KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U MG 2 N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1 G A M E DAY

BY STEVEN MILLERSPORTS EDITOR

Rutgers head football coachGreg Schiano spoke all week aboutkeeping consistency in his prepara-tion, about remaining loose, aboutchanging nothing.

Then his voice lowered notice-ably, almost to ensure it would notbe heard.

“They know what the deal is,”Schiano said of his team. “Theyknow what the stakes are.”

Schiano’s near-whisper didnot matter. Many Scarlet Knightsspent the past week on thephone with family and friends oron the Internet, breaking downthe scenarios.

Two things are certain:1) If Rutgers (7-3, 3-2) beats

Cincinnati tomorrow, it is tied forfirst place in the Big East.

2) “This is our biggest gamethis late in the season,” accord-ing to junior defensive tackleScott Vallone.

It took two wins and helparound the league, but theKnights suddenly have new life —something Mark Harrison admit-ted he never expected afterRutgers lost consecutive confer-ence games against Louisville andWest Virginia.

But Rutgers believed it couldwin its first Big East title before theseason, and now it does again,something the rest of the confer-ence never expected.

Without prompting, nearly anyKnight will volunteer a reminderthat the preseason conference pollplaced Rutgers last.

“Ever since the polls firstcame out I’ve been talking toeveryone, and it was a big thingthat guys were using as ammuni-tion,” said sophomore quarter-back Chas Dodd. “We werepicked last and we want to showthat’s not where we belong. Ithink we’ve done a good job ofthat this season so far. We justhave to finish the job.”

Finishing the job means win-ning out, but it starts against ateam Rutgers last beat in 2005.

Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1) derailed theKnights’ run for an undefeated sea-son and BCS bid in 2006. It wasresponsible for part of Rutgers’ 1-5start in 2008. And it ended talk of aBig East title less than 30 minutesinto the season in 2009.

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Head coach Greg Schiano has Rutgers playing for first place in the leagueat the lastest point in the season since finishing tied for second in 2006.

RUTGERS VS CINCINNATIKnightsGameday

RU recognizes importance of contest

SCARLET KNIGHTS (7-3)

PASSINGC. Dodd

RUSHINGJ. JamisonJ. Deering

RECEIVINGM. SanuJ. MartinekQ. PrattM. Harrison

DEFENSEK. GreeneS. BeauharnaisJ. Francis

INJURIESProbable — DB R. Knight

YDS1,075

YDS547132

YDS973230240274

AVG.179.2

AVG.3.33.7

AVG.10.410.011.419.6

INT021

INT.6

LNG5619

LNG32602145

SCK25

6.5

W, 72-10L, 45-23W, 59-14W, 44-14W, 27-0W, 25-16W, 37-34W, 26-23L, 24-21NoonTBANoon

TD9

TD40

TD7112

TKL105

5755

CMP56.7%

NO.165

36

NO.94232114

SCHEDULESept. 3Sept. 10Sept. 17Sept. 22Oct. 1Oct. 15Oct. 22Nov. 5Nov. 12Nov. 19Nov. 26Dec. 3

NC CentralN. CarolinaOhioSyracusePittsburghNavyLouisvilleWest VirginiaSouth FloridaArmyCincinnatiConnecticut

W, 48-0L, 24-22W, 38-26W, 19-16W, 34-10W, 21-20L, 16-14L, 41-31W, 20-17W, 27-12NoonNoon

SCHEDULESept. 1Sept. 10Sept. 24Oct. 1Oct. 8Oct. 15Oct. 21Oct. 29Nov. 5Nov. 12Nov. 19Nov. 26

[ ]CINCINNATI (7-2)

PASSINGM. Legaux

RUSHINGI. PeadM. Legaux

RECEIVINGK. ThompkinsA. McClungD. WoodsI. Pead

DEFENSEJ. SchafferC. CheathamD. Wolfe

INJURIESOut — QB Z. Collaros, DB D. Battle

YDS205

YDS934115

YDS494464397193

AVG.25.6

AVG.6.07.2

AVG.12.413.312.0

8.0

INT320

INT.1

LNG6565

LNG44365045

SCK207

TD0

TD102

TD2322

TKL764242

CMP53.6%

NO.155

16

NO.40353324

INSIDEthe

NUMBERS

Key MatchupRutgers front seven vs. Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead

Pead ran wild against Rutgers last season in Cincinnati and his track record againstthe Scarlet Knights is equally strong. Rutgers mostly limited its opponents on

the ground this season, except against West Virginia, but Pead presents a challenge.

