09
Oct
08

The Scarlet Knights will be checkmated in the Queen City

The Queen City of Cincinnati, Ohio has never been kind to the Rutgers football team.  It has travelled to that part of the Buckeye State six times and has only won once…and that was by a 10-7 margin of victory in 1987.  Two of the losses have been devastating to those respective Scarlet Knight teams.  In 1992, head coach Doug Graber’s talented squad was in bowl contention with three games left, coming off that memorable last-second 50-49 Halloween home win over Virginia Tech.  But that great R-U offensive machine of Ray Lucas, Bryan Fortay, Terrell Willis, Bruce Presley, Marco Battaglia and Chris Brantley couldn’t outscore the underdog Bearcats with Cincinnati winning on a last-minute field goal 26-24, crushing the Knights’ post-season hopes.  Then, just two years ago, head coach Greg Schiano was at the apex of his eight-year tenure, coming into Cincy at 9-0 following that great home win over Louisville, ranked in the Top-Ten and entertaining BCS bowl game hopes.  But, the Bearcats just about put an end to all that talk, pulling off a convincing 30-11 upset.  Add to that the fact that Cincinnati came to Piscataway last season and engineered a 28-23 win, a loss that Rutgers really couldn’t recover from in an attempt to get to a major bowl.  So, here we go again this Saturday…although the scenario is different this time around.  Cincinnati is a nine-point favorite over the visiting Scarlet Knights.  The Bearcats come into their Big East opener at 4-1 with the only loss at number-one Oklahoma.  R-U, meanwhile, is 1-4 overall and 0-1 in league.  Cincinnati, led by second-year head coach Brian Kelly, has turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Chazz Anderson to run the offense.  Anderson made his starting debut last Saturday in a 33-10 win at Marshall, passing 18-for-26 for 158 yards and two touchdowns.  Meanwhile, the Bearcats feature a tough defense, particularly in the secondary with a talented secondary picking off eight passes in the opening five games.  Factor in that the game is at Nippert Stadium, a place where the Scarlet Knights have struggled at over the years, and it all adds up to another defeat on the road to nowhere for Rutgers.  I’m going with Cincinnati 28-20 over R-U.  One step closer to not qualifying for a bowl game berth for the first time in four years.


2 Responses to “The Scarlet Knights will be checkmated in the Queen City”


  1. 1 RocktheRac
    October 10, 2008 at 10:37 pm

    Unfortunately I agree with you Bruce. RU has always had trouble winning in Cincinnati and I think the problems will continue. Until I see this offense move the ball quicker and easier and scoring, I will have to go against the Knights.

    Things I’d like to see
    1. A turnover ….. RU is probably the only D1 school not to cause a turnover against a D1 school.
    2. How about scoring in the 3rd qtr. RU is outscored 52-0 in the 3rd.

    Cincinnati 24
    Rutgers 10

  2. 2 rufool
    October 11, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    Cincy 35
    RU 10

    Teel will be benched for someone, maybe for Natale, but by that time, the game is out of reach. The RU D is simply on the field too long, playing hard but exhausted. But this will be the end of Teel because Natale’s ability to throw on the run opens up new offensive possiblities and being new, his mistakes are more acceptable than the rookie mistakes of a 5th year senior. That’s my prediction. But can this salvage the season? No, the team’s O line, running game, the D line, linebackers (Abreu excepted) and now the safeties are just too average. The cornerbacks have slipped this year too possibly due to coaching but maybe becuase of the play of the D line and the linebackers or all of the above. Schiano is just clueless not to mention arrogant and immature. Who knows what politics and disension takes place in that locker room. As my friend says, “the fish stinks from its head”. Think about that one!


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