The Red Zone Report | 2008 Rutgers preview: No Ray Rice, but Scarlet Knights have potential

NCAA Football

2008 Rutgers preview: No Ray Rice, but Scarlet Knights have potential

By Mark Scott ⋅ July 22, 2008 ⋅ Subscribe to The Red Zone Report

After a breakthrough 2006, Rutgers entered 2007 in the preseason rankings for the first time. The Scarlet Knights started the season with three straight wins and moved into the top 10 in the nation. The rest of the season saw inconsistent play and a 4-5 finish heading into the postseason. A win in the International Bowl in Toronto over Ball State gave Rutgers a solid if disappointing 8-5 record. RB Ray Rice was a major catalyst in leading the school to a third straight winning season.

With Rice in the NFL, will Rutgers be able to match its eight-win total from last year and reach a fourth straight bowl?

Coach: Greg Schiano (8th year at Rutgers, 38-46)

2007 record: 8-5 (3-4 Big East)

Starters returning: 15 (7 offense, 8 defense)

Top returnees: QB Mike Teel, RB Mason Robinson, WR Kenny Britt, WR Tiquan Underwood, WR Tim Brown, TE Kevin Brock, LT Anthony Davis, DT Jamaal Westerman, DE George Johnson, MLB Kevin Malast, LB Damaso Munoz, FS Courtney Greene, CB Jason McCourty, CB Devin McCourty

Key losses: RB Ray Rice, LG Mike Fladell, RT Jeremy Zuttah, LT Pedro Sosa, DT Eric Foster, LB Brandon Renkart, SS Ron Girault

2008 Schedule

Sept. 1 Fresno St

Sept. 11 North Carolina

Sept. 20 @ Navy

Sept. 27 Morgan St

Oct. 4 @ West Virginia

Oct. 11 @ Cincinnati

Oct. 18 Connecticut

Oct. 25 @ Pittsburgh

Nov. 8 Syracuse

Nov. 15 @ USF

Nov. 22 Army

Dec. 4 Louisville

Key game: Oct. 25 @ Pittsburgh - The Panthers are much improved and are going to surprise a lot of people this year. So this late October matchup should help to clear up the top half of the very competitive Big East. Rutgers has won three straight in this series, including ending Pittsburgh’s bowl hopes last season, but is just 6-19 all-time vs. the Panthers.

2008 Overview

A major reason that Rutgers can be successful this year is QB Mike Teel. He threw for a career-high 3,147 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last year and is 21-8 overall as a starter. He has improved each year, and his numbers last year actually could have been better if he hadn’t injured his thumb midway through the season. Teel and his receiving corps will be counted on heavily until coach Greg Schiano can find someone to replace former RB Ray Rice’s massive production (2,012 rushing yards, 25 total touchdowns).

Replacing Rice at tailback is going to be tough, as he was far and away the best back in school history. Sophomores Mason Robinson and Kordell Young will be looked at to fill the void. Young showed big-time playmaking ability last season before he went down with an ACL injury in Week 3, and Robinson has shown this spring that he can be a potential gamebreaker. Redshirt freshman RBs Jourdan Brooks and Joe Martinek can both provide a power game. The unit’s numbers are bound to drop, however.

The good news is that the passing game was clicking on all cylinders in the spring, as it should with everyone returning. WR Kenny Britt set the school record for receiving yards with 1,232 and added a team-high eight receiving touchdowns. Tiquan Underwood also surpassed the previous school record with 1,100 receiving yards for seven touchdowns. Dennis Campbell was the Offense’s Most Improved Player this spring and got to see some time as the third receiver. With an unproven running game and the focus now on the passing game, this unit should put up some big numbers this year.

The O-Line likely will see a dip in quality as the losses are heavy. Gone are three multiple-year starters in RT Jeremy Zuttah, LT Pedro Sosa and LG Mike Fladell. Anthony Davis stepped up last year at right guard and was named a first-team All-American. He will move over to left tackle to replace Sosa. C Ryan Blaszczyk will be the only returning full-time starter from last year at his normal position.

The defense should be as stingy as ever in 2008 with eight returning starters. With the three losses spread between all of the units, this should be one of the toughest defenses in the conference.

The defensive line loses first-team Big East DT Eric Foster, but DT Peter Tverdov (36 tackles, one sack) and DT Jamaal Westerman (50 tackles, eight sacks) will clog up the middle. Westerman was a second-team Big East defensive end last season, but he will move inside to replace Foster. Rutgers is experienced and has depth at the end position to be fine in 2008.

The loss of team captain LB Brandon Renkart will hurt, but five of the top six players at linebacker are returning. The unit has four players worthy of the three starting positions. Kevin Malast (92 tackles, 2.5 sacks) was the team’s second-leading tackler and is a lock to start in the middle. The competition is for the spots on the outside. Ryan D’Imperio was a projected starter heading into last year, but broke his leg before the season started and was a non-factor. He should have of playing time this year. Damaso Munoz was solid in recording 67 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 10 starts last year, and redshirt freshman Manny Abreu will push everyone for playing time.

The secondary also should be strong despite the loss of SS Ron Girault. Forming 2008’s unit is leading tackler and two-time second-team Big East FS Courtney Greene (101 tackles), who opted to stay for his senior season, and starting twin brothers CB Jason McCourty (44 tackles) and CB Devin McCourty (63 tackles, 2 interceptions). Strong safety should be set, with Joe Lefeged, Glen Lee and Zaire Kitchen all seeing playing time last year. This should be one of the Big East’s best groups.

Rutgers doesn’t have it easy, as they face Fresno State (WAC favorites), North Carolina (expected to do big things in 2008), and Navy to start the season, and they will have tough conference road games against the Big East’s best, West Virginia, USF, and Pittsburgh. If Rutgers can steal a few conference road games and beat up on its other opponents, it can match or improve upon last year’s eight wins. The keys to a successful season will be the passing attack and the defense, but Rutgers will make its fourth straight bowl appearance.