GAME 11: High Point Solutions Stadium, Noon TV: ESPNU RADIO: 1450 AM

Austin PeayTennesseeAkronNorth Carolina St.Miami (Ohio)LouisvilleSouth FloridaPittsburghWest VirginiaRutgersSyracuseConnecticut

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

MOHAMEDSANUWide ReceiverJunior6’-2”, 215 lbs.

ANDRE CIVILTackleSophomore6’-3”, 275 lbs.

DESMONDWYNNGuardSenior6’-6”, 295 lbs.

CALEBRUCHCenterSenior6’-4”, 298 lbs.

ARTFORSTGuardSenior6’-8”, 310 lbs.

KALEBJOHNSONTackleFreshman6’-4”, 298 lbs.

D.C. JEFFERSONTight endJunior6’-6”, 258 lbs

MARK HARRISONWide ReceiverJunior6’-3”, 230 lbs

CHASDODDQuarterbackSophomore6’-0”, 200 lbs

JOEMARTINEKFullbackSenior6’-0”, 220 lbs

JAWANJAMISONRunning BackR-Freshman5’-8”, 198 lbs

JAMILMERRELLRight endSophomore6’-4”, 255 lbs

JUSTINFRANCISTackleSenior6’-4”, 275 lbs

SCOTTVALLONETackleJunior6’-3”, 275 lbs

MANNYABREULeft endSenior6’-3”, 260 lbs

JAMALMERRELLLinebackerSophomore6’-4”, 220 lbs

STEVEBEAUHARNAISLinebackerJunior6’-2”, 235 lbs

KHASEEMGREENELinebackerJunior6’-1”, 220 lbs

BRANDON JONESCornerbackJunior6’-1”, 186 lbs

DURONHARMONStrong SafetyJunior6’-1”, 201 lbs

DAVIDROWEFree SafetySenior6’-0”, 195 lbs

LOGANRYANCornerbackSophomore6’-0”, 190 lbs

Rutgers’ bowl aspirations, letalone the BCS, were limited latelast season when the teams met,but it did not matter for Cincinnati,which put up 69 points in a win.

“It certainly wasn’t the bestgame,” said junior linebackerKhaseem Greene.

Neither were Rutgers’ Octoberlosses to Louisville and WestVirginia, or three quarters of itswin against South Florida. Any ofthose games could end in aRutgers win or loss, and the samecould be said for wins againstSyracuse and Navy.

“We could easily be 4-6, or wecould be 8-1,” Vallone said. “That’sjust the nature of our team,though. We like to keep it close forsome reason.”

Vallone expects more of thesame against a Bearcat offense that

could rely more on running backIsaiah Pead with backup quarter-back Munchie Legaux at the helm.

A defense that prides itself onmaking opposing quarterbacksuncomfortable struggled at timesthis season against the run andeach of the past two years againstPead. But the Knights are notdwelling on those losses.

Despite Schiano’s best efforts,their focus is solely on what thisgame means.

“I’ve been telling people, ‘Youmight not get this chance everagain,’” Vallone said. “To play forthe title this late in the season andto have this opportunity, you mightnot ever get this chance ever again.I know this is the only time I’veever had it. I think we’re going tobe ready to go. This team is goingto be fired up, jacked up.”

New Brunswick policecharged Francis with robberyand weapons violations for bran-dishing a fake gun near a Rutgersapartment complex.

Francis is now arguably theteam’s chief emotional leader afterholding a reserve role in the firsttwo seasons after his suspension.

“I thank God that he’s blessedme with the talents I have, the tri-als and tribulations I’ve beenthrough and my mental state,”Francis said. “It’s an unselfishstate of mind.”

