Week 5 Rankings/Picks

Note: Rankings do not include Stanford's loss to Washington last night.

1. Alabama 
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Florida State
5. Florida
6. West Virginia
7. Georgia
8. Kansas State
9. Stanford
10. South Carolina
11. USC
12. Clemson
13. TCU
14. Ohio State
15. Oklahoma
16. Rutgers
17. Notre Dame
18. Louisville
19. Texas
20. Oregon State
21. Baylor
22. Mississippi State
23. Louisiana Tech
24. Northwestern
25. Michigan State

Baylor 37 West Virginia 48
Baylor's offense has been pretty good post RG3, but their defense is still abysmal. Geno Smith has been very good against the cupcakes the Mountaineers have faced so far, but Tavon Austin should be the guy gaining the Heisman hype.

Buffalo 0 Connecticut 17
The Huskies come to Piscataway next week, and they look to bounce back from yet another loss to Western Michigan. Their defense has been solid so far, but their offense has been worse than usual. They haven't really run the ball well, which is some what surprising.

Arkansas 45 Texas A&M 42
These are two high flying offenses who can not play defense, so expect a ton of points. The Razorbacks can easily give up on the season, but a rivalry game could keep them motivated.

Tennessee 19 Georgia 28
Georgia has a pretty thin roster, but they have a vicious defense and Aaron Murray has put up some numbers so far this season. The Vols are improved, but they are still a middle of the pack SEC team.

Ohio State 24 Michigan State 16
Braxton Miller has flourished in Urban Meyer's offense, but this will be the Buckeyes first road game, and Sparty has one of the best defenses in the country. Levon Bell could have a big day, but MSU has a non existent passing game.

Louisiana Tech 34 Virginia 27
Louisiana Tech could run the table and steal a BCS bid in the WAC's last hurrah.

Virginia Tech 24 Cincinnati 20
This is a "neutral site game" in DC, so the crowd will be heavily in favor of the Hookies. The Bearcats' speed could be a problem for Tech, but Frank Beamer's squad's physicality could wear them out late.

Florida State 40 South Florida 24
USF is coming off a tough loss to Ball State and are now up against one of the best teams in the nation. The Noles have an attacking defense who will give Daniels trouble, and Florida State's powerful run game will be too much for the Bulls' defense.

Texas 30 Oklahoma State 27
We knew The Longhorns' defense was legit, but David Ash has really surprised at quarterback. The Cowboys' may be with out QB Wes Lunt, so their back up could  be in for a world of pain against Manny Diaz's crew.

Wisconsin 20 Nebraska 24
Two underwhelming big 10 teams. Meh, I'll go with the home team.

Louisville 32 Southern Miss 17
The Cards take on one of their many rivals in another road test. Southern Miss is 0-3 after losing Larry Fedora, and they won't be able to stop Teddy Bridgewater.

Oregon State 27 Arizona 31
Two surprising Pac 12 teams square off. The Beavers are a typical, physical Mike Riley team, and the Wildcats are a typical, fast Rich Rodriguez team. It will be interesting seeing these two diverse styles clash, and I'll take the home team.

Ole Miss 3 Alabama 41
The Crimson Tide have not missed a beat on defense after losing a ton of starters, and they have the best offensive line in the nation. #BarrettJones4Heisman The Runnin Rebs aren't ready to compete with the big boys.

Oregon 48 Washington State 8
You figured the Cougars would struggle in their first year under mike Leach, but wow has their offense been a disappointment.This might be the best Duck team since the 2007 squad that was poised for a national championship run before Dennis Dixon tore his ACL.

Replacing Michael Burton

Fullback Michael Burton will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a "lower body injury" against Arkansas on Saturday. This is a big blow to Rutgers' much improved offense, as Burton is a powerful run blocker who was doing a tremendous job leading the way for Jawan Jamison, and a threat to both run and catch the ball out of the backfield. You have to feel really bad for any kid that suffers a season ending injury, especially a fan favorite like Burton, but Rutgers must find some way to replace him. That will not be an easy task, as Rutgers is pretty thin at fullback after a few years of recruiting for a spread offense, so a "fullback by committee" approach will be utilized, according to head coach Kyle Flood.

