Game 596: Penn State continues slaughter of Maryland, 59-0

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Game 596: Penn State continues slaughter of Maryland, 59-0

College Park, MD – Since 2014, when Maryland co-captains dissed the captains of Penn State’s football team under sanctions at the coin toss to stir up a rivalry by not shaking hands, the Lions have reeled off five straight victories against the Terps after that one-point loss.  PSU added insult to injury for that memory last Friday night, 59-0, for the 54th win in 58 games against Maryland. Following a one-point victory by the Lions in 2015, they’ve outscored the Terrapins, 201-20, since.

Travelers from Happy Valley got loud and stayed proud of their Lions on a Friday night.

Fear the Turtle?

    Penn State scored on seven of its eight possessions in the first half to lead 38-0 before Maryland’s Marching Band took to the field.  Lion QB Sean Clifford scored on his team’s first play from scrimmage following an interception by LB Jan Johnson to place the ball at Maryland’s eight.  On the third play of their next possession, Clifford (26 of 31, 398 yards, three TDs, one, INT) connected with KJ Hamler for a 58-yard TD pass.

    In the second period, PSU’s dominating and lightning quick defense forced punts four times after only three plays, one after four, and intercepted starting Maryland QB Josh Johnson after a 14-play drive to the five ending there in a pick by DB Tariq Castro-Fields.

    That last stop started a 95-yard scoring drive finished off with Ricky Slade’s five-yard run.  TE Nick Bowers caught a 15-yarder from Clifford, and RB Journey Brown hauled in another for a 37-yard score on consecutive series.  Jake Pinegar finished State’s first half scoring with his 21-yard field goal.

PSU RB Ricky Slade takes the ball over from the one for the first and only score of the third period.

Defense…Defense

    As potent as the PSU offense performed, the defense bottled up the Maryland offense from start to finish.  In the second half, six of seven Terrapin possessions ended in three plays or less.  Guest Game Analyst Brian Donnelly (Towson grad, Terps fan, bigger Navy fan) left our Penn State section before halftime to go sit in the abandoned Maryland student section to sulk in peace by himself.  GGA John Massimilla (PSU grad and fan) and I stayed and reveled in the PSU section in front to the Blue Band members that came to support their Lions.  The Lion defense allowed only 68 passing yards and only 60 rushing yards on the evening.  They seem primed up for Big Ten Conference play.

With the Lions up 45-0 in the third, we started playing a new game – “Where’s Brian?”

Spreading the spoils to victory

    Six Nittany Lion players rushed for a combined 198 yards.  KJ Hamler caught six balls for 108 yards and a TD.  Twelve other Lion receivers snagged 23 passes for 313 yards and two TDs.  Penn State got their Big Ten East play starting with an explosion.  They looked to be firing on all cylinders to start to challenge in upcoming conference play.

Next!

     No. 12 Penn State (4-0,1-0) hosts Purdue (1-3,0-1) coming off a 38-31 loss against undefeated Minnesota.  Maryland (2-2, 0-1) heads to Rutgers (1-3,0-1), 52-0 losers to Michigan last Saturday.  Their Head Coach Chris Ash and his Offensive Coordinator John McNulty were both fired by the school on Sunday.  Appropriately, read our Collegefootballfan.com game review from last week following their game versus Boston College.

    We stayed at Brian’s house Friday as he slowly recovered from the shock trying to understand why he went with us again to see this match- up.  He did the same two years ago in PSU’s 66-3 win over Maryland.  He couldn’t stop blaming himself. Great tailgate with he and his wife Laurie and her cousins Deb and Dan and friends, all devout Maryland Terps fans and season ticket holders.  Brian drove us there and back so John and I could relax and enjoy after our long rides to Maryland to catch up with him.  We look forward to going with him again in 2021. He won’t be caught dead in Penn State.  He can’t withstand the traffic after a Penn State home game.

Great tailgating before the game with Maryland and Penn State fans combined.

      Next stop to stay on track to Game 600 – Philadelphia for a Saturday afternoon at The Linc to see Temple host their old coach Geoff Collins and his Ramblin’ Wrecks from Georgia Tech!

Game 595: Princeton bashes Butler Bulldogs to open 150th season, 49-7

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Game 595: Princeton bashes Butler Bulldogs to open 150th season, 49-7

Wide open Princeton WR Andrew Griffin (19) grabs an early Davidson (behind Butler’s 96 in white jersey) pass for a first down.

Princeton, NJ – The score stood 42-0 in favor of Princeton at the end of the first thirty minutes of play on Saturday. Collegefootballfan.com decided to go home at that point and actually watch some games on TV rather than watch a football practice between two teams wearing a lot of clean uniforms.  Good choice, the second thirty minutes resulted in a 7-7 tie to give the Tigers a 49-7 season opening victory. 

Princeton on the prowl

     PU started off 2019 like last year although not as well when they took it to these same Bulldogs, 50-7.  New starting QB Kevin Davidson, a senior, replaced last year’s Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, John Lovett, now with the Kansas City Chiefs.  In his 2019 debut, he passed for 341 yards and two TDs.  RB Collin Eaddy rushed for 59 yards and two TDs.  WR Andrei Iosivas, hauled in two TD passes – one from Davidson and one from fellow wide-out Dylan Classi, all in the first half. Over the course of the game, nine Tiger ball carriers combined for 168 rushing yards.  Eight Tiger receivers totaled 375 yards via the pass.  The opener for the 150th edition of Princeton Tiger football ended one-sided to say the least.  Butler tallied zero yards returning kicks and zero punt return yards.  Princeton hiked the ball 30 times during the first half to amass 378 yards and 42 points. Game over!  Outta’ here!

PU’s Collin Eaddy (1) heads around right end for an early Tiger score.

Tiger Tamer

  Head Coach Bob Surace, Princeton starting Center class of ’90 and former Cincinnati Bengal assistant for nine years, looks to have his Tigers charging for another Ivy League championship. He is one of only two people to win Ivy league titles as player (1989) and as head coach (2013, 2016, 2018).  His 2013 and 2018 Tiger teams featured the two highest scoring teams in Ivy League history.  The Tigers seem ready to pounce on some more football accolades in 2019.

The Princeton Tiger joined us to keep his eye on his Tigers!

  Next!

  Butler (1-3, including a 57-10 thrashing to No. 1 North Dakota State to open their season) heads to Florida to play the Stetson Hatters, a Pioneer League foe.  Princeton, 1-0, travels due west to Bucknell (0-3) of the struggling Patriot League which thus far has an anemic, non-conference record of 4-20 combined.  Their first challenge doesn’t appear on their slate until October 26 when Harvard comes calling on Old Nassau.

Tiger Defensive Captain Jake Strain halts BU RB Brad Sznajder for a loss.

