Home in the Nick of Time

HOME IN THE NICK OF TIME TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Gameday Page 2

October 31, 2014

KNIGHTS GAMEDAY RUTGERS VS. WISCONSIN GAME 9: High Point Solutions Stadium, Saturday, Noon TV: ESPN

RADIO: 710-WOR, 1450-WCTC, 610-WIP

INSIDE the

NUMBERS RUTGERS (5-3, 1-3 Big Ten)

Rutgers hosts the Big Ten’s top rushing offense Saturday on Homecoming. Wisconsin is averaging 338.4 yards per game on the ground through seven games this season. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

RU returns home, faces top run offense TYLER KARALEWICH ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Going to “The Horseshoe” in Columbus in front of a sold-out Ohio State crowd that featured 106,795 Buckeye fans was difficult. Following that up with yet another sold-out stadium when it traveled to Nebraska to play in front of the 338th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium was also challenging.

But the Rutgers football team finally comes home — and it couldn’t have come any sooner.

After two straight losses on the road, the Scarlet Knights come home to High Point Solutions Stadium to play in front of a sea of scarlet for Homecoming.

For head coach Kyle Flood, the opportunity to play at home fosters a sense of optimism. Coming off the opponents they played, the Knights welcome the chance to play in front of their own sellout to tilt the advantage in their favor. “[It’s] great to be back in Piscataway for a home game this week. I know it’s going to be a great crowd on hand. I think we’re closing in on another sellout, which is great,” Flood said. “Coming from a place that has over 300 straight sellouts, it’s a great tradition to be at the beginning stages of, and the atmosphere at home is an energizing force … no doubt an advantage for us come game day — and something I think that can be disruptive to our opponents.”

However enjoyable it is to return home for the first home game

in nearly a month, the Knights are still tasked with hosting a quality Big Ten opponent.

Of course, the challenge is to go 1-0 this week against Wisconsin.

The Badgers offer one of the top rushing attacks in the country, while also boasting the best defense in the Big Ten. One of the reasons for the losses in the past few weeks for Rutgers has been its inability to run the ball effectively. When the Knights cannot run the ball, they have to become one-dimensional on offense and rely more heavily on the passing game.

Against the Buckeyes and Huskers, Rutgers was limited to 3.8 yards per carry. In games prior to Big Ten play, the Knights were more efficient in the running game with an average well over 4 yards per carry.

Senior fullback Michael Burton knows running the football is a big part of the offense and has been all season. Despite the recent struggle in that aspect of the offensive game plan, Burton does not see the Knights deviating away from that mindset.

“That’s the staple here at Rutgers University, to run the football effectively,” Burton said. “To be able to do that, we need to do it throughout the week. We can’t just show up on Saturday and do it. I think we have done a very good job of that this week, we’ve been very consistent and we just have to continue that momentum and bring it up on Saturday.”

How have the Badgers risen to such prominence defensively?

Flood attributes it to how well the team plays as a unit, and how they mix their defensive fronts.

Wisconsin offers a 3-4 front seven scheme, and similar to Rutgers, mixes up its looks with different stunts and coverages.

According to Burton, that is all possible for the Badgers because of how well they play together and how few mistakes they make.

“What I would say about them is that they play very good defense together,” Burton said. “They are rarely out of position, they are very disciplined, they are big and strong.

But really, what pops up on film for me is that they play really good defense together and are energetic.

That’s what good defenses do.”

The Badgers run the ball nearly 70 percent of the time — and in an efficient manner.

They average 7.2 yards per carry, 1 yard more per attempt more than the next closest team in the Big Ten. Wisconsin also forwards 338.4 yards a game, nearly 50 yards more than the next closest Big Ten school.

Senior defensive lineman Dave Milewski sees a team that is comfortable in its identity of running the football directly at you.

“That’s who they are and that’s who they have been all season,” Milewski said. “They present a tough challenge, but it’s exciting to play a team that’s pretty much throwing the gauntlet down and challenging you to stop what they do.”