He speaks to the team prior toevery opening kickoff. He prideshimself on playing throughinjuries for his teammates. And

he earned their respect off thefield before he demanded it atHigh Point Solutions Stadium.

“It was rough — that comeswith leadership,” Francis said. “Ifyou’re a true leader, it doesn’tcome easy. You just have to bepersistent and persevere througha lot of things. Coach stays on mycase my whole journey here. Iappreciate him for doing that.”

Francis put his season-longsuspension in the past, KhaseemGreene said, after he worked atshowing teammates the mistakedid not define him as a person.

But Francis added a new lineto his definition before trainingcamp, when he became a father.

“I felt like I was graduallygrowing up, but then once Jordyn

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1 G 3G AMEDAY

KNIGHT NUGGETSBY THE NUMBERS

BIG QUESTION

RUTGERS WINS IF ... CINCINNATI WINS IF ...

THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO ...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FINAL VERDICT

Cincinnati routed Rutgers thepast two seasons, putting upa combined 116 points. TheBearcats put on a show in

Rutgers’ newly expanded stadium in 2009, thenwon a shootout last season at Nippert Stadium.

116Senior running back Isaiah Pead averages6.67 yards per carry intwo games against

Rutgers, including last season’s 213-yard,four-score performance in Cincinnati.

6.67The Scarlet Knights willhonor 16 seniors prior tokickoff, including eightstarters and Eric LeGrand.

With the regular season finale at UConn and abowl remaining, this is Rutgers’ last home game.

16Mohamed Sanu already has94 catches this season, and58 of them went for firstdowns. The junior owns

the Big East single-season receptions recordand is closing in on his goal of 100 catches.

58

CINCINNATI, 24-21The Bearcats come up with alate score to end the Knights’hopes of their first BCS bid.

KHASEEM GREENEJUNIOR LB

Can Rutgers contain a dual-threat quarterback

it has limited film on?

CINCINNATI QBMUNCHIE LEGAUX

The sophomore makes his first start of the season under center after Zach Collaros suffered a season-

ending injury last week. Legaux ledtwo scoring drives in a loss to WVU.

“[Justin Francis has]come a long way.

Everybody knows it.Some of the things he’sdoing are amazing. To

see somebody come thatfar is heartwarming.”

OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACHING HISTORY

MOMENTUM X-FACTOR

IT HANDLES THE

SPREAD AND

SCORES ENOUGH

TO KEEP PACE.Rutgers made a mistake by

entering into a shooutout lastseason. It has to score but mostimportantly, slow Cincinnati.

ITS BACKUP QBLEADS ITS POTENT

OFFENSE LIKE

COLLAROS DID.Legaux did enough to put theBearcats within a field goal ofovertime last week and seemsevery bit capable of winning.

Even with a backup quarterback,this Bearcats offense can score. Itaverages 37.4 points per game.

The spread offense remains itsAchilles’ heel, but a revamped

unit is better suited to defend it.

Cincinnati won each of the pastfive meetings, many of them in

dominating fashion.

Butch Jones never missed a beatafter taking over for Brian Kelly

in Cincinnati last season.

The Scarlet Knights have new lifein the Big East after Cincinnatilost last week to West Virginia.

Bearcat running back Isaiah Peadtorched Rutgers last year in arout. He may repeat the feat.

BY TYLER BARTOASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

When former Rutgers footballteam standouts CourtneyGreene, Ramel Meekins and RayRice return to Piscataway, theyfaintly recognize the player whonow wears No. 91 for the ScarletKnights.

His hair is different, sure, andhis face remains the same, butthere is something inherentlyunfamiliar about Justin Francis.

“They say, ‘We’ve watched yougrow up,’” Francis said. “[Meekinsis] still on me to this day.”

The senior defensive tackleranks third on the team with 55tackles this season and leads theKnights with 6.5 sacks. By com-parison, Francis recorded 42stops and 5.5 sacks during hisfirst three seasons combined.

He started every game attackle after moving fromdefensive end during thespring at head coach GregSchiano’s request.