   We plan to go back to Princeton Stadium when the Tigers face a traditional rival, the Yale Bulldogs. On November 16.  It should be more interesting with ESPN Game Day in attendance.  This weekend will be our last of two games weekends as we close in on Game 600 on October 19.  On Friday at 8 pm, we’ll see Penn State clash with Maryland for the third year in a row.  The Lions have won the past two by a combined score of 104 to 6.  Penn State (3-0) has to prove they’re ready for some better competition on the field, and Maryland (2-1) desires to improve over the last two years when the Lions trounced them. On Saturday, we’ll be at The Linc in Philly to see Temple (2-1) under new HC Rod Carey lead his team against their coach of the last three years, Geoff Collins, who brings his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-2).  Should be an interesting game to watch here.

We’ll be back, but not on it like this Princeton Tiger who got tripped up.

Game 594: Boston College rushes past “clueless” Rutgers, 30-16

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Game 594: Boston College rushes past “clueless” Rutgers, 30-16

The Birthplace of College Football – I never thought I could say this in a Collegefootballfan.com game review, but the Rutgers Scarlet Knights actually had a chance to defeat Boston College yesterday, despite the Eagles 30-16 victory which could have been challenged had the clueless RU coaching staff picked up on an evident weak spot to exploit.  Rutgers (1-2) trailed 17-13 at halftime. 

However, the coaching staff seemed to show no sense to take advantage of a definite Eagles’ weakness in their secondary.  Following BC’s rout by lowly Kansas at home a week ago, the Knights could have picked up on some areas of weakness and taken advantage as the Jayhawks scored three TD passes against this team.  Replacement QB Art Sitkowski played a hot passing hand for the Scarlet Knights (23 of 33, 304 yards, one TD) that could have taken advantage of some evident, slow, secondary reactions certainly noticeable early on.

Rutgers Soph QB Art Sitkowski (8) racked up 304 passing yards despite a game plan short on long tosses.

 Find a weakness and take advantage

   The Eagles ran roughshod against the Knights’ D on their first possession with David Bailey rambling 42 yards over right tackle for an early 7-0 lead.  RU’s second offensive series, like their first, finished in three plays, but unlike the first, it resulted in a touchdown instead of a punt as Sitkowski tossed a short pass to Raheem Blackshear who faked DB Mike Palmer out of his jockstrap with some fakes and raced 74 yards down field to tie, 7-7.  After that, Palmer’s inability to cover tightly should have been as easy to notice from the coaching box on top of SHI Stadium as it was from my vantage point eight rows up from around the 20-yard line.  The Knights could take advantage.  They never did despite Sitkowski’s accurate performance on this beautiful, sunny fall day.

As surprise Guest Game Analyst Shawn, RU season ticket holder from Westfield pointed out, Rutgers has no confidence in Sitkowski’s long passing capabilities.  The time seemed ripe to let him take advantage of some playmakers who could easily get open under these circumstances.  They continued to throw short, or at best intermediate range passes throughout this game.

Despite being under the watchful eye of HC Chris Ash (left in white “R”shirt), Raheem Blackshear (2) on a kickoff return, never got the chance to beat the BC secondary long.

  Keeping it close

   The next Rutgers drive continued into the second period after starting from their ten.  Justin Davidowicz gave his Knights a 10-7 lead with a 23-yard FG.  The subsequent RU drive starting from the nine gave BC great field position when their defense caused Blackshear to fumble with DB Mehdi El Attrach recovering to start Boston College at Rutgers’ twelve.  QB Anthony Brown (Cliffwood, NJ) plunged over from the one to give his Eagles a 14-10 advantage.  Davidowicz put RU within one, 14-13, with only :44 left in the first half. 

However, Brown clicked with his receivers to get Aaron Boumheri in position to take BC into intermission up, 17-13.  We figured some halftime adjustments would be made to take advantage of some evident weakness in the BC secondary.  Shawn, his wife, and daughter, however, had to leave for some other commitment at halftime.  A lot of other RU fans must have made other plans as well.  Many didn’t stick around for the second half even thought their beleaguered Knights seemingly had a shot to win here.

BC QB Anthony Brown (13) passed for 159 yards and ran for 40 and a TD.

Do what you do best

     RU started the second half from their 40.  However, no long passing game emerged to exploit an evident weakness.  BC on the other hand returned to its strength.  They turned to RB AJ Dillon (32 carries, 150 yards, two TDs) to run the ball starting with a drive from their 18 until he took it over from the one-yard line.  The teams exchanged punts.  RU continued to run the ball and throw short passes basically in front of BC defenders for short gains.

BC’s AJ Dillon runs for some of his 150 yards.

    Into the fourth, the Scarlet Knights closed to within a score of 24-16 with Davidowicz’s 50-yard field goal.  With 13:09, Rutgers still had a chance.  Would they look to open things up further down field? BC had other plans to stick with their ball control offense first.  They churned out a 75-yard drive with 18 plays, mostly with Brown, Bailey, and Dillon chipping away converting third downs and even a fourth down into a fresh series each time.  Dillon scored from the four with 6:32 left and after a failed two-point conversion, RU trailed, 30-16.  Sitkowski converted a 28-yard completion to Bo Melton to keep scoring drive hopes alive.  However, Palmer came up with an interception on a short pass attempt right at the line of scrimmage.  BC controlled the ball and time to run out the clock for the win.

Dillon finds end zone for the final score of 30-16 in the Eagles’ 11th straight win over the Scarlet Knights.

Tales of Two Teams 

    BC, with a heavy contingent of players and fans from the Garden State, went home with a 30-16 victory.  However, Rutgers had a chance to take this one if they made some adjustments to their game plan as far as collegefootballfan.com determined.  After the Kansas loss, BC Head Coach Steve Addazio is lighting a fire under his team to avoid mental mistakes moving forward and getting ready for ACC foes coming up.

With Big Ten foes (and improved Liberty) on the horizon, a second win for the Scarlet Knights could be challenging to say the least.  Recruiting against the likes of “sharks” at Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan is difficult enough, but if the coaching staff cannot identify weaknesses of opponents to take advantage of, we can’t see Chris Ash returning for another season at The Birthplace despite the extension he received two years ago.  This program is going nowhere and the fans are leaving at halftime three games into the season despite down by only four. What does that say?

Eagle adoration.

Next!

     Rutgers travels to highly embarrassed Michigan next Saturday where Jim Harbaugh now joins Chris Ash on the proverbial hot-seat.  Harbaugh can’t beat anybody in The Top 25, but Ash can’t beat anybody.  Harbaugh’s Wolverines’ will take it out on RU.  Rutgers can probably best retaliate by starting a new coaching search before Michigan does.  If RU wants to make a significant hire to make a move before Michigan decides to make a change, they better get out in front before the Michigan program is “available”.  BC hosts 4-0 ACC foe Wake Forest next week, a team we will see play Louisville on October 12 with WFU fan and alum Jim Harton.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights could use some “charging up” from somebody!

