This was the game that had so much potential to dictate the course of Rutgers football’s season.
Not that a win would send the Scarlet Knights flying through the rest of the schedule, or that a loss would deliver a dagger in Rutgers’ campaign.
It’s far too early for either of those things to happen.
But a win at Virginia Tech? To move to 3-0 for the season?
That’s significant.
Rutgers passed the test.
The Scarlet Knights, playing their first Power 4 opponent of the young season and facing by far their biggest test so far, beat the Hokies 26-23 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg after Jai Patel kicked a 24-yard field goal with two minutes left and Robert Longerbeam made a game-sealing interception to kill Virginia Tech’s final drive.
Sep 21, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Robert Longerbeam (7) celebrates after making an interception during the fourth quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Very little about this game was easy for Rutgers.
Though for a while it was.
Greg Schiano’s team held a comfortable 16-point lead – an advantage that could’ve been wider had the Scarlet Knights been able to capitalize on some key opportunities and hadn’t missed a 36-yard field goal early in the game.
Then the Hokies scored consecutive fourth-quarter touchdowns – converting the two-point attempt each time – to tie the game and send Rutgers fans’ nervousness into overdrive.
“You learn a lesson,” Schiano told reporters after the game. “You go really get after somebody and then it flips like that. It’s very, very hard. Especially in their stadium to be able to pull it back and win the game. That’s what we did.”
Then came Patel’s field goal and Longerbeam’s pick.
Then came the Rutgers win and every Scarlet Knight fan could breathe…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rutgers-football-exactly-where-needed-080234191.html
Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press
Publish date : 2024-09-22 08:02:34
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