The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were in the midst of a dream season this year after starting 9-1. The team had a BCS bowl berth and an outright Big East title in their sights, but came apart at the end of the year, losing its final two games to fall into a four-way tie for the Big East conference title.
The Knights will try to salvage their season and keep alive the nation's longest bowl winning streak as they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando on Friday.
The Hokies finished the year with two straight wins to become bowl eligible, but the down year at Virginia Tech saw the end of head coach Frank Beamer's streak of eight straight 10-win seasons.
Rutgers enters the game 9-3 after dropping its final two games, including a 20-17 loss against Louisville to end the regular season. The game gave Rutgers a share of the Big East title, but kept it from earning the conference's BCS bowl bid, something the Scarlet Knights have never received before.
"You always feel like your heart is ripped out when you lose a game no matter what," receiver Mark Harrison said to the Associated Press. "It feels the same way with every loss, but (the Louisville) one had a lot on the line and we let it slip."
Although Rutgers is dealing with the disappointment of the end of the season, the team has a lot on the line on Friday, as the Scarlet Knights have not lost a bowl game in eight years after making the postseason seven times during that span.
"Our track record in terms of getting ready for these bowl games is pretty good," first-year coach Kyle Flood said to the Associated Press. "... I think the bowl season is a new season, and we've always approached it like that."
The last loss came in 2005 under head coach Greg Schiano, who led the team to an 11-2 record. With a win on Friday, Rutgers would reach 10 wins for the third time since 1976-and the first since 2005.
"When you get to the 10-win mark, it separates your team and your year and puts you in a little bit of a different class," said Flood, the co-Big East coach of the year.
Running back Jawan Jamison has been the most dynamic player for Rutgers on offense, rushing for 1,054 yards and four touchdowns this season. The junior has slumped in the second half of the season and hasn't scored a touchdown in four straight games. He had a season-high 151 yards in the team's 23-13 win over South Florida and opened the season hot, rushing for over 110 yards in six of the first seven games.
The Hokies allow 139.67 yards per game and will try to shut down the running game to put the ball in quarterback Gary Nova's hands. Nova has been solid for Rutgers, throwing for 2,566 yards and 22 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. While he is completing less than 60 percent of his passes, Nova got off to a great start this year, throwing for 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions over the first seven games.
The Hokies have skilled playmakers in the secondary that will challenge Nova, including junior Antone Exum, who leads the team with four interceptions. The team is giving up 204.9 passing yards per game and will try to shut down leading receiver Brandon Coleman, who has 39 catches for 663 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
The defense has been the strength for the Scarlet Knights this year and ranks 5th in scoring with just 14.3 points per game. The team allowed single-digit points three times this season and is facing off against a Virginia Tech team that is scoring just over 26 points per contest.
Linebacker Khaseem Greene has been dominating all year and will be one player the Hokies will focus on. The senior was named Big East defensive player of the year for the second straight time and registered a team-leading 125 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks and six forced fumbles.
Although the Hokies had a down season, they are the team with momentum after finishing the year with two straight wins to become bowl eligible for the 20th straight season, which ranks third in the nation behind Florida State (30) and Florida (21).
"(This team) gave everything it had down the stretch to keep this streak going," Beamer told the school's official website. "... If we can find a way to win this game and beat Rutgers and finish with three straight wins, that would say a lot about this team and the players we have."
Quarterback Logan Thomas will be key for the Hokies, who made it to BCS bowls in each of the past two seasons. This year Virginia Tech finished fourth in the ACC Coastal division with a 4-4 record and will finish with its worst record since going 2-8-1 in 1992.
Thomas has passed for 2,783 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he also has tossed 14 interceptions while completing just 52.6 percent of his passes. The junior is also the team's leading rusher with 528 yards and nine touchdowns. In the final two wins against Virginia and Boston College, Thomas threw for three touchdowns and zero interceptions and rushed for one score in each game.
The Hokies opened the year with two straight wins over Georgia Tech and Austin Peay, but then dropped their next game to Pittsburgh. After rebounding against Bowling Green 37-0, the Hokies lost two straight again before defeating Duke 41-20. After three straight losses to drop to 4-6, the team pulled together to win two straight and become bowl eligible.
"For whatever reason, it just never came together for this team," Beamer said. "We never got that consistent play."
The defense has been solid, but not great for the Hokies this year, giving up nearly 350 yards and 23 points per game. The unit will try to keep the ball in Nova's hands and will have to focus in on Jamison if they hope to keep the Scarlet Knights offense on the sidelines. According to the Associated Press, if the Hokies don't shut out Rutgers on Friday, they will have given up the most points in a season for the school since 2003.
PREDICTION: Rutgers 27, Virginia Tech 21. The Scarlet Knights will hone in on Thomas and force the Hokies to run the ball, which is not their strong suit after losing running back David Wilson to the NFL draft last season. Rutgers has a top-ranked defense that is better than any other team that the Hokies have faced this year. Khaseem Greene is a matchup nightmare at linebacker, while Jamison is likely to bounce back after two so-so games. All Nova has to do is be solid in this game and not turn the ball over and Rutgers can win. The biggest key will be keeping Thomas in the pocket. If he can scramble and make plays, the Hokies have a good chance at pulling the upset.
