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Costly interceptions plague Rutgers in first loss

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Gary Nova sat with his hands on his knees outside the Rutgers football team’s locker room Saturday, the arm of position coach Rob Spence slung around his shoulder.

Spence told Nova every quarterback he had been around experienced what Nova had only minutes earlier. The words likely offered little consolation for Nova, who threw a career-high six interceptions in the Scarlet Knights’ 35-23 loss to Kent State.

“My confidence is never hurt,” Nova said. “Obviously when you’re struggling like that, you’re just trying to make plays. That hurt me at the end of the game.”

Three Knights possessions began in the final 7:18 to make a dent in Kent State’s 12-point lead. Two ended with Nova interceptions, the last of which sealed Rutgers’ first loss under head coach Kyle Flood.

Flood, who named Nova the team’s permanent starter more than two weeks before the season opener, said he never thought to remove Nova.

“It wasn't difficult for me because I felt like we were still in the game, still had enough possessions to try to win the game,” Flood said. “If we had gotten to the point where that wasn't the case, I might have gone a different route.”

The Knights (7-1) faced the same dilemma last year, when Nova and now-junior Chas Dodd spent different stretches as Rutgers’ starter under center. Nova looked every part the polished signal caller through seven games, throwing only three interceptions.

He doubled the total in less than 60 minutes, breaking last year’s dubious mark of three interceptions against West Virginia.

“Rolling out, trying to throw across my body — [that’s] kind of reverting to what I was doing last year,” Nova said. “I have to get away from that.”

Kent State (7-1) scored 21 points off Nova interceptions. But with the Knights trailing, 28-17, in the third quarter, Quron Pratt suffered arguably Rutgers’ most costly giveaway.

The junior wide receiver fumbled without contact following a 26-yard pass from Nova, and any semblance of a shift in power fell with it. It was only one of a season-high seven giveaways.

“It’s always tough when you’re negative whatever in turnover margin,” said defensive tackle Scott Vallone. “Your defense is getting a rest, and the next thing you know you’re back up on your feet. We’re put in those situations — we’re built for that.”

Flood said he told Nova to take what the defense gave him and that Rutgers could not overcome its deficit in only one play. But with a disparate run-pass ratio, Nova had to press.

He did so with success early in the fourth quarter, rattling off a 55-second touchdown drive to pull the Knights within 11.

But after extending more plays by escaping pressure, Nova’s early struggles manifested themselves again.

“A lot of times I was flushed out of the pocket and trying to see guys coming from the backside,” he said. “That’s a cardinal rule: don’t throw across your body, especially if you’re late over the middle. I did that a couple times today and that cost us.”

It started with a pass breakup in traffic on the second play from scrimmage. But an interception on the next play and another — returned for a touchdown by Kent State’s Mark Fackler — in the second quarter provided an ominous start in Piscataway.

But Fackler did not take Rutgers’ hopes of a Big East Championship with him on his 25-yard score. And despite his shortcomings, Nova did not hand over the Knights’ unblemished conference record on any of his season-high 46 throws.

Spence likely did not say as much as he patted Nova on the back, a private moment between mentor and apprentice. He did not need to.

“I’m not going to go into the room and cry,” Nova said. “We have a lot of season left.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow Tyler Barto on Twitter @TBartoTargum.


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