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By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Even in the frenzied second half and wild fourth quarter that Rutgers and Washington State staged today, one immutable football fact manage to emerge from the flurry of touchdowns and big plays.

Penalties and turnovers are victory killers.

From a Rutgers perspective, they're as much the reason as a game-winning 90-drive that ended with 13 seconds to play for Washington State being able to claim a 37-34 victory over the Scarlet Knights before a crowd of 46,536 at High Point Solutions Stadium.

"It's very frustrating," said senior wide receiver Leonte Carroo. "You win football games by minimizing the penalties and winning the turnover battle, which we weren't able to do."

Beyond Washington State's Luke Falk turning in the greatest performance by a visiting quarterback in stadium history, setting marks for completions (47), attempts (66) and passing yards (478), the statistics that are haunting 1-1 Rutgers now are these:

The Scarlet Knights were guilty of all three of the game's turnovers as well as 11 penalties, with the timing of those flags proving to be crippling. Two of them nullified touchdowns, with Rutgers' offense then coming away empty both times following the penalties after being deep in Washington State territory.

"It's disappointing," coach Kyle Flood said. "The players who got called for those penalties are experienced guys. So we have to look at them on film and make sure we correct whatever there is to correct after we see them on film.

"But I think the turnovers, to me, are an even bigger factor. Now, you get penalties that take away touchdowns and that's a huge, huge impact on the game but the turnovers to me are the first place I look."



The combination of turnovers and penalties were so influential that they negated a record-setting performance by Janarion Grant, who became the first player in Rutgers history to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game. His 337 all-purpose yards also set a school record.

It was Grant's 55-yard punt return with 1:31 remaining, in fact, that seemed to have Rutgers poised to win, after both offenses woke from their first-half slumber, combining for 39 fourth-quarter points.

Grant's second career punt return for a score had the Scarlet Knights leading 34-30.

"I thought we were definitely winning that game after that," said Grant.

So did much of the crowd, which was suddenly energized again after a roller-coaster fourth quarter of emotions.

"When you get a play from a great player like that and the energy in the stadium is as high as it was there's no doubt in my mind that we're going to win the game," said Carroo. "But that's why you can't celebrate until the clock says zero."



Falk then marched Washington State (1-1) 90 yards in 10 plays to answer that Grant score, even overcoming a video review that overturned a 30-yard touchdown run by running back Keith Harrington, who was ruled to have stepped out of bounds at the Rutgers 21 yard line with 33 seconds to play.

Falk scrambled 13 yards on the next play, then found River Cracraft at the back of the end zone for the game-winning score. Cracraft, whose fumbled punt set up Rutgers' game-winning score in last year's game between the schools, stretched high for the pass and was able to land his feet in the end zone with possession.

The irony was the Rutgers' defense had just forced its first three and out of Washington State's offense on the previous drive.

"We didn't execute when we needed to," said safety Anthony Cioffi.

Rutgers had battled back from a 20-6 third quarter deficit, forcing a 20-20 tie on the first play of the fourth quarter on Chris Laviano's one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt Flanagan. Because one of Rutgers' extra points had been blocked, Laviano had to complete a two-point conversion pass to Carroo to force the tie.


"You can't have three turnovers, two of them mine, and expect to win the game as an offense," Laviano said. "I think we did good things at times but I think we also shot ourselves in the foot a few times. But credit Washington State. They played a good game. We fought hard. It just didn't turn out in our favor.

"We have to eliminate the turnovers. Two of them are on me. It's unacceptable."

Grant did what he could to offset all the mistakes, with his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown - his second this season and the third of his career - giving Rutgers a 27-23 lead with 12:30 to play. But the Cougars responded with an 82-yard, nine-play drive just 2:59 later to take a 30-27 lead.

That's when Grant electrified the crowd for a second time with his punt return for a score.

"It's hard to enjoy any individual accomplishments because you want to come out with a win and you just put your all into it with your teammates," said Grant. "But I'm proud of myself for giving us a chance. It's just tough to really enjoy right now."