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KNIGHTS GAMEDAY

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

RUTGERS VS. KENT STATEGAME 8: High Point Solutions Stadium, 3:30 p.m. TV: SNY RADIO: 1450 AM

SCARLET KNIGHTS (7-0, 4-0)

PASSINGG. Nova

RUSHINGJ. JamisonS. HugginsRECEIVINGB. ColemanT. WrightM. HarrisonDEFENSEK. GreeneJamal MerrellL. Ryan

YDS1503

YDS779121YDS399307238

AVG.214.7

AVG.4.43.0

AVG.15.312.3

9.9INT

213

INT.3

LNG6431LNG434660SCK3.50.5

0

TD15

TD31

TD514

TKL674740

CMP61.2%

NO.177

40NO.262524

TulaneHowardSouth FloridaArkansasConnecticutSyracuseTempleKent StateArmyCincinnatiPittsburghLouisville

W, 24-12W, 26-0W, 23-13W, 35-26W, 19-3W, 23-15W, 35-103:30 p.m.TBAnoonTBA7:30 p.m.

SCHEDULESept. 1Sept. 8Sept. 13Sept. 22Oct. 6Oct. 13Oct. 20Oct. 27Nov. 10Nov. 17Nov. 24Nov. 29

[KENT STATE (6-1)

INSIDEthe

NUMBERS

BRANDONCOLEMANWIDE RECEIVERSophomore6’-6”, 220 lbs.

KALEBJOHNSONTACKLESophomore6’-4”, 300 lbs.

ANTWANLOWERYGUARDJunior6’-4”, 305 lbs.

BETIMBUJARICENTERSophomore6’-4”, 290 lbs.

ANDRECIVILGUARDJunior6’-3”, 275 lbs.

R.J.DILLTACKLESenior6’-7”, 310 lbs.

D.C. JEFFERSONTIGHT ENDSenior6’-6”, 250 lbs

MARK HARRISONWIDE RECEIVERSenior6’-3”, 230 lbs

GARYNOVAQUARTERBACKSophomore6’-2”, 225 lbs

PAUL CARREZOLAFULLBACKJunior6’-2”, 241 lbs

JAWANJAMISONRUNNING BACKSophomore5’-8”, 200 lbs

MARCUSTHOMPSONRIGHT ENDJunior6’-2”, 260 lbs

SCOTT VALLONETACKLESenior6’-3”, 275 lbs

JAMILMERRELLTACKLEJunior6’-4”, 255 lbs

KA’LIALGLAUDLEFT ENDSenior6’-2”, 230 lbs

JAMALMERRELLLINEBACKERJunior6’-4”, 220 lbs

STEVEBEAUHARNAISLINEBACKERSenior6’-2”, 230 lbs

KHASEEMGREENELINEBACKERSenior6’-1”, 230 lbs

MARCUSCOOPERCORNERBACKSenior6’-2”, 190 lbs

LORENZO WATERSSTRONG SAFETYSophomore6’-0”, 200 lbs

DURONHARMONFREE SAFETYSenior6’-1”, 200 lbs

LOGANRYANCORNERBACKJunior6’-0”, 190 lbs

]

TowsonKentuckyBuffaloBall StateEastern Mich.ArmyWestern MichRutgersAkronMiami (Ohio)Bowling GreenOhio

W, 41-21L, 47-14W, 23-7W, 45-43W, 41-14W, 31-17W, 41-243:30 p.m.2 p.m.1 p.m.noonTBA

SCHEDULEAug. 30Sept. 8Sept. 19Sept. 29Oct. 6Oct. 13Oct. 20Oct. 27Nov. 3Nov. 10Nov. 17Nov. 23

PASSINGS. Keith

RUSHINGD. ArcherT. DurhamRECEIVINGJ. BoyleD. ArcherM. HurdleDEFENSEL. BattonL. WolletS. SaulterINJURIES

YDS1042

YDS687649YDS280278201

INT.3

LNG8733LNG634828SCK

100

TD6

TD87

TD231

TKL715246

CMP55.6%

NO.68

144NO.202019

AVG.148.9

AVG.10.1

4.5AVG.14.013.910.6INT

120

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

INJURIESQuestionable — K K. Federico

GAMEDAY PAGE 2 OCTOBER 26, 2012

Probable — CB N. Wolfe

BY TYLER BARTOSPORTS EDITOR

Tejay Johnson wasted little timedescribing Kent State’s Dri Archer.

