Rutgers fumbles a 27-7 lead as Illini win

[bullwark]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- During one of his off-season press conferences, Greg Schiano said he briefly considered jumping up abruptly after sitting down, peering at the seat and declaring, "Man, is that hot."

He decided against making light of Rutgers' quest for a winning season or his situation. But here's a suggestion for the Knights' fifth-year coach: Stand the rest of the year.

Rutgers managed to do yesterday what it hals done so often, transforming off-season enthusiasm into a sobering reminder of why the program hasn't had a winning record since 1992.

The Knights didn't just lose yesterday. They lost, 33-30 in overtime, to a young Illinois team with a quarterback making his first college start after sitting the bench the previous three years. They lost to a team that had gone 4-19 the previous two seasons. And they lost after having a headlock grip on victory with a 20-point lead early in the second half.

Naturally, they lost because yet another Jersey guy -- E.B. Halsey -- made the Knights' defense look silly on a play that set up Illinois' winning touchdown in overtime.

Go ahead and say it: Same old Rutgers.

"This ranks right up there with the most disappointing losses we've had since I've been here," running back Brian Leonard said, "especially since we wanted to come out and start strong."

Leonard did his part, rushing for 128 yards -- 83 on a highlight-film touchdown run. So did quarterback Ryan Hart, who was 27-of-44 for 342 yards and two TDs and didn't throw an interception for the only the fifth time in his career.

The Knights -- despite a slew of squandered opportunities -- were in control and cruising with a 27-7 lead early in the second half.

The defense wilted, the mistakes kept coming, Jeremy Ito kept missing field goal attempts and Illinois rallied for 17 unanswered points in the final 11:54 of regulation. When Tim Brasic found Halsey in the flat for what wound up as a 13-yard touchdown play, the Illini had forged a 27-27 tie with 1:13 left in regulation.

Forget overtime, because the Knights never had a chance then. Their offense -- which produced 517 yards -- had stalled completely and their defense was spent. Ito, who missed four of his seven field-goal attempts, gave Rutgers a 30-27 lead in overtime on a 40-yard field goal, but it lasted for three plays -- or until the Illini got the ball for their turn.

Halsey, the former Elizabeth High School star, seemed trapped as he caught a screen pass in the left flat on second-and-7 from the 22, before stopping and reversing field. He left seven Rutgers defenders grasping at air as he crisscrossed the field, carrying to the 2-yard line. A play later, Pierre Thomas capped the comeback victory with a touchdown run.

"I don't know how many yards I went," Halsey said, "but I knew I needed a Gatorade when I went to the sideline."

This was a tough one to take -- even for a group accustomed to losing and doing so in creative ways.

"This ranks right at the top (of bad losses)," senior defensive end Ryan Neill said. "I think we haven't won in the past and, as a team, we don't know that feeling of how to win consistently."

Schiano is 12-35 at Rutgers, 4-19 in road games.

"When you miss opportunities like we did early on and you leave a team that's at home with a lot of energy in the game, you're playing with fire," Schiano said. "With as many missed opportunities as we had ... we have to find a way to win the game."

Rutgers reached the Illini 17, 4 and 26 on its first three drives, netting just three points. But the Knights overcame that to take a 20-7 halftime lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hart to Leonard.

And it was 27-7 after Leonard hurdled defensive back Charles Bailey on the way to an 83-yard touchdown run early in the second half.

Then it all unraveled.

"I'm in shock," offensive guard John Glass said. "I'm really at a loss for words."

[E.T.]

Schiano is 12-35 at Rutgers, 4-19 in road games.  

This game may be looked back when evaluating Schiano's job.

Couldn't BULLieve they dropped this after the big lead.

Go BULLS !!!

[smazza]

choke job

coach is dead man walking