For This Loss, The Blame Falls on Nova

In the Scarlet Knights’ 16-14 loss at Louisville on Friday night, freshman quarterback Gary Nova falter in the clutch.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- In a game where nothing went right for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, there was an oblong of wondrous luck flying through the night sky. It was right there, spiraling toward the touchdown that-would-have-been the miracle keeping an already stellar season on the correct track. All Rutgers wide receiver Mark Harrison had to do was catch the football and sprint forty yards and the Scarlet Knights would have escaped Louisville with an unearned victory.

It couldn’t be that easy. It is never that easy. The ball drilled him right in the numbers, subsequently tumbling through the crease in between his two forearms and dropping to the turf. The very next thing to fall to the turf was Harrison, dropping his head between his shoulders before standing up and trudging back over to the huddle.

It was there, though. The fairy-tale ending to a realistic story was flying through the air Friday night, but it is never that easy.

Let’s rewind for a second. Rutgers QB Gary Nova had put himself in this position. If it weren’t for two horribly thrown balls on the first two possessions, Rutgers may not have been in the situation. He was intercepted on both those passes. He didn’t read the defense. At all. His one touchdown pass was only a touchdown because the most athletic wide receiver on the east coast made a phenomenal grab. Nova portrayed a specific inability to complete drives while in the red zone, settling for field goal attempts twice. But kicker San SanTe missed the field goals and now he feels like the goat.

It had been two drives and two interceptions. The Knights did not score until running back Savon Huggins raced in on a fourth down with no time remaining in the second quarter. But Nova would not be taken out. His backup, Chas Dodd, had been removed from the original starting position after one mediocre half of football at Syracuse. But after another terrible half of play (his third in as many weeks), Nova remained in. Maybe the Knights were showing belief in the true freshman. Or maybe the coaches were playing favorites. Who knows, actually? But Greg Schiano repeatedly explained that Dodd would play again, maybe a series or two. But since his removal a few weeks back, he hasn’t seen the field.

Nova had a final chance to prove himself. With two minutes to go he was intercepted. “I didn’t see the guy. He saw me,” Nova said. “And it won’t happen again.”

Unfortunately, Nova is a freshman. The mistakes will happen and he will continue to play. But for one night at least, the plan backfired. A winnable game fell out of reach.

Harrison did drop the ball that would have turned reality into fairy tale. But it is never that easy.

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By: Justin Sontupe
BigEast-fans.com Rutgers Correspondent