“Very fast, very fast, very, veryfast,” the redshirt freshman cor-nerback said. “He makes a lot ofsmall plays. He breaks tackles, a lit-tle wiggle to him. He does every-thing — running back, he’s thekickoff returner, he’s a receiver.”

Archer, arguably No. 1 on theRutgers football team’s scoutingreport, could turn High PointSolutions Stadium into a track meettomorrow. He averages a 4.27 inthe 40-yard dash, but his best timewas 4.21, Archer told TheCleveland Plain Dealer on Oct. 9.

It suits Johnson, who finishedfirst in the 100-meter dash at theMeet of Champions as a junior atEgg Harbor Township (N.J.) HighSchool and still feels he has yet toshow his top-end speed.

“At corner, I have to run at thepace of the receiver,” Johnsonsaid. “But on kickoff, if God for-bid he gets open through a hole,

Returner, MAC prove elusive

Cornerback Tejay Johnson, a redshirt freshman, prepares to tackle Connecticut’s Nick Williams, whofumbled on the play Oct. 6 on a first-half kickoff return. MARIELLE SUMERGIDO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

then that’d be the opportunity Iget to show and go get him. I’mnot shy about that — I’m going togo get him.”

The Scarlet Knights (7-0, 4-0)do not want to play the waitinggame, either.

They watched Big East rivalCincinnati lose to the MAC’sToledo last weekend, foiling apreviously unblemished record.Head coach Kyle Flood said theteam took note of Connecticutand South Florida’s losses toMAC schools.

It has its own experience todraw from, as well.

The Knights held off Ohio andquarterback Tyler Tettleton, 38-26,last season. Tettleton threw for 324yards and two touchdowns Sept. 1in a win at Penn State.

“Certainly our players know thatteams from that conference don’t goanywhere in the country and areintimidated,” Flood said.

Archer fuels the MAC’s first-place team.

He leads the nation with 47.7yards per kick return and three

touchdowns. He lines up in the back-field, along the line of scrimmageand touches the ball in motion.

“I heard people were makingcomparisons to [West Virginia’s]Tavon Austin,” said senior line-backer Khaseem Greene. “I couldsee that, but he’s his own player.”

The Knights point to their suc-cess against UConn’s NickWilliams three weeks ago, whenthey forced a fumble on a kickoffand pinned the Huskies insidetheir 15-yard line.

Williams accounted for morethan 150 return yards in a 2011meeting and scored on a kickofftwo years ago in Piscataway.

Flood said he will kick to the Golden Flashes’ (6-1) biggest playmaker.

“We think we’ve got talentedplayers on there, guys that canrun,” Flood said. “I would be disap-pointed if they weren’t excitedabout the challenge.”

For updates on the Rutgers foot-ball team, follow Tyler Barto onTwitter @TBartoTargum.

Key MatchupRUTGERS LINEBACKERS VS. KENT STATE’S DRI ARCHER

Archer lines up all over the field, and it is up to the Knights’ outside linebacking duoof senior Khaseem Greene and junior Jamal Merrell to set the edge and force Archerinto the middle of the defense. They also might see him in the slot in zone coverage.

KNIGHT NUGGETS

The Knights have given upand lost 489 yards off ofpenalties this year, whichalong with their 62 total

penalties, leads the Big East. Rutgers had sevenpenalties in its last game at Temple.