But more impressive than hisproduction is Francis’ maturationoff the field, according to juniorlinebacker Khaseem Greene,who calls Francis “the olderbrother I never had.”

“He’s come a long way.Everybody knows it,” KhaseemGreene said. “Some of thethings he’s doing are just amaz-ing. To see somebody come thatfar is heartwarming.”

Khaseem Greene and seniorsafety David Rowe could notthink of a teammate who maturedmore in five seasons than Francis,who arrived at Rutgers in 2007from Opa-Locka, Fla.

Francis appeared in sevengames down the stretch for theKnights that season, but Schianosuspended him for the entire2008 campaign following aspring arrest.

JUSTIN FRANCIS

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Senior defensive tackle Justin Francis ranks third on the team with 55 tackles and leads the Knightswith 6.5 sacks in his first year as a starter. Francis is also one of the team’s emotional leaders.

Francis overcomes past to lead RUcame into the picture I had totake another giant leap of becom-ing a man,” he said. “Coachalways talks about being a familyguy and sacrificing for your fami-ly. Right now I’m at that stage inmy life, putting my family firstbefore myself.”

When the Knights face adver-sity on the field, they turn toFrancis, Rowe said. They used toturn to Courtney Greene orMeekins or Rice, but now Francisshares the same company.

That in its own right saysmore about Francis than his 40career games played or hisfourth-best Big East sack total,Khaseem Greene said.

“I can’t put together the rightwords to say,” he said. “It’s unbe-lievable the strides he’s madesince he first got here.”

Francis dons a Rutgers homeuniform for the final time tomor-row, nearly two months before heturns 23 years old. He insists heis closer to becoming a man thanhe ever was during any stretch ofhis Rutgers career.

He earned a believer inSchiano in the process.

“He certainly is one of the topguys that has grown up, and I’mvery proud of what he’s beenable to do as a young man,”Schiano said.

Schiano cautioned afterwardabout reminiscing — “That’s allyou do for the rest of your life,”he said — and Francis shared thehead coach’s warning.

Regardless of how Francishandles the pregame emotions,he still figures to be one of thefirst Knights out of the tunnelbefore kickoff.

“I always want to be in thefront of the pack,” he said.

He now has the luxury ofdoing so, even if his No. 91 isthe only recognizable partabout him.

remaining, will likely shatter it.Sanu watches little NFL, but

he watches Fitzgerald. He says he does not know if

he shares a style with any NFLwideouts, avoiding those threeletters at all costs, but healready broke a record ownedby one of the NFL’s bests, fromFitzgerald’s time at Pittsburgh.

— He is 22 years old and willturn 23 before the star t of next season.

— He is 6-foot-2, 215pounds and as physical as asafety, where he started inpractice with theScarlet Knights.

Asked what helikes most aboutfootball, he answers“the contact.”

“Forget being areceiver, he’s justone of thestrongest guyson the team,”said sopho-more quar-terback ChasDodd. “It’scrazy having aguy like that whocan do the things he can do.”

— He set a preseason goal of100 catches and needs only sixmore to reach it.

Sanu had no idea his goalmeant breaking Fitzgerald’srecord. He just knew hecould get there.

“I saw what type ofof fense [offensive coordi-nator Frank] Cignetti had,and I felt like I was the typeof player who could reach thatnumber,” Sanu said. “So I put itout there for myself.”

The highlight-reel catchesare dif ficult to ignore — thetouchdowns at North Carolinaand Louisville, the grab goingout of bounds at Syracuse, thefourth-down conversion againstSouth Florida — but 58 of his94 catches went forfirst downs.

“At the end of the day, he’s justable to make the play,” said red-

shirt freshmanw i d e o u tB r a n d o nColeman. “He’sjust consis-tent.”

He made95 catch-

es hisfirst twos e a -s o n s

a n dn e e d sonly 18more to

tie BrianL e o n a r d ’ s

career recep-tions recordat Rutgers.It leaves lit-tle more forSanu to

a c c o m -

plish individually at Rutgers,not that it matters to him.

“I’m just focused on helpingmy team try to win this Big East,” he said.

There is no reason to ques-tion Sanu when he of fers that response.

