The Rutgers offense began its season opener scrambling to find its way, deploying three different quarterbacks under center in the opening three-and-out drive.
But the Scarlet Knights found their groove when it counted, relying on the ground game for a 96-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 22-yard Al-Shadee Salaam run with 2:43 to go to give Greg Schiano and company a 22-21 win over Boston College.
The defense kept Rutgers in the game and limited the Eagles to three touchdowns despite consistently strong field position, giving the offense the time it needed to finally put together a sustained drive when it mattered most.
The Eagles wasted little time striking first, as Phil Jurkovec connected with Zay Flowers for an 11-yard touchdown to cap BC’s second drive of the game with 8:42 to go in the first quarter. Flowers was well defended in the right side of the end zone, but Flowers was able to corral the pass through a tight window while falling to the ground to put Boston College ahead.
Rutgers, who used three different quarterbacks in its first drive as Greg Schiano continues to try and find his starter, found some offense in its ensuing drive after the Eagles touchdown, thanks to a 48-yard run from Gavin Wimsatt into the red zone. But after setting up first and goal later in the drive, two penalties and a sack led to a punt on fourth and goal from the 43-yard line after a first and goal at the 10.
The Scarlet Knights got on the board after the defense came up big, with Christian Braswell picking off Jurkovec to set up a 26-yard touchdown run by Aron Cruickshank on a reverse with 13:40 to go in the half. Rutgers, struggling all half on special teams with penalties and execution, missed the ensuing PAT.
With less than five minutes to go in the half, Jurkovec and Flowers connected again for a 26-yard touchdown to open up a 14-6 lead, and Rutgers had a chance to strike back following a defensive stand in the closing minutes of the half, but a drive at the BC 48-yard line ended with Gavin Wimsatt throwing an interception, and a late hit penalty at the end of the return gave the Eagles possession on the RU 31-yard line with 34 seconds to go.
Once again, the Scarlet Knights defense dug in and forced a missed field goal from 44 yards out to keep it a one possession game at the half.
The teams traded scores to begin the second half, and BC again threatened to make it a two-possession game early in the fourth quarter, but Robert Longerbeam picked off a Jurkovec pass to add to his big day that already included a sack to give the ball back to Rutgers.
The defense held strong again in the fourth quarter to force a BC punt and set up the 12-play, 96-yard drive that saw the Scarlet Knights convert three times on 3rd-and-1 to set up the game-winning score to take down a BC team that had RU’s number during their mutual days in the Big East.
Rutgers will look to improve to 2-0 next Saturday afternoon in their home opener against Wagner.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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