489Kent State averages 33.7points per game this season,which is 7.3 points per gamemore than Rutgers’ average

of 26.4. Kent State’s season high of 45 pointscame Sept. 29 in a win against Ball State.

7.3Kent State’s kicker FreddyCortez is 11-for-15 on fieldgoals attempts, good for a73.3 field-goal percentage.

He is also 29-for-29 on extra points and sitssecond in scoring behind Dri Archer.

73.3Rutgers has converted 87percent of its point-aftertries. Its 20-for-23 rate ofconverstion is the worst in

the Big East. Rutgers’ shaky kicking situationputs its success rate in further jeopardy.

87

RUTGERS WINS, 28-14The Knights outlast Kent State fortheir second Homecoming victory

in a row before entering a bye.

TEJAY JOHNSONRedshirt freshman

cornerback

HOW WILL RUTGERSAPPROACH KICKOFFPLAYS AGAINST THE

SHIFTY ARCHER?

KYLE FLOODHead Coach

Head coach Kyle Flood said Wednesday heplans to kick to Kent State’s Dri Archer,who leads the nation in average on kick

returns and return touchdowns. ButFlood’s plan likely involves different kicks.

“If God forbid [DriArcher] gets open ...

then that’d be theopportunity I get to

show and go get him.I’m not shy about

that — I’m going togo get him.”

IT CONROLS TIMEOF POSSESSION,SHORTENS KENTSTATE SERIESThe Knights allowed only 49yards in the second half last weekat Temple. Minimizing chancesfor big plays could mean anotherwin entering the team’s last bye.

ANOTHER PLAYERCONTRIBUTES ONOFFENSE BESIDESHOUSEHOLD NAMESRutgers likely spent the entireweek game planning against thedynamic Archer beating it. TheGolden Flashes could use that totheir advantage with a decoy.

BY THE NUMBERS

BIG QUESTION

THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO...

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

It is difficult to discount Archer’s dynamic plays, but theKnights have more weapons on the offensive end.

Rutgers sits inside the top 20 nationally in total defenseand has 20 takeaways, tied for ninth-best in the country.

RUTGERS WINS IF... KENT STATE WINS IF...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

TARGUM’S FINAL VERDICT

COACHING

SPECIAL TEAMS

Despite a nearly entirely new coaching staff, Rutgers hasactually gained a step in each aspect of the game.

A spotty kicking game hurts Rutgers here, but its kickcoverage should compare favorably to Archer’s explosion.

GAMEDAY PAGE 3OCTOBER 26, 2012

X-FACTOR

MOMENTUM

A veteran quarterback in Spencer Keith from a respectableconference should not have trouble keeping his composure.

The Knights’ impressive second-half performance againstTemple could carry over into a Homecoming matchup.

BY JOEY GREGORYASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Logan Ryan’s statistics speakfor themselves.

The Rutgers football team’sjunior cornerback leads the BigEast with an average of 1.71passes defended per game andis tied for the team lead withthree interceptions.

He also has 11 more tacklesthan any other Scarlet Knightsdefensive back, mostly becauseof his role in stopping the run.

But Ryan said numbers do nottell the entire story.

“I would think [my role in] therun game is just something thatshows,” he said, “but I think myknowledge of when teams aretrying to run, when they’re try-ing to pass, football IQ, I thinkthat’s grown tremendously andthat’s helped give me a leg up inthe run and the pass.”

When Ryan reflects on theplayer he was when he firstarrived at Rutgers and comparesthat to how he plays now, he seesa stark difference.

He sees a more mature playerthat understands playing thegame better than he used to.

“I think that comes with confi-dence and in-game experience,”he said. “Obviously you need tohave those good reps and thosebad reps to learn from and a lot offilm study. It’s a lot more than justwatching film. You need to learnhow to watch film, and that’ssomething that the four years I’vebeen here have taught me.”

Ryan did not have to learnthose things on his own. Whenhe began his career at Rutgers,one of the best Knights to play onthe defensive side of the ball wasfinishing his.

