for the eighth time in Greg Schiano's 11 seasons as head coach.
Series Information
• Rutgers and North Carolina Central are meeting for the first time on the gridiron. The Scarlet Knights are 7-0 all-time versus opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and are opening the season against a MEAC member for the second straight year. Rutgers opened the 2010 campaign with a 31-0 victory over Norfolk State.
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 is the fifth-winningest coach all-time in victories in the BIG EAST (59-63). 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.
• North Carolina Central: Henry Frazier III begins his first year at North Carolina Central. In his 13th season as a head coach, he is 69-54 all-time after spending the last seven seasons turning around the Prairie View A&M program.
The Opening Act
Rutgers is 71-61-9 all-time in season openers, including a 6-4 mark under Schiano.
Rutgers owns a 96-36-10 overall record in home openers.
Season-Opening Games during the Schiano Era
8/30/01 at Buffalo W, 31-15
8/31/02 Villanova L, 37-19
8/30/03 Buffalo W, 24-10
9/4/04 Michigan State (ABC) W, 19-14
9/3/05 at Illinois (ESPN2) L, 33-30
9/2/06 at North Carolina (ABC) W, 21-16
8/30/07 Buffalo (ESPN Regional) W, 38-3
9/1/08 #25 Fresno State (ESPN) L, 24-7
9/7/09 Cincinnati (ESPN) L, 47-15
9/2/10 Norfolk State W, 31-0
Starting on the Right Note
Rutgers is 21-15 (.583) overall under Greg Schiano in the month of September. Over the last six years, Rutgers is 16-7 (.696) in September.
In September home games since 2005, Rutgers is 12-5 (.705) overall.
The 21 wins in September are the most for any one month for Rutgers during the Schiano era.
Year-by-Year in September Under Schiano
Year Overall
2001 0-3
2002 1-3
2003 2-1
2004 2-1
2005 3-1
2006 5-0
2007 2-1
2008 1-3
2009 3-1
2010 2-1
Total 21-15
Same Faces, New Places
The following players switched positions over the off-season and will debut in their new spots in 2011:
Player Position Changes
Player Old Position New Position
Manny Abreu LB DE
Beau Bachety OL TE
Marvin Booker LB DE
Jeremy Deering WR RB
Nick DePaola WR LB
Ka'Lial Glaud LB DE
Khaseem Greene FS LB
Rashad Knight CB FS
Joe Martinek RB FB
Mason Robinson WR CB
David Rowe CB FS
Jordan Thomas RB CB
Marcus Thompson LB DE
Comparing First Starts at Running Back
With the possibility of true freshman Savon Huggins or junior De'Antwan Williams making their first career start at running back vs. North Carolina Central, here is a look at some other notable first career starts in RU history:
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
"JJ" Jennings vs. Colgate (11-20-71) 21-108-3
Bruce Presley vs. WVU (11-14-92) 27-105-0
Kordell Young vs. Fresno State (9-1-08) 26-94-0
Mason Robinson vs. UNC (9-11-08) 16-82-0
Joe Martinek vs. Louisville (12-4-08) 18-57-0
Ray Rice at Illinois (9-3-05) 12-55-0
Brian Leonard vs. Buffalo (8-30-03) * 6-11-0
* started at fullback
Rutgers vs. the MEAC
Rutgers is 7-0 all-time vs. schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Scarlet Knights are 5-0 under Greg Schiano vs. MEAC opponents by a combined score of 229-7.
This Week's Opponent: North Carolina Central
The Eagles of North Carolina Central University are in their first year of playing football on the Football Championship Subdivision level and are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Head coach Henry Frazier III begins his first year in Durham after a successful stint at Prairie View A&M. In 12 seasons as a head coach at Prairie View and Bowie State, Frazier is 69-54.
The Eagles return 14 starters and 53 lettermen from last season's 3-8 squad. Nine returns are back on offense, led by junior WR Geovonie Irvine. The 5-7 receiver led NCCU with 53 receptions for 758 yards and five touchdowns in 2010.
