Rutgers Scarlet Knights Lay Egg in 16-14 Loss to Louisville Cardinals

With a chance to win their fifth consecutive game, extend their record to 6-1, become bowl eligible, hold on to first place in the Big East, impress recruiting prospects and achieve a Top 25 ranking, Rutgers laid a huge egg in their 16-14 loss to Louisville on national television last night.

It was a game filled with mistakes that was reminiscent of the 2006 loss to Cincinnati where the Scarlet Knights saw their chance for an undefeated season slide down the drain.  In both cases, handling prosperity was not Rutgers' strong point.

Although Louisville ended up a one-point favorite before kickoff, Rutgers was expected to win this game and enter next week's game against West Virginia with a chance to take a huge step in a season that has become a pleasant surprise after last year's 4-8 season.

Mistakes plagued the Scarlet Knights in this one. They took the ball down to the Louisville 30-yard line on the first drive of the game, when freshman quarterback Gary Nova didn't square up and threw his fist of three interceptions.

Rutgers gave up 187 rushing yards, missed two chip-shot field goals, dropped passes and continually found ways to keep the ball out of the Cardinals' end zone.

One of the dropped passes was critical. With a chance to take the lead midway through the final quarter, Mark Harrison found himself five yards behind the Louisville secondary and Nova put the ball right in his hands.  Harrison dropped the ball.

The play brought back another bad memory of 2006.  In the last regular season game that season, it was a drop in the end zone that would have put the Knights in their first BCS game. 

Quarterback Mike Teel couldn't have made a better pass, but Rutgers went on to lose a three-overtime thriller to West Virginia.

Getting back to last night, there were plenty of other mistakes and more blame to go around.

The defense clearly had their worst game of the year.  They couldn't produce one sack in a season where it has become the norm to put huge pressure on quarterbacks and tackle them in the backfield.

Rutgers couldn't force any turnovers until David Rowe intercepted a Teddy Bridgewater pass in the end zone with two minutes left in the game.

And what about the coaching staff's game management? 

It was another poor performance by the coaching staff.  After one announcer reminded the audience in last week's game against Navy that Greg Schiano was the first coach to ice his own kicker, it was poor decision making in last night's game that cost the team down the stretch.

Rutgers once again wasted timeouts and with 7:19 left to play Schiano couldn't decide what to do with the ball on Rutgers 30-yard line in a 4th-and-1 situation.  He called time out.

It was apparent he didn't have faith in his team to make a yard and he chose to kick the ball away.

Unfortunately for the Knights, Justin Doerner got off a weak punt and Louisville took over on their 43-yard line.

The Cardinals ran off five precious minutes of clock and Rutgers got back the ball with Rowe's interception.

Three plays later, Nova threw his third interception and that was the game.

Rutgers will get a chance for redemption next week.

It what might be considered a much bigger disappointment than Rutgers loss to Louisville, the Mountaineers were blasted by Syracuse 49-23 in the Carrier Dome last night.

When the two teams meet Rutgers, will still be right in the thick of the Big East race.

Rutgers reminds me of the United States Postal System.  In an age when the postal system contiunes to lose money, they're still designing and producing new stamps.  All we really need is one stamp, as boring as it may seem.

In an age when state governments are struggling to meet budgets, Rutgers, the state university  of New Jersey, continues to develope new uniform styles, helmets included.  All they really need is one home uniform, and one road uniform.

It works for Oklahoma!

There should be a rule in college football: A team should not be allowed to have more uniform styles than season wins.