Rutgers vs. Iowa State: What You Need to Know About the 2011 Pinstripe Bowl

Iowa State and Rutgers get the privilege of playing in one of the coldest bowl games of the season, but the Pinstripe Bowl should still provide plenty of fireworks.

The second annual Pinstripe Bowl takes place in Yankee Stadium, in a matchup between 8-4 Rutgers and 6-6 Iowa State.

Rutgers is used to the New York City area, and have even played a game at Yankee Stadium this season against Army. Iowa State, on the other hand, have many players that have never even been to the area.

This game will be a big stepping stone for two programs trying to move to the next level in the college football hierarchy.

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Details About the New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Date: December 30, 2011

Time: 3:20 PM EST

Coverage: ESPN

Location: Bronx, New York (Yankee Stadium)

Conferences: Big 12 and Big East

Inaugural Game: December 30, 2010; Kansas State 34 Syracuse 36

2011 Profiles

Rutgers

Overall Record: 8-4

Big East Record: 4-3

Sagarin Ranking: 46

Key Wins: Oct. 8 Pittsburgh 34-10, Nov. 19 Cincinnati 20-3

Iowa State

Overall Record: 6-6

Big 12 Record: 3-6

Sagarin Ranking: 33

Key Wins: Oct. 29 at Texas Tech 41-7, Nov. 18 Oklahoma State 37-31 2OT

Coaching Resumes

Rutgers

Coach: Greg Schiano

11 Seasons with Scarlet Knights: 67-67

Bowl Record: 4-1

Best Season: 11-2 in 2006

Iowa State

Coach: Paul Rhoads

3 Seasons with Cyclones: 18-19

Bowl Record: 1-0

Best Season: 7-6 in 2009

Rutgers' Key Offensive Player

Mohamed Sanu, WR

After two solid seasons at Rutgers, Mohamed Sanu erupted this season with one of the best seasons in college football.

The wide receiver finished the regular season with 1,144 receiving yards and was fifth in the nation with 109 receptions. He was one of only three players to be unanimously selected to the All-Big East first-team. 

Sanu will be vital to the success of the Scarlet Knights, as he is the biggest offensive threat on the team.

The junior has already proven he can come up big in bowl games, as he took home the MVP for the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl. In that game, the freshman Sanu had 97 receiving yards and a touchdown to go with two rushing touchdowns on 41 yards. 

Rutgers will hope that its star can come close to replicating that performance against Iowa State.

Rutgers' Key Defensive Player

Khaseem Greene, LB

During the offseason, Khaseem Greene made the best decision of his career as he moved from free safety to linebacker.

In his first year at his new position, the redshirt junior totaled 127 tackles and was selected as the Big East co-defensive player of the year. Greene made fans of the program even more happy when he announced he would return to Rutgers for his final season. 

The transition for Greene seemed flawless, as he was all over the field for the Scarlet Knights. Besides the high tackling numbers, the linebacker also finished with three sacks and two forced fumbles.

He should cause some mayhem for an Iowa State squad that had struggled offensively for most of the year.

Iowa State's Key Offensive Player

Jared Barnett, QB

It took only half a season for the freshman to take over as starter, but it seems that Iowa State has a quarterback of the future in Jared Barnett.

Barnett still has plenty to learn as a passer, but his ability to run makes him dangerous against any opponent. The quarterback rushed for 435 yards this season to help his team to a 3-3 record as a starter.

This is not to say that he cannot be a true quarterback. In the upset win over No. 2 Oklahoma State, the freshman threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns. 

The offense for Iowa State will go as far as Jared Barnett takes it, and he has the ability to go far.

Iowa State's Key Defensive Player

A.J. Klein, LB

There are a few standouts on this defense, but no one had a better season than A.J. Klein.

The Iowa State linebacker took home Big 12 co-defensive player of the year honors after a fantastic season of attempting to contain some of the best offenses in the country. He is the first Cyclone ever to win the award.

Klein had two sacks and 101 tackles this season, his second consecutive year with over 100 tackles. He also returned a interception for a 78-yard touchdown against Missouri.

He also had his best game when the team needed him the most, with a season-high 14 tackles against No. 2 Oklahoma State. 

The Cyclones will need him to have a big game once again.

Breakdown

Although Rutgers comes in with two more wins, it did so against a much easier schedule.

Iowa State was sitting one win away from bowl-eligibility with three games left in the season. Unfortunately, those three games including a home game against No. 2 Oklahoma State and road battles at No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 11 Kansas State.

The Cyclones took care of business and got their sixth win right away by upsetting Oklahoma State in double overtime. This win shows that at their best, the Cyclones are much better than Rutgers can ever be. The downside is the team has some blowout losses as well.

Conversely, Rutgers has shown more consistency than Iowa State this season. The Scarlet Knights took care of business against weaker foes more often, with the exception of a terrible loss to Connecticut on the final game of the season. A win over the Huskies would have given Rutgers a share of the Big East title.

This game will come down to which team is more prepared. Both squads had ugly ends to the year, but it will be almost a month since the teams final games.

Rutgers will have a home-field advantage thanks to the close proximity to the campus. There will be more fans at the game, and the players will not be overwhelmed by New York City or Yankee Stadium. 

Head coach Greg Schiano will also help Rutgers, as his bowl game experience and preparation have led him to a four-game winning streak in bowl games. 

The 2011 Pinstripe Bowl should be a highly contested game, but Rutgers should have the slight edge in this battle.