The South Brunswick HighSchool product says he is solocked-in during games, heonly sometimes hears hiscoaches, let alone the crowdscreaming his name. It is thatmindset that prompts ever yteammate to say they are notsurprised by his season.

It will not be a surprise ifSanu is playing on Sundaysnext year, either. Even he willadmit he loves the competition.

“I always try to go as hard asI can every time, no matter whatthe situation is,” Sanu said. “Itry to become the best I can be.It’s showing in my performance.Every time I work out or do any-thing, I just try to be the best atit. That’s how I am.”

For now, his situation is atRutgers, where fans beganscreaming his name with hisfirst double-digit receptiongame in his collegiate debuttwo years ago againstCincinnati.

He says he hears the cheersonly as he jogs of f the field, andhe should hear it Saturday.

After all, it could behis last.

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U MG AMEDAYG 4 N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1

BY STEVEN MILLERSPORTS EDITOR

There is nothing junior widereceiver Mohamed Sanu likesto discuss less than himself. Hefollows a 100-yard receivinggame with thanks for his coach-es, scheme, quarterback(s) andwide receivers — a far cry fromthe wideouts who prefer tothank their own hands.

So there was never anychance the player who doesnothing but deflect attentionwould answer a question thatwould heap it all on himself.

As was the trend throughoutthe first 10 games, Sanu did notdisappoint.

Will this be your last game atHigh Point Solutions Stadium?

“I haven’t thought aboutanything like that,” he said.

You haven’t thought aboutdeclaring early for the NFLDraft?

“It hasn’t really crossed mymind at all,” he said.

What about your long-termcareer goals?

“I focus on a season at atime, so I never really set a goalfor the long term,” he said.

Sanu prefers to let his num-bers do the talking.

Opposing cornerbacks talkat Sanu, but Sanu says he doesnot talk back. He makes acatch and “maybe I’ll laugh,” orgive the failed defender a pick-me-up tap on the helmet.

So let Sanu’s numbersanswer the questions:

— He already broke All-Prowideout Larry Fitzgerald’s sin-gle-season Big East receptionsrecords and with three games

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Junior wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, middle, stands with teammates Ka’Lial Glaud for the Rutgers alma mater after beating South Florida, 20-17, earlier thismonth. Sanu caught seven passes for 60 yards on a game-tying drive that forced overtime and allowed the Scarlet Knights to break a two-game losing streak.

Sanu downplays draft talk before potential final home gameNCAA LEADERSReceptions per game:

1) Jordan White, Western Mich.1) 9 games, 99 receptions1) 11.00 receptions per game2) Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers1) 10 games, 94 receptions1) 9.40 receptions per game3) Justin Blackmon, Okla. St.1) 10 games, 93 receptions1) 9.30 receptions per game4) Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma1) 10 games, 94 receptions1) 9.22 receptions per game5) Robert Woods, Southern Calif.1) 10 games, 92 receptions1) 9.20 receptions per game

Receptions per game:

1) Jordan White, Western Mich.1) 9 games, 1,283 yards1) 142.56 yards per game2) Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma1) 9 games, 1,157 yards1) 128.56 yards per game3) Patrick Edwards, Houston1) 10 games, 1,277 yards1) 127.70 yards per game4) Nick Harwell, Miami (Ohio)1) 9 games, 1,124 yards1) 124.89 yards per game18) Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers1) 10 games, 973 yards1) 97.30 yards per game

Receiving touchdowns:

T1) Justin Blackmon, Okla. St.T1) 10 games, 14 touchdownsT1) Patrick Edwards, HoustonT1) 10 games, 14 touchdowns3) Jordan White, Western Mich.1) 9 games, 12 touchdownsT32) Mohamed Sanu, RutgersT32) 9 games, 7 touchdowns

“The quote was: ‘As he got fat-ter, he got faster,’’’ said juniordefensive tackle and close friendScott Vallone. “It was just weird.As he gained weight, he was stillon the kickoff team because he’ssuch a fast guy and loved to hit.”

LeGrand met Army kickreturner Malcolm Brown on Oct.16, 2010, delivering a hit thatbroke Brown’s collarbone andLeGrand’s C3 and C4 vertebrae.