Redshirt freshman fullback Paul Canevari transferred this summer, and that left converted linebacker Sam Bergen as the only other fullback on the Scarlet Knights roster. Bergen will supposedly be part of the mix replacing Burton, but he did not see any action against Arkansas after Burton went down. That struck me as a bit odd, considering he's the back up on the depth chart, and it made me wonder. Did the coaching staff not want to throw him right into the fire? Do they want to get him some reps with the first team offense first so he's more comfortable with them and does not throw off their continuity? Or does the coaching staff not feel comfortable using him at all? I guess we'll find out next week.

Tight end Paul Carrezola took over as the fullback last Saturday, and he is a very good blocker who has enough speed to lead the way for the ball carrier. He's obviously a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield too. After he missed the first two games with an injury, DC Jefferson appeared to overtake him as the starting tight end, so it is very possible that Carrezola will be Burton's primary replacement. I think he's the best man for the job. Tyler Kroft was also mentioned as part of this committee, but he is more of a receiver than a blocker, and Beau Bachety, a walk on tight end, will get a shot as well.

Ultimately, I think we will see Rutgers run more three wide receiver sets and more two tight end sets. They can still run their zone run plays out of these personnel packages, and they have a boatload of talented receivers, and three very good tight ends. Carrezola and Kroft could be used as an H-back type player too. When the Knights do go to their two back sets, I expect Carrezola and Bergen to split time leading the way for the tailbacks. Replacing Burton will not be easy, but using these four players to split his workload could get the job done.

Rutgers Wins a Shoot Out Over Arkansas 35-26

When you go on the road and beat a quality SEC opponent, you are going to get some respect nationally, and Rutgers is now ranked for the first time since 2009 after beating Arkansas in Fayetteville on Saturday. The defense did not turn in their usual stellar performance, but Gary Nova and the offense stepped up big time and carried the Scarlet Knights to a 35-26 victory.

The Scarlet Knights were shut out in the first quarter, as penalties killed drives and Kyle Federico missed a field goal, but the offense caught fire after a ballsy decision by Kyle Flood extended a drive. On 4th and 2 on their own 33 yard line, Flood called for a fake punt, and Jeremy Deering took the direct snap as the personal protector and picked up the first down with a 14 yard run. A 24 yard pass from Nova to Tim Wright and an 8 yard run by Deering on a reverse (good things happen when he has the ball, he should really get it more) set up another Federico field goal try. Federico sent the kick through the uprights, but the Hogs jumped offsides, giving Rutgers a first down. On the ensuing play, Gary Nova hooked up with Jawan Jamison on a 10 yard wheel route for a touchdown, getting the Knights on the board for the first time, trailing 10-7.

Nova started to feel it two possessions later, as he hit up Quoron Pratt for two big gains, before connecting with Brandon Coleman on a 19 yard touchdown on a slant and go to give the Scarlet Knights their first lead of the game, 14-10 just before the half. Rutgers wasn't having as much success running the ball as they did earlier in the season, but Nova was starting to find holes in the secondary, and Rutgers felt confident going into the locker room with a four point lead.

After receiving the kick off to open the second half, the Scarlet Knights went on a nice, methodical 10 play scoring drive. Jamison and the offensive line were able to get it going a little bit on the ground, and more key throws from Nova on third down set the Knights up with a first down on Arkansas's 38. On that first down play, Nova had the option of handing the ball off to Jamsison on a power play or throwing to Brandon Coleman on a quick screen, and with the corner playing well off the line, Nova threw it to Coleman. Big #17 made the corner miss and was sprung by a key block from Mark Harrison into the endzone, to put Rutgers up 21-10.