Ryan offers valued versatilityJunior cornerback Logan Ryan returns an interception Oct. 20 at Temple for his third of the year,which is tied for the Knights’ team lead. NELSON MORALES, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

New England Patriots corner-back Devin McCourty was theleader of a defensive backfield andbecame a mentor to nearly all of theplayers in the current secondary.

“Devin was great role modelfor us when we were younger,”said senior cornerback BrandonJones. “He just showed me theright way to do things. … On thefield, he taught me how to playthe game, and off the field hetaught me how to be a person.And that’s a tribute to the kind ofperson he is.”

Ryan was no different.McCourty served as someonewho influenced Ryan’s game, andhis experience with McCourtywas similar to Jones’.

“Devin taught me that it’s a lotmore than just the flashy playsyou see on the field,” Ryan said. “Ilearned what he put into it, whatgoes into making those plays. Hisfootball knowledge was one of thebest I’ve ever been around. Just totry to get to his level is reallysomething I shoot for.”

But while McCourty’s body ofwork — both at Rutgers and inthe NFL — is impressive, Ryanhesitates to imitate every aspectof McCourty’s game.

He wants to be a diverse player.“I think every player has their

unique style, just like any otherperformer,” Ryan said. “I don’ttry to be exactly like DevinMcCourty. I try to take parts ofhis game and emulate that as partof my game and have my ownunique characteristics, as well.”

Ryan’s expanded role in stop-ping the run is one of the keyaspects of his game that sets himapart from other defensive backs.

Although head coach Kyle Floodsaid all players on the field musthelp in run defense, Ryan’s position

on the field lends him more to itthan the rest of the secondary. Italso serves as another way his gamehas evolved in his time at Rutgers.

“I don’t think I was impactful inthe running game as I am now,” hesaid. “Now I expect to come up, fillmy gap and make the tackle.Before I was trying to fill my gapor whatever it may be. I expect tomake an impact in the run gameevery single run and I don’t think alot of corners have that mentality.”

And Ryan is far from alonewhen he is on the field. Severalseniors surround him who havebeen on the field as long — if notlonger — than he has, many ofwhich have also been performingat a high level.

Flood said that adds a boost tothe entire team.

“Your best years are whenyour seniors … play their bestfootball,” Flood said. “I think anytime your older players play theirbest football, it has the ability toraise the level of the team. Theyhave more experience just byvirtue of being here longer.”

Ryan believes the secondaryreceives an extra lift from thegroup’s level of accountability, aswell as the support the membersprovide each other.

“If someone messes up, theyknow it’s on them … but also peo-ple are there to have your back,”he said. “It’s great having [seniorsafety] Duron [Harmon] and[sophomore safety] Lorenzo[Waters] behind me and [seniorsafety] Wayne [Warren], becauseI trust them and I’ve played manygames with them. I think it’s atrust factor all across the board.”

For updates on the Rutgers foot-ball team, follow Joey Gregory onTwitter @JGregoryTargum.

coach Kyle Flood. “You don’tever want to leave the gamewhere he doesn’t have enoughtouches. You have to giveJamison his touches.”

Rutgers’ offensive scheme haschanged with the departure ofwide receiver Mohamed Sanu,making Jamison the biggestthreat to gain yardage.

When defenses zero in onJamison in the backfield, he is

more than capable of becoming athreat when he gets the ball pastthe line of scrimmage.

The Owls were not ready forthat when Jamison caught a 32-yard touchdown to give Rutgers afour-point lead. Jamison caughtthe ball about 20 yards from theend zone, but he scored with littleinterference from defenders.

He looks at each catch like ahandoff, where the only differ-ence is he needs to abruptly turnforward and then take it as longas possible.

“You don’t want to be knownas the guy that goes down onthe first tackle all the time,”Jamison said. “You always wantto break that first tackle andkeep going and let the defensesknow they have to wrap me up.If they don’t wrap me up and ifyou can’t stop me, then what areyou going to do?”

