Scarlet Knights Game Preview
Nov 10 | Football
RUTGERS (4-5, 3-2
) at USF (6-3, 1-3)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 15 12:00 PM
Site: Tampa, Fla.
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
Series Record: Rutgers leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Rutgers 30, #2 USF 27 (2007)
Last Meeting at USF: Rutgers 22, USF 20 (2006)
Television: BIG EAST Network (SNY, WPVI-6 ABC) Mike Gleason - Play-by-Play, John Congemi - Analyst, Quint Kessenich - Sidelines
Radio: The Rutgers Radio Network can be heard on WOR (AM-710) and WCTC (AM-1450) Chris Carlin (Play-by-Play), former Rutgers TE Tim Pernetti (Color Analyst) and Anthony Fuccilli (Sideline Reporter) on the call. Marc Malusis serves as the rre-game and post-game host. The game can also be heard on the Internet at www.scarletknights.com, the official athletics website of Rutgers University.
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7 FM
Internet: ScarletKnights.com (audio)
Rutgers looks to extend the longest current winning streak in the BIG EAST to four games Saturday as the Scarlet Knights (4-5, 3-2) face USF (6-3, 1-3) in BIG EAST action from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The BIG EAST Television Network Game of the Week is scheduled to kickoff at noon and will be aired locally on SNY and WPVI-6 ABC in South Jersey and Philadelphia. Mike Gleason, John Congemi and Quint Kessenich will call the action.
The Rutgers Radio Network will begin its pregame coverage at 11 a.m. Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Tim Pernetti (analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sidelines) will have the call.
Rolling at the Right Time
Rutgers' three-game winning streak in BIG EAST play is the second-longest in school history in conference play. The 2006 squad won four straight games to establish the longest winning streak in league play for the Scarlet Knights.
Continued Success
Over the last four years, Rutgers is a combined 13-2 vs. USF, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Connecticut. The Scarlet Knights are 4-0 vs. the Panthers and Orange, 3-1 vs. the Huskies and 2-1 vs. the Bulls.
Rutgers has won two straight games vs. the Bulls, including a thrilling 22-20 victory in its last visit to Raymond James Stadium in 2006.
Tough Schedule
In the latest NCAA schedule rankings, Rutgers has played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation and toughest schedule in the BIG EAST in 2008. Rutgers' past opponents are 35-23 this season.
Offensive Explosion
In Rutgers' 54-34 victory at No. 17 Pittsburgh on Oct. 25, the Scarlet Knights secured their first road victory over a ranked team since Sept. 24, 1988 at No. 15/13 Penn State (21-16 win).
Rutgers' 54 points at Pittsburgh was the second-best point total in BIG EAST play for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers defeated Temple 62-0 on Oct. 2, 1993.
The 54 points scored were the most points scored against a nationally-ranked opponent on the road in Rutgers' history.
The offensive fireworks continued vs. Syracuse as the Scarlet Knights rolled up 35 points and a season-high 483 yards of total offense.
| TEEL |
Man of Teel
Senior QB Mike Teel was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and USA Today's National Player of the Week for his six-touchdown performance in the victory at Pittsburgh.
Teel threw for a career-high 361 yards and a school record six touchdowns. He became the first player in BIG EAST history to throw five touchdown passes in the first half in a league game.
Teel was only the fourth player in BIG EAST history to throw six touchdowns in a BIG EAST game. He finished the first half 12-for-15 for 311 yards and five touchdowns with one interception.
Britt in the Running for Biletnikoff Award
Junior WR Kenny Britt is putting up strong numbers to merit strong consideration for the Biletnikoff Award. Britt leads the BIG EAST in receiving yards per game (102.6) and receptions per game (7.8).
He ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards per game and seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision in receptions per game. He is one of two players nationally from a BCS conference (joining Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree) to rank in the top 10 in the two respective categories.