A holding penalty stalled the next drive before it started, but Nova and company kept the foot on the gas petal as the Razorbacks tried to mount a comeback. A 45 yard reception by Pratt and a 13 yard run by Jamison set up another Nova TD pass, this one going to Paul Carrezola on a 2 yard pass out of the backfield, making it 28-13. Tyler Kroft caught a 42 yard play action pass from Nova after the Hogs pulled to with in a score, but Dave Brock once again called three straight run plays in the redzone, despite the fact that Nova had a hot hand and redzone back Savon Huggins was still out. Fedirico then missed a very make-able 32 yard attempt, and the game was starting to feel too close for comfort.

Arkansas missed a 2 point conversion that would have tied the game, and a nice return by Mason Robinson gave the offense good field position. On the second play of the drive, Nova threw his 5th TD pass of the day on a 60 yard fade route to Mark Harrison. Rutgers got the ball back on their own 1 yard line, trying to eat as much of the remaining 6:15 as they could with a 9 point lead and their backs pressed against the goal line. Things almost took a disastrous turn, as Jawan Jamison appeared to be stuffed in the endzone, but another excellent spin moved allowed him to escape the would be safety for a 24 yard gain. They were able to take a chunk of time off the clock, but the Razorbacks were able to make a stop and get the ball back. Arkansas immediately turned the ball back over, and Jamison picked up two first downs to effectively end the game, while also going over 100 yards on the day in the process. Two kneel downs officially sealed the deal.

It was a great day for the offense. Gary Nova looked like he was developing into a solid quarterback after his performance against South Florida, but he took it to a whole nother level in this game. He threw for 397 yards (11.3 per pass attempt) to go along with the 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions,and he was able to spread the wealth, completing at least one pass to eight different receivers. He's finally been able to let loose with the deep balls, and it's paying off. Jamison only averaged 3.6 yards a carry, but he stepped up in the 4th quarter and helped run the clock down. You have to credit Brock for sticking with him to keep balance, when just having Nova throw every play was so tempting. The offensive line had a solid game run blocking, despite a few too many negative plays, and they still have yet to allow a sack this season.*

*They have technically allowed 2 sacks, but they were both credited to the defense on intentional grounding penalties.

It was an odd game for the defense, as they dominated in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but were torn apart in the first and fourth quarters. As I said in the game preview, Arkansas loves to throw the ball deep, and that was troublesome for a Scarlet Knight defense that loves to load the box up to stop the run and blitz. Tyler Wilson threw for 419 yards and 3 scores, while Cobi Hamilton had an SEC record 303 receiving yards on 10 catches, including all 3 of Wilson's TD tosses. That was a bit embarrassing.

The game started well for the defense, as Steve Beauharnais blitzed on the very first play and recorded a sack, but the Hogs completed a 54 yard pass on another jump ball that was caught by a receiver who had two defenders all over him, to set up a field goal that gave The Razorbacks an early 3-0 lead. Arkansas was able to infiltrate Scarlet Knight territory again on the following drive, but they turned it over on downs. Right before the end of the quarter, Wilson connected with Hamilton on a skinny post and Logan Ryan, who had outside leverage, missed the tackle and Hamilton took it to the house for 6 to extend the Razorback lead to 10.

At this point, defensive coordinator Robb Smith seemed to make a major adjustment scheme wise. Rather than their usual 4 man line with heavy blitzing, the Knights went with a three man front and dropped seven or eight defenders into coverage. Lorenzo Waters was also pulled from the game and replaced with better coverage guys, Wayne Warren and Mason Robinson. The Scarlet Knights forced Arkansas to have a 3 and out on all three of their second quarter possessions, and then again on their first possession of the third quarter. With additional men in coverage, Wilson was stifled, and the defensive line was starting to penetrate the backfield against the run, so the Hogs were not able to do a thing.

Hamilton then started to find a little bit of wiggle room, and two moderate receptions set up a field goal, making it 28-13. Arkansas put together their first sustained drive since the opening quarter late in the 3rd, but Ryan was able to intercept Wilson in the endzone, when it appeared that the Razorbacks' receiver gave up on the route, and Rutgers was still up 15 going into the final quarter.