 History

    After this game, we drove 40 minutes south of The Birthplace to Princeton, possibly the same route but by different mode (horse and buggy, we assume) traveled to and from 150 years ago when Princeton and Rutgers started all this crazy, traditional, college football stuff we love to see played every fall.  Princeton (10-0 and Ivy League champs in 2018), like all of the Ivy League teams this weekend, just opened the their traditional 10-game slate only focused to win the Ivy League championship.  At 5 pm, they kick off their season against the Butler Bulldogs who they “wasted” last season, 50-7, in their opener in Indiana. Regretfully, we expect to see a similar outcome.  This would be much more competitive if they played each other in basketball.   We have to go though to keep pace to celebrate game 600 on October 19.  Look for our Princeton-Butler game review report next.

Game 593: No. 1 North Dakota State dominates Delaware for 24th straight win, 47-22

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Game 593: No. 1 North Dakota State dominates Delaware for 24th straight win, 47-22

Newark, DE – The perennial FCS champion North Dakota State Bison visited Delaware and not just dominated No. 18 to confirm that they are head and shoulders above most FCS programs, they stomped a traditionally good and well-coached program, 47-22.  The score is not indicative of the dominance we saw in a game that marked the first time collegefootballfan.com got to see the Bison play.  With a new head coach, a new QB, and new defenders in their lineup, they suffered a slight setback and then did whatever needed to be done at will to batter the Hens.  They can contend to play at the next level and have proven that with wins over FBS teams in previous years.  From all over the country but mostly in the cold regions of the upper Midwest, NDSU recruits players that could most likely play at the next level. Under their third HC in eight years, the program looks like it will just reload under new coach Matt Ertz.

The North Dakota State Bison prepare to defend their title of FCS champs once again.

Blue Hens seemed ready to fight  

  The Fighting Blue Hens (2-1) made a statement looking like they were ready to make this a game when Luke Frederick blocked NDSU’s punt after its first series that bounded through the end zone for a safety and a sudden, 2-0 UD lead.  Aside from Jake Roth’s 36-yard FG for Delaware at the end of the first, the Bison stampeded to a 27-5 lead by halftime.

   Instead of taking the momentum to the Bison after the safety, the Bison turned the tables with SS Michael Tutsie’s pick to put NDSU at the UD 35.  Kobe Johnson scored from the one and the Bison never looked back over their shoulders.  Griffin Crosa’s 46-yard kick gave the visitors a 10-5 lead at the end of the initial period.

State’s Kobe Johnson (24) extends football for one-yard TD.

Thundering Herd – wasn’t that Marshall?

    Bison QB Trey Lance (18 of 23 for 195 yards and three TDs) threw a 24-yard TD to Adam Cofield to cap a 75-yard drive to bolster the Bison lead.  Late in the quarter, Crosa put up three again from the 23.  To top off an 80-yard drive, Lance tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to TE Ben Ellefson with 30 remaining for the 27-5 half time lead.  The one-sided action frustrated the UD fans among the 14,489 in attendance.  It bored and disappointed collegefootballfan.com who expected to see more enthusiasm and resolve from a Delaware program trying to rekindle their own dominant FCS days of the past.  A loss at NDSU last season in Fargo did not spark the flame we had hoped to see.

Bison DE Derek Tuszka (91) gets hold of QB Pat Kehoe (12) for sack in first quarter.

 Halftime Blues

Guest Game Analyst Frank Lorito (Parsippany, NJ Poop Factory alum) and I sauntered to the Delaware Stadium Beer Garden near our GA section for a couple of Blue Moons as our way of supporting the Blue Hens who were making us “blue”.  Frank met an acquaintance during the break who follows UD closely and said he thought HC Danny Rocco was just “sliding into retirement”.  Can’t agree. He’s made some strides up since taking over from previous HC Stan Brock three years ago.  We changed seats for better views and possibly better results in the second half.

We think Delaware HC Danny Rocco is in Newark to get the Blue Hens back on top. He’s native of Huntingdon, PA, home of Alma Mater dear, Juniata College.

 Hope in Henderson

    Following another UD three and out to start the second half, the Bison stampede continued 50 yards with Lance throwing TE Noah Gindorff a four-yard TD pass.  Two points went for naught, extending the NDSU lead, 33-5.  The UD crowd abandoned hope for the exits of their stadium still under construction.  Their faith in this program is going to require some refurbishing as well.  HC Danny Rocco replaced starting QB Pat Kehoe (2 for 9 for a paltry 11 yards, one INT) with Soph QB Nolan Henderson.  With the game seemingly out of reach, he sparked a little life into the offense (9 of 12 for 125 yard and two TDs) leading to a Roth FG of 23 yards in his first series of the second half.    NDSU dominated into the final period, 33-8. Yawn.

Delaware Stadium has a long way to go for completion. The football program has made greater strides since Danny Rocco to over this program that was struggling before he came.

    Henderson stirred some further interest and his Smyrna, DE HS classmate Will Knight (8 carries for 116 yards) burst 59 yards to the Bison 20.  A seven-yard pass to Gene Coleman II gave UD its first TD.  They even topped it off with a successful two-point conversion on Thyrick Pitts’ option pass to fellow WR Chichi Amachi.  The 33-16 score brought some momentum to give the remaining Blue Hen fans some call for optimism.  At this point with 12:01 remaining, I thought the opportunity called for an onsides kick.  The Hens lined up in their basic kicking formation, but I pictured Roth just knocking it off the tee for ten yards and jumping on it while the Bison fell back to block.  He didn’t, but from what I saw, it could’ve worked.  Delaware blew a chance to at least hold down the score while using clock.  Rocco must have decided to write this game off at this point.  Too bad. 

Will Knight (25) charges into the line after taking hand-off from former Smyrna HS teammate Nolan Henderson (14). Sign in back celebrates UD football history.

Still thought it was good idea

     Methodically, the Bison rushed five times including Kobe Johnson’s (11 carries for 101 yards, one TD) jaunt to the ten where Adam Cofield plucked the Blue Hens once again to make it 40-16.  UD responded once again with Henderson barking signals.  He found Amachi in the left corner of the end zone.  This time the two-point attempt failed.  However, with an influx of clean jerseys, the substitute Bison refused to yield.  Saybein Clarke put the exclamation point on the dominant NDSU performance with a 20-yard TD run with 1:35 left.  Game over.  The defending champs left their vanquished foe and head to the next victim of another run at a national championship.  Still say they should have onsides kicked. 

NDSU QB Trey Lance (5) brings Bison closer to end zone on a late TD drive.

Next!

  The Bison (3-0) return to Fargo to face another top FCS challenge in No. 4 UC Davis (2-1).  Will they dominate? We think so.  Looking to make it 25 in row before heading into Missouri Valley Conference play.  Winning is embedded in this program – seven championships in eight years.  No. 20 Delaware hosts Penn as the Ivy Leaguers finally join the fray just this weekend for the first of only ten games they all play.  Will Rocco start Henderson against the Quakers?  He’s got to be thinking about it.

