PISCATAWAY — It has been said Rutgers never would become a big-time college football program, would never take that last step.
It was painful to hear, painful to think people around the country still asked, “What’s a Rutgers?”
The answer came last night and it was more painful, more crushing than any of the hurtful questions.
The Scarlet Knights are the Chicago Cubs of college football.
They had an opportunity, brighter than the silver helmets they wore, to silence the skeptics and naysayers once and for all; to take the last step.
The Scarlet Knight had a bruised and battered Louisville team before a national TV audience and a sold-out crowd at High Point Solutions Stadium with a chance to win the outright Big East Conference football title and secure a BCS bowl berth.
Some programs — such as Rutgers’ — go an eternity without ever getting such a chance.
The Scarlet Knights had it and lost it — in 16 seconds.
In 16 seconds, Rutgers saw a 14-3 lead late in the third quarter vanish along with the hopes and dreams of every player that has donned a Scarlet and White jersey since 1869. Rutgers is the birthplace of college football, but after last night’s 20-17 loss, the Scarlet Knights still have not taken that last step.
“I can’t describe what went through my mind went that clock showed zero, zero, zero,’’ linebacker Kasheem Greene told The Post. “It was my last game in this stadium. My last chance to accomplish something this team, this state has worked so hard for. And we didn’t get it done. I can’t pinpoint what was on my mind. So many emotions.’’
The emotions were as plain and painful to look at as quarterback Gary Nova’s flaming bloodshot eyes. The Scarlet Knights’ last chance to make history was intercepted with 1:08 left. Nova threw deep for Brandon Coleman, who broke off the route. As a result, Louisville cornerback Terell Floyd was so wide open at his 18 he could have made a fair catch on the pass.
The Cardinals (10-2, 5-2) will represent the Big East in a BCS bowl game, either the venerable Orange or Sugar bowl. Rutgers (9-3, 5-2) will go to the inaugural Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla.
“It’s hard to go out this way,’’ receiver Mark Harrison said.
Rutgers seemed poised to take out Louisville early. Nova and Coleman hooked up on an 85-yard catch and run on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage. It was 14-3 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
But then Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater — playing with a broken left wrist and a severely sprained right ankles — turned in a performance that would have made Cardinals alum Johnny Unitas shed a tear. He sandwiched touchdown passes of 14 and 20 yards around a fumble recovery and in that 16-second span, Rutgers suddenly trailed 17-14.
“[Bridgewater is] the toughest quarterback in the nation,’’ Louisville linebacker Preston Brown said.
Rutgers tied it 17-17 with 7:48 left on 38-yard field goal by Nick Borgese, but Nova had a pass deflect off Tim Wright’s hands and get picked by Louisville’s James Burgess with 3:53 left. Bridgewater drove the Cardinals for the winning field goal, a 29-yarder by John Wallace with 1:41 left.
The Scarlet Knights final possession ended with Floyd’s interception of Nova. Louisville lined up in the victory formation and drained the life from the Scarlet Knights. When the final seconds ticked off, despite the 52,798 fans in the stands, it was so quiet you could hear a BCS bowl berth drop.
“We have a football team right now that’s hurting,’’ Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. “They’ve had their hearts ripped out.’’
It’s the heartbreak that comes with opportunity lost.