Here is a comparison this season statistically between Britt and Crabtree, the only two players in the nation to average over 100 yards receiving per game and over seven receptions per game from a BCS conference:
Britt Crabtree
Receptions per game 7.5 7.8
Receiving yards per game 102.6 101.5
Touchdowns per game 0.5 1.8
BIG EAST Notes
Rutgers leads the BIG EAST in conference games only in five statistical categories. The Scarlet Knights are tops in the league in conference play in pass offense (251.0), pass efficiency (140.7), first downs (93), sacks (15) and fewest penalty yardage per game (40.2).
The Scarlet Knights are second in red zone defense (8-of-11), third down conversions (27-of-69, 39.1 %), opponent third down conversions (20-of-67, 29.9 %), fourth down conversions (3-of-6, 50 %), scoring offense (25.6) and scoring defense (19.6).
Below are some of Rutgers' individual leaders in conference play:
Category Player (Avg./Rank)
Receiving yards per game Kenny Britt (111.8/1st)
Receptions per game Kenny Britt (7.8/1st)
Punting Teddy Dellaganna (44.7/T-2nd)
Forced Fumbles Zaire Kitchen (2/T-1st)
Kick return average Jason McCourty (23.9/4th)
Passing yards per game Mike Teel (234.8/1st)
Pass efficiency Mike Teel (140.0/2nd)
Total offense Mike Teel (226.4/3rd)
Sacks Jamaal Westerman (4.5/1st)
Rushing yards per game Kordell Young (96.0/4th)
Scoring per game Kordell Young (6.0/T-3rd)
| BRITT |
The Century Club
Kenny Britt became Rutgers' all-time leader in career 100-yard receiving games in 2008. Britt has 11 career 100-yard games, including his nine-reception, 107-yard performance in the victory over Syracuse Nov. 8.
Seven of Britt's 11 career 100-yard receiving games have come away from Piscataway.
Britt is now tied for third in BIG EAST history in 100-yard receiving games,
BIG EAST Career 100-Yard Game Receiving Leaders
Total Player, School
14 Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
13 Antonio Bryant, Pittsburgh (1999-01)
11 Kenny Britt, Rutgers (2006--present)
Greg Lee, Pittsburgh (2003-05)
Marvin Harrison, Syracuse (1992-95)
10 Andre Davis, Virginia Tech (1998-01)
Harry Douglas, Louisville (2005-07)
Britt's 100-yard receiving performances
Date Rec.-Yards-TD Opponent
10-13-07 6-176-1 at Syracuse
11-29-07 12-173-2 at Louisville
10-4-08 12-151-0 at West Virginia
10-25-08 5-143-3 at #17 Pittsburgh
1-5-08 6-125-1 vs. Ball State^
11-3-07 8-122-0 at #16 Connecticut
9-15-07 4-121-2 Norfolk State
12-2-06 10-119-0 at #15 West Virginia
9-11-08 8-109-0 North Carolina
11-8-08 9-107-1 Syracuse
10-18-08 9-107-0 Connecticut
^ in Toronto, Ontario (International Bowl)
Britt Continues Assault on Record Books
Kenny Britt is second in school history with 2,493 career receiving yards. Britt is just 30 yards shy of the all-time receiving yards record at Rutgers.
Britt owns the single-season school record with 1,232 receiving yards set in 2007. Britt is fifth in Rutgers' career annals with 151 receptions and for fourth with 14 career touchdown receptions.
He has also caught a pass in 27 straight games, the ninth longest streak in the BIG EAST.
Rutgers Career Receiving Yards Leaders
1. Tres Moses (2001-05) 2,522
2. Kenny Britt (2006-present) 2,493
Rutgers Career Reception Leaders
1. Brian Leonard (2003-06) 207
2. Tres Moses (2001-05) 192
3. Marco Battaglia (1992-95) 171
4. Jim Guarantano (1989-92) 158
5. Kenny Britt (2006-present) 151
Rutgers Career Touchdown Reception Leaders
1. Chris Brantley (1990-93) 17
2. Marco Battaglia (1992-95) 16
Tres Moses (2001-05) 16
4. Kenny Britt (2006-present) 14
Britt in the Active Career Rankings
Kenny Britt is fourth among Football Bowl Subdivision active players with a career average of 16.5 yards per reception. He is seventh among active players nationally in receiving yards per game (83.1), 13th in career receiving yards (2,493) and 16th in receptions per game (5.0).
