PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) rushed 37 times for 175 yards to become the all-time rushing leader in Rutgers history in a 41-24 victory over Navy Friday evening. The junior running back had both rushing and receiving touchdowns en route to three scores, as the No. 15/16 Scarlet Knights captured their ninth straight home victory.
 |
|
Ray Rice finished the game with 175 yards on 37 carries bringing his career totals to 3,273 yards on 592 career carries. Photo by Tom Ciszek NJSportsPhoto |
Rice topped former career rushing leader Terrell Willis (1993-95; 3,114) on his second carry of the game. His output signaled his 17th career 100-yard performance on the ground, fifth most in BIG EAST history. His record-breaking night came before 43,514 fans, the third largest crowd in Rutgers Stadium history.
"I didn't know when I broke the record," said Rice. "It just feels nice to have it. Football is obviously a team game, but to be on top of the record books at Rutgers University is a big thing."
Leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter against a fiesty Navy squad, the game was far from put away. Rutgers (2-0) junior quarterback Mike Teel (Oakland, N.J.) then connected with sophomore wideout Kenny Britt (Bayonne, N.J.) on a 53-yard touchdown pass to provide a 34-17 lead. The long distance connection with 9:05 remaining extinguished any hopes of a late comeback by the Midshipmen and supplied the necessary comfort to a raucous Scarlet crowd.
Rice provided the home squad's final score with 2:17 remaining on a two-yard scoring run, the 30th of his career, to produce a 41-17 advantage. A four-yard touchdown run by back-up Navy (1-1) signal-caller Jarod Bryant with 0:52 second remaining provided the final 41-24 scoring tally.
Bryant replaced starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who entered the game with just one career interception. He threw three on the evening, including two in the end zone. It marked the most interceptions for Rutgers since also grabbing three at home versus Virginia Tech in 2003. For the Midshipmen, it signaled their most aerial thefts thrown since Nov. 11, 2000 versus Tulane.
Despite another confident offensive performance, which included scores on all five trips into the red zone, Rutgers also had its share of miscues. The Scarlet Knights were whistled for 11 penalties totaling 100 yards. It was the most penalties for RU since also committing 11 at South Florida last season.
Rutgers initial drive of the game stalled at Navy's 36-yard line after a pair of incomplete passes and a holding call. The Scarlet Knights lined up for a 54-yard field goal, but Jeremy Ito (Loma Linda, Calif.) pooch punted instead, pinning the Mids at their own three-yard line. The home squad was whistled for having too many men on the line of scrimmage, however, forcing another punt. The coverage unit then came up big for a second time, forcing Navy to start is opening possession just four yards from its end zone.
Starting its second possession at the visitor forty-yard line after a 27-yard punt, Rutgers wasted little time posting its first points. Teel found Shamar Graves (Woodbridge, N.J.) on a 12 yard scoring aerial to provide the home squad a 7-0 lead after the Ito extra with 8:29 on the first quarter clock. It marked the first career reception and touchdown for the redshirt freshman.
The Scarlet Knights benefited from a short field once again on its third possession. After a George Johnson (Glassboro, N.J.) interception provided a first and 10 at the 25, a trio of Rice carries resulted in a 14-0 advantage. The junior's four-yard scoring scamper with 4:48 remaining in the initial stanza marked the 29th of his career, moving him into fifth place on Rutgers' all-time list for rushing touchdowns. It also capped a 1:09 drive, just one second longer than RU's initial scoring drive.
Faced with the early deficit, Navy refused to lie down. After a 31-yard return by Reggie Campbell, aided by a five-yard penalty, the Midshipmen drove 57 yards on 11-plays to pay dirt. Kaheaku-Enhada connected with Campbell on a three-yard scoring toss to cut is deficit in half with 0:16 seconds showing in the first quarter.
The Scarlet Knights looked to extend its lead to two touchdowns once again on a seven-yard Rice scamper, but a holding penalty nullified the score. The home squad would settle for a 28-yard Ito field goal to take a 17-7 advantage with 9:49 remaining before halftime.
Scarlet penalties were in ample supply in the opening half and a roughing the punter infraction was poised to prove costly. After the call, the Midshipmen retained possession near midfield. A 15-yard pass interference call four plays later further aided the Mids downfield. Set with a second and goal at the four–yard line, however, Kaheaku-Enhada threw an errant pass under pressure into the end zone and into the hands of RU strong safety Ron Girault (Spring Valley, N.Y.). The interception marked the tenth aerial theft of the senior's career, moving him into ninth place on the school's all-time chart.
 |
|
Kenny Britt hauls in a 53-yard TD pass from Mike Teel. Photo by Tom Ciszek NJSportsPhoto |
The first possession of the second half belonged to Navy, and the Midshipmen wasted little time in tightening the contest. With fullback Adam Ballard and Kaheaku-Enhada leading the way, the visitors drove 67 yards on seven plays in methodical fashion. Kaheaku-Enhada carried into the end zone from two yards out to produce a 24-14 score, after the conversion, less than three minutes into the third quarter.
The Mids were in prime position to even further reduce the discrepancy after an interception resulted in a first and 10 and the home 20-yard line. The turnover marked the first aerial theft that Teel had thrown in 125 attempts. Two plays later, however, Kaheaku-Enhada was intercepted for the second time in the end zone and the third time overall. This time, junior free safety Courtney Greene (New Rochelle, N.Y.) made the grab, shifting the momentum back to the Scarlet sideline.
Rutgers then capitalized on an end zone interception for a second time. The Scarlet Knights drove 77 yards on 15 plays before Ito connected on a 20-yard field goal to provide a 27-14 lead. It marked the 60th field goal of the senior's career.
