Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers vs. V Tech
After barely missing a chance to represent the Big East Conference in a BCS Bowl, Rutgers will have to settle for the Russell Athletic Bowl where it will take on a team that barely even received a bid, Virginia Tech. It was a down year for the Hokies, which finished 6-6 this season, but they are still always a threat, especially considering they are coming off two consecutive wins. It will be a hot one in Orlando today, so you won’t want to miss it!
Can the Knights keep their bowl win steak alive?
For the Scarlet Knights, it was a disappointing end to the regular season. They lost their final two games, including the Big East championship, a game in which they led 14-3 in the third quarter, but eventually lost 20-17.
“You always feel like your heart is ripped out when you lose a game no matter what,” receiver Mark Harrison said via ESPN.com. “It feels the same way with every loss, but (the Louisville) one had a lot on the line and we let it slip.”
Although some time has passed since that devastating loss, it may be hard for the Knights to regain the focus that helped them earn nine wins during the season for today’s game against a capable V Tech squad. On the other hand, the Knights have a history of prepping themselves well for bowl games regardless of the outcome of the season. They are playing in their seventh bowl in the last eight seasons and have not lost one since 2005.
“Our track record in terms of getting ready for these bowl games is pretty good,” said Rutgers coach Kyle Flood, the co-Big East coach of the year. “… I think the bowl season is a new season, and we’ve always approached it like that.”
On the other sideline, the Hokies should be hungry, but they have to be feeling a bit down as well after ending their streak of eight consecutive 10-win seasons. Although the up-and-down seasons ended on a positive note, it was a black season overall in Blacksburg and it may be difficult for the Hokies to get themselves pumped up enough to get a win.
However, the Hokies should be happy about one thing–the numbers seem to favor them in this match-up. They outrank the Knights in all offensive categories, including passing yards, rushing yards and points per game. They gave up slight more points per game defensively, but the Hokies should fare better against a team that only scores 22.4 points per game. On the other hand, the Knights found a way to win nine games despite low scoring totals and yard production and they may very well be able to do it again.
As long as they can hold onto the ball and execute their offense, I like the Hokies in this one. Rutgers’ record was mostly a product of a weak schedule and although the embattled Hokies aren’t fielding their best team in recent years, they should still present one of the tougher challenges the Knights have faced all season–not to mention V Tech is the hotter team at the moment. Their offensive firepower and momentum should be enough to carry them through, so take V Tech to cover -1 points and win the game outright.