Sack the Quarterback
Rutgers sacked Syracuse's quarterbacks a season-high five times in the 35-17 victory over the Orange. The Scarlet Knights lead the BIG EAST in conference play with 15 sacks in five games in 2008.
After totaling just three sacks through the first three games of the season, Rutgers has posted 18 sacks over the last six games of the year.
Getting Defensive
Rutgers limited Morgan State to 109 yards of total offense on Sept. 27, the fewest yards ever allowed by a Rutgers squad under Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights limited the Bears to eight first downs and 32 yards rushing in the 38-0 victory.
Rutgers yielded just 168 yards in the win over Syracuse on Nov. 8. The 168 yards allowed was the ninth-lowest showing under Schiano. It marked the second-lowest total vs. a BIG EAST opponent during Schiano's tenure for the Scarlet Knights. Syracuse totaled 82 yards on one play - Doug Hogue's touchdown - in the first quarter.
Fewest Total Yards Allowed During Schiano Era
Date Opponent Total Yards Allowed
9-27-08 Morgan State* 109
9-16-06 Ohio 119
9-15-07 Norfolk State* 122
9-9-06 Illinois* 126
11-26-05 Cincinnati 146
11-9-07 at Army 152
10-14-06 at Navy* 161
12-28-06 Kansas State (Texas Bowl) 162
11-8-08 Syracuse 168
9-23-06 Howard 172
11-25-06 Syracuse 191
11-29-03 Syracuse 198
* Shutout victory
What Can Brown Do for You?
Junior WR Tim Brown has given the Rutgers offense the big play in 2008 and throughout his career. The Miami native leads the team with 18.1 yards per reception and is tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns.
He has nine career touchdown receptions and has averaged 36.2 yards per TD catch over his career.
For his career, Brown has 52 receptions for 905 yards and nine touchdowns. Nearly 20 percent of the time Brown has caught a pass it has gone for a touchdown.
| YOUNG |
Kordell Carries the Load
Redshirt sophomore RB Kordell Young made his return from a torn ACL and earned the start at running back in the season-opener vs. Fresno State.
The West Deptford, N.J., native rushed for 94 yards on 26 carries in the season-opener vs. Fresno State.
He missed the next four games due to a sore knee before returning for the Cincinnati game.
Young started at UC and led all RU players with 78 yards rushing. He also threw the first touchdown pass of his career on a 17-yard TD pass to Jack Corcoran.
Young posted his first career 100-yard game with a career-best 143 yards on a career-high 29 carries and one touchdown in the 35-17 victory vs. Syracuse. Young finished the day with 170 yards of total offense, another career-high for the New Jersey native. In four BIG EAST games this season, Young is fourth in the league with 96 yards per game.
BIG EAST Rushing Leaders (conference games only)
Player, School Year TD Avg./G
Donald Brown, Connecticut Jr. 4 132.2
Curtis Brinkley, Syracuse Sr. 2 121.6
LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh So. 4 119.0
Kordell Young, Rutgers So. 4 96.0
Noel Devine, West Virginia So. 1 90.2
Slowing Down the Nation's Best
The Rutgers defense held the nation's leading rusher in Connecticut's Donald Brown to 107 rushing yards on 27 attempts, including just seven yards in the second half on Oct. 18. It was his lowest output of the season by 39 yards and was 70.8 yards below his per game average.
The game vs. UConn also marked the second time in 2008 Rutgers played against the nation's leading rusher. On Sept. 20 at Navy, the Scarlet Knights faced that week's national leading rusher in Shun White of Navy, who was held to 85 yards.