Jamison credits an offensiveline that creates holes for him on

runs and protects sophomorequarterback Gary Nova whenJamison runs a receiving route.

Junior right guard Andre Civil,who plays a key role in openingholes when Jamison runs right, isequally grateful.

“It’s a tremendous help to theoffensive line because when you’rewrong, he can make you right,”Civil said. “You can blink an eye, youcan miss a block and he makes youright. It’s always a good weapon tohave that addition to the runninggame as far as the offensive line tohave a back like Jamison.”

Jamison said before the sea-son that he wanted to be the bestrunning back in the Big East, andby most metrics he has met hisexpectations so far.

Rice was up there in 2006, lead-ing the Big East with 1,794 rush-ing yards and finishing seventh inHeisman Trophy voting — thebest finish in the conferencebesides West Virginia runningback Steve Slaton’s placing fourth.

Jamison is not on pace to rushas far as Rice, but equaling Rice’s1,824 yards from scrimmage is areasonable milestone.

He has yet to get tired of theRice comparisons, like he willnever get tired of keeping pacewith his idol and catalyzing a win-ning streak similar to 2006.

Jamison, if anything, enjoyshearing himself in the same sen-tence as the two-time All-Pro tail-back, and loves hearing that hesurpassed Rice in something atthis stage of his career.

“It’s a blessing because he’s atwhere I want to get to and he’sdone what I want to accomplish,”Jamison said. “It’s a tremendousaccomplishment when I can getthat [comparison].”

For updates on the Rutgers foot-ball team, follow Josh Bakan onTwitter @JBakanTargum.

GAMEDAY PAGE 4 OCTOBER 26, 2012

CHANGE OFJamison becomes rushing, receiving threat, passes Rice’s catching production from 2006 sophomore season

BY JOSH BAKANASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Before sophomore runningback Jawan Jamison led the BigEast with 1,005 all-purpose yards,he met a former Rutgers footballteam running back who led theconference in that statistic in 2007.

Baltimore Ravens tailback RayRice visited Piscataway forRutgers Day last spring, and hebrought some advice for Jamison.

“He tells you to stay humbleand just build on what I have andjust keep it going,” Jamison said.“It’s really cool because he’s oneof my idols. He was one of thereasons that I came here.”

Seven games and a confer-ence-leading 789 rushing yardslater, Jamison constantly hearscomparisons of him and his hero.

Rice was in Jamison’s positionin 2006 as a sophomore runningback making a name for himselfin a lengthy undefeated run.

The biggest difference is thatJamison is already a betterreceiver than 2006 Rice.

It only took the Sept. 1 seasonopener against Tulane for Jamisonto surpass Rice’s 30 receivingyards from six years ago.

Unlike Rice, Jamison onlytook one-and-a-half seasons tobecome a legitimate threat in theScarlet Knights passing game,catching seven passes for 211yards this season.

Offensive coordinator DaveBrock ensures that Jamisongets incorporated enough intohis plays, whether that meanstaking a program-record 41 car-ries Sept. 13 at South Florida orleading Rutgers in both rush-ing and receiving yards Oct. 20at Temple.

“Coach Brock and the staffhave done a good job of findingways to make sure we get himthe ball every week,” said head

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01

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Sophomore running backJawan Jamison’s longest run and catch in each game this season

CATCHESAGAINST

RUNSAGAINST

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Tulane

Howard

South Florida

Arkansas

Syracuse

Connecticut

Temple

Sophomore running back Jawan Jamison evades Temple linebacker Sean Daniels, who missed Jamison on Oct. 20 on his 32-yard touchdown reception that gave theKnights a lead it did not relinquish. Jamison leads the Big East this season with 779 rushing yards. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

“You don’t want tobe known as the

guy that goes downon the first tackle

all the time.” JAWAN JAMISON

Sophomore Running Back

GRAPHIC BY SHAODI HUANG, ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR

recorded a Big East-best 779rushing yards on 177 carries,good enough for an average of 4.4yards per carry.