Hamilton further terrorized Rutgers' defense in the 4th, first adding a 10 yard score on a crossing route to pull the Hogs to with in 8, and then by hauling in an 80 yard bomb from Wilson, and the Razorbacks were a successful 2 point conversion away from tying the game. On the PAT, Wayne Warren blitzed and caused an errant pass, making the try unsuccesful, and preserving the slim two point lead. The offense was able to extend the lead to 9 immediately after that, and the defense took over from there to bring the game home. They forced an Arkansas punt with just over 6 minutes left, and Duron Harmon intercepted a pass with three minute left, to put the game away.

Arkansas used a ton of 4 and 5 receiver sets, and this allowed Hamilton, who was lined up in the slot, to constantly have a match up advantage, as he often had a linebacker or safety across from him. He was able to just simply out run them, and Wilson's arm is more than strong enough to get it to him.

It wasn't the typical Rutgers defense domination that we've grown accustomed to over the last 2 seasons, but they stepped it up when they had to and won the game. The defensive line got a solid pass rush through out the day and shut down the run, and despite allowing 400 yard in the air, I actually think the corners did a solid job. Ryan was victimized on Hamilton's first touchdown, but he and Brandon Jones were pretty good overall. The safeties and linebackers struggled big time covering Hamilton, though, and that's why they gave up so many yards.

Kyle Flood had his team well prepared for this game, and John L. Smith did not, and Smith compounded the problem with inefficient time management. Gary Nova had a break out game, and the defense did just enough to earn a victory for the Scarlet Knights, who are now ranked in both the coaches' and AP polls. This win could give the team a major boost of confidence going forward, but they must also remain grounded, as Big East play will kick into full gear after a bye week.

Game 4: Arkansas

Rutgers travels down to SEC country for the first time since 2004 to take on the 1-2 Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs are a very talented team, but their season has been savaged by turmoil, as Bobby Petrino was fired and interim coach John L. Smith seems to have no control of the team. Rutgers is coming  off a big conference win over South Florida 10 days ago, and they will be trying to get some national respect for themselves and the Big East in this game.

Rutgers on Offense
Jawan Jamison carried the ball a school record 41 times last Thursday, and he should expect to carry a similar load today, as he's had a few extra days of rest and there is a bye week next week. The offensive line has been playing great so far this year, and they need to push around Arkansas' defensive line that has been steamrolled so far this year.

The offensive line has not allowed a sack so far this year, and if they give Garry Nova time to throw the ball, he could do some damage. Nova seemed to really mature last game against USF, and he needs to have another big game today to show it was not a fluke. Tim Wright seems to have stepped it up as the go to receiver in this offense, and DC Jefferson and Mark Harrison have proved to be reliable targets as well. They could have a field day against a very poor, inexperienced Razorback secondary.

Rutgers on Defense
All SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson will get the start for the Hogs today after missing the last game and a half with a concussion. He is one of the best QBs in the nation, and facing him will be a big test for Rutgers' heralded secondary. Wilson loves throwing the deep ball, and the corners will have to lock the receivers up and stay with them down the field, as they will be left on an island in man coverage. A lot of the defense's success today will ride on their play. Duron Harmon will have to be a ball hawk today and help the corner out over the top, in the event they get beat. The underneath pass defenders will be tasked with keeping Arkansas' leading receiver, tight end Chris Gragg, in check, as he runs a lot of shallow routes across the middle in spots vacated by blitzers. Arkansas has done a terrible job in pass protection, have been totally overwhelmed by blitzes, and Wilson is not that mobile, so the pass rush should be all over Wilson and record multiple sacks, or at least force him to make bad throws.

Arkansas's offense loves to run the ball to the outside with sweeps and stretch plays, so the defensive ends must be able to keep contain, and the linebackers are going to need to make a lot of plays in space too. Their startng running back, Knile Davis, is only averaging 3.5 yards a carry after missing all of last year with a broken leg. In 2010 when he was healthy, he was an explosive back rushing for over 1300 yards, while averaging 6 a carry. Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo will get some carries as well, and they have both been much more productive this year. They have a big offensive line, but they're not the quickest in the world, and Rutgers will need to fire out quick and penetrate up the middle.