PASSING G. Nova C. Laviano RUSHING D. Peoples J. Goodwin RECEIVING L. Carroo J. Grant J. Tsimis DEFENSE S. Longa Q. Gause G. Glashen

CMP 59.9% 54.5% NO. 109 70 NO. 39 16 12 TKL 56 44 41

YDS TD 1,949 14 59 0 YDS TD 441 3 292 1 YDS TD 775 6 185 0 134 3 TFL SCK 4.5 2 5 1 1.5 0

INT AVG 9 243.6 0 19.7 LNG AVG 21 55.1 28 48.7 LNG AVG 78 96.9 53 23.1 29 16.8 FF INT 0 0 1 0 0 1

WISCONSIN (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten)

PASSING T. McEvoy J. Stave RUSHING M. Gordon C. Clement RECEIVING A. Erickson S. Arneson M. Gordon DEFENSE M. Caputo D. Landisch J. Schobert

CMP 58.9% 50% NO. 154 92 NO. 32 16 8 TKL 50 41 35

YDS TD 697 5 342 3 YDS TD 1,168 16 566 5 YDS TD 440 2 251 3 39 1 TFL SCK 2.5 0 10 4 6 2.5

INT AVG 5 99.6 3 114 LNG AVG 69 166.9 72 80.9 LNG AVG 47 62.9 37 35.9 12 5.6 FF INT 0 1 0 1 2 0

INJURIES

INJURIES

OUT: RB S. Huggins, RB P. James, TE L. Lister, WR R. Peele, OL J. Webb, TE L. Lister DOUBTFUL: CB D. Boggs QUESTIONABLE: QB G. Nova, LB K. Snyder, OL B. Bujari, FS A. Hunt PROBABLE: OL T. Alexander, CB N. Barnwell, K N. Borgese, FS D. Stephenson

No injury report

SCHEDULE (bold denotes home)

SCHEDULE (bold denotes home)

Aug. 28 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29

Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29

Washington State Howard Penn State Navy Tulane Michigan Ohio State Nebraska Wisconsin Indiana Michigan State Maryland

W, 41-38 W, 35-28 L, 13-10 W, 31-24 W, 31-6 W, 26-24 L, 56-17 L, 42-24 Noon TBA TBA TBA

Louisiana State Western Illinois Bowling Green South Florida Northwestern Illinois Maryland Rutgers Purdue Nebraska Iowa Minnesota

L, 28-24 W, 37-3 W, 68-17 W, 27-10 L, 20-14 W, 38-28 W, 52-7 Noon Noon TBA TBA TBA

Key Matchup

Wisconsin’s o-line vs. Rutgers’ d-line Rutgers will need to slow down Wisconsin’s run game and generate a disruptive pass rush up front to have a chance to win this week.

MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

LEONTE CARROO WIDE RECEIVER

KEITH LUMPKIN LEFT TACKLE

KALEB JOHNSON LEFT GUARD

BETIM BUJARI CENTER

CHRIS MULLER RIGHT GUARD

TAJ ALEXANDER RIGHT TACKLE

TYLER KROFT TIGHT END

JANARION GRANT WIDE RECEIVER

GARY NOVA QUARTERBACK

MICHAEL BURTON FULLBACK

DESMON PEOPLES RUNNING BACK

Junior 6’-0”, 205 lbs.

Junior 6’-8”, 310 lbs.

Senior 6’-4”, 300 lbs.

Senior 6’-4”, 295 lbs.

Sophomore 6’-6”, 300 lbs.

Senior 6’-4”, 290 lbs.

Junior 6’-6”, 240 lbs.

Sophomore 5’-11”, 175 lbs.

Senior 6’-2”, 220 lbs.

Senior 6’-0”, 230 lbs.

Sophomore 5’-8”, 175 lbs.

GAREEF GLASHEN CORNERBACK

DELON STEPHENSON FREE SAFETY

LORENZO WATERS STRONG SAFETY

NADIR BARNWELL CORNERBACK

Senior 5’-10”, 180 lbs.

Sophomore 5’-11”, 190 lbs.