Welcome to High Point Solutions Stadium
The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced in June that High Point Solutions has acquired the naming rights to Rutgers Stadium, the 52,454-seat home of the Rutgers Football program.
The crown jewel venue of Rutgers Athletics will now be called High Point Solutions Stadium. The first event taking place in High Point Solutions Stadium will be on September 1, 2011, when Rutgers hosts North Carolina Central as the 2011 college football season begins nationally.
Formed in July of 1996, High Point Solutions, Inc. was created to meet the specific needs of the Fortune 500 and service provider industries and has rapidly become known as a leader in the Information Technology and service sectors. As a specialist IT Services and Solutions provider, High Point partners with clients in planning, building and supporting their IT infrastructures.
High Point Solutions, Inc. is located in Sparta, N.J.
Opening Day Notes
Rutgers has scored 50 or more points in a season-opener four times, including a 68-6 victory over Colgate on Sept. 4, 1993. The school record for most points in the first game of the season was 79 after the Scarlet Knights defeated U.S. Merchant Marine 79-6 on Sept. 24, 1949.
Rutgers is 0-2 all-time on games played on Sept. 1.
Rutgers has posted 34 shutouts all-time in season-openers, including last season's 31-0 victory over Norfolk State.
Memorable Season Openers
Here is a look back at some of the most memorable season openers for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers 38, Buffalo 3 (8/30/2007 at RU)
Rutgers cruised to an easy 38-3 victory over Buffalo as junior WR Tiquan Underwood set a school record with 248 yards receiving. The New Jersey native hauled in 10 receptions on the night, including a pair of touchdowns in the 35-point victory.
Rutgers 21, N. Carolina 16 (9/2/2006 at UNC)
Rutgers' historic 2006 season began with an All-America performance by Ray Rice as the sophomore running back rushed for 201 yards to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 21-16 victory on the road in Chapel Hill. The victory propelled Rutgers to a 9-0 start in 2006 en route to an overall record of 11-2 and a 12th place finish in the final national rankings.
Rutgers 19, Michigan St. 14 (9/4/2004 at RU)
In front of an ABC television audience and a sell-out crowd at Rutgers Stadium, Rutgers stopped Michigan State 19-14 to open the 2004 season. PK Jeremy Ito connected on four field goals and DE Ryan Neill returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown in the win.
Rutgers 31, Buffalo 15 (8/30/2001 at UB)
The first game of the Greg Schiano era finished in the win column for the Scarlet Knights. RB Dennis Thomas rushed for 177 yards on 30 carries and QB Ryan Cubit threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as a Scarlet Knight to help secure the victory.
Rutgers 20, Boston Coll. 13 (8/31/1991 at RU)
Rutgers and Boston College played the inaugural BIG EAST conference game as the Scarlet Knights defeated the Eagles 20-13 at Rutgers Stadium. RB Bill Bailey scored the first touchdown in league history just 1:17 into the game while QB Tom Tarver threw for 275 yards and a touchdown.
Rutgers 17, #15/14 Michigan St. 13
(9/10/1988 at MSU)
The 1988 season began with a bang as Rutgers upset Michigan State 17-13 in East Lansing. QB Scott Erney completed 25-of-36 passes for 239 yards and LB Doug Kokoskie recovered a MSU fumble at the RU 10-yard line with 5:32 remaining to seal the upset over the defending Rose Bowl champions.
Rutgers 28, #3 Florida 28 (9/14/1985 at UF)
Backup QB Joe Gagliardi came off the bench to rally Rutgers and complete a two-point conversion pass to Curtis Stephens with 35 seconds remaining as the Scarlet Knights, trailing by 21 points at one point, tied third-ranked Florida, 28-28 in Gainesville.
#11/7 Penn St. 15, Rutgers 12
(9/8/1984 at PSU)
In his first game as head coach at Rutgers, Dick Anderson returned to State College to face Penn State, where he spent 11 years as an assistant coach under Joe Paterno. Anderson's Scarlet Knights were tied at 10 at halftime versus the nationally-ranked Nittany Lions, but a second-half safety and field goal proved too much as the Scarlet Knights lost 15-12.