This North Dakota State cheerleader led the Bison in rushing this day. Every time they scored, she ran of over 100 yards!

     As for collegefootballfan.com, needing to attend two games on our pace to catch Game 600 on October 19, our original plans for this weekend got terminated by bugs.  We planned to see Yale open at home against Holy Cross at 1 pm, and then go see another Ivy League member, Brown, visit the Bryant Bulldogs at 6 pm in Smithfield, RI. That plan became a no-go when the kickoff got moved up to 3 pm. According to the Bryant website: “Due to the heightened risk during evening and nighttime hours of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne virus in the area, the University is rescheduling outdoor activities accordingly in an effort to minimize the possibility of exposure for our fans and participants.” Bugged-off!

Delaware blow-hards!

    So luckily but regretfully for collegefootballfan.com, we will fall back to an original plan when that became available as the Boston College at Rutgers kickoff was announced for 12 noon. Right after that, we head down the Turnpike to see Princeton in their opener against Butler, a team they trounced in the opener of their 10-win season last year, in a 5:00 start.  Lucky that we get to see two games as we desired.  Regretfully, we anticipate two blow-outs.  Also, we’ve already seen both BC and RU play already.  

Extra Points:

    UD football fandom is not what it used to be.  Over the years, I’ve attended sold out games filled with excited Blue Hen fans for season openers (William and Mary) , critical conference games (James Madison, ten years ago) non-conference powers (Georgia Southern) in town, and for play-offs (Lehigh) on a cold December day at Delaware Stadium.  Now it’s really disappointing to see so many empty seats for a game where the Hens are on the rise and the number one FCS team in the nation came calling.  I see a big change to be honest in attendance at major football program throughout the country.  I guess it’s the preference nowadays to sit at home and turn I off if it’s a clunker.   Takes away from the atmosphere by keeping fans away from the stadiums.  I also think a lot of die-hard, school-spirited fans are moving on and upward.

One Blue Hen die-hard displayed some exuberance as UD scored to cut the lead, 33-16.

Celebrity sideline sighting:

Philadelphia Eagle QB Carson Wentz (in yellow) , former starter at NDSU, roamed the sideline among the Bison before heading to Atlanta where the Eagles lost on Sunday.

Game 592 : William Paterson rides freshmen past FDU-Florham for first win since 2017, 28-23

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Madison, NJ – The William Paterson Pioneers (1-1) mounted a strong running attack behind Freshman Terrique Riddick and Soph Marcel Mason who both scored two second half TDs to overpower FDU-Florham’s passing attack, 28-23. FDU, after a high-octane performance in a win over Kings Point, 56-48, launched into a quick start on Friday evening to take a 17-0 lead over William Paterson University.  Guest Game Analyst Paul Fraley noted Red Devil QB Anthony Caserta (39 for 55, 320 yards, two TDs) could really “zip” the football.  The Junior from Fordham Prep fired a scoring strike to Tyler Adams (Warren Hills HS, NJ) from five yards out to finish an 88-yard opening drive, the only points on the board for either team in Q1.

“Willy Pat’s” Marcel Mason (1) picks up blocking for some of his some of his 81 rushing yards for the Pioneers in an exciting, intensive win over FDU-Florham (1-1) .

Defensive forces

     In the second, Nick Maciejewski drilled a 32-yard FG enhance the Red Devil lead, 10-0, that stood into halftime.  The Devils held the Pioneer offense in check the entire first half holding them to only 98 yards.  Twice in the first half, the Pioneers fumbled away the football to give the home team a few more opportunities to score.  However, their defense rose to the occasion to thwart any more scores.  Following their 12-9 opening loss to Western Connecticut the previous week, there looked to be little hope of the Pioneers generating any offense in this game.

William Paterson receiver stopped short of first down on third quarter drive.

Second half, same as the first?

    WPU started the second half just as dismally with a three-and -out. After their second punt of the half, the Red Devils churned out a 67-yard scoring drive with Frosh WR Mark Kepler (Wharton, Morris Hills, NJ) taking it in at the six.  FDU had all the momentum and a 17-0 lead. 

Freshmen go to work

     Pioneer HC and Offensive coordinator Dustin Johnson opened things up with a short passing game.  His Freshman QB George Crespo aired the ball out completing several passes before Riddick (11 carries for 167 yards, two TDs) tore away for 41 yards to put seven up on the scoreboard for WPU with 3:15 left in the third.  The drive signaled a sign of things to come.    LB Bryan King sacked Caserta for a 12-yard loss to force the Devils to punt.

     A Crespo completion to Frosh WR Matt Clarke at the Florham six set up a one-yard TD run by Mason to turn this into a ball game.  With the Pioneers now trailing, 17-14, they started their next series at their won 30.  Riddick, a 5’6” freshman, burst upfield for 45 yards to the Devils 25.  He finished the drive with a two-yard run to give “Willy Pat” the lead, 21-17.  WPU’s defense stiffened again to force an FDU punt.  The Pioneers blazed a trail 76 yards with the final play a 10-yard TD run by Mason.  With only 2:49 remaining, the underdog visitors had suddenly extended their lead, 28-17.

Final minutes

    The Red Devils went to the air waves with Caserta spreading the ball to his targets. With 1:30 left, he fired a 14-yard scoring strike to Khrystan Camillo.   The two-point attempt to get within a field goal failed with an incomplete pass.  The Pioneers recovered the onsides kick and ran out the clock for their first victory since 2017.  Players doused their second-year HC Dustin Johnson and began to celebrate after the handshakes.  It was a shocking and inspirational victory for the Pioneers who fell to FDU at home a year ago, 31-17, lost their season opener, and finished 0-10 a year ago.  With their young backfield, they hope to develop some momentum for this season and the program’s future over the next few years.  For the Devils, it’s back to throwing the ball more down field.  Like last season, lot of deep drops only result in getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage.  High completion rates, but not enough yards per catch.

Khrystan Camarillo adds late score for FDU.

Next!

   Paterson’s next game is in two weeks when they will go face SUNY-Maritime (1-1) out on Long Island.  HC Brian Surace’s Red Devils travel to Widener to open up their Middle Atlantic Conference schedule. Collegefootballfan.com headed to Newark, Delaware to see the fighting Blue Hens host No. 1 North Dakota State, winners of five the last six FCS National Championships.