Senior 6’-0”, 195 lbs.

Sophomore 5’-11”, 185 lbs.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

DAVID MILEWSKI DEFENSIVE END

KENNETH KIRKSEY NOSE TACKLE

DARIUS HAMILTON DEF. TACKLE

DJWANY MERA DEFENSIVE END

STEVE LONGA OLB

KEVIN SNYDER MLB

QUENTIN GAUSE OLB

Senior 6’-4”, 245 lbs.

Senior 6’-1”, 275 lbs.

Sophomore 6’-4”, 255 lbs.

Sophomore 6’-4”, 260 lbs.

Sophomore 6’-1”, 225 lbs.

Senior 6’-3”, 235 lbs.

Junior 6’-1”, 220 lbs.

October 31, 2014

Gameday Page 3

KNIGHT NUGGETS

BY THE NUMBERS

4

Despite losing by a combined 57 points, Rutgers committed just four total penalities against Ohio State and Nebraska. Staying disciplined remains one key for the Knights when they face another top Big Ten foe this weekend.

16

Wisconsin is the No. 1 ranked defense in the Big Ten, allowing only 16.1 points per game on the season. Offensively, Badgers running back Melvin Gordon is third in the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns in only seven games.

0

The Knights have generated zero sacks the last two games after leading the Big Ten with 24 sacks through six games. Failing to stop the run has hindered Rutgers’ pass rush of late and made life difficult for the team’s secondary.

9

The Badgers have only nine passing touchdowns through seven games. Wisconsin ranks 13th in the Big Ten in pass offense with 151.7 yards per game. Rutgers ranks fourth with 250.8 passing yards per contest thus far.

BIG QUESTION CAN THE KNIGHTS WIN IF NOVA IS UNABLE TO PLAY? The senior quarterback has practiced limitedly this week, but head coach Kyle Flood said whether Nova (lower body injury) plays against Wisconsin will likely be a game-time decision.

GARY NOVA Senior Quarterback

THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO OFFENSE

Although Wisconsin is at times heavily one-dimensional, its run game ranks second in the nation in yards per game, while the Badgers’ offense as a whole is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring.

DEFENSE

Wisconsin owns the Big Ten across the board defensively, ranking first in the conference in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense. Rutgers, meanwhile, has surrendered 1,040 total yards in its last two games.

COACHING

Even with few of Wisconsin’s defensive players among the Big Ten’s stat leaders, coordinator Dave Aranda has put together one of the nation’s most efficient units.

Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen is 14-6 in two seasons.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The units have mostly comparable numbers, but Rutgers poses the most dangerous threat with 40 blocked kicks since 2009, which is by far the most in the nation during that span.

X-FACTOR

Redshirt freshman Kemoko Turay hasn’t made a significant impact since Rutgers’ last win Oct. 4 against Michigan, and the Knights need him to be a force up front.

MOMENTUM

Wisconsin comes off its most dominant performance of the season in a 52-7 rout of Maryland, while Rutgers has lost consecutive Big Ten games by a combined 57 points.

RUTGERS WINS IF

WISCONSIN WINS IF

THE KNIGHTS RUN THE BALL EFFICIENTLY

THE BADGERS CONTROL THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

Rutgers’ longest run against Nebraska was eight yards. The Knights need to dictate the tempo and keep possession away from UW’s ball-control offense.

Wisconsin’s offensive success hinges on dominating the ground game in order to set up play-action passing. The Badgers possess advantages up front.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It’s exciting to play a team that’s pretty much throwing the gauntlet down and challenging you to stop what they do.”

DAVID MILEWSKI Senior Defensive End

TARGUM’S FINAL VERDICT WISCONSIN WINS, 31-21 Rutgers will be more competitive than its last two contests, but Wisconsin’s elite run game and stout defense will ultimately prove too much to handle.

Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood praised the Badgers’ top-ranked conference defense during Tuesday’s weekly Big Ten Teleconference, calling it a great 11-man unit. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR

UW enters Piscataway in strong form SEAN STEWART ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

At the beginning of October, head coach Gary Andersen and the Wisconsin football team seemed to be on track for a rough year.

