PISCATAWAY, N.J. — When the Big Ten invited Rutgers into its league, it was for capturing the New York market and sparking electric atmospheres like the one expected Saturday. When the Scarlet Knights’ players came to Piscataway, it was to play in games like this — Rutgers’ league debut against old Eastern rival Penn State.
“Fans just skipped over the first two games on our schedule and have been dying for this game,’’ receiver Leonte Carroo said. “[Since] January, a lot of fans message you, saying ‘I hope you beat the crap out of Penn State. We hate Penn State.’ So I feel like this is going to change New Jersey and Rutgers football forever [if we win].
“This isn’t just going to be Rutgers is 3-0 for the season: This is going to be history, especially since this is our first Big Ten opponent and we’re very excited.’’
Excitement is at an all-time high, with High Point Solution Stadium a sellout, Rutgers’ Eric LeGrand and Penn State’s Adam Taliaferro serving as honorary captains, a bevy of blue-chip recruits on hand and the Big Ten Network bringing its crew on-site all day for the first time, just like ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
“They should be excited about this game,” said Rutgers coach Kyle Flood, who received a two-year contract extension Thursday. “Games like this are the reason you play college football at a place like Rutgers.
“I don’t want to temper that in any way. The meaning of the game, to me, is that first impressions in life count, and this is our opportunity to make our first impression in the Big Ten Conference.’’
The excitement could replicate that surrounding Rutgers’ 2006 upset of No. 3 Louisville that drew an 8.1 rating in New York on ESPN. But will the Scarlet Knights (2-0) be up to the task, a three-point underdog against quarterback Christian Hackenberg and Company, and just 2-22 all-time against a foe that’s largely dismissive of them?
Penn State coach James Franklin — an assistant at Maryland under Rutgers offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen — boasted in May that the Scarlet Knights “don’t have a chance” recruiting against his Nittany Lions. And during Big Ten media day, New Jersey native Bill Belton implied he picked Penn State over Rutgers because his hometown school wasn’t a “big-time” program.
“I wanted to stay home because I wanted to bring a championship back to New Jersey,’’ Carroo said. “You got guys like Bill Belton who’s quoted that he wanted to go to Penn State because he wanted to play big-time football instead of staying home.
Well, I guess we’re going to have to show him that he made [a] terrible decision.”
Hackenberg is a pro prospect, but is playing behind a makeshift offensive line that struggled against Central Florida. Rutgers’ front four against that unit may decide the game, because the secondary allowed 532 yards and five touchdowns in the opening win at Washington State. Friedgen has made quarterback Gary Nova (six TDs, one pick) more efficient, but they can ill afford to ask him to win a shootout with Hackenberg.