TEXAS SOUTHERN (1-3) at RUTGERS (3-1)
Saturday, October 10 3:30 p.m.
Rutgers Stadium
Series Record: First Meeting
Television: None
Radio: Rutgers Football Radio Network
Affiliates: WOR 710-AM (New York City);
WPEN 950-AM (Philadelphia/South Jersey);
WCTC 1450-AM (Central Jersey)
Gametracker Statistics: ScarletKnights.com
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7 FM
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 130
Rutgers will look for win number 600 in program history Saturday as the Scarlet Knights host the Tigers of Texas Southern. Kickoff from Rutgers Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.
Rutgers looks to extend its winning streak to four games after a 34-13 victory at Maryland the last time out for the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 26 at Byrd Stadium. Texas Southern looks to rebound from a 52-18 defeat at the hands of Texas State in its last game on Sept. 26.
The Rutgers Radio Network has pre-game coverage at 2:30 p.m. Chris Carlin, Ray Lucas and Anthony Fucilli will call the action.
Series Information
Saturday’s game is the first for Rutgers vs. Texas Southern. It also marks the first time Rutgers has played an opponent from the SWAC.
Going for Number 600
Rutgers enters Saturday’s game with an overall record of 599-591-42 in 140 years of football. The Scarlet Knights would become the 38th team in NCAA history to reach the 600-win plateau.
Rutgers would become the fourth team in the BIG EAST to reach 600 victories, joining West Virginia, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
Rutgers Versus the Lone Star State
Rutgers is 0-2 all-time vs. teams from the state of Texas, with both losses coming vs. the University of Texas in 1997 and 1999.
The Scarlet Knights are 1-1 all-time in games played in the Longhorn State. The Scarlet Knights won their first bowl in school history in 2006 with a 37-10 victory over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Rutgers lost 48-14 to No. 12/10 Texas in 1997 in Austin.
In the Month of October
Rutgers is 14-16 all-time under Greg Schiano in the month of October, including a 10-6 mark since 2005.
The best month of October during Schiano’s tenure for the Scarlet Knights was in 2006, when RU was a perfect 3-0.
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SANU |
Texas Connection
Rutgers has one player on its roster from Texas - true freshman tight end Tony Trahan of Coppell. Trahan moved from quarterback to tight end as a senior at Coppell High School, located just outside Dallas.
He finished his senior season ranked as one of the top prep tight ends in Texas by Rivals.com and finished the season with 20 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Texas Southern has two New Jersey natives on its roster - freshman offensive lineman Kenneth Hall of Plainfield and sophomore defensive lineman Ashton Wilder of Newark.
10 of 11
Rutgers has won 10 of its last 11 games, dating back to the 2008 season. The Scarlet Knights are 6-1 at Rutgers Stadium during the streak.
Over the last 11 games, Rutgers has held five opponents to under 300 yards of total offense, including a low of 168 yards of total offense vs. Syracuse (11/8/08).
The rushing defense has also been stout during the streak, holding five teams under 100 yards rushing, including a low of 28 yards last time out at Maryland.
Stingy vs. the Run
Rutgers has been stingy vs. the run in 2009, especially in the last two games. The Scarlet Knights held Florida International and Maryland under 50 yards rushing, the first time during the nine-year tenure of Greg Schiano that Rutgers held the opposition to less than 50 yards rushing in two straight games.
The 28 yards rushing by Maryland was the lowest amount of rushing yards allowed by a Greg Schiano team on the road.
For the season, Rutgers has held the opposition to 3.0 yards per rush and just 87 rushing yards per game.
Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed (Schiano Era)
1. -23 yards vs. Cincinnati (11/26/05)
2. -11 yards vs. Pittsburgh (9/30/05)
3. -6 vs. Ohio (9/16/06)
4. 10 vs. Norfolk State (9/15/07)
5. 28 at Maryland (9/26/09)
6. 30 vs. Kent State (9/18/04)
7. 31 vs. Kansas State (12/28/06)
8. 32 vs. Morgan State (9/27/08)
9. 37 vs. Syracuse (11/29/03)
10. 39 at Temple (10/25/03)
Under 100 = W
Rutgers has won four consecutive games when passing for less than 100 yards in a game.