Penalties
CUT THE CRAP AND BE DISCIPLINED! STOP KILLING YOUR OWN DRIVES ON OFFENSE AND EXTENDING DRIVES ON DEFENSE! 

Injury Report
Savon Huggins will miss his second straight game with a lower body injury but  third string RB Paul James should play, as he just returned to practice this week after suffering a high ankle sprain.

Holder/safety JT Tarcoff will be out with a broken finger.

Michal Larrow will serve the final game of his 4 game suspension. Marcus Thompson is still out at DE as well, and the staus of DT Al Page is uncertain.

Andre Civil will return to the lineup after missing last week with an injury.

Prediction- Rutgers 26 Arkansas 24
I did not think Rutgers would win this game all offeseason, but John L. Smith has made me a believer. Arkansas is in turmoil, if you come out and punch them in the mouth right away, they will fold. This could make or break their season. Rutgers could earn a lot of national respect with a win, even though the Hogs are down.

Know Your Opponent: The Woo Pig Sooie Edition

When Rutgers added Arkansas to the schedule back in February, it looked like the Scarlet Knights would be heading down to Fayetteville to face a top 10 opponent today, but that is no longer the case. Coming off a season in which they finished ranked 5th with their only two losses coming against the #1 and #2 team in the country, the Hogs had their eyes set on a national championship, but things have totally unraveled for the Razorbacks in ensuing 7 months. Head coach Bobby Petrino was fired back in April when it was revealed that he hired his mistress for a job in Arkansas' athletic department and gave her an undisclosed cash payment, and John L. Smith was named the interim head coach. Smith has been nothing short of a disaster running the team, and it looks like this could be a make or break game for the Hogs' season, as they are 1-2 and coming off a humiliating 52-0 loss to #1 Alabama at home. They may seem down, but they are not yet out, as they still posses an extremely talented roster capable of putting up a ton of points against anyone. This is still a big test for the Scarlet Knights, and it could give them and the Big East as a conference some more respect nationally.

Arkansas So Far...
 The Razorbacks are 1-2, playing all three of their games so far at home. They won their opener against Jacksonville State 49-24 thanks to Tyler Wilson putting up big numbers in the air, but their defense struggled mightily, especially in the first half, and their rushing attack was mediocre. They dropped an OT thriller to Louisiana Monroe the following week, and Wilson left the game late in the second quarter with a concussion. They had another pedestrian game on the ground and the defense blew a 28-7 lead, as they allowed the tying TD to score with 47 seconds left. Last week Wilson sat out with a concussion, and the Hogs made a ton of mistakes on their way to being absolutely annihilated  by Alabama. Wilson called the team out for quitting after the game, and Fayetteville has had a circus like atmosphere this week. But the question is: will the distractions work against them?

Coaching Staff

John L. Smith was the special team coordinator under Petrino from 09-11, and he was hired to run the program with an interim tag, replacing the fired Petrino, not long after taking the head job at his alma matter, Weber State. Smith has an unbelievable weird personality, and has made a ton of questionable coaching decision in his career, but Arkansas' hands were tied, as offensive coordinator Garrick McGee just left for the head coaching position at UAB and the rest of their staff was relatively new.

Smith was a some what successful head coach at some smaller schools, including a 41-21 tenure at Louisville as Petrino's predecessor, but he was an absolute disaster when he got a job at a big times school, Michigan State. He had a 22-26 record during his time in East Lansing, and he lost on the road to Rutgers in 2004 after not spending a lot of time in the off season preparing for the game, and not having QB Drew Stanton in the season opener after he was injured in the bowl game playing special teams the prior season.

He has not inspired a lot of confidence in Arkansas' fans or players, and he is coming off one of the worst weeks you could possibly imagine. (Condolences to him and his family.)