Game 591: Penn State second half surge turns back Buffalo Bulls, 45-13

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Game 591: Penn State second half surge turns back Buffalo Bulls, 45-13

State College, PA – A tough Buffalo defensive effort and a ball-control, ground game earned the Bulls a 10-7 halftime lead over the Nittany Lions, but a 36-yard interception return by CB John Reid early in the third jump-started a Lion rally in the second half to come back for a 45-13 PSU victory.  PSU QB Sean Clifford (16 for 22, 279 yards, four TDs) added three TD passes after that to add to his early scoring pass to WR Jahan Dotson (four catches, 109 yards, two TDs) midway through the first period.  Throughout the first half, UB showed no signs of intimidation in front of 104,136 in attendance in Happy Valley.  HC Lance Leipold has his team that plays in front of lesser crowds in their 30,000-seat stadium well prepared.

PSU WR Jahan Dotson dives for Sean Clifford’s first of four TD passes to take an early 7-0 lead for PSU against the Buffalo Bulls.

Bull rush

     PSU scored a TD before they ever recorded a first down nine minutes into the game.  In the end, the Bulls out-rushed the Lions, 184-78.  Their time of possession overwhelmed PSU, 42:32 to 17:28.  The home team overcame the visitors’ short yardage, ball-control running game with six quick touchdown-scoring drives consisting of five plays or less.  After State led 7-0 at the end of one, PK Alex McNulty converted a 32-yard FG to put the Bulls on the board.  With 14 seconds left in the second, QB Matt Myers tossed a six-yard scoring pass to TE Julien Bourassa to give the Bulls an unexpected lead at the half.

Alex McNulty puts up three in the second period for the Bulls.

Fan Friendliness!

    We noted a couple of positive changes for the fans after having attended over 90 games in the Happy Valley over these last 40 years (Penn State’s record with collegefootballfan.com in attendance is 84-25, both home and away).  Parking spaces are no longer arranged to park front end to back end.  Now, parking attendants guide every vehicle to park head to head giving everyone plenty of space to party from their tailgates or trunks.  Secondly, we like the new game program policy.  Fans can now buy a laminated tri-fold for only $2.  It includes rosters, depth charts, stats, and game schedules of the Big Ten teams that particular week.  Very easy to reference when watching a game.  The traditional 100+ page programs are now sold as yearbooks.  Buy one and you’re set with all the stories, team history, biographies, and features of that year’s team in one tidy, prefect-bound periodical.  Perfect!  Somebody’s been thinking about ways to make the game experience even more happy for the Blue and White faithful of the valley.

Needed spark

     Things didn’t start well offensively for the Lions in Q3 as RB Ricky Slade fumbled to set UB up on their 33.  Reid then stepped between a Myers pass and his intended receiver to race down the right sidelined unimpeded 36 yards for a TD to lead, 14-10.  Buffalo punted after a three and out.  A 22-yard return by KJ Hamler and a 15-yard personal foul put the Lions at the Bulls’ 23.  The PSU O went right to work getting TE Pat Freiermuth (8 snags for 99 yards, two TDs) into the end zone on one play.  The Bulls responded with McNulty’s FG from 25 to whittle the Lions lead, 28-13.  The Lion O roared back once again.  In three plays, Clifford raced 58 yards to the Bulls’ two where Frosh RB Noah Cain took it in for the score. 

Penn State’s Journey Brown looks to live up to his name, but it was short trip. He carried six times for 28 yards against the Buffalo Bulls.

Tragic moment

     Following another UB three and out, a horrific injury occurred on UB’s punt. The ball got tipped and misdirected, but the blocker fan into P Evan Finegan whose leg whiplashed through the air and came down on it at a bad angle. We heard that FOX Network decided correctly not to show the replay.  Our sight was blocked by the emergency cart.  All we could see was a medical technician quickly pumping air into what we figured was an air cast.  The loaded Finegan gently on to the cart and whisked him out of the south end zone portal to an awaiting ambulance to take him to Geisinger Medical Center conveniently not far from our designated parking area.  On Monday, reports indicated he was still there following surgery with a full leg cast on.  Members of the PSU special teams and HC James Franklin went by to visit.  We hope and pray for his full recovery to what surely is a very serious and unfortunate injury.

    After the punt on the fifth play, Clifford connected again with Freiermuth for 28-yard score.  With the Lions now leading, 35-13, heading into the final period, Jake Pinegar split the uprights from 32 yards out. The two teams exchanged puts before UB turned the ball back over on downs at the Lions 26.  Franklin decided he needed to extend the score for rankings.  On first and ten from the Nittany 44, Clifford led Dotson wit a deep pass for a56-yard score.  With 3:03 remaining the game wound down with the blue-chip Lions overcoming a young but game Buffalo Bulls team.

Lion LB Jan Johnson (36) tallied 12 tackles in this game for the most among all defenders.

Observations from us in the “peanut gallery”

     Penn State has some kinks to work out after having seen them in early season action.  This week Surprise Guest Game Analyst, “Steve from Hershey” sitting alongside, noted how until Clifford’s final TD pass, many of his passes fell short of his intended receivers (don’t tell me about that back- shoulder pass crap they talk about on TV).  Receivers had to slow down their routes or come back on their patterns to make catches.  He’s going to have to lead his receivers more often.  The defense allowed 245 yards passing and Leipold’s offense did not show much of a threat with a long passing with their RS frosh signal-caller in Myers (16 of 31 averaging 7.9 yards, longest for 29 yards).  Buffalo is young a well-coached team. They will do well in MAC competition this year.

     We believe Leipold, six-time HC of D-3 national champ Wisconsin -Whitewater and proving his worth at UB with stellar improvements over five years, will be coaching at a Power Conference next year.  Illinois?  Rutgers? I might actually root for the latter if Leipold stepped into that fire pit.

Maybe we’ll see Bulls Head Coach Lance Leipold wearing a different color next season.

Next!

     No. 13 Penn State (2-0) hosts Pitt (1-1) for the 100th  meeting, but probably the final game of this natural, intra-stare rivalry.  This concludes a four-year deal with no future plans to continue in sight. It sounds like an effort should be made by both teams to enhance their non-conference schedules (Idaho? Yeah, we know why, James) and to get their blood boiling before diving into conference play.  The Bulls (1-1) travel to Lynchburg, VA to play Liberty (0-2).

Fight on, State!

     For Collegefootballfan.com, we hit a local D-3 contest Friday under the lights to see the Pioneers of William Paterson U. of the NJAC (0-1) visit the Red Devils of FDU-Florham (1-0) after a log awaited winning season at 6-4 a year ago.  Last week, FDU defeated Kings Point, 56-48.  What’s going on here?  We really look forward to Saturday though.  For the first time, we’ll see FCS No. 1 North Dakota State, FCS champs five of the last six years charge into Delaware to meet the No. 18 Fightin’ Blue Hens in their newly renovated stadium.  We’re rooting for the upset.  Should be fun and memorable, we hope!