The last two times Rutgers has been held under 100 yards passing - 42 at Maryland this season and 42 at Army in 2007 - the Scarlet Knights won both games by a combined score of 75-19 and rushed for 611 yards in the two victories.
Rutgers also won two games in 2006 when passing for less than 100 yards - 72 at Pittsburgh and 83 vs. Ohio.
A Continuing Trend
Rutgers is on track to allow under four yards per rush for the fourth time in five seasons. While eight games remain in the season, Rutgers’ opponents have averaged just 3.0 yards per rush on 116 attempts through four games.
The Scarlet Knights are tied for 13th nationally, allowing 87.75 rushing yards per game. RU also ranks second in the BIG EAST in rushing yards allowed per game.
Against the Run Under Coach Schiano
Year Attempts Yards Yards Per Carry
2009 116 351 3.0
2008 469 1,763 3.8
2007 513 2,076 4.0
2006 447 1,313 2.9
2005 483 1,596 3.3
2004 460 1,960 4.3
2003 462 1,957 4.2
2002 525 2,484 4.7
2001 473 2,535 5.4
Protecting the Pigskin
Rutgers is +16 in turnover differential over its last 11 games (10-1). The Scarlet Knights have forced 12 turnovers this season, including at least one in every game. In total, Rutgers has forced a turnover in 10 straight games.
Rutgers ranks third nationally and leads the BIG EAST in turnover differential (2.0).
In 2009, Rutgers is +8 in turnover differential (12 turnovers forced, 4 giveaways).
Over the last 11 games, Rutgers has forced a total of 29 turnovers.
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TE |
Sweet Te
Sophomore place-kicker San San Te leads the BIG EAST and is tied for sixth nationally with 2.0 field goals per game.
Te is 8-for-11 on field goal attempts and a perfect 11-for-11 on PATs in 2009.
He ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring and is tied for 31st in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 8.75 points per game.
Among kickers, Te leads the conference in scoring per game.
Game #100 is in the Win Column
Greg Schiano became the fourth coach in 140 years of Rutgers football to coach at least 100 games for the Scarlet Knights. John Bateman guided the Scarlet Knights for 13 seasons and has coached the most games in school history - 124.
Schiano’s 100th game was a 23-15 victory over Florida International. The game was also the first for Schiano vs. a former assistant in Mario Cristobal of FIU. Cristobal served on Schiano’s staff at Rutgers from 2001-03.
Rutgers Head Coaches with 100 Games
Head Coach Record Years at RU Games
John Bateman 73-51 1960-72 124
Frank Burns 78-43-1 1973-83 122
Harvey Harman 74-44-2 1938-41. 46-55 120
Greg Schiano 49-52 2001-present 101
Inside the 100
Greg Schiano has had a remarkable turnaround during his tenure at Rutgers. After starting 15-35 overall in his first 50 games, Schiano is 34-17 in his last 51 games, including four consecutive bowls for the Scarlet Knights.
Overall BIG EAST
Games 1-50 15-35 4-24
Games 51-100 33-17 16-12
Games 101- 1-0 0-0
Total 49-52 20-36
Shutout in Three Straight Seasons
Rutgers is one of five teams in the nation to record a shutout in each of the last three seasons. In 2006, Rutgers blanked Illinois and Navy. In 2007, Norfolk State was shutout and Morgan State was held scoreless in 2008.
