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November 26, 2013 KNIGHT NOTEBOOK PEELE TO PLAY BOTH RECEIVER, CORNERBACK
RU rules Carroo out versus UConn with injury By Josh Bakan Sports Editor
The Rutgers football team’s Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep duo that orchestrated two game-winning drives this season is out for Saturday’s game against Connecticut. Along with senior quarterback Chas Dodd starting ahead of junior Gary Nova, sophomore wide receiver Leonte Carroo is listed as out with an upper body injury. Carroo leads the Scarlet Knights with 478 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season, but has only recorded four catch-
es for 23 yards in the Knights’ last two games. That is part of what prompted head coach Kyle Flood to implement redshirt freshman Ruhann Peele as both cornerback and wide receiver. “I think it’s two-fold,” Flood said yesterday post-practice. “You saw the injury report. Leonte won’t play. Ruhann is a valuable guy in the role he had on offense. That’s part of it. Part of it is that he has had a couple weeks playing defense, so I think he is better equipped to do it now than when he was first learning the position.”
Peele began as a wide receiver before converting to cornerback in the bye week before Nov. 16 against Cincinnati. The Linden (N.J.) High School product played slot, which senior Quron Pratt did while Peele played cornerback. Peele’s return might move Pratt to where Carroo played on the outside opposite junior Brandon Coleman. But a combination of wideouts will replace Carroo, Flood said. Out of receivers who play sparingly, he pointed to redshirt freshman Carlton Agudosi and freshmen Andre Patton, Janarion
Grant and John Tsimis. Patton had an “excellent practice” yesterday, Flood said. “I don’t think that’s any different than when Leonte is not in the game,” Flood said of who fills Carroo’s role. “He doesn’t play every snap of the game. We’re fortunate that happens to be a position where we do have a little bit of depth.” Coleman admitted Carroo’s absence slightly changes the offense’s dynamic. Training camp began with the 6-foot-6 Coleman as Rutgers’ only apparent deep threat with several small, speedy receivers.
Sophomore wide receiver Leonte Carroo will miss Rutgers’ next game against Connecticut with a upper body injury. Carroo leads the Knights this season with 478 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. NOAH WHITTENBURG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
By training camp’s end, Carroo proved he was more than a possession receiver. “He has the ability to stretch the field. We obviously all know that now,” Coleman said. “It wasn’t a surprise to me. I knew he had it in him since he got here, but everybody knows it. It’s just another weapon that we have.”
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running back P.J. James’ strengths is quickly anticipating holes to run through. That is harder with fewer available holes than early this season. “Whenever there’s no holes, you can’t really read them,” James said. “So you just try to fight for what I can get. Any little gap I see, I try to get it. Even if it’s two yards, I try to get what I can get because a negative play doesn’t help at all.” Before sustaining a lower leg injury Sept. 21 against Arkansas, James was the nation’s leading rusher. James rushed for only 20 yards off 12 carries in his second game since returning Thursday at Central Florida. He said it can get frustrating that Rutgers’ offense tries to prioritize the running game but then stops doing so when trailing. “You’ve got to be a dual threat,” James said. “You’ve got to be able to do certain other things. So I try to really focus on my pass blocking to get in and protect the quarterback because you can’t just be a runner.” For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Josh Bakan on Twitter @JoshBakan. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @ TargumSports.
WRESTLING DIPPERY CAPTURES DECISION IN FIRST DUAL ACTION OF THE SEASON
Freshmen swap spots in dual lineup at 141 pounds By Tyler Karalewich Staff Writer
When the Rutgers wrestling team took the mat this past Friday against Clarion in its third dual meet of the season, a rookie got a chance to make his collegiate debut. Tyson Dippery won by a 7-3 decision at 141 pounds to gain his first dual victory of the season. The match also marked the freshman’s first dual bout for the Scarlet Knights. Although it is early, Dipper y is happy with his improvement from the beginning of the season. “I got off to a little bit of a rough start losing my wrestle-off and I knew I had to regroup from there and put ever ything behind me,” Dipper y said. “I had to get my weight right, ever ything in school right, and work hard. Now I’m feeling a lot more like myself.” Prior to his first dual match, the Harrisburg, Pa., native wrestled unattached, making his first appearance this season at the Clarion Open. Dippery recorded a win by pin fall to go along with his three decisions in the Open. Dippery lost in the consolation bracket to his teammate, fel-
low freshman Anthony Ashnault. While competing Nov. 18 in the East Stroudsburg Open, Dippery took first place with an impressive 5-0 record, outscoring his opponents, 47-2. Dippery’s impressive finish at the open was enough for head coach Scott Goodale to give him the start against Clarion ahead of freshman Corey Stasenko. “He deser ved [the start],” Goodale said. “He had a good tournament and was wrestling well, beating some good guys. I figured I would give him a shot to wrestle. We are going with the hot hand. Corey didn’t wrestle great against Boston [University], but he will have his opportunities.” Stasenko won the starting spot before the season began, but dropped his bout against Boston’s Peter Ishiguro, 4-3. He also dropped his dual match debut Nov. 3 against Hofstra’s Luke Vaith, losing by a tech fall, 18-3, at 141 pounds. After losing the starting role, Stasenko knows some things will have to change in his preparation during each week. “It makes it a lot harder mentally not knowing what is going to happen heading into each [dual] competition,” Stasenko
Freshman 141-pounder Tyson Dippery replaced fellow rookie Corey Stasenko, above, in Rutgers’ dual lineup. Dippery won 7-3 in the Knights last dual match against Clarion. SRINIDHI BELLAMKONDA said. “It does change one thing. You have got to work harder so that you prove yourself more. But you have to get ready for every match like you would if you were the starter.” Goodale knows that competition is not the worst thing that
could happen to both freshmen. “It’s a good problem to have. We have two really good guys that are both certainly capable,” Goodale said. “Iron sharpens iron, so these guys have been getting each other better because there is competition.
Competition in the room is a good thing.” For updates on the Rutgers wrestling team, follow Tyler Karalewich on Twitter @TylerKaralewich. For general Rutgers sports updates, follow @TargumSports.