Te Time
Redshirt freshman PK San San Te has connected on six of his last seven field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yard field goal at Cincinnati on Oct. 11. The North Carolina native is 6-for-9 on field goal attempts on the season.
Te is one of seven freshmen nationally to make a field goal from 50 yards or longer in 2008.
| D'IMPERIO |
D'Imperio Manning the Middle
Junior MLB Ryan D'Imperio has manned the middle of the Rutgers' defense in 2008 and has been one of the team's top defenders. He is sixth in the BIG EAST with 7.3 tackles per game. D'Imperio recorded 11 tackles in the 12-10 victory over Connecticut on Oct. 18 and was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
On the season, D'Imperio is second on the team with 66 tackles.
Rutgers Stadium Sold Out for 2008
For the second consecutive season, Rutgers is sold out for its entire home schedule. With the seven home games sold out for 2008, it moves Rutgers' consecutive sell-out streak at Rutgers Stadium to 17 games, the longest streak in the BIG EAST.
The most fans in school history - 349,306 - entered the gates at Rutgers Stadium in 2007. Rutgers averaged a school-record 43,663 fans per game in 2007.
| BROOKS |
The Freshman 100
Jourdan Brooks became the eighth freshman during Greg Schiano's tenure at Rutgers to rush for 100 yards in a game with his 134-yard performance at Navy.
Below is the list of freshmen who have eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game under Schiano at Rutgers:
Player Att.-Yards-TD Opponent (Date)
Ray Rice 27-217-0 at UConn (10-22-05)
Ray Rice 24-195-2 Cincinnati (11-26-05)
Brian Leonard 33-184-2 at UConn (11-8-03)
Justise Hairston 31-161-4 vs. Navy (9-27-03)
Ray Rice 26-158-0 USF (11-5-05)
Brian Leonard 37-138-1 Syracuse (11-29-03)
Jourdan Brooks 22-134-2 at Navy (9-20-08)
Brian Leonard 16-132-1 at Army (9-13-03)
Markis Facyson 32-129-1 Army (9-14-02)
Justise Hairston 27-115-1 at WVU (10-11-03)
Ray Rice 15-114-0 Pittsburgh (9-30-05)
Ray Rice 20-108-0 Arizona St. (12-27-05)
Jason Nugent 26-106-1 at BC (11-30-02)
Marcus Jones 30-105-1 at WVU (11-3-01)
Clarence Pittman 31-104-0 at Tennessee (9-28-02)
Comparing First Starts at Running Back
With 134 yards at Navy, Jourdan Brooks is among elite company in Rutgers history for rushing yards by a player in their first career start.
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. West Virginia (11-14-92) 27-105-0
Kordell Young vs. Fresno State (9-1-08) 26-94-0
Mason Robinson vs. North Carolina (9-11-08) 16-82-0
Ray Rice at Illinois (9-3-05) 12-55-0
Brian Leonard vs. Buffalo (8-30-03) * 6-11-0
* started at fullback
Finding the End Zone
Jourdan Brooks scored a career-high three touchdowns against Morgan State. It was the most rushing touchdowns by a Rutgers freshman since Sept. 27, 2003, when Justise Hairston scored four touchdowns vs. Navy. Brooks scored all three of his touchdowns in the first half against the Bears.
| MALAST |
34 On the Tackle
Senior LB Kevin Malast has been as steady as they come in the BIG EAST at linebacker since becoming a starter in 2007. After finishing second on the team with 92 tackles as a junior, Malast leads RU and is fourth in the BIG EAST in tackles in 2008. He has 70 tackles on the season.
Malast led all players in the Fresno State game with nine tackles and has posted at least seven stops in eight games this season.
Welcome to Rutgers
Here is the list of Scarlet Knights who have made their first career appearances this season:
Player Year Pos.
