Rutgers Salvages Season

While the expectations for Rutgers football were much higher than a non-BCS bowl this season, the Scarlet Knights are pretty happy about where they stand now at the end of the year.

Rutgers started this season with very high hopes as they floated in and out of peoples pre-season polls. Their opening game against Fresno State was utterly embarrassing, however. Really both sides played poor but it was Rutgers would found a way to lose that one. Then came losses to North Carolina and Navy. They floundered to a pathetic 1-5 start, their only win against Morgan State.

Last night, however, the Scarlet Knights capped off their amazing turn around. After losing narrowly to Cincinnati, Rutgers has reeled off six straight wins and has become only the seventh team ever to start 1-5 and then become bowl eligible. Their most impressive game was a 54-34 win at Pittsburgh, who was #17 at the time.

QB Mike Teel has been a strong part of that resurgence. Last night against Louisville he threw 447 yards and a Big East record 7 touchdown passes. Which is a big turn around from his seven interceptions in the first 4 games to start this season.

Teel's career at Rutgers is pretty much over (with just a bowl game left) and it has been marked by ups and downs, just like this season. He has not quite panned out the way many thought when he signed on with the Scarlet Knights after a very successful high school stint at Don Bosco Prep in NJ. He was a part of the the 2006 Rutgers team that beat Louisville (they were #2 in the country then) and lost in triple overtime to WVU and a chance at a BCS bowl. But when Ray Rice and Brian Leonard departed Teel struggled. He always showed flashes of greatness but a propensity to throw to the other team always hurt him and Rutgers. He has, however, turned things around for himself and for Rutgers this year and showed a lot of class and moxy.

It was indeed a great last game in Piscataway for Mike Teel and Rutgers.