Rutgers Beats Louisville

KNIGHTS SHOW T-RU-E COLORS

Fans get 'Scarlet' fever for Knights

By: Katie Barry & Kristy Barry

Posted: 11/14/06

It was touted as the biggest game in Rutgers football history since the first college game against Princeton 137 years ago, when the No. 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights faced the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals in Thursday's match-up.

Students camped out Monday night for tickets and many blew off class for the Thursday showdown. A record of 44,111 fans decked out in scarlet cheer gear and filled Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway-including over 350 Rutgers football alumni on the sideline. The Knights didn't disappoint.

With the score deadlocked at 25-25 with 13 seconds on the clock, junior Jeremy Ito nailed a 28-yard field goal to seal the deal with a 28-25 victory over the Cardinals. And the scarlet sea runneth over. The largely inebriated fan section spilled onto the turf, storming the field in droves.

The goalposts were cranked down to prevent fans toppling them. Several Rutgers-Newark students were spotted, including men's baseball players Adam DiLorenzo, Mike Chiarella, and junior Andrew Finch as well as women's soccer player Jen Sanker.

Rutgers running back Jean Beljour, brother of R-N women's volleyball player Rose Beljour was spotted. "Is Rose here?" Beljour asked the Observer anxiously.

As football players were carried off the field, the ESPN camera panned the field, while Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" echoed throughout the stadium. Rutgers fans did 'turf angels' on the field and cart-wheeled until they fell over, living up the moment.

"That atmosphere out here tonight," said head coach Greg Schiano in the post-game press conference. "You knew it would be, you just didn't know when, and it was awesome…a little scary at the end with the mob scene but it was a lot of fun. This is the way college football is supposed to be," Schiano said. "I'm very proud of our football team."

When asked by the Observer as to what Rutgers would need to do to play a team like Ohio State, Schiano said, "I'm focusing on another Ohio team: Cincinnati. We play them next week…We need to go back to basics and calm ourselves down."

In the locker room, Ito told the Observer how he'll be celebrating. "Nothing crazy. My family is in town from California. I'm probably going to go to dinner with them. It's got to be an early night," Ito said. "I have class tomorrow morning…Principles of Business. I know- crazy, right?"

Fullback Brian Leonard feared for the scene outside stating, "Well, if I can get through the riots, I'd like to go get something to eat." The strangest part about his newfound fame? "I have to watch what I say and do, and where I go. People are watching me very closely," Leonard said.

Leonard, as well as the rest of the Rutgers football team is everywhere. During the California/Arizona game Saturday, Schiano had a telephone interview with ESPN commentators. The victory was surely a nice anniversary gift for Rutgers, which celebrated the university's 240th birthday on Friday.

Despite Rutgers' recent football success, the Louisville game was the first time Rutgers had beaten a ranked team since 1988. Until now, the team was 0-6 against teams ranked in the top 10 in the Associated Press poll. Rutgers now sits pretty at a seventh ranking and high hopes for their remaining games against Cincinnati, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

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