The kind of back he is makesthe of fensive line’s job thatmuch easier.

“[If] we give him the slight-est crease, the slightest look, hecan make somebody miss andhe’s off to the races,” Lowerysaid. “With a back like that,who’s as explosive as he is, it’seasy for us to just give him a lit-tle bit of daylight.”

Jamison said he tries to be thetype of back that makes one cutand then is gone. But more thanthat, he earns many of his yardsafter contact.

Opposing coaches often notethe difficulty in trying to bringhim down, as Jamison said hismindset is to still gain yardageafter getting hit.

But Jamison’s running abilityis not the only reason the offen-sive line’s numbers improved.

After Jamison hits a hole he hasmade a habit out of picking upextra yards, adding to the offense’sconfidence, which Jamisonbelieves is when the offensiveline’s best game emerges.

“Once they get going, oncethey’re awake and once theiradrenaline is pumping andtheir confidence is up, they do a tremendous job,” he said.“Once we’re rolling, we keep going.”

That confidence stems fromthe offensive line’s new practiceand work ethic.

It strives not only to be insync on the field, but off thefield, as well.

“The whole starting linecomes in after practice … eatstogether, then watches film,”Lowery said. “[We] make sureguys are on top of knowing whattheir responsibility is, doing their

job, and overall just beingaccountable with each other.”

That sort of trust was noteasy to build immediately.Before the start of spring prac-tices, sophomore Betim Bujarihad never played at center, sen-ior tackle R.J. Dill had not playeda down for the Knights andLowery started sparingly duringhis first two seasons. Juniorguard Andre Civil and sopho-more tackle Kaleb Johnson werethe only ones to start nearlyevery game last season on theoffensive line.

This season has been a dif-ferent story, as four of the fivehave started every game thisseason. Only Civil did not startagainst South Florida, wheresophomore Taj Alexander filledin for him.

And Dill’s addition aftertransferring from Mar ylandwas the final piece of a success-ful puzzle.

“He’s a smart player. Heknows a lot about the position,”Lowery said of Dill. “He’s a veter-an guy. … Having him to come inat right tackle for us has been ahuge boost to our program.”

The consistent play broughtabout by running out the samefive players and spending timetogether off the field has allowedthe line to build a bond that hasnot existed in recent memory.

“On Saturdays, that’s what itcomes down to — being able totrust the guys next to you,”Lowery said. “The fact that I knowthat Kaleb Johnson knows hisresponsibilities, that Betim knowshis responsibilities, and viceversa, and Betim trusts Andre andAndre trusts Dill, it comes in bigfor us on Saturdays.”

For updates on the Rutgers foot-ball team, follow Joey Gregory onTwitter @JGregoryTargum.

GAMEDAY PAGE 5OCTOBER 26, 2012

DIRECTIONKnights offensive line develops chemistry, consistency that produce improved rushing yards, QB protection

BY JOEY GREGORYASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

By all accounts, the Rutgersfootball offensive line had beeninconsistent at best during itspast two seasons.

In the 2010 and 2011 cam-paigns, it allowed 61 and 36sacks, respectively, and did notproduce a 1,000-yard rusher ineither season. Then-redshir tfreshman running back JawanJamison amassed 897 yardslast year.

Former Scarlet Knight JordanThomas led the team in rushingtwo seasons ago, but ran for only417 yards.

Junior left guard AntwanLowery was a part of both ofthose units.

He also understands the dif-ference between those twogroups and the one he is current-ly a part of.

“My first couple years wererough,” he said. “[This group]worked really hard this offseasonat mastering our crafts, and it’sstarting to show.”

Head coach Kyle Flood, theoffensive line coach for thoseseasons, also remembers thedays when the offensive linewas one of the team’s weakpoints. But he believes thosedays are over.