Rutgers - (2006: Illinois and Navy; 2007: Norfolk State; 2008: Morgan State)
Boise State - (2006: Sacramento State; 2007: New Mexico State and Utah State; 2008: New Mexico State)
Southern California - (2006: Stanford; 2007: Notre Dame; 2008: Arizona State, Washington State and Washington)
Troy - (2006: Alabama State; 2007: Arkansas State; 2008: Alcorn State)
Virginia - (2006: Duke and North Carolina; 2007: Miami; 2008: Richmond and Maryland)
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SAVAGE |
Savage Era Begins in Impressive Fashion
Tom Savage was the fifth quarterback in school history to start as a true freshman for the Scarlet Knights and became just the second true freshman QB to win a game for the Scarlet Knights in RU’s 45-7 win over Howard. He joined Ryan Hart (2002/4 starts), Ryan Cubit (2001/11 starts), Mike McMahon (1997/5 starts) and Jacque LaPrairie (1981/1 start) as the only true freshmen to start at quarterback in school history for Rutgers.
True Freshman Quarterbacks During the Schiano Era
Greg Schiano has played three true freshmen at quarterback during his tenure as head coach - Tom Savage in 2009, Ryan Cubit in 2001 and Ryan Hart in 2002.
Savage made his Scarlet Knight debut vs. Cincinnati in the season-opener. The true freshman was 15-of-23 passing for 135 yards and a touchdown vs. the Bearcats.
Savage, a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at quarterback for head coach Dan Algeo at Cardinal O’Hara High School, was rated as the No. 3 pro style quarterback in the nation by Tom Lemming -MaxPreps.com and the No. 8 pro style quarterback nationally by SuperPrep Magazine.
Record-Setting First Start for Savage
Tom Savage finished the Howard game 8-for-13 for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Savage set a Rutgers school record for yards per completion by a true freshman QB with 27.8 yards per completion. He broke the single-game record set by Ryan Cubit vs. Navy in 2001, when Cubit passed for an average of 25.1 yards per completion vs. the Mids (13-of-20, 327 yards).
The 223 yards passing was the fifth-best single-game total in school history by a true freshman.
What Can Brown Do for You?
Tim Brown has continued to get better and better as his career has progressed at Rutgers. The senior WR leads the team with 358 yards receiving in 2009. Brown also leads RU in yards per reception (23.9) and receiving yards per game (89.5).
Brown leads all BIG EAST receivers in yards per reception and ranks third in the conference in receiving yards per game. Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Brown’s receiving yards per game:
Tim Brown Year-by-Year
Year GP Rec. Yards Avg. TD Yards Per Game
2006 10 8 202 25.2 3 20.2
2007 12 24 340 14.2 2 28.3
2008 13 27 565 20.9 6 43.5
2009 4 15 358 23.9 1 89.5
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SANU |
Sensational Start for Sanu
Mohamed Sanu became the first true freshman to start at wide receiver for the Scarlet Knights in his first game in the Greg Schiano era. Sanu is also the only player on the current roster to start as a true freshman in his first game as a Scarlet Knight.
Sanu caught the most passes by a true freshman WR in his first career start at Rutgers with 10 receptions for 101 yards vs. Cincinnati.
Sanu is just the fourth true freshman to start at wide receiver for Rutgers since Greg Schiano became head coach in 2001.
Sanu leads the team with 16 receptions on the season.
True Freshmen WR in First Career Start during Schiano Era
WR Opponent Rec. Yards TD
Mohamed Sanu Cincinnati (9/7/09) 10 101 0
Kenny Britt Pitt (10/21/06) 0 0 0
Tim Brown K-State (12/28/06) 4 101 2
Shawn Tucker WVU (10/12/02) 1 17 0
Touchdown Brown
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BROWN |
Tim Brown is tied for eighth in school history with 12 career touchdown receptions. The big-play threat from Miami ended the 2008 season with six touchdown catches, the 10th-best single-season total in RU history.
Brown has averaged 42.1 yards per touchdown reception during his career. Labeled the “most dangerous deep threat in the BIG EAST” by Lindy’s, Brown finished second on the team in 2008 with 27 receptions for 565 yards.
