True Freshman Rallies Knights to 2OT Victory

Gary Nova completes fourteen passes for 122 yards and a game-tying touchdown, culminating in a 19-16 wild win in the Carrier Dome.

SYRACUSE, NY---“I thought Chas was a little out of sync today.” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said, taking a sip out of his bottle of water. “So [Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti] and I decided to give Gary a chance and see.”

Rutgers may not have their third quarterback controversy in three years on their hands here, but the young man from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ filled in appropriately, leading Rutgers to a come-from-behind double-OT victory over the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome, a recent place of horrors for Rutgers football, in Syracuse, NY. The true freshman completed sixty-four percent of his passes, charging Rutgers to ten unanswered fourth quarter points.

Before Nova entered the game with just under nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Dodd had been twirling with inconsistency. After a handful of impressive drives that stalled with a pair of failed field goals and a single successful one, Dodd left 14-of-31 for 166 yards and an interception. “Chas just didn’t look like himself,” Schiano said.

Rutgers forced a Antwon Bailey fumble on the first play of the game, but handed the ball right back two plays later, as Syracuse linebacker Dyshawn Davis rocked Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison several yards beyond the line-of-scrimmage and teammate Ri'Shard Anderson recovered the fumble and brought it back for a Syracuse touchdown. The score remained 7-0 Orange through the first quarter and halfway through the second quarter before Rutgers placekicker San San Te nailed a twenty-seven yard field goal to cut the Knights’ deficit to four.

Syracuse would answer eventually with a Bailey touchdown. However, a blocked extra point halted the difference at 13-3. Dodd was intercepted on the Knights next possession, signaling the end to his day. But, in this case, the Syracuse drive stalled and kicker Ross Krautman was partially blocked on the thirty-nine yard attempt. Rutgers got off a handful of plays before Nova, on his first possession of the game, fumbled deep in his own territory, recovered by Syracuse at the Knights’ own 16 yard line. The Syracuse drive went to waste as quarterback Ryan Nassib, who came in with nine touchdowns and just one interception, through his second pick of the day. David Rowe of Rutgers was on the return, taking the ball twenty-seven yards to the Rutgers twenty-eight. The Knights moved the ball rather effectively, but stalled and punted to the Syracuse eleven. But Syracuse didn’t move the ball and punted. Nova responded and lead Rutgers to a field goal, capitalizing on a thirty-seven yard pass play to Mark Harrison. The score was 13-6 Orange about five minutes into the fourth period. Syracuse drove into Rutgers territory, before Jamal Merrell blocked the field goal attempt and Marcus Cooper returned the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. The return was nullified, however, as a questionable block-in-the-back call put Rutgers back at the Syracuse forty-six.

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Nova shook off the pressure and ran Rutgers all the way down, capping the drive with a touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu, the star wide receiver. Regardless, Syracuse had two minutes to drive. And they did. On a fourth down in Rutgers territory with about thirty seconds remaining, Nassib was uncharacteristically intercepted for a third time. Rutgers linebacker Steve Beauharnis returned the ball forty-four yards to the Syracuse thirty-four. A quick completion from Nova to Sanu set up a Te forty-four yard field goal attempt. But, for the third time in the game, Te failed to make the field goal and the game went into overtime.

The teams traded field goals in the first segment of overtime. Rutgers got the ball to start the second overtime and Te nailed a forty-seven yard field goal to pressure Syracuse. Syracuse drove well, but Bailey fumbled and Merrell recovered the ball, sealing a Rutgers victory.

Sanu, coming off of back-to-back double-digit reception games, caught seven passes for sixty-five yards and a touchdown, his fourth consecutive game with a receiving touchdown. Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison, who ran the ball for ninety-seven yards a week ago, received a heavy workload with twenty-four carries for forty-eight yards.

For Syracuse, Bailey ran the ball twenty-three times for 124 yards and a touchdown, but two fumbles. Nassib, who came in leading the Big East in touchdown passes and completion percentage (71.4%), completed just forty-seven percent of his passes for 169 yards and three interceptions.

Rutgers, which will return home and face Pittsburgh next week, improved to 3-1, while Syracuse, which will visit Tulane, dropped to 3-2.

But even since then, when Nassib had thrown sixteen touchdowns to six interceptions following that game, the Orange signal-caller has improved greatly. He is unpopular, but noticed by the Knights defense. The pressure they put on Nassib a year ago – six sacks – would need to be repeated to slow him down.

By: Justin Sontupe
BigEast-Fans Rutgers Scarlet Knights Correspondent