Doctors told LeGrand’s moth-er he may never breathe withoutthe aid of a ventilator. Walkingwas an even more distant dream.

Within five months, LeGrandwas breathing without assistance.He walked on a treadmill lastweek for as much as an hour atthe Kessler Institute forRehabilitation with help fromphysical therapists and a pulleysystem supporting his body.

“That was — wow,” LeGrandsaid last weekend at YankeeStadium. “I felt burning in my ham-strings. It was good I could actual-ly feel it though. I’m just so thank-ful for where I am today comparedto where I was last year.”

LeGrand laughs at the way helooked a year ago.

“I have to get you a picturefrom my first day at Kessler,” hesaid, contorting his face.

Even in the earliest days,LeGrand remained completelyconnected to the Rutgers foot-ball program, which verballyoffered him a scholarship whenhe was a freshman at ColoniaHigh School.

Schiano visited him everynight, and LeGrand constantlyasked for updates from practice.LeGrand watched every gamefrom Hackensack UniversityMedical Center or Kessler, eventhough he sometimes fell asleep

during games dueto medication.

He did notmiss much asthe ScarletKnights losttheir finalsix games,but “when welost, he lost,”Vallone said.

L e G r a n dreturned to takeclasses in thespring semestervia Skype, and heis again enrolled inclasses this semes-ter. He is a regularvisitor to the HaleCenter, and he providespregame, postgame and half-time commentary on the RutgersRadio Network. He led the teamout of the tunnel against WestVirginia, and he will again takethe High Point SolutionsStadium turf tomorrow forSenior Day.

“He’s going to be able to comeout of the tunnel, get his namecalled and get the standing ova-tion I know he’s going to get,”Greene said.

It will not be the last timeLeGrand leads his team out ofthe tunnel.

He said from Day 1 that hewould one day take the field onhis feet, not a wheelchair.

That will not happenagainst Cincinnati.

“If it were something I couldcontrol, trust me, I would be upalready,” he said.

For a day, LeGrand will settle foran entire stadium standing for him.

“It’s been a rough year,” hesaid, “but I can say it’s been thebest year of my life.”

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1 G 5G AMEDAY

BY STEVEN MILLERSPORTS EDITOR

Greg Schiano is known for hisundersized defensive lineman,but even a 230-pound EricLeGrand was a bit too small forSchiano’s liking.

Long before LeGrandbecame a national face ofRutgers football in the aftermathof a paralyzing spinal cordinjury, he arrived in Piscatawayas a 230-pound defensive line-man who went on a crash diet inhopes of playing linebacker.

“We knew that was not a natu-ral 230 — he really squeezedhimself down,” Schiano said. “Weknew he’d get big.”

LeGrand eventually became afull-time defensive tackle at 275pounds, but first he practiced andplayed linebacker, fullback anddefensive end.

“The player that he was, hehad to get on the field,” saidjunior linebacker KhaseemGreene, one of LeGrand’s clos-est friends who redshir tedLeGrand’s freshman season.“You couldn’t let a guy likeEric not get on the field and sitor redshirt or something. Itwas fun watching him fromtackle to fullback, whereverthey put him at.”

He played two games at full-back — and wore No. 46 insteadof 52 — and 10 on defense, but hemade his breakthrough on spe-cial teams.

LeGrand committed to play-ing nose tackle and bulked upas a sophomore, then put oneven more weight for his jun-ior season.

Still, LeGrand was oftenamong the first players down thefield on kickoff coverage.

JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Eric LeGrand and Scott Vallone celebrate a tackle for a loss last season against North Carolina.Vallone credits LeGrand for making him a better player when they lined up next to each other.

COURTESY OF RUTGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Senior Eric LeGrand takes the field at Yankee Stadium with teammates San San Te, left, Edmond Laryea, Art Forst and Scott Vallone as an honorary captain.

LeGrand’s entrance highlights Senior Day honors

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 1 G 7G AMEDAY

Late changes force steady Martinek to adjustBY TYLER BARTO

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

As Joe Martinek looksaround the college football land-scape, he sees fullbacks withexperience dating back to theirPop Warner days.