He has averaged 19.2 yards per reception for his career, including 20.9 per reception in 2008 and 23.9 in 2009.
Brown is also tied for fourth in school history with six career 100-yard receiving games.
Rutgers Career 100-Yard Receiving Game Leaders
1. Kenny Britt (2006-08) 14
2. Tres Moses (2001-05) 7
2. Marco Battaglia (1992-95) 7
4. Tim Brown (2006-present) 6
4. Tiquan Underwood (2005-08) 6
Quick Strike Attack
Rutgers had four touchdown drives of two plays or less in the first half, both in the second quarter vs. Howard. The Scarlet Knights had two, two-play drives encompassing 67 yards and six yards and two, one-play drives encompassing 68 and 57 yards.
Rutgers last had four touchdown drives of two plays or less at Pittsburgh on Oct. 25, 2008. QB Mike Teel orchestrated three, one-play drives and one two-play TD drive versus the Panthers.
200 On the Ground
For the 20th time since Kyle Flood joined the squad in 2005 as offensive line coach, the Scarlet Knights rushed for 200 yards in a game with 245 yards on the ground in the Howard victory.
The Scarlet Knights averaged 5.6 yards per carry vs. the Bison, including 7.3 yards per carry for sophomore RB Jourdan Brooks (124 yards, 3 TDs).
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MARTINEK |
Back-to-Back
Sophomore running back Joe Martinek became the first Scarlet Knight since Ray Rice in 2007 to rush for 100 yards in two consecutive games. Martinek went over the century mark for the first time in his career with 121 yards vs. Florida International. He eclipsed his career-high with 147 yards rushing, including 130 in the fourth quarter, including two touchdowns in the 34-13 victory over Maryland.
DC to TE
Redshirt freshman D.C. Jefferson has made a successful transition from quarterback to tight end for the Scarlet Knights. After moving to tight end in preseason camp, Jefferson earned the starting job vs. Howard and is currently listed as the starter on the depth chart.
Jefferson hauled in a 46-yard pass from Tom Savage on the first football thrown his way.
Jefferson has two receptions on the season for 81 yards.
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DAVIS |
AD Preseason All-American
Junior Anthony Davis arrived at Rutgers as the No. 1 recruit in the state of New Jersey and a five-star recruit according to several recruiting services. The Piscataway, N.J., native has not disappointed during his time “On the Banks” and was named a Preseason All-American by Athlon Sports in 2009.
Regarded as the “best pass-blocking tackle in the nation” by The Sporting News, Davis was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2008.
Just 19 years old, Davis started as a 17-year old true freshman for the Scarlet Knights at right guard before moving to left tackle in 2008.
Continued Success in the BIG EAST
The 2008 senior class for Rutgers was 17-11 in BIG EAST play over the last four seasons.
The 17 wins are the most over a four-year span in Rutgers’ BIG EAST history.
Last season’s winning record in the league marks the fourth time since joining the BIG EAST in 1991 that Rutgers finished with a winning record.
Greg Schiano has guided three of the squads with winning records in league play - 2005 (4-3), 2006 (5-2) and 2008 (5-2).
The Scarlet Knights finished tied for second in the BIG EAST with a 5-2 league record, with the two losses coming on the road in the first two conference games of the year at Cincinnati and at West Virginia by a combined 10 points.
BIG EAST Best Records since 2005
1. West Virginia 22-6
2. Rutgers 17-12
Cincinnati 17-12
4. Louisville 15-14
Pittsburgh 15-14
USF 15-14
7. Connecticut 11-17
8. Syracuse 3-26
Starting a Bowl Tradition
Before Greg Schiano’s arrival at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights played in one bowl game in 131 seasons of football. In his first eight seasons at the helm of the program, Schiano has guided Rutgers to four consecutive bowl games.
The Scarlet Knights are one of 31 teams to play in four consecutive bowls. Among BCS members, Rutgers is one of 21 schools to play in four straight bowl games and just one of three BIG EAST programs to play in four consecutive bowls (Rutgers, West Virginia, USF).