The Badgers had dropped their Big Ten opener at Northwestern, 20-14, their second loss of the season, and appeared to have serious issues at quarterback, with then-starter Tanner McEvoy being pulled after just four drives against the Wildcats.

But things have changed drastically since that opening conference loss, with Wisconsin now on a two-game winning streak, which includes a 52-7 romping of Mar yland last Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

Entering this Saturday’s noon encounter with Rutgers at High Point Solutions Stadium, the Badgers are playing their best football, according to Andersen. But he insists their confidence level has never really changed.

“Not every game goes your way, not every play goes your way, but they should feel pretty good about themselves right now when you beat a very, very talented [Maryland] team,” Andersen said during Tuesday’s weekly Big Ten Teleconference. “… So I believe they feel good about themselves, their performance, but as soon as they pat themselves on the back, then we’ll have major issues. But this has always been a confident crew.”

One player who’s certainly risen in confidence level and has been a major part of Wisconsin’s turnaround is new starting quarterback Joel Stave.

After throwing three of the team’s four interceptions in relief

of McEvoy against Northwestern, Stave has settled into the starting role. He threw for two touchdowns last week against the Terrapins and boasts a 2-0 record as the starter under center this year.

After starting for the majority of the 2012 and all of 2013 season, Stave lost the job to McEvoy after dealing with confidence issues throwing the football during the summer.

But despite having some doubt earlier on, Andersen believes Stave has turned things around and is back to his former self. “[I] frankly did not know just cause of the unknown of where he

“The sign of a quality coordinator ... is getting his best players the opportunity to make plays.

GARY ANDERSEN Wisconsin Head Coach

was [mentally], but if I was going to bet, I was going to bet on Joel Stave to find a way to get this thing fixed and ride it in the right direction,” Andersen said.

With Stave back in form and running back Melvin Gordon, who is third in the nation in rushing touchdowns and fourth in rushing yards, producing big numbers, Wisconsin looks to be a handful offensively.

Against a reeling Scarlet Knights defense that has allowed 98 total points and 616 total rushing yards the past two games, the Badgers could be in for another big day.

While their schemes will give Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood plenty of headaches, Andersen praised Knights offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen for his play calls and said that whoever starts at quarterback will flourish under Friedgen.

“To me, the sign of a quality coordinator or a quality coach in general, is getting his best players the opportunity to make plays when the opportunity presents itself and he really does that through his scheme, through his different types of packages and through his play calling,” Andersen said. “So it is a challenge. … I think we’ll be ready, but we’re going to have to be to defend an offense that is going to be very good regardless of who’s playing quarterback.”

Despite the praise given to Rutgers’ offense, the Knights will have a hard time breaking down a talented Badgers defense.

Wisconsin ranks as the top scoring defense in the conference, averaging 16.1 points per game. It’s a unit Flood described as a great team defense.

“They’ve got excellent players, but I think as a whole they play great defense,” Flood said. “The safety Michael Caputo leads the team in tackles. Their inside linebackers are two and three in tackles but their outside linebackers lead the team in [tackles for losses], so they get a lot of production from a lot of different places on that defense and think their corners are as well-coached a pair as we’ve seen. I think they play great 11-man defense.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.

Gameday Page 4

October 31, 2014

CONFERENCE

Knights’ offensive line faces threat of Badgers’ 3-4 defense, seeks to learn from woes in Big Ten games GREG JOHNSON SPORTS EDITOR

Kyle Flood likes to keep it simple when evaluating what makes Wisconsin’s defense so efficient, even without dazzling individual talents.

“They play tremendous 11man defense,” Rutgers’ head football coach said. “If you look at them statistically ... their leading tacklers are in the middle with their two middle linebackers and their safety, but the leading TFL guys on their defense are on the outside, so they’re getting production in a lot of different areas.

And I think that speaks to me that they play team defense.”

The Badgers boast the Big Ten’s top-ranked scoring defense, total defense and pass defense, but one will not find many of their players among the conference’s stat leaders.

