Ping: Rutgers football fans

[General Mike]

Rutgers' odd couple returns, eyes championship
By Joe Starkey
Special to ESPN.com

Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. Put 'em together, and what do you have?

Ray Leonard.

As in Sugar Ray Leonard.

As in one of the nation's better one-two punches in the backfield.

Rutgers' Brian Leonard (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) has been one of the Big East's top multi-purpose backs for three years running. He's on the preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List (nation's best running back) for the second straight year and needs 20 points to become Rutgers' all-time leading scorer.

Leonard was told he could have been drafted as high as the second round later this month in New York, but he decided his heart was still in Piscataway, N.J.

He returned for his final year.

"Really, my goals haven't been accomplished," Leonard said. "I came here to make history and change the program around. We made history last year, but we didn't win [a bowl game]. I want a ring that says championship, not just a ring that says Insight Bowl."

The speedy Rice (5-9, 195 pounds) is coming off the best freshman season of any running back in school history. He piled up 1,120 yards, fifth-most among the country's true freshmen. Many of those yards were gained in quietly spectacular fashion.

It soon became obvious why Syracuse, Virginia and Penn State were among the schools interested in Rice, though Penn State wanted him to play defense.

"Sometimes you don't realize what you have until you study all the cut-ups in offseason," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "He's special, and he got better and better every game. We definitely like what we have. I don't know about anybody else's backfield; I just know I like both of them."

People are talking about Rutgers football this season -- and not just when they need a punch line. The Scarlet Knights made it to a bowl game last season for the first time in 27 years, losing to Arizona State, 45-40. They are expected to finish in the upper tier of the Big East again this season.

Rice and Leonard could lift them to even greater heights. Despite the age difference, the two formed a strong bond in their first season together.

"We became really close," Leonard says. "That's unusual with a freshman and a senior."

Both were highly publicized New York state high school players who had Syracuse high on their list of college choices. Rice actually committed to the Orange before changing his mind when coach Paul Pasqualoni was fired before last season. He had other opportunities, but something about Rutgers attracted him.

His friends thought he was nuts. Rutgers hadn't had a winning season since Rice was 5.

"I definitely got a lot of questions," Rice said. "It was Rutgers this, Rutgers that, guys saying, 'Why Rutgers?' But you know what? In high school we had to build, and I won a state championship there. I didn't want to be with people who already had success. I wanted to be with people who were building to success. When you do that, it builds your character and personality."

In Leonard, Rice found a kindred spirit. Leonard also had rebuffed more successful programs because he liked the challenge at Rutgers. The two have a similarly fierce competitive streak. At halftime of a crucial 26-24 victory at Connecticut last season, for example, Rice emphatically implored his teammates to pick up their play. Leonard had left the game injured. Rice went on to gain 217 yards, becoming the first Rutgers player since Terrell Willis in 1995 to break the 200-yard barrier.

"I never looked back from there," Rice said. "I was just kind of accepting a role of being a starting tailback and not being a dominant tailback."

Before the two could coexist in the same backfield, however, a hurdle had to be cleared. There's this rule about using only one ball in a game, and Leonard was used to getting it a lot.

How would he react to having to share?

Like a champion, as it turned out. Or at least like a guy who desperately wants to become one.

"I'm happy with my role," Leonard said. "I'm doing more blocking, catching screens, things like that. I'm not getting as many carries, but when I was getting 30 carries, my body wore down by the end of the season. Now, with Ray in here, we're both fresh. I'll get 10-15 carries, he'll get about 15-20."

Rice called Leonard a few times during the offseason to beg him to return.

"It made it a lot easier on me, to know he was coming back," Rice said. "What we did last year was the easy part, getting to a bowl game. I kind of felt like we needed another season together to do special things. That was my first year. I was just getting the hang of things."

The two have reached the point where little communication is required.

"We probably don't have to talk to each other on the field," Rice said. "We just look at each other and know what time it is."


Joe Starkey covers the Big East for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

[Logan]

Those two are just awesome to watch.

[Lathum]

they are and R
U had a solid recruiting class, it's nice to see them keep some of the home grown talent here in NJ.

[timmynausea]

Can Rutgers win with Teel at QB? He was pretty inconsistent last year.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

Can Rutgers win with Teel at QB? He was pretty inconsistent last year.

He was. Schiano seems really high on Jabu Lovelace tho, so I think you will see a 2 QB system, at least early in the year.

[astrosfan64]

I'm pretty pumped up about this.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by astrosfan64

I'm pretty pumped up about this.

You aren't from Texas?

[Swaggs]

What type of QB is Lovelace?

It would be interesting to see Leonard and Rice working with a more mobile QB.

[astrosfan64]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

You aren't from Texas?

From NJ, moved here 6 years ago. My wife is from Texas.

I'm actually a Phillies fan also . I created this name because I lost a bet with my friends here in Houston.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

Can Rutgers win with Teel at QB? He was pretty inconsistent last year.

He was consistent! Consistently bad. It really sucked that Ryan Hart had to win the job back by injury at one point when it was so plainly obvious he was the better QB.

My hope is that the year of experience and an offseason as working as the #1 QB will help Teel. I didn't see many flashes in the guy last year, but I realize he is the key to the season. Good play and we could do some things. Bad QB play and we're not going to a bowl game.

[Captain2711]

Spring game is tomorrow. Hope to see all Rutgers fans there.

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

He was consistent! Consistently bad. It really sucked that Ryan Hart had to win the job back by injury at one point when it was so plainly obvious he was the better QB.

It really sucked that the injury was against Connecticut and cost the Huskies a win that would have gotten them to a bowl. I feel your pain.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

What type of QB is Lovelace?

It would be interesting to see Leonard and Rice working with a more mobile QB.

Lovelace is a dual threat QB. I expect several freshman to make a big effort, especially on the D side tho.

[cthomer5000]

Anyone go to the game yesterday? I confess the constant rain kept me away.

[Captain2711]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Anyone go to the game yesterday? I confess the constant rain kept me away.

I was there. I currently work for the team. The running game continues to impress, especially Ray Rice, while Brian Leonard continued his spring of not playing. It will be on MSG next weekend. There were about 1000 fans there. It was a horrible day with a 45 degree wind driven rain.

[astrosfan64]

RUTGERS FANS. Cartman's Bowl Bound FOFC league needs someone to take Rutgers. I've been slated for PITT all season, so one of you fill the gap.

Bowl Bound is an excellent game so please join the league. We have a great group of guys in the Big East now and only need one more.

http://fofc-bbcf.com/phpBB2/index.php

[General Mike]

I was gonna join but decided not to get BBCF. Maybe I will now.

[timmynausea]

Originally Posted by Brian Leonard

"Against Pittsburgh, I saw guys just sitting on their heels," he said. "They weren't even ready to tackle me. You put your shoulder down."

I saw this funny Pitt diss in a new article about Leonard today. Here's the rest of the article: http://www.sportsline.com/print/coll...tory/9474030/2