PISCATAWAY — Not once, but twice in the fourth quarter of Rutgers’ de facto Big East championship game last night, the ball came right to Tim Wright’s hands. And not once, but twice it went through the senior captain’s fingers, to disastrous results.
The first cost Wright a huge first down and potential touchdown. The second resulted in a game-changing interception, and Louisville’s game-winning field goal. And when it was over, the Scarlet Knights had suffered a 20-17 come-from-ahead loss that cost them their first outright league title, and a BCS berth.
“It’s pretty difficult, being a senior, last game at home. But you can’t let too many things bring me down too crazy. … It was kind of hard at the beginning, but we’ve just got to look forward,’’ said Wright, who caught three passes for 16 yards, but surely will rue the two he didn’t catch. “Guys told me to keep my head up. This moment can’t define any of us.’’
Perhaps not, but for many it may well be one he’s remembered for, as much as 38 receptions he had this year.
It harkened back to James Townsend’s end zone drop in the triple-overtime loss to West Virginia in the 2006 regular-season finale that cost them an outright Big East crown. And Mark Harrison’s drop at midfield in last year’s 16-14 loss at Louisville, costly for a team that finished a win out of sharing the league crown.
Last night, with Rutgers trying to answer consecutive Louisville scores as they entered the fourth, they had a 1st-and-10 from their own 48. Gary Nova put a perfect pass to a wide-open Wright on a deep cross, but he dropped what would have been at least a 20-yard gain and could have been a 52-yard score.
“Just a lack of focus on the ball. My eyes didn’t look it all the way in,’’ said Wright. And with the score knotted at 17-all late, Rutgers faced a third-and-8 on their own 27. Nova threw over the middle to Wright, who got hit and the ball flew from his fingertips into the hands of James Burgess for a pick. Five plays later, Louisville kicked the winning field goal.
“Just lack of concentration, didn’t look it all the way into my eyes,’’ said Wright. “[Getting hit], that’s no excuse. Same thing [as the first].’’
Rutgers coach Kyle Flood went through the locker room afterward, offering consolation hugs.
Asked what he would say to Wright, he said: “What I say to him is, ‘It’s OK to hurt. When you care about something as much as these players do, work as hard to attain it as they do, and pour as much of your life into it like they do when you don’t get it, it’s OK to hurt. What’s not OK is to stop. I don’t see that from any of the players in our program.’ ’’