Wisconsin’s leading tackler, safety Michael Caputo, ranks 17th in the Big Ten with 51 total tackles. Linebacker Derek Landisch’s team-leading four sacks are good for eighth in the conference.

Not a single Badger has more than one interception or four passes defended this season — a testament to how well the unit works collectively.

“They play very good defense together,” said senior fullback Michael Burton. “They’re rarely out of position, they’re strong and they’re big, and they’re very disciplined. It’s definitely going to take a lot of preparation and concentration on our part in order to be successful.”

Schematically, part of what makes Wisconsin so tough to crack are the wrinkles involved in the 3-4 base defense it plays.

Sophomore right guard Chris Muller (right) and Rutgers’ offensive linemen are looking to combat Wisconsin’s 3-4 front seven with swift communication up front. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR The 3-4, named for its three down linemen and four linebackers, is less traditional than the 4-3, which nearly all other Big Ten teams employ as their base package. That includes Rutgers and the Knights’ four previous conference opponents this season.

But upon arriving from Utah State with second-year Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen, defensive coordinator Dave Aranda installed his 3-4 for the disguise and confusion it presents.

With only three linemen, it can leave a defense more susceptible to the run without the proper

personnel, but it also offers more flexibility in rushing the quarterback and defending the spread option. Outside linebackers must be athletic enough to sometimes play the role of defensive ends while also having the motor to fall back into pass coverage.

Wisconsin’s unique personnel have returned results.

“They give you multiple looks, so you have to make sure that you’re identifying every look they give you correctly so that you’re putting the hats on the right people,” Flood said. “But then it’s not just enough, because they’ve got

good players. They play with tremendous effort. ... Their support players are very active.”

That is the challenge facing Rutgers’ offensive line, which must be able to communicate and call out all of the different stunts that come with a 3-4 defense.

The Badgers feature a quick 277-pound nose tackle in Konrad Zagzebski, while two of their four starting linebackers weigh at least 240 pounds.

“Their defensive linemen up front are very fast and they’re smart, and their linebackers are very stout and strong,” said soph-

omore right guard Chris Muller.

“They move around a lot, so that’s going to be the hardest part.”

The Knights have endured plenty of it in Big Ten play.

After getting off to a strong start this season with five returning starters, Rutgers’ offensive line production has dipped considerably in pass protection and run blocking.

Rutgers is averaging 117 yards per game in conference play. It tallied almost 200 yards per game on the ground in four non-conference games.

And in the last two weeks, the Knights have allowed six sacks after holding opponents to eight sacks through the first six games.

“For pass protection, we just have to stay more heavy inside.

We can’t get our weight on our outside foot, and make sure we get a good punch and grab,” Muller said. “And for run blocking, just focus on fundamentals in getting our backs in the right place and getting our hats in the right place.”

The Knights are learning it the hard way in one of the nation’s premier leagues, where any subtle communication breakdown could be costly. They know that won’t change when the Badgers visit Piscataway.

“The margin of error is very slim,” said senior left guard Kaleb Johnson. “We’re playing against better competition, so a slight mistake is going to be tremendous in the game outcome.

Just going forward, we’ve got to focus more on the little details.

That’s the only thing we can do.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @gregp_j and @TargumSports on Twitter.

Senior left guard Kaleb Johnson (center) insists the Knights need to focus more on the details of run blocking and pass protection in order for Rutgers to compete on a higher level with Big Ten opponents. The Knights allowed six total sacks the last two weeks against Ohio State and Nebraska. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR

October 31, 2014

Gameday Page 5

CHALLENGES

Rutgers’ defensive line emphasizes containing Wisconsin’s run game in order to generate sacks again TYLER KARALEWICH ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

There were so many good things going for the Rutgers football team’s defense early on in the season, and all of it surrounded the standout play of its defensive line.

The Scarlet Knights’ front four players were so successful that in order to motivate each other, they would compete amongst themselves for who would have more tackle, sacks and tackles for loss.