Marvin Booker Fr. LB (special teams)
Jourdan Brooks R-Fr. RB
Marcus Cooper Fr. WR
Teddy Dellaganna R-So. P (starter)
Art Forst Fr. RG (starter)
Patrick Kivlehan Fr. DB (special teams)
Al-Ghaffaar Lane R-Fr. LB (special teams)
Eric LeGrand Fr. DE/FB
Joe Martinek R-Fr. RB
Marlon Romulus R-So. OL
David Rowe Fr. DB
Caleb Ruch R-Fr. RG (starter)
San San Te R-Fr. PK (starter)
Wayne Thomas R-Fr. DL (special teams)
Scott Vallone Fr. DL
Rutgers Stadium Expansion
The Board of Governors of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, approved a plan in January of 2008 to expand Rutgers Stadium.
The $102 million project, which will increase the stadium's seating capacity to 56,000, will be funded entirely by the revenue generated from ticket sales for the 14,000 new seats and from private donations. Rutgers students will continue to have access to football tickets free of charge.
The first phase of the project - a new mezzanine level with club seats and loge boxes - opened to rave reviews Sept. 1 at the Fresno State game.
Airing it Out
Senior QB Mike Teel set a school record with 20 touchdown passes in 2007. He also finished second in single-season school history with 3,147 yards passing.
Teel is the second player in Rutgers history with three consecutive 300-yard passing games. Ryan Hart (2002-05) holds the school record for consecutive 300-yard passing games with seven during the 2004 season.
Teel is second in Rutgers history with seven, 300-yard passing games.
The senior from Oakland, N.J. is 25-13 as Rutgers' starting quarterback. He has started 35 consecutive games under center.
| TVERDOV |
Tough Up the Middle
Senior captain and DT Pete Tverdov is one of the team's defensive anchors in 2008. He is third in the BIG EAST in tackles for loss per game with 1.22 TFLs per contest. Tverdov has recorded a TFL in all eight games he has played in this season.
Dating back to 2007, Tverdov has registered a TFL in 11 straight games.
He started the season in strong fashion in the first game of the year vs. Fresno State. Tverdov was all over the field in the opener, finishing with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one QB hurry and a pass breakup.
Spanning Three Centuries
Rutgers Football, now in its 139th season, has played only three opponents in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. The three - Army, Navy and North Carolina - are all on the 2008 schedule.
Three Straight Bowls for Rutgers
For the first time in school history, the Scarlet Knights played in a bowl for the third consecutive season with their appearance in the 2008 International Bowl.
Rutgers won its second straight bowl - another first in school history - with a 52-30 victory over Ball State in the International Bowl.
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 seven seasons at the helm of the program, Schiano has guided Rutgers to three straight bowl games.
The Scarlet Knights are one of 34 teams to play in three consecutive bowls. Among BCS members, Rutgers is one of 25 schools to play in three straight bowl games and just one of three BIG EAST programs to play in three consecutive bowls (Rutgers, West Virginia, USF). All-time, Rutgers is 2-2 in postseason play.
Block Party
Junior CB Devin McCourty has been one of the team's top special teams standouts throughout his career. McCourty has blocked four career kicks, including the third punt block of his career vs. Navy on Sept. 20. All four of McCourty's blocked kicks have led to Rutgers touchdowns.
McCourty has also scored two touchdowns in his career on a pair of interception returns. He returned a pick 36 yards for a touchdown vs. Cincinnati in 2007 and returned an INT 38 yards for a score his freshman year in 2006 vs. Illinois.
| MARTINEK |
Wild Knight
Redshirt freshman RB Joe Martinek debuted at quarterback and took the direct snap vs. Syracuse and rumbled 45 yards for a touchdown. Martinek finished with two carries for 51 yards after taking a direct snap.
Martinek made the most of his first extensive action of his career Sept. 20 at Navy. Martinek finished with career-highs in attempts (8) and rushing yards (61) against the Midshipmen.
Martinek was the 2006 Gatorade New Jersey State Player of the Year and is the all-time leading rusher in New Jersey high school football history with 7,589 rushing yards and 80 touchdowns.