“I think we’re playing betterfootball up front than we have thepast couple years,” he said. “Ithink we’re benefiting from someof the situations we had to livethrough. Maybe some guysplayed a little earlier than wewould have liked, but they werethe best players available to us.But they had to play.”

Jamison’s increase in produc-tion has also resulted from theoffensive line’s improvement.

Through the team’s firstseven games, Jamison has

The Rutgers offensive line has improved from the units that took the field in the past two seasons, as evidenced by its improving rushing totals, total number ofsacks allowed and yards per play. The Knights have allowed 32 less sacks this season than they did last year. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

201220112010

sacks allowed

rush yd./carry

rush yd./ game

yards/play

4.7

3.9

2.8

2.7

4.6

61

97.8

137.7

100.9

36

4

5.5

RU OFFENSIVE LINE STATS

GRAPHIC BY HAKAN UZUMCU, DESIGN EDITOR

OCTOBER 26, 2012GAMEDAY PAGE 6

1. RUTGERS2. Louisville3. Cincinnati4. Temple5. Syracuse6. Pittsburgh7. Connecticut8. South Florida

BIG EAST STANDINGS

TEAM RECORD PRE-RANK 2011Football

LOUISVILLE

The Big East game with

the most serious BCS

implications so far awaits

tonight, when Louisville,

No. 16 in the BCS, hosts

Cincinnati, which enters

following a surprise loss a

week ago at Toledo. The

Bearcats have won the last

four meetings in the battle

for the Keg of Nails, but

Louisville is primed for a

deep Big East run of its

own under Charlie Strong.

Key MatchupBearcats QB Munchie Legaux vs. Louisv ille rushLed by first-year starter Legaux, Cincinnati leads the Big East in scoring

offense with more than 34 points per game. How well the Cardinals keepLegaux in the pocket could determine a Big East title frontrunner.

BIGEAST

PREDICTIONLOUISVILLE, 38-31

The contest has all the makings ofa high-scoring affair in Louisville.

TEMPLE at PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh hosts Temple following a modest winlast weekend at Buffalo, but it could springboardthe Panthers under new head coach Paul Chryst.Temple looks to avoid a league losing streak forthe first time since it rejoined the Big East thisseason. Owls head coach Steve Addazio has anoutside chance at Big East Coach of the Year.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh, 17-7

The reeling Bulls remain at home following alast-minute loss last week to Louisville, which

scored 27 points. Syracuse, meanwhile, dropped40 points last week in a 30-point victory.

PREDICTION: Syracuse, 27-20

SYRACUSE atSOUTH FLORIDA

CINCINNATI

Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux said this week heis better than Louisville signal caller Teddy Bridgewater. THE DAILY TARGUM / NOVEMBER 2011

7-0, 4-07-0, 2-05-1, 1-03-3, 2-13-4, 2-13-4, 0-33-5, 0-32-5, 0-3

3rd1st4th8th7th5th6th2nd

9-47-6

10-39-4*5-76-75-75-7

*Temple played in the Mid-American Conference last season before accepting aninvitation to rejoin the Big East beginning this season.

GAME OF THE WEEK

second half Oct. 20, when Novaaccounted for more than 75percent of his pass yards andfour touchdowns. Rutgerstrailed in that game like it didSept. 22 at Arkansas, whenNova tossed three second-halfscores and recorded careerhighs in touchdowns, passyards and completions.

But Nova’s track record withdeficits stretches back to his jun-ior season at Don Bosco.

The Ironmen stared down aone-point hole at Prattville (Ala.)High School before Nova threwtwo touchdowns in the last 8:27.

“That’s pretty much the bestteam Bosco’s ever played,”Carroo said.

Nunzio Campanile was in thelast of 10 seasons as offensivecoordinator then before Anthonytook over the following season.Their older brother, Vito, alsoplayed quarterback at Paramusand still holds a few staterecords, Caroo said.

“Those guys know a lot aboutfootball and really work mehard,” Nova said.