Navy answered with a field goal of its own. Matt Harmon split the uprights from 34 yards to complete a 16-play, 64-yard drive. The kick brought the Mids within 10 (27-17) with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.
Rutgers generated 476 yards, while Navy totaled 289. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights had four players post double figure tackles, including junior linebacker Kevin Malast (Manchester, N.J.), who had a game-high 13 stops.
The Scarlet Knights return to the gridiron next Saturday (Sept. 15) to host Norfolk State in a 3:30 p.m. kick-off at Rutgers Stadium. The game will be televised live on MSG. The contest will mark the first ever meeting between the Scarlet Knights and Spartans.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
Rutgers had three interceptions in a game for the first time since Oct. 4, 2003, when the Scarlet Knights picked off three passes against Virginia Tech at Rutgers Stadium.
Tonight’s victory is the ninth-straight at Rutgers Stadium dating back to the 2005 season.
Tonight’s attendance of 43,514 was the third-largest in Rutgers Stadium history. It was the fourth consecutive sell-out, which is a new Rutgers record.
Top Crowds in Rutgers Stadium History
1. 44,111 - #15 Rutgers 28, #3 Louisville 25 (11/9/06)
2. 43,791 - #15 Rutgers 38, Syracuse 7 (11/25/06)
3. 43,514 - #15 Rutgers vs. Navy (9/7/07)
Rutgers has scored 30 or more points in five consecutive games. It marks the longest streak of consecutive 30-point games for Rutgers since 1975.
10/25/75 Rutgers 41, Columbia 0 – at Rutgers
11/1/75 Rutgers 35, Connecticut 8 – at UConn
11/8/75 Rutgers 48, Lafayette 6 – at Rutgers
11/15/75 Rutgers 41, Boston U 3 – at BU
11/22/75 Rutgers 56, Colgate 14 – at Rutgers
Rutgers had its first punt of the season in the first quarter, when senior kicker/punter Jeremy Ito (Loma Linda, Calif.) booted a 37-yarder to pin Navy at its own four yard line. It was Ito’s second (first was a 29-yarder in the 2004 season) career punt.
The Navy touchdown with 16 seconds left in the first quarter was the first offensive touchdown scored against the Rutgers defense in 134:44 (totaling eight quarters), dating back to overtime of the Scarlet Knights’ contest against West Virginia on Dec. 2 of last season.
Navy QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada entered the game with one interception in 56 career attempts, but had three interceptions in 12 attempts tonight. It was the first time Navy threw three interceptions in a game since Nov. 11, 2000 vs. Tulane.
Four Rutgers defenders posted double-digits tackles, with junior linebacker Kevin Malast (Manchester, N.J.) and senior All-American DT Eric Foster (Homestead, Fla.) each posting 13. Junior LB Damaso Munoz (Miami, Fla.) had 12 stops, while senior SS Ron Girault (Spring Valley, N.Y.) added 10. Malast has totaled 23 stops in two games this season. The 13 tackles for Foster and Malast, along with the 12 tackles for Munoz, were career-high totals.
Rutgers is a perfect 7-for-7 in the red zone this season (four touchdowns, three field goals).
Player Notes
Junior Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) set a new Rutgers career rushing record on his second carry of the game, rushing for 19 yards to the Navy 30. He finished the game with 175 yards on 37 carries bringing his career totals to 3,273 yards on 592 career carries. He surpassed Terrell Willis’ mark of 3,114 yards set during the 1993-1995 seasons.
Rice moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Rutgers career rushing touchdown chart with his 29th career TD (a four-yard run) in the first quarter tonight. After his fourth quarter rushing score, he now has 30 and is four touchdowns shy of tying “JJ” Jennings’ (1971-73) record of 34.
Rice also collected his first career receiving touchdown with a 22-yard catch with 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Ray Rice has gone over 100 yards for the 17th time in his career, fifth in BIG EAST history. He is second in RU history in
career 100-yard games. It is also his fifth-straight 100-yard game.
BIG EAST Career 100-Yard Games
1. Avon Cobourne, West Virginia (1999-02) 28
2. Amos Zereoue, West Virginia (1996-98) 21
3. Mike Cloud, Boston College (1995-98) 19
4. Derrick Knight, Boston College (2000-03) 18
5. Ray Rice, Rutgers (2005-present) 17
Junior Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.), who entered tonight’s game leading the nation in receiving yards, had six receptions for 104 yards. Last week against Buffalo, he set a new school single-game record with 248 receiving yards. Last season, Underwood totaled 23 receptions for 290 yards.
Sophomore defensive end George Johnson (Glassboro, N.J.) recorded his first career interception, picking off Navy QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada’s pass on the Navy 24-yard line on a third-and-nine play in the opening quarter. Rutgers scored a touchdown three plays later.
Junior defensive end Gary Watts (Miami, Fla.) made his first career start. He also posted his first career sack in the second quarter, recorded a seven-yard loss on the play.
Junior QB Mike Teel (Oakland, N.J.) ended an impressive string of 125-straight attempts without throwing an interception, dating back to last season against Cincinnati. He completed four full games and 19 quarters without throwing an interception. Teel ended the game 14-of-19 passing for 266 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior safety Ron Girault (Nanuet, N.Y.) picked off his 10th career pass, tying him for ninth place all-time with Jim Hughes (1975-78), Jim Testom (1974-76) and John Miller (1969-70).
Junior safety Courtney Greene (New Rochelle, N.Y.) recorded his fifth career interception, picking off a pass in the end zone in the third quarter.
Freshman TE Shamar Graves (Woodbridge, N.J.) recorded his first career reception and touchdown on the same play, a 12-yard catch in the first quarter.