He finished his high school career as the No. 38 rusher in high school history with 7,589 rushing yards.
Martinek also made one of the season's best special teams plays with a tackle on UConn's opening kickoff return of the second half, tackling the kick returner at the one-yard line.
| KITCHEN |
Comeback in the Kitchen
Junior SS Zaire Kitchen has been one of the best stories of the season for the Scarlet Knights. Kitchen has overcome three ACL surgeries during his career, including two at Rutgers, and has made it all the way back into the starting lineup Sept. 20 at Navy.
Kitchen played in nine games in 2007 before his season was cut short with a torn ACL against Pittsburgh. During his freshman campaign in 2006, Kitchen played in 11 games before an ACL injury ended his year prematurely.
Kitchen led a stingy RU defense with a career-high seven tackles and a game-changing sack and forced fumble in the Syracuse victory. With the score tied at 14 in the third quarter, Kitchen sacked SU QB Cameron Dantley and forced a fumble, which RU recovered and led to a touchdown. It marked the second straight game Kitchen forced a fumble in the third quarter of a league win which led to a RU touchdown on the ensuing drive.
He is tied for first in the league in conference games only with two forced fumbles on the season.
Not in a Rush
Since Greg Schiano took over as defensive coordinator for the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers' defense has limited the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing 16 times, including three games with negative yards rushing.
Ten times during Schiano's tenure as defensive coordinator, the Rutgers defense has yielded less than 200 yards of total offense to an opponent.
Below is a breakdown of the yardage totals for some of the BIG EAST's top rushing leaders vs. Rutgers in 2008:
Player National/BIG EAST Rushing Avg. vs. RU
Ranking Per Game
D. Brown 1/1 156.2 107
L. McCoy 13/2 115.9 146
C. Brinkley 19/4 107.3 67
N. Devine 18/3 107.4 55
P. White 60/6 73.3 59
The "Chop Shop"
A school-record crowd of 44,267 were in attendance as the Scarlet Knights upset No. 2 USF 30-27 last season The Scarlet Knights have posted the eight largest crowds in school history over the last two seasons.
Currently, the growing waiting list for season tickets is over 12,000 as the Scarlet Knights have played in front of 15 straight sellout crowds at Rutgers Stadium, the longest current streak in the BIG EAST.
South Jersey Scarlet Knights
South Jersey has become a hot spot for Rutgers' recruiting in recent years as the Scarlet Knights have six starters from the southern part of the Garden State.
Below are the six South Jersey starters on the roster:
Center - Ryan Blaszczyk (Medford Lakes)
Running Back - Kordell Young (West Deptford)
Fullback - Jack Corcoran (Atlantic City)
Defensive End - George Johnson (Glassboro)
Defensive Tackle - Alex Silvestro (Gibbstown)
Middle Linebacker - Ryan D'Imperio (Sewell)
| DELLAGANNA |
Teddy D
Redshirt sophomore P Teddy Dellaganna played a large role in Rutgers' 12-10 victory over Connecticut and was named BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week. His second half opening kickoff pinned UConn to start from its own one-yard line. He also pinned UConn inside its own 10-yard line to start three other drives in the second half, starting from the 3, 2 and 10-yard lines.
Dellaganna is 24th nationally with an average of 42.4 yards per punt, which is second in RU single-season history.
Teel in the Record Books
Mike Teel has a chance to own Rutgers' all-time records for career passing yards and career touchdowns.
Career Passing Yards
1. Ryan Hart (2002-05) 8,482
2. Mike Teel (2005-present) 7,946
Career Touchdowns
1. Ryan Hart (2002-05) 52
2. Mike Teel (2005-present) 46
Career Attempts
1. Ryan Hart (2002-05) 1,217
2. Scott Erney (1986-89) 1,128
3. Mike Teel (2005-present) 1,017
Career Completions
1. Ryan Hart (2002-05) 735
2. Scott Erney (1986-89) 614
3. Mike Teel (2005-present) 577
Career Yards of Total Offense
1. Ryan Hart (2002-05) 8,149
2. Mike Teel (2005-present) 7,772
After passing for 276 yards in the Syracuse win, Teel passed Boston College's Glenn Foley (1991-93) and into sixth place on the BIG EAST career passing yardage chart.