Game 590: DiGalbo leads Kutztown Golden Bears past Assumption Greyhounds in a romp, 54-16

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Game 590: DiGalbo leads Kutztown Golden Bears past Assumption Greyhounds in a romp, 54-16

Kutztown, PA – On our way to Penn State for a 7:30 pm kickoff on Saturday, Collegefootballfan.com took a slight detour and added a convenient 12 noon start at Kutztown University’s Andre Reed Stadium, named for their famous, football alumnus who started at wide receiver for a very good Buffalo Bills team for many years.  Two firsts – our first time at Kutztown and our first Assumption game.   QB Collin DiGalbo of the Golden Bears threw four TD passes and ran for two more as they defeated Assumption in a somewhat unexpected blow-out, 56-14. In two previous games played here by these two Division 2 programs, the Greyhounds bolted out of town with close wins.  DiGalbo foiled that this time leading his team to 629 total yards.   He gained 352 himself, rushing and passing.

Golden Bear opening kickoff return

Surprised by some small school spirit!

    A great atmosphere pervaded in Kutztown as the home crowd among the 4,162 in attendance showed great spirit and support for the Golden Bears at the D-2 level.  The home team fans followed the lead of its Golden Bear Marching Band which exuded spirit and antics from the Reed stands throughout the game.   Their football program has improved vastly during the past five seasons.   They’ve defeated every other team in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference over that period.  The sunny, calm day made it a glorious Saturday afternoon to attend a college game, and the fact that this contest was not televised gave us no cause for concern to see this one in its entirety before driving another two and a half hours to State College in time for our nightcap.

True school spirit at KU!

Bears start out quick against Greyhounds

     Kutztown’s first three scores came on their first three possessions. DiGalbo completed a 20-yard TD pass to TE Jake Pilkerton to polish off a 70-yard drive.  The same combo updated the scoreboard again at the end of an 80-yard drive connecting from the one.  The Bears next TD drive went for more yards and came about much quicker.  Starting from the three and getting some breathing room from their 24, DiGalbo (5 carries for 89 yards) swept right on a 76-yard TD scamper.  Before the period ended Assumption responded with a long scoring drive when RB Khaleed Exum-Strong ran it over from the three to close to 21-7. 

TE Jack Pilkerton picks up a block on the move for the Golden Bears.

     To start the second, Assumption forced a punt and drove to KU’s seven.  A field goal attempt went wide left killing whatever momentum the Greyhounds seemed to muster.   The Golden Bears took offense to that second, yet scoreless drive.  On their next two possessions, the Golden Bears scored two more times with DiGalbo throwing scoring strikes to redshirt-freshman WR Jake Novak from 20 and 21 yards out respectively. They dominated by halftime, 35-7.

Khaleed Exum-Strong crosses goal line for only Greyhound TD in first half.

Can’t keep a good coach down

     The Kutztown football program has been mediocre at best in the PSAC for many years.  Enter current Head Coach Jim Clements in 2014.   His Bears have thrived since.  He’s the first KU Coach to start his career there with five consecutive winning seasons.  Under his tutelage, the team’s record now stands at 38-18, 27-9 in the PSAC.  In 2018, he coached the Golden Bears to only their third D-2 playoff in school history.  Jim Clements owns an overall head coaching career record during 13 seasons of 104-42 mentoring Kutztown and D-3 Delaware Valley University.  The man can coach!  During this game, you saw how well his players were coached.  They did little things right like closing down outside lanes to ball carriers to run them into oncoming tacklers.  They tackled well.  Most impressive was when a ball came loose, the entire sideline shouted, “Ball!”  His team totally focused on the game.

    Duly impressed with what we witnessed and what is written in the KU Game Day program, there should be interest in him beyond D-2. We’ll keep an eye on his success for the balance of this season and what possibilities may lay ahead for him.  He’s no doubt a winner at the lower levels as his record indicates.  Someone should be willing to give him a chance.  Possibly nearby – FCS Bucknell?

HC Jim Clements has Golden Bear fans turning out with great spirit to see their team play at Andre Reed Stadium.

Beat goes on

     In the third period, RB Daryl Davis-McNeil put the Golden Bears on the board to start with a one-yard run after he picked up 24 there on his previous run.  However, the Greyhounds blocked the point after and CB Carlins Platel picked it off the turf and sprinted the length of the field for a defensive PAT return to make the score 41-9.  An interception by LB Kyle Sapp in close range from Assumption QB Easton Turner put KU back on offense at AU’s 17.  DiGalbo carried the ball over from the five to make the score 47-9 late in the third.

This great over the shoulder catch sets up Assumptions second TD of the game near the goal line.

    For the balance of the game, the Golden Bears played their second teamers and the upstarts continued to move the football against Assumption’s first team.  The visitors played without their five leading tacklers from a year ago.  There’s a lot of need for more experience on D.  The offense graduated their starting QB and All-American WR Deonte Harris from last year finishing 6-4 under then first-year HC Andy McKenzie.  Their leading rusher from 2018, Doug Santos, returned though, and he scored from the two to top off a 64-yard drive.  Harvin Keagan finished off the scoring for the day with a one-yard run late in the game, and the Golden Bears looked good in a 54-16 triumph over the Greyhounds. 

A late Harvin Keegan TD seals the final score.

Next!

  Kutztown heads to western Pennsylvania to meet PSAC conference foe California of Pennsylvania (1-0).  Assumption returns home to Worcester, MA to host St. Anselm’s of Manchester, NH (0-1).  It just so happens that St. Anselm’s fell to the Vulcans of California, PA in their opener last weekend, 53-19.   It sounds as if all teams will be meeting challengers of equal talents.  These could both be good games.  We won’t be going to either.

  We headed up to State College right after this to see Penn State host Buffalo.  Look for our upcoming game review by Thursday this week.

We have another DH weekend planned for next week with the feature on Saturday between FCS No. 1 North Dakota State (2-0) visiting No. 18 Delaware (2-0).  On Friday night, we’ll hit up a local D-3 contest when William Paterson (0-1) visits FDU-Florham (1-0), a 56-48 winner over Kings Point last weekend.

We added Game 590 and 591 this weekend

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On our way to Penn State for a 7:30 pm kickoff on Saturday, Collegefootballfan.com took a slight detour and added a convenient Game 590 with a 12 noon start at D-2 Kutztown University’s Andre Reed Stadium, named for their famous, football alumnus who started at wide receiver for a very good Buffalo Bills team for many years.  We saw Kutztown impressively win over a very good Assumption program.

      The beautiful, sunny day day us a great option to watch two games in one day. Also the fact that this contest was not televised gave us no cause for concern to see this one in its entirety before driving another two and a half hours to make it to State College on time for the Penn State-Buffalo game which was very competitive during the first half. Game 591 appears in our books now, too. We just have to write up our game review coverage for our fans now.

Come back and check out the reviews over the next few days as I took a side trip on Sunday on the way back to see a good friend not seen in few years, so there’s been no time to publish game reviews yet. Thanks for you patience. Two more games this upcoming weekend with the feature game on Saturday when No. 1 FCS North Dakota State comes east to clash with 2-0 Delaware. We’re rooting to see an upset, of course! Be sure to check us out again this week and every week during the college football season. These past two put us within eight games of celebrating Game 600 on October 19. Lots of college football ahead before and after for the rest of our 2019 season. A few on our schedule look to be more interesting than initially thought (Penn State at Maryland and Louisville at Wake Forest, for instance). Come back for more!

