Cincinnati, OH — No. 7 Rutgers’ perfect season came tumbling down like the collapsible field goal posts at Nippert Stadium. The Scarlet Knights, ranked in the top ten for the first time in school history, had their party crashed by the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, losing 30-11.
UC (6-5, 3-3), with starting quarterback Dustin Grutza out (sore leg), placed its offense in the hands of first time starter Nick Davila (senior). On “Senior Night,” Davila a southpaw, had his one shining moment, completing 11-of-15 passes for 277 yards and a TD. Davila also scrambled for a TD from a yard out. Davila was the benefactor of yards after catch by tailback Butler Benton (67-yard TD) and tight end Brent Celek (83-yard TD). Afterwards, Davila modestly deflected the praise to his teammates, especially the line.
UC’s defense, known for their rush attack (30th nationally), was also stingy against the pass. The Bearcats front seven flustered and frustrated Scarlet Knights’ quarterback Mike Teel all night. Teel threw four picks (one was returned for a touchdown) and had several more near-misses. Rutgers (9-1, 4-1) could never get into a rhythm offensively. In addition to the four turnovers, the Knights were forced to punt five times and also missed a field goal early.
After the game, Rutgers’ head coach Greg Schiano lamented on missed opportunities. “Early in the game, we had our opportunities, that’s for sure. We were inside the 25 four times and we came away with three points. It’s awfully hard to win on the road in the Big East Conference when you do that.”
After the missed field goal by the typically precise Jeremy Ito, UC, now officially bowl bound, was able to bounce back from their first possession fumble to put together an 11-play 66-yard drive, resulting in a field goal.
UC’s defense went back to work, forcing Rutgers 3-and-out. The offense marched down the field again with Davila scoring from a yard out to cap off a 10-play 80-yard drive.
Article comments