RUTGERS NEWS - Courtesy of The Trentonian
CINCINNATI - Mike Teel had time to throw.
The fifth-year senior, with Rutgers trailing by three and with another chance to lead his team to a road victory late in the fourth quarter, put the pass where he needed to, hitting Kenny Britt across the middle and beyond the first-down marker.
But in a play symbolic of all that has gone wrong this year for the Scarlet Knights, Cincinnati cornerback Mike Mickens, a slick, speedy All-American, tripped Britt just as the Rutgers receiver got his hands on the ball. Britt bobbled it, it fell to the ground, and once more, the Knights came up small in a crucial situation.
Redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson threw for 239 yards in his second career start and Cincinnati beat Rutgers 13-10 before 32,370 at Nippert Stadium, dealing another blow to a Rutgers team desperate to turn its season around.
The Scarlet Knights (1-5, 0-2 Big East) are again staring at a situation that would have been unfathomable entering a once promising season. They enter next week's game against 5-1 Connecticut two losses away from being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
Rutgers, which lost its third straight against Cincinnati, needs to go 5-1 the rest of the way just to be bowl eligible.But a 7-5 record is likely necessary to attain a bowl bid, and the Knights need to reel off a fanciful six straight wins to accomplish that feat.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Yesterday's game was not without its positives. Running back Kordell Young, out for the past four games with knee soreness, was impressive in his return to the lineup.
The redshirt sophomore from West Deptford rushed for 78 yards on 22 carries and completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jack Corcoran to put the Knights on the board in the third quarter.
The defense, fatally flawed in every previous loss, turned in perhaps its best performance to date, holding the Bearcats (5-1, 1-0) to a field goal in a key goal-line stand in the second quarter and surrendering its lowest point total against an FBS opponent.
Yet many of the flaws that have held the Knights back all season haunted them yesterday, starting with the play of Teel.
The embattled co-captain completed just 19 of 35 passes for 175 yards and no touchdowns. He went his second straight game without an interception, but did little to help his team's cause, completing just two of his first eight passes as the offense sputtered in the first half.
The offensive line, with true freshman Art Forst making his first career start at right guard and walk-on Howard Barbieri making his third straight at left guard, was inept, drawing criticism from Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.
"We were getting manhandled up front," Schiano said. "Mike doesn't have anything to do with that. They took it to our offense. I think Mike's playing smart, not turning over the football. Sometimes you don't know, you don't throw, and that's what Mike's doing, I believe."
No Rutgers player had more than 51 receiving yards, and Notre Dame High School's Tiquan Underwood - a pre-season All-America candidate - did not catch a pass.
Despite Young's return, the running game as a whole was abysmal.
The Knights had only two rushing yards in the first half and 62 for the game. Jourdan Brooks, who had emerged as the team's feature back in Young's absence, had only three carries for six yards, and Mason Robinson, listed as the co-starter heading into the season opener, did not play.
The Bearcats, whose only loss was at then-fourth-ranked Oklahoma, were far from overwhelming. But since Brian Kelly took over as head coach last year, they are 15-4. Rutgers, by contrast is a mere 9-10 in that stretch, including a 3-6 mark in the Big East.
Things could have ended differently had Rutgers executed in the two-minute drill - something it has failed to do in each of its past three losses.
The Knights, who trailed 10-0 at the half, got the ball back on their own 12 yard line with 2:10 left, trailing only 13-10. Teel hit Britt for a 10-yard gain and a first down to start the drive, then hit tight end Kevin Brock for six yards on an out pattern to set up second and four from the 28.
But Teel's pass on second down sailed past Young. On third down, Britt caught a pass over the middle but was stopped short of the first-down marker, setting up fourth and one.
On fourth down, the pass protection was good, and Teel's pass was close enough to where it needed to be. But with the game on the line and Mickens covering Britt, it was Mickens who came up with a big play, and Cincinnati that came away with a victory.
"It's frustrating and hard, "Teel said, "and whatever else you can say."