But now, a defense that was once ranked first in the nation and Big Ten in sacks is struggling to find its former identity of getting to the quarterback and disrupting plays in the backfield.

The Knights hovered around the top of the nation earlier in the season in terms of sacks but have slipped a bit since, tied for 19th in the nation with 24 sacks in eight games.

That poor performance is further illuminated by the failure of Rutgers’ defense to register a sack in the past two games against Ohio State and Nebraska.

But head coach Kyle Flood had previously credited the success of the defense getting to the quarterback as a product of stopping the run.

Now with the defense struggling, Flood still attributes the defensive numbers to the inability of the whole defense to stop the opposing rushing offense, not necessarily one position on the field.

“I don’t think it’s the D-line.

I think as a defense, [Wisconsin is] a great example,” Flood said.

“They’re playing great 11-man defense, and I think what we need to do is we’ve got to be a little bit more disruptive. We’ve got to get some of these plays disrupted before they get started.

I think as we do that, we’ll play better defense as a unit.”

Senior defensive end Dave Milewski (left) believes if Rutgers can stop the run, the significant pass-rushing statistics the Knights had earlier in the season, such as sacks, will return as opponents are put in must-pass situations. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR One might start to make the assumption that because of the Big Ten tradition of obtaining talent on the offensive line that the Knights defense is struggling stopping the run.

But it might be more of the offensive game plans that Rutgers has faced.

Against the Buckeyes and Huskers, the Knights faced two of the top-running offenses in the nation, while also facing two Heisman candidates in Ohio

State quarterback J.T. Barrett and Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah.

When Rutgers faces Wisconsin on Saturday, it finds a team whose offense is predicated on running the ball. The Badgers run the ball on 67 percent of their plays, leading the Big Ten and ranking second in the nation in rushing offense.

For senior defensive lineman Dave Milewski, it’s always been about doing your job as an in-

dividual cog in the whole of the Rutgers defense. Milewski said if the Knights can do that, then stop the run, the statistics that were seen at the beginning of the season may reappear.

“When you are able to stop the run on a more consistent basis, you put teams in a position where they have to pass more,” Milewski said. “When teams are in a position where they have to pass more, you have the ability to pin the ears back a little bit and get after it.”

Senior middle linebacker Kevin Snyder (center) said stopping the run is Rutgers’ top defensive priority. Snyder added if they can get teams in third-and-long situations, the Knights can send more pressure to the quarterback. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / PHOTO EDITOR

As the defense as a whole has struggled the past few games, junior linebacker Quentin Gause thinks working on the little things in this past week of practice will help solve the whole defensive struggles, not just the statistics on the defensive front-seven.

“I would say the details.

We have to focus on the small things,” Gause said. “This week of practice is going to lead us on to Saturday and we are going to play physical football and play our game. If you miss a detail in these big games like we are having against a great team that is equal to you, it’s tough. You can’t miss those little things.”

Stopping the run remains the key to Rutgers’ defense. Without that, the opponent is able to become multi-faceted and fire on all cylinders offensively.

Senior linebacker Kevin Snyder echoed how important sticking to the game plan is defensively, which starts with stopping the run. “[Stopping the run] is always the number one thing for our defense. Everything stems from that,” Snyder said. “If you can stop the run, you can get off the field. That’s huge. If we can get them into second-and-long, thirdand long, then we can start dialing up pressures and do things like that to get off the field.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports and @TylerKaralewich on Twitter.

October 31, 2014

Gameday Page 6

GRAPHIC BY ADAM ISMAIL / DESIGN EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY ADAM ISMAIL / DESIGN EDITOR

RU looks to snap recent struggles on Homecoming GREG JOHNSON SPORTS EDITOR

Fan activities and alumni reunions make Homecoming a special time for the University, but lately the week has only left a sour taste in the Rutgers football team’s mouth.

That was the conclusion senior middle linebacker Kevin Snyder and junior defensive tackle Darius Hamilton drew Monday at High Point Solution Stadium’s Audi Club, where the prevailing Homecoming memory they recollected was the wins that never materialized.

