Sports

Rutgers leans on QB with crown in sight

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood claims Gary Nova’s struggles are more statistical than real and insists his quarterback’s confidence isn’t shaken or shattered by his recent funk. With their first outright Big East title on the line tomorrow against Louisville, the Scarlet Knights can only hope Flood is right.

Nova has picked a bad time to start throwing picks, tossing 10 interceptions in his last four games — including a school-record six in their Homecoming loss to MAC foe Kent State. Rutgers (9-2, 5-1 Big East) is clearly a team built on defense and the ground game, but with Louisville looming and the Scarlet Knights’ first BCS bid at stake, they can ill afford a spate of turnovers against the Cardinals.

“It’s more a function statistically of one game skewing the numbers,’’ Flood said. “Certainly that wasn’t a game we were pleased with or Gary was pleased with, but what I’ve seen from Gary week in and week out is a confident player who’s done a good job managing the game plan, and at the same time has been able to learn from his mistakes.

“I’ve seen improvement week-to-week. Like any other player sometimes it shows up on game day more than others. His learning curve’s moving in the right direction.

“He doesn’t have any confidence problems — that’s just not Gary. You spend five minutes with him you know he’ll be confident when he comes out on the field [tomorrow]. Gary’s a proven winner. His record speaks for itself.’’

Granted, Nova went 24-0 as a starter at Don Bosco (N.J.). And after breaking into the lineup as a freshman last year and showing a high-risk, gunslinger style, Nova appeared to have curbed his risk-taking this year.

After beating out Chas Dodd for the starting job, Nova tossed 15 TDs to just three interceptions as Rutgers ran off to a 7-0 start. But since tossing a half-dozen picks in the Kent State loss, Nova has just five scores and those 10 interceptions, with Rutgers just 2-2 in its last four.

“I think I’ve progressed,” Nova said. “Things you guys may not see, I’m doing better at. For my part, obviously the turnovers, I wish I had some of them back. I’m still learning, still trying to grow as a player every day.

“Game-checks, “I’m still learning, still trying to grow as a player every day. Game-checks, being in the locker room, the leader of this steam, I feel like I’m growing as an overall player.’’

That will be put to the test tomorrow. Nova will have to keep pace with Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and an offense averaging 32 points a game, and Rutgers can’t fall behind, which is its custom. The Scarlet Knights haven’t scored a TD on an opening drive all year, mustering just 23 first-quarter points and 83 first-half points.

“Definitely [it’s frustrating],’’ Nova said. “You want to come out and have a great first drive, but there’s nothing that we can hang our heads over. We’re trying to do it every game, it just hasn’t happened. This would be a perfect game for it to happen.’’