rutgers approaching .500

[smazza]

By KEITH SARGEANT

STAFF WRITER

ksargen@eastbrun.gannett.com

PISCATAWAY  Week after week, the Rutgers football team seemingly passes another milestone.

This Sunday against UConn, the Scarlet Knights will shoot for another: An opportunity to become average again.

Rutgers currently has an all-time mark of 576-577-42, according to the Home News Tribune's compilation of the season-by-season records in Rutgers' media guide.

That means a victory over UConn will raise Rutgers' mark to .500 after 137 seasons.

"Can't say that I knew that," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said after practice yesterday  and for that matter, who did? Rutgers' all-time record isn't listed anywhere inside the 208-page media guide.

There are some discrepancies out there, however. Rutgers' all-time record in the Big East media guide and ESPN's College Football Encyclopedia is different from the one added up in Rutgers' guide. According to the Big East, Rutgers' all-time mark stands at 574-576-42. Rutgers' record in ESPN's encyclopedia adds up to 576-578-42.

The Birthplace of College Football hasn't been over .500 since the 2002 campaign.

QB CONTROVERSY: UConn coach Randy Edsall remains coy on who he plans on starting at quarterback when his team meets Rutgers on Sunday night.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Edsall said he hasn't decided whether senior Matt Bonislawski or sophomore D.J. Hernandez will start under center.

Both played in the Huskies most recent game, a 37-11 defeat to West Virginia, but neither was particularly effective.

"You have to understand," he told reporters at Tuesday's press conference, "there's certain things I can say and things I can't say. This is one of those things.

"We're going to play one of the two. And we'll let people know at the end of the week. Let people try to figure out who we're going to play."

As for trying to surprise Rutgers, it doesn't seem like Schiano is concerned one way or the other.

"We're going to prepare for both," he said yesterday. "They've both played about the same amount, right? So (Edsall) may come and play them both. That may be part of their plan."

SCHIANO NOMINATED: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano was named a semifinalist for the George Munger Award for College Coach of the Year yesterday.

Of course, it's not something he's exactly campaigning to win.

"It's something I really don't think that much about," the sixth-year coach said. "It's nice, but right now we got a big challenge ahead of us. A good team is coming here and we're not ready yet so that's all I'm really focused on."

RICE NOMINATED, TOO: Ray Rice was one of only two sophomores named to the semifinal list for the Maxwell Award, given to the Collegiate Player of the Year. The Scarlet Knights tailback ranks second in the NCAA in rushing (1,124 yards) and has 12 touchdowns this fall.

"It's a great honor," said Rice, also a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate after recording his third 200-yard game last weekend. "I just can't imagine myself being known amongst this group and all the awards I'm getting, I still can't believe it."

THIS AND THAT: One of the unsung reasons for the Scarlet Knights' success the past two weeks has been the lack of penalties. Rutgers has been cited for only two penalties in each of the past two victories, while its counterparts have combined for 11 infractions. "That certainly helps," said Schiano, whose team ranks third in the Big East in fewest penalties per game (5.1). "Two weeks in a row only two penalties, so yeah, I hope we keep that up." . . . FOX-5 New York's morning show did a segment outside Rutgers Stadium yesterday.