Rutgers to face Ball State in International Bowl

The Rutgers football team didn't have to wait long to find out who it would be playing at the International Bowl. The Scarlet Knights will have to put last Thursday's loss to Louisville behind them for the month of December, as Ball St. announced Saturday that the they accepted an invitation to play RU in the Bowl game, currently slated for Jan. 5. The Cardinals (7-5) have not reached a Bowl game since 1996 when they lost to Nevada in the Las Vegas Bowl, 18-15. In their history, Ball St. has been to just three total bowl games, losing all of them. Besides Nevada, Ball St. also lost to Utah State in the Las Vegas Bowl in 1993 and fell to Fresno St. in the California Bowl in 1989. But, this year became billed prior to the season as one which could bring the promise of its first bowl bid in years. This season, the Cardinals blew out Buffalo - a team the Scarlet Knights dominated early this season - in what was probably their most impressive win of the season, 49-14, in the fifth game of the year. But they couldn't sustain that kind of success the following week, losing by 20 to Central Michigan the following week. The Cardinals will enter the International Bowl coming off of a 27-21 victory over Northern Illinois. The Scarlet Knights on the other hand will look to win their second consecutive bowl game. The International Bowl marks the first time in program history that the Knights have made a bowl game in three consecutive seasons. Last year the Knights dominated Kansas St. in the inaugural Texas Bowl, 37-10. In the 2005 season, the Knights lost in a high-scoring shootout to Arizona State at the Insight Bowl, 45-40. The International Bowl doesn't have a long history, as it has only been around for just one match. That game was taken by a Big East team - Cincinnati. After jumping out to a 24-0 lead against Central Michigan just five minutes into the second quarter, the Bearcats held on to win by three, 27-24. The game takes place in downtown Toronto, two days before the BCS?National Championship Game. The game also marks the final game for several prominent Scarlet Knights in their collegiate careers including Ron Girault, Brandon Renkart, Jeremy Zuttah, Pedro Sosa and Mike Fladell. It may also be running back Ray Rice's final game as a Scarlet Knight, since he will be eligible for the NFL?draft following the season.

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