But Nova’s toughest lessonscame this summer, when he hadto acclimate his body — and con-science — to let plays go. He sayshis expectations have not budged— he would like to completemore than 70 percent of his pass-es, improve his patience and letplays develop.

But arguably Nova’s mostdefining plays this season havebeen the ones he did not make.

“I think it’s just one moreexperience that in the future he’llbe able to draw from and say,‘Hey, I remember how this feelsand I remember how we reactedto it,’” Flood said of Nova’s per-formance at Temple. “We need todo that again.”

For updates on the Rutgers foot-ball team, follow Tyler Barto onTwitter @TBartoTargum.

GAMEDAY PAGE 7OCTOBER 26, 2012

BY TYLER BARTOSPORTS EDITOR

Gary Nova leads the Big Eastin passing touchdowns this sea-son, ranks third in pass efficien-cy and improved his completionpercentage more than 10 pointsas a sophomore.

But the Rutgers footballteam’s quarterback spent asmuch time in the of fseasonavoiding receivers as throwingto them.

“There were probably drillswhere guys were open,” Novasaid, “and I’d try throwing it

Nova’s reformation sees early returnsSophomore quarterback Gary Nova rushes for a 10-yard gain Oct. 20 at Temple before losing a fumble. Nova worked on eliminating turnovers during the summer,when he forced himself to throw passes out of bounds during seven-on-seven drills. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Sophomore quarterback Gary Nova has thrown only three interceptions through seven gamesalong with a Big East-leading 15 touchdown passes. NOAH WHITTENBURG, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

“That’s how it was in highschool,” he said. “Nobody couldstop Leonte, so why not keepthrowing it to him?”

But following a freshman sea-son in which Nova lost for thefirst time since Pop Warner andrecorded double-digit giveaways,he took to a new philosophy.

He enlisted the help of quar-terbacks coach Rob Spence, partof a coaching overhaul after for-mer head coach Greg Schiano’sabrupt January departure. Andhe learned the art of giving upon plays.

The work has paid dividends. Nova has won Big East

Offensive Player of the Weekhonors twice, and Rutgers isundefeated this late in the season for the first time since 2006.

“The bottom line is he’s a win-ner,” Carroo said. “That’s whathe loves to do is win. That’s thebiggest thing he does.”

Nova has had help.He worked with a position

coach in each of his three sea-sons as a starter, including two atthe Ramsey, N.J., high schoolpowerhouse, where he learnedunder Nunzio Campanile.

Campanile, now head coachat Bergen Catholic (N.J.) HighSchool, played the position atParamus Catholic (N.J.) beforesuiting up at Amherst College.Nova also learned along the wayfrom Anthony Campanile,Nunzio’s brother and now aRutgers graduate assistant; andformer Rutgers offensive coor-dinator Frank Cignetti, nowquarterbacks coach of the St.Louis Rams.

“He has taken his knowledgeof the offense a little bit furtherevery week,” said head coachKyle Flood. “As that happens,he’ll have more things availableto him.”

Flood said he did not openup the of fense at Temple in the

away, throwing it at the ground,throwing it at their feet.”It was part of a philosophy to con-dition Nova to use sounder deci-sion-making.

During the summer, Novathrew the ball out of bounds inseven-on-seven drills instead oftucking it and running. Hetossed passes aside on one-on-one scenarios when receivers did not separate fromdefenders.

And he did so with no priorbackground in the craft.

“It was hard,” Nova said.“You’re not used to doing that in

high school. I probably threwthe ball [away] once in highschool in two years. You proba-bly throw it away three times in agame [now].”

On the verge of a matchupwith Kent State tomorrow, Novasays he is better for it.

At Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep,Nova rarely had to go throughprogressions in the pocket. Ifwide receiver Leonte Carroo,now a Scarlet Knights fresh-man, was not open, he deferredto running back Paul Canevari,a former Knights fullback,Nova said.