Stampede!
Rutgers’ 49-16 dismantling of USF today was a resounding statement from a team that is clearly out to prove to itself that it is as good as advertised when the season began. Most preseason predictions had Rutgers at the tail end of the Top 25. Premature? Of course they were. The Scarlet Knights only needed to replace the best running back in school history and a handful of quality starters from both sides of the ball.
At the same time, the University of South Florida Bulls were picked even higher than Rutgers in most of the preseason polls. The team’s seasons have become mirror opposites. While RU started 1-5, the Bulls rolled to a 5-0 record becoming for a short time the toast of the state of Florida. Since then, the Bulls have gone 1-4. Now they sit at a fairly respectable 6-4 but really not in a position to do much damage as far as qualifying for a major bowl. The Bulls are 1-4 in the Big East, so even finishing with 8 or 9 wins is unlikely to get them the type of bid that would have been a lock just a few weeks ago.
Schiano has the Knights sitting at a respectable 5-5. In those 5 wins are victories over three teams (UConn, USF, and Pitt) that were ranked in the Top 25 at some point this season. Coach clearly got these guys to believe that they still had plenty to play for.
The offense is clicking at a level unseen since the beginning of last year. Teel is playing exceptionally well. Sure, he had another bad pick early in today’s game. But he’s the type of player with a short memory who has regained the confidence to make the throws down the field. Kenny Britt has arguably placed himself into consideration for lists of the top 5 or 10 receivers in the country. And there are some good ones this year.
The running game, too, is back to being a force. Today it was Kordell Young and Joe Martinek moving the chains. I’m still equally confident that Jourdan Brooks and Mason Robinson could also excel if needed. Tiquan Underwood is back to playing like Tiquan Underwood. And today RU also got solid production from Kevin Brock and Shamar Graves at the tight end spot.
I was happy to see Jack Corcoran get another TD reception. He’s been an underrated performer this year, I think as far as media recognition is concerned. A good blocker, Corcoran is gaining confidence catching passes in the flat. He’s kind of the forgotten man when people discuss the RU backs, but Corcoran can also carry the ball when called upon.
The RU defense was basically corralling the Bulls and cutting them up for dinner. Matt Grothe, an elite Junior quarterback, looked confused at times today when trying to deal with the looks the RU defense was giving him. Pete Tverdov, Ryan D’Imperio, Jason McCourty, Kevin Malast, and others were beasts on the field today. The defense has been outstanding all year and now that the offense has been holding onto the ball and giving them rest, the defensive players have become almost dominant.
I think the goal for next week is to simply not lose focus when going into Army. Although Army was 3-7 the last I looked, they can’t be underestimated because otherwise they’ll run right past you. Still, it’s a game RU must and should win. The running game and time of possession will be key as usual when playing a military academy or option team.
At the same time, the University of South Florida Bulls were picked even higher than Rutgers in most of the preseason polls. The team’s seasons have become mirror opposites. While RU started 1-5, the Bulls rolled to a 5-0 record becoming for a short time the toast of the state of Florida. Since then, the Bulls have gone 1-4. Now they sit at a fairly respectable 6-4 but really not in a position to do much damage as far as qualifying for a major bowl. The Bulls are 1-4 in the Big East, so even finishing with 8 or 9 wins is unlikely to get them the type of bid that would have been a lock just a few weeks ago.
Schiano has the Knights sitting at a respectable 5-5. In those 5 wins are victories over three teams (UConn, USF, and Pitt) that were ranked in the Top 25 at some point this season. Coach clearly got these guys to believe that they still had plenty to play for.
The offense is clicking at a level unseen since the beginning of last year. Teel is playing exceptionally well. Sure, he had another bad pick early in today’s game. But he’s the type of player with a short memory who has regained the confidence to make the throws down the field. Kenny Britt has arguably placed himself into consideration for lists of the top 5 or 10 receivers in the country. And there are some good ones this year.
The running game, too, is back to being a force. Today it was Kordell Young and Joe Martinek moving the chains. I’m still equally confident that Jourdan Brooks and Mason Robinson could also excel if needed. Tiquan Underwood is back to playing like Tiquan Underwood. And today RU also got solid production from Kevin Brock and Shamar Graves at the tight end spot.
I was happy to see Jack Corcoran get another TD reception. He’s been an underrated performer this year, I think as far as media recognition is concerned. A good blocker, Corcoran is gaining confidence catching passes in the flat. He’s kind of the forgotten man when people discuss the RU backs, but Corcoran can also carry the ball when called upon.
The RU defense was basically corralling the Bulls and cutting them up for dinner. Matt Grothe, an elite Junior quarterback, looked confused at times today when trying to deal with the looks the RU defense was giving him. Pete Tverdov, Ryan D’Imperio, Jason McCourty, Kevin Malast, and others were beasts on the field today. The defense has been outstanding all year and now that the offense has been holding onto the ball and giving them rest, the defensive players have become almost dominant.
I think the goal for next week is to simply not lose focus when going into Army. Although Army was 3-7 the last I looked, they can’t be underestimated because otherwise they’ll run right past you. Still, it’s a game RU must and should win. The running game and time of possession will be key as usual when playing a military academy or option team.
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