Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/226401
Game Preview: Rutgers He's not a blazer, but he has good hands. The funny thing about Leonte Carroo is he seems to do it in big moments. I think eight of his nine touchdown catches have come in the fourth quarter or overtime of close games, and he had been a safety valve for Gary Nova in big situations. "It doesn't seem like anything really sticks out at you because he seems like a good athlete and route runner and seems like he has good hands. You put all that together and it makes for an impressive receiver." The Dec. 28 matchup between the programs will be Rutgers' final game as a member of the AAC before it transitions to the Big Ten in 2014, a move that has been controversial nationally but quite popular among the university and its supporters. "I think the fans are overjoyed," Vorkunov said. "This has kind of been the long-term destination for the fan base and for the program even before the conference realignment stuff came up. I think a lot of fans hoped they could get to the Big Ten for football especially, and when they got in there's nothing but joy. "I know at Maryland [the other program set to join the Big Ten in 2014] there has been a back-and-forth conversation about what it means for the program and whether it would be good, but at Rutgers they're happy to escape the AAC and Big East, and are elated to go into the Big Ten." ✦ Rutgers' Season In Review Aug. 29: Fresno State 52, Rutgers 51 (OT) The regular season started in heartbreaking fashion for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights stayed stride for stride with eventual Mountain West champion Fresno State for four quarters, but sophomore kicker Kyle Federico missing a potential game-winning field goal as regulation time expired. After the Bulldogs scored a touchdown on the first play of overtime, Rutgers responded with junior quarterback Gary Nova's fifth passing score on the night, but head coach Kyle Flood opted to try to win the game with a two-point conversion that fell short. Sept. 7: Rutgers 38, Norfolk State 0 The Scarlet Knights took out their frustrations from opening day on MEAC opponent Norfolk State the following week. Redshirt sophomore running back Paul James totaled 119 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Norfolk State managed only six first downs on offense in Rutgers' dominant shutout victory. Sept. 14: Rutgers 28, Eastern Michigan 10 A 99-yard kick return for a touchdown from fifth-year senior wide receiver Quron Pratt and two more long touchdown runs from James kept the visiting Eagles from pulling an upset. The budding star at running back picked up a career-high 192 rushing yards in the win. The Eagles outgained Rutgers by 100 yards, but big plays salvaged a win on a day that the school honored paralyzed alumnus Eric LeGrand.