All-time, Rutgers is 3-2 in postseason play.
Three Bowl Victories in Three Seasons
Rutgers is one of 11 teams nationally to win three bowl championships over the last three seasons. The Scarlet Knights are one of only nine teams from a BCS conference to win three bowls over the previous three years. In the BIG EAST, only Rutgers and West Virginia have won three straight bowls in the last three years.
The “Chop Shop”
A school-record crowd was in attendance on Labor Day as the Scarlet Knights opened the season vs. Cincinnati.
Over the last three years, Rutgers is 18-6 at home. Since taking over as head coach in 2001, Greg Schiano’s teams are 27-22 at Rutgers Stadium.
Top Crowds in Rutgers Stadium History
1. Cincinnati 47, Rutgers 15 (9/7/09) 53,737
2. Rutgers 23, FIU 15 (9/19/09) 45,273
3. Rutgers 30, #2 USF 27 (10/18/07) 44,267
4. #14 RU 28, #3 Lou. 25 (11/9/06) 44,111
5. Maryland 34, #10 Rutgers 24 (9/29/07) 43,803
Three Freshmen On ESPNU Top 150 List
Rutgers was the only school in the BIG EAST to have three of the nation’s top 150 recruits on the ESPNU150 Class of 2009. Freshman CB Darrell Givens was rated as the nation’s No. 61 recruit, Tom Savage was rated No. 125 and freshman DT Antwan Lowery was No. 134 on the top 150 list nationally.
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BEAUHARNAIS |
2009 Recruiting Class Ranked Among Nation’s Top 25
Rutgers 2009 recruiting class was ranked as the best in the BIG EAST and the No. 21 class nationally according to ESPN’s Scouts, Inc.
Eight members of that recruiting class have played as true freshmen for the Scarlet Knights in 2009:
Steve Beauharnais, LB (Saddle Brook, N.J.)
Ka’Lial Glaud, LB (Atco, N.J.)
Duron Harmon, DB (Magnolia, Del.)
Mark Harrison, WR (Stratford, Conn.)
Mohamed Sanu, WR (South Brunswick, N.J.)
Tom Savage, QB (Springfield, Pa.)
Tony Trahan, TE (Coppell, Texas)
De’Antwan Williams, RB (Woodbridge, Va.)
2009 First Time Starters
A total of 12 Scarlet Knights have made their debut in the starting lineup in 2009. Five of the 12 are freshmen, including a pair of true freshmen:
Player, Year, Position
Brandon Bing, Jr., CB
Marcus Cooper, R-Fr., WR
D.C. Jefferson, R-Fr., TE
Eric LeGrand, So., DT
Antonio Lowery, Jr., WLB
Domenic Natale, 5th-Sr., QB
Charlie Noonan, R-Jr., DT
David Rowe, So., CB
Mohamed Sanu, Fr., WR
Tom Savage, Fr., QB
Scott Vallone, R-Fr., DT
Desmond Wynn, R-So., OG
On This Date
Rutgers has played 20 times on Oct, 10, going 5-15. Over the 20 games on Oct. 10, the Scarlet Knights have been on the road 14 times on this date.
The last time Rutgers won on this date was in 1964. The Scarlet Knights defeated Lehigh 20-7.
The first time Rutgers played on Oct. 10 was in 1884 as Princeton blanked RU 20-0.
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BEAUHARNAIS |
Coming of Age
Junior defensive end Jonathan Freeny has played his best football of his career in 2009. The Tampa native registered multiple sacks in consecutive games vs. Howard and FIU, becoming the first Scarlet Knight since Eric Foster in 2007 to do so.
Freeny is fourth in the conference and tied for 16th nationally in sacks. He is tied for fifth in the BIG EAST in tackles for loss.
He leads RU in both sacks (4) and tackles for loss (5).