“I know we haven’t won any Homecoming games since I’ve been here,” Hamilton said. “It hasn’t been the best memories, so we’re hoping to turn that around.”

This time of year has been a rough stretch for the Scarlet Knights, who have suffered upset losses in three of their last four Homecoming games.

Last season, Houston ran Rutgers off the field at High Point Solutions Stadium in a 35-point drubbing. The year before that, Kent State came into Piscataway and picked off quarterback Gary Nova six times in knocking off the Knights, who were ranked 18th and 7-0 at the time.

Still, the trend isn’t something Rutgers pays much attention to.

Snyder, who thought the 2011 Blackout game his freshman year against Pittsburgh was the Homecoming game (it was actually Navy), says the week internally feels like just another home game.

“When it comes to Homecoming for us, it’s really like the same exact week. There’s really nothing different,” Snyder said. “When students are out doing their Homecoming festivities ... we’re here, we’re practicing and we can’t be up late.

We’ve got to go bed and get up for practice, and the only time Homecoming ever really seems real is after the game maybe, or during the

Senior fullback Michael Burton gives a speech to the fans in attendance at Rutgers’ Homecoming Bonfire in the Blue Lot on Busch Campus on Monday night. He gives thanks to the crowd for giving the Knights energy and support at every single home game. DEVON JUDGE game when you see the students are a little more rowdy than they usually are.”

Yet there is still plenty that goes on during the week that the Knights appreciate.

Rutgers held its third annual Homecoming Bonfire on Monday night at the Blue Lot on Busch Campus, where head coach Kyle Flood gave his customary speech to the crowd. Three team captains represented the Knights on stage, while other players briefly made their rounds.

Flood said the turnout has gotten better every year.

“I just think it’s another great part of the college experience here at Rutgers, and I saw a lot of the players who didn’t have obligations academically get a chance to go over there, and the captains had a chance to talk to the crowd,” Flood said.

“And I know a lot of the students in the greek life here at Rutgers were there supporting that event. I think it’s a fun event for the entire campus and one of a lot of events like that that’ll lead up to Homecoming.”

Nova, Hamilton and senior fullback Michael Burton were Rutgers’ captains on stage. The team voted Burton to give a speech to the fans.

“What was really nice was to see all the fans and all the support that we had out there,” Burton said.

“That was really awesome. Like I said to the crowd out there, we have awesome fans. They’re here every single week cheering us on, bringing energy, making it very difficult for the opposing team.”

Homecoming might not typically mean much to the Knights when it comes to football, but this year’s event comes at a particularly opportune time.

Rutgers limps back to Piscataway fresh off two road losses by a combined 57 points to Ohio

State and Nebraska. It was only the second time in school history the Knights played two consecutive ranked opponents on the road.

But now that daunting stretch is over, and the Scarlet faithful await.

“It was a tough two games,” Hamilton said, “but any time you get to step out here in front of these fans, it all makes it worthwhile.

They’ve got our back 100 percent, and we’re going to do everything we can for them.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @gregp_j and @TargumSports on Twitter.

October 31, 2014

Gameday Page 7

GRAPHIC BY ADAM ISMAIL / DESIGN EDITOR

“ GREG JOHNSON TARGUM SPORTS EDITOR

The Daily Targum: Three weeks ago, Wisconsin’s offense was a onedimensional mess and this week seemed like a ver y winnable game for Rutgers. Now the Badgers are rolling after arguably their most complete performance of the season Saturday against Mar yland.

What’s been the key to the turnaround and Wisconsin getting back to the preseason West Division contender most pundits thought it’d be?

Dan Corcoran: The biggest aspect to Wisconsin’s turnaround the last two weeks has undoubtedly been the reemergence of Joel Stave as the starting quarterback. Stave started the season competing for the starting job in camp but ended up as the number two guy. What followed the opening game against LSU was a circus of events, which Stave ended when he revealed he was having trouble throwing accurate passes, what ended up being dubbed the “yips.” But Stave has overcome that, played in his first game of the season in a 20-14 loss to Northwestern and appears close to his full potential again. Season-opening starting quarterback Tanner McEvoy has played on five offensive possessions since

Three weeks ago, Wisconsin’s offense was a one-dimensional mess and this week seemed like a very winnable game for Rutgers. Now the Badgers are rolling...