Game 589: Balanced Boston College attack holds off VA Tech in ACC season opener, 35-28

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Game 589:  Balanced Boston College attack holds off VA Tech in ACC season opener, 35-28

Chestnut Hill, MA – In an opener between two teams vying for improvements over mediocrity a season ago, the Eagles and Hokies fought a competitive game with host Boston College maintaining ball control in the final minute to preserve a 35-28 victory.  BC QB Anthony Brown (Cliffwood, NJ) tossed two TD passes and ran for one.  Junior RB AJ Dillon carried 21 times for a score and 83 yards on the ground.  Virginia Tech’s QB Ryan Willis amassed 344 passing yards and three TDs, but BC dominated in the turnover department picking off four passes and recovering two fumbles while they lost the football once.

    The Eagles scored on their second possession driving 67 yards with Brown connecting with WR Zay Flowers (two for 91 yards) on a 33-yard TD pass.  After BC missed a FG to increase their lead, Tech responded with a 55-yard TD pass to Hezekiah Grimsley (four for 98 yards, one TD) to knot the score at the end of the first.

Hezekiah Grimsley on route to first quarter score for the Hokies.

Eagles take off!

     In the second period, the Hokies took a 14-7 lead when Willis hit Tayvion Robinson for a 20-yard score.  The Eagles came back with a vengeance.  Mixing their play calling effectively, they drove 75 yards with Dillon running the final 17 to tie.  On Tech’s next series, Tate Haynes sacked Willis to fumble, and BC took over again at the VT 17.  On third and ten from there, Brown threw to a leaping Kobay White in the end zone along the sideline to take a 21-14 lead. 

QB Anthony Brown (13) sails 28 yards for BC’s 28-14 halftime lead.

   The Eagles next series ended with a punt, but a muff by Grimsley was recovered by DB Nolan Borgerson (Westwood, NJ) to put BC on offense at Tech’s 28.  From there on the second play, Brown dropped back and started up the left side of the field going untouched for BC’s third score in the second and a 28-14 lead.  Willis completed five passes and ran for four more yards to the BC 17 as the period wound down. However, his next pass into the end zone got picked by LB Joe Sparacio, and the Eagles held their two TD lead going into halftime.

Boston College Marching Band performs at the half.

Defenses toughen up

     Early in the third, BC thwarted another Tech pass attempt into the end zone when Willis’s 30-yarder got intercepted on a leaping catch in front of its intended receiver by S Brandon Sebastian.  The Hokies eventually scored the only TD of the period when Willis connected with James Mitchell at the 11-yard line to get back within a touchdown.  The Hokies held the Eagles to a three and out, but their next possession ended with another INT by Tanner Karafa to put the Eagles at the Hokie 41 early in the last quarter.

James Mitchell crosses goal line with catch for VA Tech score.

      A Kobay White pass attempt got picked by Tech’s Jermaine Walker on his own two.  Tech only gained a yard before punting, Dillon and David Bailey took turns running the ball with Bailey doing the honors with a one-yard TD to extend the BC lead, 35-21.  Eighteen plays later, Willis, who converted a first down with a run on fourth and one at the 13, converted a score on and 11-yard TD pass to Kaleb Smith to put the Hokes within another score once again to trail 35-28.

BC DB Brandon Sebastian takes on Tech ball carrier.

Could go either way

    BC recovered the ensuing onsides kick on their 38.  After Tech called two time-outs in hopes of forcing a punt to get the ball back, Dillon negated that opportunity against DC Bud Foster’s defensive unit with an 11-yard gain on third down and nine.  BC ran out the clock in the victory formation for an early 35-28 ACC victory.  “It was all over but the shouting,” as my late, former high school football coach Joe Mol used to say. 

Looking ahead

    It was a tremendous Week 1 game to attend played between two solid programs with great incentives to improve this season.  VT out-gained BC 442 yards to 432, but five more turnovers than the Eagles, several in the end zone, made the significant difference.  The Hokies have to cut back on mistakes.  Willis needs to protect the football better.  Boston College’s offense threw more effectively and more often than in the previous few years – not normal as pointed out by Guest Game Analyst Zach Rittle (PSU, class of ’15). The Eagles totaled more yards through the air than on the ground, 275 to 157.  Their O-line blocked effectively with two new guards in Soph Alec Lindstrom, whose brother played at the same position a year ago at BC and before being drafted in Round One by the Atlanta Falcons, and in Frosh Tyler Vrabel, son of HC Mike of the Tennessee Titans. 

One thing for sure is that Boston College will bring plenty of t-shirt firepower to Alumni Stadium each week.

Next!

    Both teams look ready to be competitive this season in what’s determined to be a little weaker ACC to be dominated once again by Clemson.  Both play at home this Saturday against other Virginia schools.  Tech hosts Old Dominion of Conference USA (talk about a revenge match) while BC is at Alumni Field again against The Richmond Spiders of the Colonial Athletic in the FCS. 

   Collegefootballfan.com is weighing two options before seeing Penn State (1-0) host the MAC’s Buffalo Bulls (1-0) on Saturday at 7:30 pm.  One is to see a D-3 game Friday night when No. 14 Delaware Valley heads to Union, NJ to take on the Kean Cougars of the NJAC.  On the other hand, we are tempted to consider seeing Assumption College visit Kutztown (PA) at noon in a pretty good D-2 matchup on the way to State College for our night cap.  We’re waiting for a few things to happen to make a final decision on Friday.

Some people are looking forward to having us back at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley on Saturday! And so are we.

Extra Points: 

We’re wishing the best to our BC friend Bob “Pops” LeBlanc who couldn’t meet us at his alma mater for this game Saturday.  Pops was put on injured reserve by his doctor following surgery he held off on for a while.  We hear he should be back up for some BC action later in the season.  We’ll just let him know he left his tailgate parties in good hands with his buddy, Rick.

Our first-time GGA Zach is not only a PSU alum and fan, of course, he went on to a Sports Management degree at Temple and now works in the athletic development department at Texas State University in San Marcos.  He flew up that morning to Boston where I picked him up to go to this game to head up to a wedding the next day with my daughter Alex and St. Laurie in New Hampshire.  Zach had been to State’s game at Texas A&M the week before and is prepping for his team’s first home game this Saturday when the Bobcats play Wyoming.  He’s looking forward to that, but very busy I’m sure. Good luck to him in his new position on a Game Day!

Zach was thinking about his future endeavors as he admired BC’s new indoor practice facility adjacent to Alumni Stadium.