The offensive coordinator, awkwardly enough, is Paul Petrino, who is of course the brother of Bobby. Petrino is an experienced offensive coordinator who runs the same offense as his brother. Their defense is lead by former Ohio State defensive backs coach Paul Haynes.

Offense- 74th in points per game, 104th in yards per carry, 75th in pass efficiency, 71st in yards per play

The Razorbacks had a high flying offense a year ago, but things haven't been so great so far this year, and obviously a lot of that has to do with all SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson missing a game and a half. The Hogs don't really run a spread offense or a pro style offense, they run a mixture of both. They will use a fullback and run plays from under center, but they will run a lot of shotgun and three receiver sets as well.

Wilson threw for 24 TD passes and averaged 8.3 yards per attempt a year ago, and he passed on a chance to enter the draft to return for his senior year. Obviously, things haven't gone as planned, but he will start today, and he is one of the best QBs in the nation. Arkansas's offense loves to throw the ball vertically, with all goes, and clear out routes, and Wilson's rocket of an arm is able to take pick apart defenses deep, completing a ton of long bombs for 6 points. He lost his top 3 receivers from a year ago, but Cobi Hamilton is a dangerous deep threat, and tight end Chris Gragg, their leading receiver, will run a lot of underneath routes when the receivers clear the defense out, and he is their go to guy on 3rd down. The Hogs' offensive line has not been able to protect Wilson, and obviously that was part of the reason he had a concussion. Wilson has a quick release, but he is not very mobile. Their line was overwhelmed by blitzes when I watched them against Louisiana Monroe, and they allowed pressure on almost every play, so protecting Wilson is a huge problem for them.

Their line is not very good run blocking either, but they mostly run the ball to the outside with the stretch play and student body play. Knile Davis ran for 1300 yards (6.8 yds per carry) in 2010, but he missed all of last year with a broken leg. He has returned this year, but he has not been able to recapture his explosiveness and is only averaging 3.5 yards a carry. Dennis Johnson (who is also a great kick returner) and Ronnie Wingo back him up, and they have both been much better than Davis so far this year.

Defense- 109th in points per game, 56th in yards per carry, 75th in pass efficiency, 61st in yards per play
Arkansas runs a pretty simple scheme. They have a 4-3 front and usually play cover 3 behind it. They love blitzing to the wide side of the field, and they will occasionally play man to man coverage. They rarely bring more than 5 pass rushers. Haynes claims to be running a "new scheme" and that is what they are saying has caused some of their early season issues, but personnel has still been their biggest problem on this side of the ball. This is as basic and generic of a defense as you will see.

Their defensive line has constantly been pushed around, even going back to last year, and they have not been very good as a result. They will occasionally shoot a gap and make a play, but more often than not, they are giving up a lot of yards on the ground. They lost their best two pass rushers from a year ago, Jake Bequette and Jerry Franklin, and this unit has been merely average rushing the passer.

Alonzo Highsmith leads the linebacking corp, and he is a play maker who will make tackles all over the field. The rest of the back 7 is largely inexperienced, and they have been porous against the pass. They have a converted defensive lineman at middle linebacker, and only one DB who received any playing time prior to this season.

This unit can be over powered and beat deep, and they have given up a ton of points so far. They have looked really, really bad, but this is still a fast, SEC defense, who may start to click at any moment with more experience and more time in their new system.

Conclusion
Arkansas is a desperate team, and this game could make or break their season. If they get punched in the mouth early, they could fold like they did last week, but if they get off to a fast start, they are capable of steam rolling over basically anyone in the country. Their coaching has been terrible so far this year, but they have a very talented roster who will be hungry for a victory. And at the very least, they want to avoid being embarrassed.