”

“

The biggest aspect to Wisconsin’s turnaround has undoubtedly been the reemergence of Joel Stave as the starting quarterback. Stave started the season competing for the starting job in camp...

being yanked against the Wildcats, and although Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen says he will use both going forward, Stave has almost certainly regained the starting job.

Stave gives Wisconsin a downfield threat it didn’t have with McEvoy, completing the longest two passes of the season this past Saturday.

DT: What makes Wisconsin so sharp defensively as the Big Ten’s top scoring and total defense?

DC: After an average day against Illinois two weeks ago, the Wisconsin defense got back to full strength this past Saturday in time for Mar yland and showcased the focal point of the defense: the linebackers. After losing one of the best linebackers in school histor y in Chris Borland to graduation after last season and three of four starting linebackers total, the new batch in the front seven hasn’t missed a beat this year.

The Badgers were without inside linebacker Marcus Trotter for the better part of two games against Northwestern and Illinois, in which they gave up the third and second highest point totals of the season.

But with Trotter back

along with defensive end Warren Herring, who had missed all but the first game, the starting defense didn’t allow any points to the Terps. And outside of the first and last drives, Mar yland ran one play in Wisconsin’s territor y.

DT: How does Wisconsin utilize its two-quarterback system, and how does it complement running back Melvin Gordon, who’s obviously the centerpiece of the offense?

DC: Tanner McEvoy, who started the season, has seen limited time since Joel Stave took over the reins during the Northwestern game. But after just one drive against Illinois, McEvoy led four drives in the 52-7 rout of Maryland this past week and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig played to the dual threat quarterback’s strengths.

His most impressive play was a 60-yard touchdown run on an option in which he utilized good field vision to weave around multiple Terrapin defenders. If or when McEvoy enters Saturday’s game, expect to see a lot of option from him and the Wisconsin offense, while any passing will be mostly short throws. But Stave should play a bulk of the game and Wisconsin

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will run a typical pro-style offense with him under center, and the passing attack will try to exploit play action for deeper throws.

DAN CORCORAN BADGER HERALD SPORTS EDITOR

of the game, other than that Wisconsin should win.

DT: What’s the vibe around campus with this game and the attitude within the program as it prepares for its first-ever meeting with Rutgers?

DT: What are the keys to victor y for Wisconsin this weekend? What could get the Badgers into trouble in what is expected to be another hostile, sold-out crowd in Piscataway this weekend, given they have yet to win a road game?

DC: I don’t think students on campus are looking past the Rutgers game by any means, but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of hype, especially considering how the Badgers tore apart Maryland this past weekend. With arguably the strongest and most all-around performance of the season against the Terrapins, a lot of people view the second-straight game against a new Big Ten foe as a very winnable one.

Another big reason for the lack of hype for Saturday’s game probably has a lot to do with the start time of 11 a.m. CT. Only two of the Badgers’ games this year haven’t been 11 a.m. kickoffs, and I think a lot of students are getting tired, literally so, with the earliest possible start. Coupled with how little most students know about Rutgers and the Halloween festivities this weekend, I don’t think many people know what to make

DC: The offense’s balance will again dictate how the Badgers do and, if they fall into a one-dimensional nature again, they could be in trouble. Joel Stave’s first performance on the road at Northwestern produced three turnovers, but he has returned to his former self from a year ago in his last two games. The most important stat for the Wisconsin offense since the loss to Northwestern to open the Big Ten season is that the Badgers haven’t thrown a pick after starting the season with eight in the first five games. But although the quarterbacks will play a critical role come Saturday, Wisconsin will again rely heavily on Melvin Gordon.

Although Wisconsin needs the quarterbacks for success, it depends on Gordon to carry a bulk of the load. If he doesn’t have a big day, there’s a good chance the passing game won’t be able to make up for it.