9-4-04 Big East Games

[E.T.]

Big East: Rutgers shocks Michigan State 19-14

By wire services

Published September 5, 2004

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Freshman Jeremy Ito kicked four field goals and Ryan Neill scored on a 31-yard interception return to lead Rutgers to a 19-14 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.

The win was coach Greg Schiano's biggest since coming to Rutgers in December 2000. And it gave the Scarlet Knights renewed hope for their first winning season since 1992.

The Scarlet Knights have a forgiving schedule in the near future, with home games against Division I-AA New Hampshire then Kent State. A 3-0 record could be within reach, which has not happened since 1981.

Ito converted from 24, 47, 23 and 42 yards in trying a school-record seven field goals, with the first five coming on the Scarlet Knights' first five possessions.

Neill, a defensive end who missed all of last season with a knee injury, scored with 5:10 left in the third quarter after stepping in front of a screen pass to put Rutgers up 16-7.

Damon Dowdell, who beat Stephen Reaves and Drew Stanton for the job of replacing Jeff Smoker as the Spartans' quarterback, threw touchdowns of 9 yards to Matt Trannon in the second quarter and 54 yards to Eric Knott.

The pass to a wide-open Knott cut the Scarlet Knights' lead to 19-14 with 12:41 left to play.

Michigan State, which went to the Alamo Bowl last year in John L. Smith's first season as coach, then made Rutgers sweat out the final minutes, driving to its 25 with less than two minutes left.

NO. 10 WEST VIRGINIA 56, EAST CAROLINA 23: Kay-Jay Harris rushed for a school-record 337 yards and four touchdowns for the host Mountaineers.

The Tampa Bay Tech graduate broke the school record of 291 yards set by Kerry Marbury in 1971 against Temple. It also was a Big East record, eclipsing the 299 of Miami's Edgerrin James in 1998 against UCLA.

Harris set the records midway through the fourth, going 76 yards up the left sideline for his fourth score. His others came from 2, 5 and 51 yards.

West Virginia made the game a rout with three touchdowns in 2:27 of the second quarter, including Adam Jones' 76-yard punt return sandwiched around two Harris scores.

UCONN 52, MURRAY ST. 14: Dan Orlovsky threw for 382 yards and tied his school record with five touchdowns for the host Huskies. Orlovsky threw touchdowns of 34, 40, 31, 80 and 61 yards to match the record, which he set last year in a win over Army.

Orlovsky, who sat out the final quarter, threw for more than 300 yards for the seventh time. Two of the touchdowns went to Jason Williams, including the 80-yarder, the fifth-longest in school history.

The game was tied at 14 at halftime, but it was all Orlovsky and UConn during the final two quarters.

Orlovsky hit Williams on a 40-yard touchdown on UConn's first series, capping a four-play 54-yard drive. He found Keron Henry on the next series for a 31-yard touchdown and 28-14 lead. Orlovsky needed just one play the next time UConn got the ball, hitting Williams on a post pattern for 80 yards.

"Dan really relaxed and played the way he was capable of playing," coach Randy Edsall said.

In all, the Huskies scored 38 consecutive points and held the Racers to 32 yards of offense in the second half. Murray State punted nine times in the second half.