Rutgers 16, Princeton 13 (9/30/1961 at PU)
An 83-yard pass play from Bill Speranza to Lee Curley, and a two-point run by Dave Brody with 3:27 to play gave Rutgers a 16-7 edge en route to a 16-13 victory over Princeton, Rutgers' fourth straight win over the Tigers. The win was the first as the Scarlet Knights finished the 1961 season 9-0 - the first undefeated season in school history.
Rutgers 6, Princeton 4 (11/6/1869 at RU)
The first college football game was played at College Field in New Brunswick as Rutgers came away with a 6-4 victory.
Rutgers Closes Out Season 4-8, Snaps Bowl Streak
A season that witnessed hardship ended in December of 2010 as Rutgers finished the year 4-8 overall. The Scarlet Knights suffered a major blow to their family with Eric LeGrand's spinal cord injury vs. Army in October.
LeGrand, who continues to make steady progress, was left paralyzed from the neck down following the Army game. He has resumed classes online at Rutgers and continues to be around the program and his fellow teammates at Rutgers.
LeGrand was able to broadcast the third quarter of the Scarlet-White spring game in April, the beginning of a future sports broadcasting career for the charismatic New Jersey native.
Dodd Cements His Place in BIG EAST History
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.
Chas Dodd finished second in BIG EAST single-season history with 1,637 yards passing in 2010, trailing former RU quarterback Tom Savage in the BIG EAST annals.
BIG EAST True Freshman Passing Yards Leaders
Player Year Yards
1. Tom Savage, Rutgers 2009 2,211
2. Chas Dodd, Rutgers 2010 1,637
3. Pat Bostick, Pitt 2007 1,500
4. Ryan Cubit, Rutgers 2001 1,433
5. Mike McMahon, Rutgers 1997 1,259
BIG EAST True Freshman Passing TD Leaders
Player Year TDs
1. Tom Savage, Rutgers 2009 14
2. Chas Dodd, Rutgers 2010 11
3. Ryan Cubit, Rutgers 2001 9
4. Pat Bostick, Pitt 2007 8
5. Mike McMahon, Rutgers 1997 6
On the Mark
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.
Former 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 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 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 in 2010, 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 led Rutgers and finished second in the BIG EAST with nine receiving touchdowns in 2010. He ended the season tied for second in RU single-season history in touchdown receptions.
Rutgers Single-Season Receiving TD Leaders
Player TDs
1. Marco Battaglia (1995) 10
2. Tim Brown (2009) 9
2. Bob Simms (1958) 9
2. Mark Harrison (2010) 8
4. Kenny Britt (2007) 8
4. Reggie Funderburk (1994) 8
Chasing the Top Spot
Chas Dodd produced three of the top seven single-game passing yardage performances 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 quickly became one of the top QB-WR duos in the BIG EAST in 2010.
In eight games with Dodd as the starter at quarterback, Harrison became his favorite target.
Harrison caught 39 passes for 759 yards and nine touchdowns during the eight games Dodd started at QB. Dodd threw seven 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 era 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 rallied the Scarlet Knights in the fourth quarter for two victories in 2010. 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
Year 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
Jeremy Deering was the Scarlet Knights' best option on the ground over the second-half of the 2010 campaign.
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 in 2009 at Louisville.
Deering became the fourth player in the Greg Schiano era to rush for at least 165 yards in a game.
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)
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.
Sweet Te
San San Te enters his senior season ranked among the career active leaders in the nation in field goals made. Te is 20th among active players in the NCAA with 44 career made field goals.
With two more made field goals, Te will move into the Top 10 in BIG EAST history for career field goals.
At Rutgers, Te is third all-time in career field goals, trailing only Jeremy Ito (80) and Kennan Startzell (46).
His career 67.7 field goal percentage is fifth in Rutgers' history.
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
59-63 (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