Game 588: Rutgers defeats UMass to keep Coach Ash off the hot seat for the short-term, 48-21

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Birthplace of College Football, NJ – Trailing UMass 21-7 at the end of the first quarter, Rutgers offense came to life to keep Chris Ash off the hot seat for the time being on the passing arm of QB McLane Carter and the legs of Isaih Pacheco to defeat a “rebuilding” Minuteman program, 48-21. Carter, a Texas Tech grad transfer, threw for 340 yards, and Pacheco mustered four TS on the ground to gain the win over new HC Walt Bell and a team finding key replacements after a 4-8 season.  The Scarlet Knight defense allowed 164 yards by the end of the first, but yielded only 153 me in the final three against a UMass offense devoid of any deep-threat passing game.  QB Randall West averaged only 3.4 yards per completion going 20 for 31 with one TD and one INT.

UMass dominates outset

    The Minutemen opened the scoring with an easily managed 7-yard TD drive finishing it off with a 20-yard scoring pass from West to Kyle Horn. Carter threw an interception to S Joseph Norwood on RU’s first possession putting the visitors at the Knight’s 44.  Two plays later, Cam Roberson sprinted 39 yards to add to the Minuteman lead.  Fans including Guest Game Analyst Fran Scarpa (RU) sat stunned in bewilderment.  Big Ten losses are tough enough, but UMass? Other than fellow GGA Brian Donnelly’s traditional Old Bay Spice chicken wings at our tailgate, his evening was a letdown thus far.

     On the next possession, the Rutgers offense provided a glimpse of optimism mixing effective passes and a running game ending in a two -yard TD run by Pacheco to put some hope in the hearts of the 20-some thousand in Scarlet fans in attendance (don’t believe the 40,515 indicated in the box score).  However, their optimism subsided aw the Minutemen countered with a 75-yard scoring drive of their own.  Bilal Ally raced 33-yards for a TD to end the first period with a 21-7 UMass lead. 

RB Isaih Pacheco (#1) falls short of first Rutgers score before his first TD.

Rutgers busts out in the second

     Carter started the second with a hot hand completing two long passes finalizing a 64-yard scoring drive with a 33-yard pass to WR Bo Melton (six for 127 yards).  The Scarlet defense forced a punt.  RU capped an 85-yard drive in four plays with Pacheco’s 57-yard burst to pay dirt to suddenly knot the score 21-all.  The next Rutgers drive culminated with a 27-yard FG by Justin Davidovicz exciting the home crowd by giving the lead, 24-21.  Rutgers continued to roll.  An interference penalty on the next UMass punt spotted the Knights on the 50.  On the third play, Carter fired a 28-yard TD pass to RB Raheem Blackshear (nine catches for 126 yards; 12 rushes for 39) to enhance their lead 31-21.  CB Avery Young’s INT gave the ball back to RU on their 41.  HC Chris Ash did not run out the clock.  A 52-yard pass to Melton put the ball on the seven, and two plays later, Pacheco carried it over for a 38-21 Rutgers’ lead in front of a relieved and exuberant home crowd.

Second half, defense…defense

   Rutgers moved the ball on its first possession to extend the lead on Davidovicz’s  23-yard FG.  The RU defense shine from hereon out forcing two punts and a turnover on down.  The offense failed on its next drive when CB Isaiah Rodgers pick off a Carter pass on his own 10, and Rodgers picked off his second on the subsequent drive in his end zone for a touchback as the period ended.

LB Tyshon Fogg, who totaled 11 tackles against the Minutemen, and his mates jammed up RB Bilal Ally (22) in the last three quarters of the Rutgers victory.

    The ensuing Minuteman drive in the final period ended desperately with a sack of West by RU linemen Elorm Lumor and Jamree Komrah to turn the ball over on downs at the UMass 31. Six straight rushing plays capped the Rutgers scoring with Pacheco’s fourth TD   coming in from seven yards out.  Final score, Rutgers 48 UMass 21.  Like last year, the Scarlet Knights started off the season with a home victory besting Texas State, 35-7, giving the RU faithful a glimmer of optimism.  This year there’s hope for better, but the realization looms that the rest of the schedule will be much more competitive than a UMass team ranked deep among the 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Rutgers cheer-leading squad – Jersey Girls!

Next up!

    Talk about a step up. Rutgers travels to face Iowa in Iowa City next Saturday.  Ranked 20th in the AP preseason poll, the Hawkeyes defeated Miami of Ohio, 38-14. Their offense is led at QB by senior Nate Stanley.  Defensively, they feature All-American DE AJ Epenesa.  Iowa poses a true early Big Ten test for Rutgers.

   UMass will host FCS Southern Illinois next week.  Walt Bell will look to revamp his offense next week still replacing the leading Minuteman passer, runner, and receiver from a year ago. WR Andy Isabella led the nation in receiving yards his senior season before being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.

   Collegefootballfan.com spent Saturday after this Friday night contest in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to watch a significant ACC opener with Boston College taking on Virginia Tech.  Come back and check out our game review.

A smoke ring lingers after the Rutgers Cannoneers fired off a final round after many at the end of the opening victory. RU fans hope that the rest of the season doesn’t go off in another puff of smoke.

Extra points:  CB Isaiah Rodgers impressed us the times we’ve seen him play going back to his freshman year.  Beside being a stalwart defender, he excels in kickoff returns as well. Yesterday, he returned four kicks for 125 yards including one for 55.  Look for him to pop up on someone’s draft in 2020. 

Change in our schedule – We initially planned for game 588 to be played last Thursday between Stony Brook and Bryant.  The Stony Brook Seawolves triumphed, 35-14.  However, because my company coed volleyball team which I play for got into the Boston Property championship on Wednesday night, my birthday celebration with my family had to be postponed until hat night.  I don’t regret either change.  On Wednesday, my SolvayUSA team defeated Bioclinica Labs for the championship, 3-1!  We finished our season 13-1 reeling off 13 straight wins after dropping our opener.  On Thursday, I celebrated my birthday with my family at our favorite local BBQ place, Hot Rod’s, in Wharton, NJ. 

To assure Game 600 will be celebrated on October 19 when a large group will join me for the Minnesota at Rutgers game, I had to be sure I added another game to replace this one. For my best chance to see two games on an upcoming weekend, I cancelled the Boston College at RU game on September 21.  Both teams appeared on our schedule this weekend any way. On that day.  We will attend two Ivy League openers.  At 1 pm, we will attend Yale’s opener in the Yale Bowl against Holy Cross who fell to Navy, 45-7, last Saturday.  After that, we will travel to Smithfield, RI to see aforementioned Bryant host Brown University.  It will be our first visit to Bryant for a game.  These Bulldogs will be going up against their former HC from a year ago, James Perry.  Perry will be looking to revive a Bruin team coming off a 1-9 season. We look forward to seeing Jean Constant, Bryant’s All-American kick returner, to see what he can do.

See our 2019 schedule for updates.