Rutgers 2012 Defensive Line "Preview"

Rutgers has emphasized speed over size on defense over the years, even on their defensive line.With that philosophy in place, Rutgers has had  quick, disruptive lines that have made a bunch of plays in the backfield, but it has also caused them to get over powered at times by bigger teams. This year, the unit has more size than they have in the past, and that should help them hold up better against bigger, stronger lines, but being quick and disruptive will still be their M.O. This group has been dominant against the run and gotten a decent pass rush so far this year, and their depth has been put on display. The group has been very strong so far, and should keep up the great play going forward.

Scott Vallone moves back to his natural position as the three technique tackle, after playing nose guard a year ago to accommodate Justin Francis, who should have been an all Big East selection in 2011. Vallone is a very strong player who holds up against double teams well, while pushing the line of scrimmage backwards and keeping blockers off his linebackers. He has enough quickness to make plays himself, and he has been very disruptive so far this season. Isaac Holmes joins the starting line up as the nose tackle, and at 275 pounds, he is a bit bigger than the tackles they have had recently. Holmes has been very strong so far in the middle and him and Vallone have made a great duo, absolutely stifling the oppositions' running game. True freshman Darius Hamilton backs Vallone up, and the 5 star recruit has great technique, not just for a true freshman, but for any lineman. He is a bit undersized at the moment, but his quickness makes up for it. Al Page and Marquise Wright were pretty good recruits themselves, and the two provide a lot of beef in the middle, each weighing 280 pounds. Page has yet to play this year with an injury, and Wright has done a solid job spelling Holmes. Kenneth Kirksey and Daryl Stephenson are intriguing sophomores, but Stephenson will miss the year after suffering an injury in training camp.

The Scarlet Knights don't have one dominant pass rusher at defensive end, but they have a lot of options capable of being productive. Senior Ka'Lial Glaud has been their best pass rusher this year, recording 2 sacks so far as the "R", which is a DE/linebacker hybrid. Marcus Thompson has over taken the suspended Michael Larrow at the other end spot thanks to a strong camp, and Jamil Merrell  will see some time as a key reserve as well. Marvin Booker backs up Glaud at the R spot, and he has been a productive player when he is able to stay on the field, but he got hurt after recording a sack against Tulane in the opener and has not played since. Max Issaka is another intriguing player, but he's just getting back up to speed after missing all of camp because of a death in his family. Jawaun Wynn provides speed at the position as a converted receiver, and Myles Jackson, and Djwany Mera fill out the rest of the roster.

Rutgers landed two defensive lineman in their highly touted recruiting class, and added another true freshman DL trough transfer. Darius Hamilton headlines the entire class, and the son of former Giants defensive lineman Keith Hamilton will get some experience this year and hopefully become the star of the defense in the years to come. He is a bit undersized for defensive tackle at the moment, but some time Rutgers' lifting program should bulk him up. For now, he will get by with his quickness and amazing technique. He uses his hands so well and can disengage from blockers to make plays. Julian Pinnix-Odrick could become either an end or tackle, and he has nice size, but is a bit raw and will most likely redshirt. Jamil Pollard originally committed to Penn State, but once the NCAA sanctions were handed down there, he transferred penalty free to RU. He is a big, strong player, but he will likely redshirt this season for more refinement.

Rutgers once again has a defensive line a bit on the small side, but they have plenty of quickness to make up for it. They have stuffed the run so far this year, and their plethora of pass rushers have gotten some pressure on the quarterback. With the new freshman and plenty of depth, this is amongst the strongest units on the team.

Break it Down: Outside Zone vs USF

When Kyle Flood arrived at Rutgers as the offensive line coach in 2005, he implemented a "zone" run blocking scheme, a style of blocking that differs from the traditional "man blocking" scheme, which was much more common and widespread at the time. The Scarlet Knights had a dominant rushing attack for a while thanks to this scheme, but the ill fated experiment with the spread offense set the run game back a few years. This season, Jawan Jamison has lead a resurgence in Rutgers' rushing attack, thanks in large part to how well he fits into this scheme. In the last two games against Howard and USF, he has broken off two long runs, including a 41 yard touchdown scamper to ice the game in Tampa on the outside zone play that is the staple of this scheme.