The Rutgers football team’ssenior fullback does not havethat luxury.

“I think I’ve done well justdoing it for a couple months,”Martinek said. “At the collegelevel, a lot of people play full-

back for their whole lives. Imade the change in a couplemonths. It just adds anotherthing to my repertoire.”

Martinek learned of his moveto fullback from head coach GregSchiano during the spring afterspending his first three seasonsat running back.

But after undergoing ankle sur-gery during the offseason, Martinekhad to wait until training camp tolearn the position on the field.

Schiano waited as Martineklearned how to become a more

physical presence as a run block-er, but the process is ongoing.

Redshirt freshman MichaelBurton earned the majority ofreps at the position last weekagainst Army after slowly becom-ing a more prominent member ofthe offense.

Schiano insists the move hasless to do with Martinek’s grasp-ing of the fullback position thanBurton’s steady play in practice.

“I just think Michael is earn-ing his repetitions,” Schianosaid. “As I’ve told you before

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Senior fullback Joe Martinek eludes Army defenders last week, when he had one carry and onecatch for a combined 19 yards. Martinek has 351 yards of total offense and a touchdown.

around here, every day you earnyour reps. That’s the way itworks. It doesn’t change for any-one or anything.”

Martinek was a more capa-ble pass catcher out of thebackfield in of fensive coordina-tor Frank Cignetti’s pro-stylesystem. He is second on theteam with 23 catches, butBur ton continues to vie forreps with two regular seasongames remaining.

Bur ton caught his firstcareer touchdown pass againstArmy, and his 232-pound framefits the fullback mold morethan Martinek’s.

Martinek views the positionchange as a process, but withonly one season of eligibility, it isa brief one.

“I just tested myself at doingother things to basically see whatI’m capable of,” Martinek said. “Ifthe coaches ask me to do some-thing, I see how I respond andhow well I can do it.”

Martinek was one of threebacks in 2008 that attempted toreplace former Scarlet KnightRay Rice’s production once heopted for the NFL. Rice rushedfor more than 2,000 yards inhis final season and neverrushed for less than 1,000yards each year.

Rutgers failed to produce a1,000-yard rusher in the fouryears since. It had four dif fer-ent leading rushers during the span.

Kordell Young suffered frommounting injuries each year, andMartinek outlasted former back-field mate Jourdan Brooks, whotransferred following the 2009season. Jordan Thomas, theKnights’ leading rusher lastyear, moved to cornerback inthe offseason.

Redshirt freshman JawanJamison now takes the majority of

the reps in the Rutgers backfield,but he carried the ball only seventimes against Army as sopho-more Jeremy Deering emerged.

Martinek rushed for nearly1,000 yards during the 2009campaign, but even he fell vic-tim to injuries as a junior, lead-ing to the Knights’ reliance onthe Wildcat.

Now Martinek faces his finalhome game after defining theRutgers run game for nearlythree seasons.

“I’m just going about myweek like it’s a normal week,” hesaid. “After the season I’ll lookback on it.”

He also figures to look backon the constant pounding he tookas one of the few contributors tothe Rutgers running game duringhis career.

Injuries hampered Young afterarriving in Piscataway as a four-star recruit. De’Antwan Williamsleft the program earlier in theyear, seldom earning opportuni-ties to see the field as anotherfour-star recruit as a high schoolrunning back.

Brooks opted for MorganState to close his college careerafter Martinek built up equitywith the program, so much soSchiano never diverted fromthe Hopatcong, N.J., nativeuntil injury.

Yes, Martinek was the state’sall-time leading rusher in highschool. But a two-star recruit’sattempt to follow Rice’s produc-tion left Martinek in an unenvi-able position.

He did not face it alone at first,but ultimately he was the onlyone remaining.

“Honestly, it hasn’t really hitme,” he said. “I don’t think it willuntil the season’s over. Yeah, it’smy last time playing here, but itwon’t be the last time I’ll be here.I’ll still be back.”

JENNIFER MIGUEL-HELLMAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER