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2009 Rutgers Football Preview
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Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference
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Release: 07/27/2009
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Six weeks into the 2008 season, Rutgers sat with a 1-5 record — the lone win coming against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
At the end of the season, however, there wasn’t a team in the nation that wanted to see Rutgers as its next opponent. The Scarlet Knights reeled off seven consecutive wins to close the season, including their third straight bowl game victory. It was an incredible turnaround for a program that has had no shortage of incredible milestones in the last three years.
Rutgers brings 16 battle-tested starters back from last year’s team, giving head coach Greg Schiano one of the more experienced groups in the BIG EAST. Eight starters are back on offense, but the three who departed were the quarterback and top two receivers, who all were chosen in the NFL Draft. The Scarlet Knights’ success in 2009 will be determined in part by how well new players can step into those high-profile roles.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Just as Rutgers had to replace its most prolific running back in school history (Ray Rice) last year, the Scarlet Knights enter the 2009 season looking to replace their post decorated passer in Mike Teel. Teel threw for more career yards (9.383) and touchdowns (59) than any previous Rutgers quarterback and was behind center for the program’s ascension to the national spotlight.
The leading candidates to take over at quarterback are Jabu Lovelace and Domenic Natale. Lovelace was the primary backup to Teel in 2007, but was limited to just two games due to an ankle injury last season. Natale saw spot duty a year ago after transferring from Michigan State.
Running Back
Rutgers is fairly well stacked in the offensive backfield thanks to the return of its top four runners from last year. Kordell Young ran for 554 yards and five touchdowns in eight games last season, while Jourdan Brooks had a team-high six rushing TDs to go with 516 yards on the ground. Joe Martinek racked up 404 rushing yards with four TDs, and Mason Robinson saw significant carries as well. Jack Corcoran is back as the starting fullback, and he provides another solid option in the game plan.
Offensive Line
Rutgers also boasts quality and quantity on the offensive line. All five starters from last year are back, while the Scarlet Knights return nine of their top 10 players from last year’s depth chart. The most decorated player up front is left tackle Anthony Davis, who enters his junior year as one of the most highly regarded linemen in the nation. Davis earned freshman all-America status as a guard in 2007 and was an All-BIG EAST Second Team pick last year in his first season at tackle. Right tackle Kevin Haslam started all 13 games last year after spending most of the 2007 season at guard. Senior Ryan Blaszczyk enters his third year as the starting center and has proven himself as one of best in the BIG EAST. Caleb Ruch and Art Forst return to man the guard positions after both players earned starting roles as freshmen in 2008.
Wide Receiver
Rutgers lost its top two receivers to the NFL in Britt and Underwood, providing opportunities for some younger players to move into the starting lineup. The top returner is Tim Brown, who had 565 receiving yards and averaged 20.9 yards per reception last year. Julian Hayes, Tim Wright and Andrew DePaola are expected to have more of a say in the offense in 2009.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
The Scarlet Knights return two starters on the defensive line in George Johnson and Alex Silvestro. Johnson enters his third year as a starter after registering 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception at defensive end last year. Silvestro started all 13 games in 2008, contributing 43 tackles and two sacks. Jonathan Freeny was a regular in the rotation last year and could emerge as a starter at tackle in 2009, while Charlie Noonan and Eric LeGrand are in the mix at tackle as well.
Linebacker
Rutgers lost leading tackler Kevin Malast to graduation, but the Scarlet Knights expect to showcase one of the top linebacker units in the BIG EAST nonetheless. Ryan D’Imperio was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection last year after he had 93 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, an interception and two fumble recoveries. He ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in tackles, second among returing players.
Damaso Munoz (45 tackles) took over at strong-side linebacker for the last five games of last season and is penciled in at that spot again. Manny Abreu (33 tackles) made eight starts and played in every game as a redshirt freshman in 2008 and could emerge as an impact player at weak-side linebacker this season. Antonio Lowery appeared in every game last year, making 19 stops, and should be a candidate on the outside.
Secondary
The Scarlet Knights look to offset the loss of two players from the secondary who were chosen in the NFL Draft (safety Courtney Greene and cornerback Jason McCourty). Strong safety Joe Lefeged and free safety Zaire Kitchen provide experience and toughness in the defensive backfield while Devin McCourty — Jason’s twin brother — is back for his fourth year as a starting cornerback. Kitchen had a team-high three forced fumbles and Lefeged was the Scarlet Knights’ fourth-leading tackler (72). McCourty, meanwhile, had a team-leading seven pass breakups.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Rutgers introduced a pair of new kicking specialists last year in kicker San San Te and punter Teddy Dellaganna. Both players proved capable in their roles, making special teams an area of strength for the Scarlet Knights. Te was 12-for-17 in field goals, including three field goals in the bowl win against North Carolina State, and was 45-of-48 on PATs. Dellaganna averaged 41.2 yards per punt to rank in the top half of BIG EAST punters.
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