Rutgers...the birthplace of college football 2002
 

I've realized I need to do my Alma Mater some justice!

It's sad that Rutgers University, host to and winner of the first ever college football game, has become a perennial doormat and team rarely capable of even a .500 season.

My goal is to return this historically important University to the prominence I feel it should have already attainted. I will build Rutgers into a dynasty in the truest sense, returning pride to the banks of the Raritan River and making Rutgers the premier program in all of college football. cue rousing fight song...


The Bells Must Ring

March, men of Rutgers
Down the field today.
March to another score,
Forward to the fray;
Fight, men of Rutgers
As in days gone by
Fight! For the Scarlet Flag over the rest must fly.

Keep Rutgers colors to the fore
For they must win so fight, fight, fight!
And we'll advance some more to score,
The Rutgers flag flies high tonight, alright, alright
We'll fling the Scarlet Banner out,
And Rutgers men will fight, fight, fight, fight, fight;
The bells of Queens each victory shout
The bells of Queens must ring tonight.

RU, Rah, Rah;
RU, Rah, Rah,
Hoo-Rah, Hoo-Rah;
Rutgers Rah

Up Stream Red Team
Red Team Up Stream
Rah, Rah, Rutgers Rah

Keep Rutgers colors to the fore
For they must win so fight, fight, fight!
And we'll advance some more to score,
The Rutgers flag flies high tonight, alright, alright
We'll fling the Scarlet Banner out,
And Rutgers men will fight, fight, fight, fight, fight;
The bells of Queens each victory shout
The bells of Queens must ring tonight.

originally posted by Kodos

That's quite a rousing fight song you have there! Go Rutgers!

If i can make the team as good as the fight songs, we'll be national championship contenders annually.

Hey, at least we beat Princeton back in 1869. Every college deserves a bad 133 years now and then. :p

2002 Staff Overview

Having taken over one of the most dismal Division 1 programs in history, I can be certain the coaching staff was cringing as much as I was when I decided to evaluate them before the 2002 season began. I'm hoping to find 3 or 4 solid pieces to a championship puzzle in the rubble that is certain to make up our current staff. Since I'm expecting to have to clean house, I can only be pleased in the event that I find some men who can remain on next years staff.


Syndicate Coordinator
Roger McDaniel
Age: 69

Academic Eligibility - Pretty Good
Syndicate Investigation - Good
Solicit Donations - Terrible

evaluation: Roger has been around this losing atmosphere for much too long. Though not entirely his fault, Roger has really fallen out of favor with the boosters. We're going to need an infusion of new energy to get the alumni back on the bandwagon next season.



Offensive Coordinator
Rufus Roche
Age: 34

Play Calling - Fair
Injury Avoidance - Pretty Good
Rehabilitation - Fair
Congeniality - Poor

-----Player Development-----
Quarterbacks - terrible
Running Backs - terrific
Recievers - terrific
Offensive Line- excellent
Kickers - pretty good
Current Offense - Wing T Formation (5 years)

evaluation: I was surprised at what favorable reviews Rufus recieved from contemporaries at other programs. Most college coaches seem to believe he has a bright future with a run-based offense. While initially leaning towards a pass-heavy offense, I've decided Rufus will have a fair chance to stay on board here, but we may have to change from the Wing-T formation next year if he wishes to remain at the State University of New Jersey.



Defensive Coordinator
Jerry Fulcher
Age: 34

Play Calling - Lousy
Injury Avoidance - Decent
Rehabilitation - Poor
Congeniality - Terrific

-----Player Development-----
Defensive Line - Pretty Good
Linebackers - Pretty Good
Secondary - Excellent

evaluation: While a bit of a mixed bag, Jerry is pretty good with player development and recruiting. He will have a chance to stick around, but he may need a good showing this year to protect his neck.



Scouts
Realizing there was no time to replace them anyway, I decided to reserve judgement on our scouting staff until I saw how we fared with our 2002 recruiting class. Needless to say though, they will be examined with a magnifying glass at the conclusion of the year.

Breaking News

In the wake of the Big East Conference's decision to expel Temple University, today Conference Commissioner Michael A. Tranghese held a surprise news conference to introduce a new member of the Big East football family, the Princeton Tigers!

The press conference included members of the Big East Conference staff, the Princeton University athletic department, and also some staff from the Rutgers University athletic department.

Commissioner Tranghese stressed that the development was a "return to history," referencing the oppurtunity to rekindle the oldest rivalry in college football between the Princeton Tigers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Princeton has much to prove in its quick move from Ivy League (I-AA) to the I-A Big East Conference. Rutgers University also expressed excitement regarding the move and new football head coach C.T. Homer talked about the change:

"It's going to be great for the fans, the schools, for all of football really. These two teams literally represent the birth of modern football, and it is exciting to know these two proud schools will once again battle on the gridiron."

In an attempt to symbolize the rivalry between the two prestigous Universities both schools announced they would resume their annual battle for "the old Revolutinary Cannon," a gun that had been a trophy of some contention since even before the first intercollegiate football game in 1869.

Both teams will meet annually (as per Big East football regulation) with the home site alternating annually.

For more information on the history of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the oldest rivalry in college football, visit
the Scarlet Knights home page.

House Rules, etc

Stepping outside of the storyline for a minute, I'll lay down how I plan on going about the dynasty.

1.Scholarships
Even though a bug in TCY allows you to have up to 76 scholarship players on a squad, we will remain at 60 scholarships annually. I will do my best to estimate players leaving early, red-shirt seniors, etc. in order to stay at 60 or below. If need be, I will cut players to remain at or under 60 scholarships.

2.Recruiting
I think I may make this more difficult as I go along, but there are some iron-clad rules in regards to recruting:

a. I have to automatically offer scholarships to any player coming out of the following schools:

North Plainfield (NJ) High School
New Brunswick (NJ) High School

These are the only towns I have ever lived in, and I wish to extend an olive branch to my hometown boys!

b. No visiting or calling a player more than 2 times. A recruit has gotten the picture once i've met his family, run down his role on the team and bragged about our academics.

c. I cannot offer a scholarship to a player until a week after I have visited him. If i visit someone in week 2, I cannot offer a scholarship until week 3.

d. No bribing. It may be hard to avoid the temptation of "accidentially" dropping a stack of $100 dollar bills next to that blue-chip QB prospect when showing him around campus, but the Rutgers program will be as pure as the driven snow.

e. Every recruit must either have a GPA over 3.0 or an SAT score over 1,000. If they can't remain eligible, they won't do me any good anyway.

f. Until we have a winning season, we will not be allowed to recruit outside of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.


I will be making up more rules as I go along, but i think this is a fair starting point for my first season. I've never been successful in TCY, so I don't feel like handicapping myself to the point that I can never get my struggling program going.

Positional Analysis

Quarterback
Daryl Perin happens to be the youngest, smartest, and potentially best of our quarterback crop. He will probably be starting 2 or 3 years here on the banks of the old Raritan river. While he'll never lead the nation in passing, he shouldn't be a liability in a run-heavy offense.


Halfback & Fullback
Pierce, Julio Jennings, and Kerr will split equal time in the tailback position, and will keep us somewhat respectable. We plan on pounding the ball, so these three had better be able to carry the load. FB Lance Jennings (brother of halfback Julio) will also see ample time with the ball in his hands. I would like to see all four get at least 10 carries a game.


Offensive Line
Sadly, the most important aspect of our team is our weakest. We are not even respectable at center, and one injury could cripple an already terrible unit.


Recievers & Tight Ends
Jose Carruth is the only TE who doesn't make me ill when evaluating their level of talent. He will clearly be the #1 TE. At Reciever we at least make up for our lack of an impact player with reasonable depth. we have 4 or 5 guys who can start without their being a marked difference between them. Lance Mathews will probably get the start though.


Defense
This unit is so lacking overall, that i will describe them collectively. Lacking at both DL and LB, we've decided to go with the '46' defense in the hopes that our strong safety can essentially play as 4th linebacker. CB Terrance Kemp is probably the best player on the team. Our hopes are that we can shut down the run-heavy teams with our pre-occupation on stopping it, and hope that Kemp can handle the top reciever on most teams.

Game Planning

Based on the evaluation of our defensive players, we've decided to go strictly '46' for our defensive scheme. We want to stuff as many people in the box in order to shut down running games. If we can stop the run (a big if) then we can hope our one good cornerback and decent safeties can hold down the fort.

Offensively, we will stick with the Wing-T for this season, make sure we keep it run heavy, and see how it plays out. With our interchangeable parts at RB and WR, i'll probably keep the starters time settings very low.

As far as the running game goes, we will let the tailbacks do 70% of the running, the fullbacks 20% and the QB and WR's 5% each.



Recruiting Priorities

When looking at the roster, I feel like we need everything. Obviously we can't get it all at once. We need to bring in some good talent, and importantly, a lot of guys who can start as true freshman. Trying to narrow down our focus, we'll be aiming for:

1. Linebackers, we're woefully thin at both LB positions.

2. All O-line positions. special focus on guys who can start as freshman

3. Safety. With one safety basically being a linebacker in the '46' it becomes a larger priority.

4. Tight End. In a run heavy offense, a guy who can block and catch will be important.

5. Wide Receiver. We have a lot of Seniors now, and will need to replace them.


I will of course veer anywhere if I think I can land someone to help the team. Those are areas I feel need to be addressed.

2002 Rutgers Schedule We start off the year with 3 very winnable games at home. Even in our first year, I expect us to start 3-0. If we don't then things may just be even worse than I initially thought. We're going to need those wins because our road schedule is brutal, and we'll probably have a real tough time within the conference.

Week 1 Wrap-Up

We have the first week of the season off, and we need it to put the finishing touches on installing the '46' defense. Buddy Ryan would be proud. :)

We've decided that we will only recruit blue and green coded players (those within our realm of talent) and every 2 weeks we will be allowed to go after a 'dream player' and recruit them as well. Without boring you with the details of every recruit, i would like to let you know that our first dream recruit is:

Terry Jackson
DE out of Farmingdale, NJ (Howell High) 6-3 239 lbs

Terry is a terrfic pass rusher who lives very close to Rutgers. We're excited that he wants to stay close to home be cause we are the school closest to him. We do worry however, because Terry lists team prestige as his second factor, and we won't be able to compete with larger schools in that regard. Terry is the #11 overall prospect in the nation according to Rivals.com. I will keep you posted on our relations with Terry.

Week 2 - Opening Day!

There was an air of excitement breezing through Piscataway, New Jersey as the new Rutgers football regime took the field for their season and home opener. We were favored by 7 over Kaneohe Univesity (of the new 'Volcano Eight' Conference in Hawaii), and 34,800 spectators gathered to take in the game.

We rolled to victory on the legs of RB Hunter Kerr, but it wasn't the ground game alone that gots us the win. We also got a solid performance out of QB Daryl Perrin and WR Lance Matthews. In a convincing performance, we won 30-7, letting up our only score on a 51 yard run. After the defeat Kaneohe dropped to the #124 ranking in the nation. Hopefully we can still look this good against some more respectable opponents.

Player of the Week Nominees:
RB Hunter Kerr - 22 carries, 132 yards
WR Lance Matthews - 6 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD


Recruiting News
no major developments

Week 3 Wrap-Up

Buffalo (0-0) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0)

After last weeks victory, we moved to #48 in the national power rankings and again we found ourselves favored at home (this time by 5) over a Buffalo squad now only in its third season in Division-I ball. Despite a slightly better opponent, we would cruise to the same outcome of the week before.

RB's Hunter Kerr and Jermaine Pierce plowed for all the yardage we would need, as we again whipped the run defense of our opponnent. We won in a game that wasn't much of a contest, 37-7.

We start with 3 weak teams at home, and we have gotten off to a solid start so far.

Player of the Week nominees:
RB Hunter Kerr - 21 carries, 168 yards
RB Jermaine Pierce - 15 carries, 111 yards, 3 TDs
G Sammy Vince - 9 of 12 Key Run Blocks, 1 sack allowed
C Lamar Hartman - 7 of 9 KRB, 0 sacks allowed

Recrutiing News
We have added another 'dream recruit' to our pursuits, here he is:

James Zandofsky
Inside Linebacker, Henry B Pecton Regional (East Brunswick, NJ native)
James is a beast at 6-2 209, and is a solid pass-rusher on blitzes. James favors team prestige and academics in his decision-making, so we hope the competition doesn't get too rough. If James also cares to stay close to home, we may have a chance to grab him. James is ranked 23rd nationally at linebacker, and is the #414 prospect overall (according to Rivals.com).

Week 4 Wrap-Up

Army Black Knights (1-0) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-0)

Power Rankings placed Army at #46, and us at #39

Again favored by 5, our 2-0 start had also garnered some regional television coverage as the game was shown on TV5. Knowing a 3-0 start would be absoultely essential for some momemntum heading into our conference schedule, we hoped we could run as well as the previous two weeks.

It was 73 degrees and stormy, contrasting with the beatufiul weather we had for our first two home games. A few more people were in the stands this week, and the school announced the paid attendance as 36,100 (leaving 9,400 empty seats).

Precise and effective passing by Darrin Perin gave us a 14-0 lead in the first quarter that we would not relinquish. Our running game again controlled the ball and moved the chains. This game would be the closest of the bunch as a late run by Army brought them within 7, but luckily time would expire before the game could be tied. The players were both excited to have started 3-0, but apprehensive about next week's beginning of our road and conference schedule. It will only get more difficult from here.

Final Score: Rutgers 22, Army 15

Player of the Week Nominees:
RB Hunter Kerr - 35 carries, 166 yards
RB Jermaine Pierce - 9 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD
G Andy Russell - 6 of 13 Key Run Blocks, 0 sacks allowed


Recruiting News
P Harvey Kreitzer is our first player to visit the campus. Harvey seemed to really enjoy the College Ave campus and expressed that he thought he might like life at a large school. Overall we are very pleased with our chances at landing Harvey as he mentioned the only other school he is looking at so seriously thus far is one of the Volcano 8 schools in Hawaii, and despite the tropical climate, he's not so sure he wants to go so far from home.

Week 5 Wrap-Up


Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1)

Coaches polls rank us at #37 and Pittsburgh at #43
Pittsburgh is favored by 12
The game is being televised on TV4


Well, i think our hopes of an undefeated season are over. Most important to me was having a respectable showing in the game, making it look tough and either eeking out a win or suffering a tough loss. Neither of those things happened as we were annihilated 31-0. What was most surprising was the fact that our rushing offense (#1 in the nation) was completely shut down. We had 30 yards on 36 carries as a team, and our run defense just didn't show up as Pitt ran for 217 on us.

I feel much worse about our prospects for a .500 season now. We still have to travel to Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Tennessee (as well as having Miami at home) ...gulp...


Player of the Week Nominees:
not surprisingly, none.


Recruiting News

Antonio Vertelny is our newest dream recruit
Outside Linebacker from Pleasantivlle, New Jersey

At 6-0 201 we feel Antonio has good size and quickness for the position. Antonio is a braniac, and most interested in his major of Education. We at Rutgers have a good education program, but we fear Antonio will be heading to Washington, which has both a stronger education program and team prestige. Hopefully Antonio will opt to stay close to home.


Visiting Players
DE Terry Jackson, a dream recruit.
We are estatic he decided to come look at the school, and hope it is a sign he is seriously considering playing here.

G Troy Emmons
He would probably be solid enough to start next year, and we seem to be the only school interested in him right now. We hope Troy is one of the first recruits we get a letter of intent from.

oringally posted by C-Bailey24

I was thinking of starting a posted dynasty with Rutgers, but wahhh-laahh ..someone has beat me to it :D .

Quick question....how did you get Princeton to join the Big East?

I changed Temple to Princeton (since Temple is getting kicked out of the Big East in real life).

originally posted by DataKing

Am I the only one that is feeling sorry for Hunter Kerr? All those carries and all that yardage in the first three games, but nary a TD? Poor guy.

Good start. This reminds me somewhat of my KU dynasty, a bad school in a tough conference.

I'll be reading.

Yeah, i have a feeling that conference play won't be too kind for 'ole Hunter and the Scarlet Knights. Not to be a pesimist, but the first year in a tough conference is usually tough for anyone. Good Luck though.

Week 6 Wrap-Up


Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1) at #14 Tennessee Volunteers (4-1)

Tennessee was favored by 14 points
we have dropped to #54 in the coaches poll


After last game we found out that starting left Tackle Jerome Christen will be out for 18 weeks with a Severe Hamstring Pull. This really hurts an already shallow line.

Let's see... If we lost 31-0 to Pitt and now we're going on the road against the #14 team in the Nation.....

We were beaten like we owed Tennessee money. We let up over 500 yards of offense, and again our own offense failed to even show up. The game was pretty much over at the end of the first quarter. I must give our squad some credit for playing them tough early, it was 7-0 at the end of the first, and it took tenessee 10 minutes to score.

Final Score: Tennessee 59, Rutger 0

Player of the Week Nominees:
none from our side, although Tennessee had two Qb's throw for 3 touchdowns each. ugh.


Recruiting News

Great News!


This is amazing, amazing news! Terry is the #11 recruit in the nation! I honestly was surprised when he came to visit, and apparently he liked the school so much he committed immediately! He'll start from day one and should be a real impact player next year. It also has the bonus of off-setting a humiliating loss.


Bad news
OLB Seth Ingram picked Army over us. We'll probably be playing him again in the future, so look out Seth!


Visiting Players

TE Corwin Lemons is the newest player to come visit the campus. Corwin is a Tight End out of Livingston, NJ. at 6-5 228 we're excited about his huge size for the position, and we think he would have the talent to start as a freshamn. We currently seem to be the only team pursuing him, so we hope we land him early.

Week 7 Wrap-Up

Mercifully we had the week off, and i think we needed it after losing the last two by a combined score of 90-0. What i thought might be a respectable running game has been absoultely destroyed when going against real opponents. Hopefully we can just win our cupcake games and finish with 5 or 6 wins.


Recruiting News

Newest Dream Recruit
Although it's probably a little late in the game to go after some of the big boys, we have to try. DT Mo Karau is our newest target, out of Landisville, PA. Mo is 6-4 269 and a 4.0 student. We're hoping our academics and proximity to him can be enough to sell him on. Mo is ranked #50 at his position and #788 nationally.


Visiting Players

T Horace Glover is currently visiting. This 6-5 276 giant seems to be narrowing his decision down to us and Army, and we'd really hate to lose another recruit to that lousy military school. Unlike Army, we have offered him a scholarship already, so hopefully he'll decide soon. Horace hails from Deptford Township, New Jersey.

Week 8 Wrap-Up

West Virginia Mountaineers (3-2) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-2)

Even though on the road, West Virigina is favored by 2. what an insult!
The Coaches poll has W.V. ranked as 47 and us as 61

This is a season changing game. I knew after two blowout losses we would need a win to keep the players from slipping into depression. Being amongst the most winnable games on our schedule, it was almost a must-win.

Well, the game included some good news, Hunter Kerr scored a touchdown! Other than that, the police still haven't updated us on our missing persons report filed in regard to the defense. So without a defense, we got run all over, and got trashed at home. The bright glow that once accompanied this team has faded.

Final Score: West Virginia 49, Rutgers 14


More Bad News



Recruiting News

Visiting Players
The visitation flood gates are now open, and tons of players are checking out campus.

I'll list some of our top targets:

Dream Recruits:

ILB James Zandolfsky
OLB Antonio Vertelney

Other guys:

QB Byron Pfaff
RB Troy Mitchell
RB Duane Bradley
FB Travis Campbell
TE Toby Fulton
WR Walt Irwin
G Andrw imlay
G Roosevelt Vanderculte
T Warren Harkins
S Eddie Bidwell
S Darrin Teeter

There are even more visiting, but these are some of my favorites. At least half will probably opt to go elsewhere.

Week 9 Wrap-Up

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-3) at Virginia Tech Hokies (3-3)

Virigina Tech is favored by 15- uh oh!
The Coaches poll has V.T. ranked at 40 and us at 70


"The beatings will continue until morale improves."

The game did feature a first for us, a score on the road! RB Hunter Kerr broke off a 57 yarder to keep us from being shut out for 3 consecutive road games. I think it helped the team a bit mentally, but we now have a losing records and still some incredibly tough games coming up. Hey, this is only the first year of the regime.

Final Score: Virginia Tech 34, Rutgers 7


Recruiting News

Everyone is visiting who i've invited, so it would be pretty tiring listing or describing everyone.

Week 10 Wrap-Up


Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-4) at Syracuse Orangemen (5-2)

Syracuse is favored by 20.
The Coaches poll has Syracuse ranked at 29 and us at 78

We allowed over 570 yards of offense, and managed 131 of our own. I figure that is generally a recipe for success, because it wasn't close here. For those scoring at home, we have now been outplayed 162-7 on the road in four games. As long as we beat Princeton later this year, all will be fine as far as i'm concerned.

Final Score: Syracuse 48, Rutgers 0


Recruiting News
Sadly, we had to reject everyone else. Our current team is so bad, i think there was about 12 more guys who were considering us who could have made an immediate impact.

Week 11 Wrap-Up


#11 Miami of Florida Hurricanes (5-2) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights(3-5)

Miami came in as a 14 point favorite.
The Coaches poll has Miami at 11 and us at 86
--i don't see a bowl bid in our future--

With the defending national champs strolling into town, we knew we were probably about to engage in the toughest game on our schedule. Amazingly, we made this a pretty tough game for Miami. We scored first on a field goal early in the second quarter, and we went into the half only trailing 7-3. Our complete lack of offense (86 yards total...yes 86) was the reason we lost this game. Our defense played respectably enough that any semblance of an offense probably would have given us a shot to win. Not a bad effort overall. Hopefully the boys have this same level of intensity for our hated rivals Princeton in 2 weeks. Lets show those mamma's boys what Scarlet Knights are made of! (hopefully we're made of something good).

Final Score: Miami 24, Rutgers 9

Player of the week nominees:
geez, it's been a while since we had one of these!

OLB Arnold Keith 7 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack
solid performance in a tough game.



Recruiting News

Since we finished our recruting last week, there is nothing new to report. However, during our week off next week I will bring you a complete breakdown of our incoming recruting class!

2002 Recruiting Class Review

We're very excited about next year's freshman, and here is why!


QB Byron Pfaff, Wood-Ridge, NJ
A little small at 6'0" 183 lbs, we're hoping some time in the weight room will get Byron ready for the punishment he's sure to recieve behind our line. Byron will never worry us with his studies, as he leaves high school with a 3.39 GPA and a 1017 SAT score. Byron had a bit of a dissapointing season, and was more successful with his feet than arm. Byron was considered the 3rd best QB in the state, and 92nd best in the nation.

RB R.J. Perkins, Chambersburg, PA
In the Warrick Dunn mold at just 5-11 185 lbs. We think R.J. will be a dual threat, as he had over 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns combined in his senior year. R.J. should be in strong enough condition to compete for the starting job or at least significant time next fall. R.J. is considered the 7th best RB coming out of Penn.

TE C.J. Rodriguez, West Seneca, NY
A big target at 6-3 229. C.J. comes from a very strong program, and after being named all-state, he should step into a starting role here at Rutgers. C.J. is considered the best TE in Pennsylvania, and 28th best nationally.

TE Corwin Lemons, Livingston, NJ
Another big TE at 6-5 228, Corwin will see serious time in our offense, and even more if we shift to a formation which regularly uses two tight ends. Corwin put up better numbers than C.J. Rodriguez, but failed to be named all-state. It may take him a bit longer to get up to speed, but Corwin will be an impact player. He is considered the #2 TE in New Jersey, and 98th best nationally.

WR Ricardo Schroeder, Delran, NJ0
At 6-1 173, we know Ricardo needs to put on some weight in order to survive in the Big East. Ricardo had a phenomenal senior year, catching 77 passes for 1801 yards and 10 TDs against inferior competition. Ricardo was named all-state, but we think he may need to red-shirt for us in the fall in order to contribute the following year. Ricardo is the 2nd best reciever in the state and considered the 28th best nationally.

WR Walt Irwin, Tonawanda, NY
6-0 187lbs. Walt comes from a tough high school conference in upstate NY, and had a solid senior year. His overall high school production tells us he should be able to have an immediate impact on our offense, but he probably doesn't have a ton more upside. Walt is considered the 6th best WR in NY and 55th best nationally.

C Kent Willis, Flanders,NJ
at 6-2 268 Kent is ready to plug our need for a starting center. Kent was considered the 4th best center in NJ (66th nationally) and his 3 years of high school experience against tought competition should have him ready to go on opening day next year.

G Andrew Imlay, Cape May Court House,NJ
6-3 257. Andew is a very solid prospect, but we're not sure his technique is refined enough to contribute immediately. Andrew is considered the 4th best guard in NJ and 83rd best nationally. Andre was named all-state for New Jersey.

P Harvey Kreitzer, Blairstown,NJ
Considered the 2nd best punter in the state (57th natinoally), Harvey is considered extremely consistent and he will step in to a starting spot immediately. He averaged 41.01 yards per punt his senior year in addition to kicking 13 field goals.

DE Terry Jackson, Farmingdale,NJ
Undoubtedly the jewel of our recruting class, Terry is considered the 11th best player nationally. at 6-2 239 Terry is quick enough to be a pass rush threat (7.5 sacks) while still plugging the run (77 tackles). Terry displayed his athleticism by also coming up with an interception this year. Terry was first team all-state and will certainly start opening day next year for Rutgers.

DT Corwin Giron, Skillman, NJ
Another NJ all-state player is 6-4 284 Corwin Giron. This run-stuffer had 66 tackles and 5.5 sacks from the DT position last season. Considered the 2nd best DT in New Jersey (55th natinoally) we are positive Corwin will be teaming up with Terry Jackson on a revamped Rutgers defensive line.

ILB Benjamin Hopper, Abington,PA
6-4 288lb Benjamin was named all-state for his 69 tackle, 1 sack, 4 interception season. Ben has outstanding talent dropping into zone pass coverage, but will struggle a bit in man to man. We also hope he is a pass-rush threat. Ben will almost certainly be starting opening day.

ILB James Zandofsky, East Rutherford,NJ
Despite being named all-state, James is coming out of a weak conference. We feel he will probably need to redshirt his first year here, and in time he could be the best linebacker we have. He had 125 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 10 interceptions against his inferior opponents. He is considered the 2nd best linbacker in New Jersey and 23 best nationally.

OLB Sherman Blackburn, Clarion, Pennsylvania
Small and quick, this 5-11 198 blazer will be a big pass-rusher on the edge for us. He should be ready to start opening day, having played in a very tough high school conference.

OLB Deron Satchwell, Perryopolis, PA
Another PA linebacker joins the Scarlet Knights. Deron will need to gain a little more weight (6-1, 199) in order to take dish out a pounding, and it remains to be seen whether he will start as a true freshman. Deron was considered to be the 10th best LB in Penn, and is also a total braniac with a 3.58 GPA and 1390 SAT score.

S Eddie Bidwell, Johnstown, NY
6-1 184 lbs. All-State New York. Eddie is a safety with a nose for the ball, and is considered the second best safety in New York (48th nationally). We hope Eddie will be prepared to start next season, but we're not going to bank on it.

Week 13 Wrap-Up


Princeton Tigers (0-10) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-6)

We were favored by 16 at home!
Coaches polls had Princeton at 123 and us at 91

the history
This one was for the revolutionary cannon! We had to have this game after the heartbreak of 6 consecutive losses. Our seniors wanted something to be able to hang our hats on, and a terrible Princeton squad came rolling into town. Obviously having a hard time adjusting to the Big East, Princeton was 0-10 and was considered among the absoulute worst teams in the nation.

This historic rivalry was only fueled by Princeton's success in stealing away a bunch of prized recruits from us, it was time to show those kids they had made the wrong decision!


the game
We kicked off and the game started excellently. Princeton fumbled on just their 2nd play from scrimmage and we recovered at the 3 yard line! RB Hunter Kerr plowed into the endzone on the following play and the rout was on!

We ran all day over Princeton, gaining 287 yards rushing to their 43. We shut down their offense all day, and they managed just a field goal and a touchdown off a punt return. It was not all good news on this day though as DT Bernard Strong suffered a compound fracture of his left leg, he will need serious rehab and may not play for us next year as a senior.

After it was over though, we celebrated wildly as we had brought home the Revolutionary Cannon after all these years, and got a leg up in this renewed rivalry!

Final Score: Rutgers 35, Princeton 10


Player of the week nominees:
QB Daryl Perrin 9-of-14, 128 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
RB Hunter Kerr 27 attempts, 199 yards 2 TDs
G Sammy Vince 6-of-13 run blocks, 0 sacks allowed.

Week 14 Wrap-Up

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-6) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-7)

Notre Dame was favored by 13 at home.
Coaches polls had Notre Dame at 67 and us at 86


I figured this game was a bit decieving and warned my players about it. Notre Dame was obviously having a bad year, but this was still the most revered program in college football, so they would have some fight in them. Also, Notre Dame was considered to have the absolute most difficult schedule in college football, having lost all their games to teams ranked in the top 25.

Sadly my suspicions of Notre Dame being a sleeping giant were correct, they jumped all over us and wouldn't let go until the final whistle had blown. Scoring just 3 minutes in, the Golden Dome's were able to put a lead in front of us that we couldn't possible catch. Overall though, we put up a pretty good fight against a storied squad.

Final Score: Notre Dame 33, Rutgers 10

Player of the week nominees:
none

Week 15 Wrap-Up

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-7) at Boston College Golden Eagles (9-2)

B.C. was favored by 24 at home.
Coaches polls had B.C. at 13 and us at 89

I was fearful this would be the biggest whipping we would take this year. A bowl-bound team looking to run up the score one last time in order to better their position sounded like a recipe for a blowout. i held my breath.