It's a common misconception that zone blocking is a relatively new thing, but in reality some form of zone blocking has existed in football for years. Zone blocking has evolved from the single wing and wing-T offenses that were immensely popular through out the 20th century, as double teams and blocking an area were emphasized. The scheme as we know it today was probably created by legendary offensive line coach Howard Mudd when he was with the Cleveland Browns in 1985, according to Tim Layden in his excellent book Blood, Sweat, and Chalk. The Browns had a ton of success with this new zone blocking thing, and the scheme spread around the league like wild fire in the ensuing years. Jim McNally started using it with the Bengals and Anthony Munoz and they went on to two appear in two Super Bowl with it. Alex Gibbs became the zone blocking guru, installing this blocking scheme in Denver, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle before retiring. Mudd was the Colts' line coach in the Manning years, and he runs it now with the Eagles. In the college game, zone blocking is much more common amongst spread offenses than it is with pro style offenses, but Rutgers is one of the few teams who run it out of pro style sets.

There are two different types of zone blocking plays: the inside zone and the outside zone.The inside zone play is similar to man blocking, with the only differences being the first step is always play side and double teams are utilized more often. The outside zone or stretch play is the one that is noticeably different. On the outside zone play, each lineman (and sometimes tight end) steps to the play side at a 90 degree angle, with the intent of reaching for the defender's outside shoulder and pinning him to the inside. If there is a defender lined up directly across from an offensive lineman, he will just block that guy directly on front of him. But if a lineman is uncovered, he will help out a teammate with a double team, and once that block is secured, one of the two lineman will slip off to block a linebacker at the second level, depending on who has the better angle. If the offensive player is unable to secure the defender to the inside, they can drive him out to the sideline. Often times the lineman on the backside will cut block, which is totally legal unless the defender is engaged with another blocker. There are about a million nuances to this style of blocking, but that's the general gist of it. The play can be run with or with out a fullback, and if there is a fullback, he will lead block off the edge.

The running back needs to read the defense with the ball in his hands and decide where to go. When he receives the hand off, his aiming point is off the edge, but if the end man on the line of scrimmage is driven outside, he has to read that and make a second read. If the second to last man on the line of scrimmage is pinned inside, the back will run through that hole that is created. If the second to last man on the line is also driven outside, the back will cut back and run to the opposite side of where he is originally intending to run. The back has to be patient and have good vision to execute this play.

Here's the outside zone play that Jawan Jamison scored a 41 yard touchdown on against USF diagrammed (it would make a lot more sense from an endzone camera angle, but there's no way for outsiders to access that. Click to enlarge):

Here's a video of the play.

South Florida is lined up in a 4-3 over defense against Rutgers, who has an I-left formation with twins to the right. It's tough to see from this camera angle, but South Florida has their weak side linebacker (w) on the line of scrimmage and a few steps to the outside of the rest of the line. Since right tackle R.J. Dill has the defensive end head up on him, he is unable to reach him, so he becomes the responsibility of fullback Michael Burton. The WLB does a good job keeping contain on the edge, and Jamison is forced to run to the inside of Burton's block. Dill and guard Taj Alexander do a nice job doubling the defensive end, and Dill is able to slip off of that block to the second level and block the middle linebacker (m). Betim Bujari reaches and hooks the 1 technique lined up to the play side to the inside. Antwan Lowery and Kaleb Johnson double the three technique, and Lowery slides off to seal the strong side backer (s). Brandon Coleman is able to get enough of a block on the corner to keep him out of the play and Tim Wright runs the other corner off with a fake route or stalk block. Jamison takes it from there, making a spin move to get past the safety for the score.

Rutgers blocked within the zone scheme to perfection on this play and Jamison made a great move to score. The outside zone play  iced the game on Thursday night and was otherwise a big part of their offensive game plan in Thursday night's win. With Jamison likely to get 30+ carries again on Saturday with Savon Huggins still out, expect the Knights to go to their bread and butter play a ton against Arkansas.