With Teel's 26 completions vs. Syracuse, he moved past Temple's Henry Burris (1993-96) and West Virginia's Marc Bulger (1996-99) and into fifth place on the BIG EAST career completions list with 577 career completions.
| WESTERMAN |
Racking Up The Sacks
Senior DE Jamaal Westerman is tied for third in school history with 26 career sacks. He leads RU with 6.0 sacks in 2008. Westerman has a sack in four consecutive games.
Career Sacks
1. Nate Toran (1973-76) 52
2. Dan Gray (1975-77) 29
3. Dino Mangiero (1976-79) 26
Jamaal Westerman (2005-present) 26
Consistent Courtney
Since he arrived on campus as a freshman in 2005, Courtney Greene has started at free safety for the Scarlet Knights. The New Rochelle, N.Y., native, has started 47 consecutive games and is fifth in Rutgers history with 361 career tackles.
| GREENE |
Career Tackle Leaders
1. Tyronne Stowe (1983-86) 533
2. Jim Dumont (1979-83) 448
3. Brian Sheridan (1993-97) 389
4. Pat Udovich (1986-89) 363
5. Courtney Greene (2005-present) 361
Rutgers in the NFL
As of Nov. 2, 14 former Scarlet Knights are on NFL rosters, including the captains of the previous two Super Bowl winners - Shaun O'Hara with the New York Giants and Gary Brackett of the Indianapolis Colts. Of the 14 players currently in the NFL from Rutgers, 13 were coached by Greg Schiano at Rutgers.
Gary Brackett (1999-02) Indianapolis
Last Game: Started at MLB; 9 tackles vs. Steelers
Eric Foster (2003-07) Indianapolis
Last Game: Started at DT, 4 tackles vs. Steelers
Gary Gibson (2001-04) Carolina
Last Game: 2 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Raiders
Nate Jones (2000-03) Miami
Last Game: 2 tackles in win vs. Seahawks
Brian Leonard (2003-06) St. Louis
Out for the season with a shoulder injury
Ryan Neill (2001-02, 04-05) Buffalo
Last Game: Started at LS vs. Patriots
Shaun O'Hara (1997-99) N.Y. Giants
Last Game: Started at C in win vs. Eagles
Joe Porter (2003-06) Green Bay
Last Game: Member of the practice squad
Brandon Renkart (2003-06) N.Y. Jets
Last Game: Member of the practice squad
Ray Rice (2005-07) Baltimore
Last Game: Started at RB; 17 yards in win vs. Texans
Derrick Roberson (2003-06) Baltimore
Last Game: Member of the practice squad
L.J. Smith (1999-02) Philadelphia
Last Game: Started at TE vs. Giants; 3 rec., 36 yards
Darnell Stapleton (2005-06) Pittsburgh
Last Game: Started at RG vs. Colts
Jeremy Zuttah (2004-07) Tampa Bay
Last Game: Bye week
No. 3 Nationally in APR
The Rutgers football team was ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Academic Progress Rate according to the latest APR figures released by the NCAA. The Scarlet Knights have a four-year APR score of 977, which covers the academic years of 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The top five Football Bowl Subdivision schools in terms of APR are Stanford (986), Navy (979), Rutgers (977), Duke (977) and Air Force (976). For the second consecutive year, Rutgers football has the best APR mark of any state university in the nation.
The Rutgers football team was one of only six Football Bowl Subdivision programs to be ranked in the top 10 percent in the APR scores. Rutgers is the lone state university on the list and the only institution to have its football team ranked in the top 10 percent of the APR and to have won a bowl game last season.