Man, i should have laid down some money on this game. B.C ran for 262 yards and threw for 282 as we were annihilated. We couldn't string a couple plays together and both our run and pass was completely shut down. When all was said and done, the seniors finished their careers with an unpleasent taste in their mouths.

Final Score: Boston College 56, Rutgers 0


Player of the week nominees:
get real. at least the season is over for us!

2002 Review

Offensively, things should be better next season, our biggest losses on offense are along the offensive line as we will lose a center, guard, and tackle which all started the 2002 season. Otherwise on offense we are only losing depth (particularly at QB and Wide Reciever)

Defensively I am a little sad to see the teams best player go, Cornerback Terrance Kemp, but we wish him the best in the pros and hope he succeeds at the next level. Overall we are getting hammered on defense, with starters at every single position graduating. We could see as many as 8 new faces in next years starting defense.

Final Thoughts

Despite the fact that we totally sucked, I'm not too ashamed of our 2002 performance. I'm more concerned with improving next year than I am fretting over this season. I inherited a staff and players I hadn't put in place, and tried to make the best of a bad situation.

I look forward to next season and our incoming recruting class (the first of "my guys") and continuing in trying to turn this thing around!

So-long Boys!


Our 2002 graduates:
also:
J.C. Hundon, an inside linebacker, has left the team because of this season's suspension. J.C. had one year eligibility remaining.

NCAA wide-results

National Champs
Texas hoisted up a national championship, after completing a 14-0 season with a convincing lashing of #3 Florida in the National Title game, 23-0 was the final score.

Coach of the Year

Most bummed by the computer-ranking system was Ohio State, who despite going 14-0 weren't in the national title game. They took out their frustrations on #6 Texas A&M 59-15 to finish as the only other undefeated team in the nation. The win was enough to push them to #1 in the coaches polls, but not enough to earn them a national title. They were handed the consolation prize in the form of the coach-of-the-year award for Juan Harper.

Heisman Winner
QB Jared Billodeaux of Georgia Tech won a close race for the nations most coveted trophy. A classic pocket passer, Jared accounted for over 4,000 yards through the air and 44 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions. Jared will surely be among the most highly regarded pro prospects.

Final Overall Rankings for the Big East Conference

Hey, at least we finished ahead of Princeton! :D

Shaking things up a bit

Obviously last season was not all we had hoped for. The offense died against real competition, and the defense was mauled all year long. Having the oppurtunity to make staff changes this year, we took a long look at willing candidates and made a bunch of moves:

Our first move came at the top of the chain, as Syndicate Coordinator Roger McDaniel was let go. He was having a very hard time attracting interest in the football program from our alumni, and we knew something had to be done. Taking Roger's position is Herb Mullens.


Herb brings us the youthful enthusiasm we'll need to get the program turned around.


Offensive Coordinator- Dave Hammett

Rufus Roche was let go after last season's dismal performance. Dave has no experience so far, but he's young and up-and-coming. Under him we are installing the single back as our base offense.


We made a somewhat surprising decision to keep defensive coordinator Jerry Fulcher on staff. The defense did get beat up quite badly last year, but we think if we can get some better talent on the field that we will produce better results. The fact that Jerry is only 35 also gives us hope that he will improve over time.

Since we only recruit from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania we realized we only need to worry about our scouts from the Great Lakes, New England, and Mid-Atlantic region. We brought in three new guys who will work well together to build us a winner:


This group rounds out our changes to the staff. Overall we now have a much younger group who we hope will be together for a long time. In recruiting, we now hope to build a very strong offense, particularly at Quarterback and Offensive Line, and we think we can put together what should be a very solid run defense in a few seasons.

the end of the line?

No! Not, for Rutgers anyway. But sadly it is the end of the line for every graduating member of the team. Not a single player was invited to the pro football scouting combine, and after a thorough evaluation of themselves and their chances of a pro career, every graduate conceded their playing days are over.

I guarantee this will change! It won't be long before we're sending players into the league regularly, and they will carry on the Scarlet Knight tradition on the next level.

for more adventures from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, read on!


Rutgers...the birthplace of college football 2003

we hope to get this thing headed in the right direction soon!