Rutgers misses opportunities in 31-14 loss to Nebraska, junior center progresses

For a fleeting moment, the Rutgers football team had a chance.

It didn't appear possible that the Scarlet Knights could make it a game with Nebraska after falling behind, 21-0, in the second quarter. 

Just when it seemed like the staff at High Point Solutions Stadium staged a massive rerun of the previous three games, junior free safety Anthony Cioffi intercepted Cornhuskers' quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and returned the pick 51 yards down to the 6-yard line.

Three plays later, sophomore running back Robert Martin plunged through the pile on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:17 left in the first half to make it 21-7.

And all of a sudden, it looked like Rutgers had rebounded.

“I feel like (that interception and return) shifted momentum,” Cioffi said after the loss. “But we just need to capitalize on every opportunity we have on offense and on defense.”

Nebraska gave the Knights another opportunity on the Huskers' next offensive series. Redshirt freshman Saquan Hampton made his first career interception on an ill-advised throw from Armstrong that led to his second pick in three offensive plays. And once again, the home team was given a chance for a reprieve.

“It felt good,” Hampton said of his first collegiate pick. “I’ve been working really hard in practice, so it was nice to see all that hard work pay off.”

But the payoff didn’t come in the form of points.

After Rutgers broke into Huskers’ territory with the clock running under one minute, sophomore quarterback Chris Laviano was sacked for a 10-yard loss to stymie a once-promising drive.

The Cornhuskers got the ball back and ran out the clock, carrying a 21-7 lead into the locker room at the half.

To start the third quarter, another promising drive for the Knights was cut short when Laviano was dropped in the backfield again, the fifth of six sacks for Nebraska on the evening.

But Armstrong returned the favor when he failed to see redshirt freshman nose tackle Kevin Wilkins sneak in front Huskers’ running back Imani Cross on an intended screen.

This time, Laviano took advantage.

The sophomore signal-caller linked up with senior receiver Leonte Carroo for a 30-yard pass play to set Rutgers up 1st-and-goal at the 5-yard line.

The very next play, head coach Kyle Flood dug deep into his bag of tricks and dialed up a doozy. Junior wide receiver Janarion Grant took a direct snap from center and sprinted toward the Knights' sideline before the southpaw flung a pass to his quarterback, Laviano, in the left-hand corner of the end zone for a touchdown to make it 21-14.

The 45,112 fans in attendance were sent into a frenzy and it looked like Rutgers had a chance to redeem its poor play over the course of the previous three and a half games.

But it all came crashing down soon after.

Armstrong orchestrated a four-play, 75-yard drive on the Huskers' ensuing series and the Knights were shutout the rest of the game.

Asked if he had any concern at 21-14, Armstrong deferred to the mentality of his team.

“You know, honestly, our whole mindset was to win," he said. "We didn’t have any doubt, we just needed to fix things."

The 31-14 defeat will likely serve as the final blow to Rutgers' postseason hopes in 2015, leaving only a shred of possibility that the Knights could receive a bowl invite as a 5-7 squad. But even then, Rutgers would have to win two in a row to close out the season.

“We're not pleased with how we played tonight. We'll go back to work tomorrow to fix it,” Flood said. “Ultimately, that's what we can do."

***

Despite suffering yet another lopsided defeat at the hands of a Big Ten opponent, the Rutgers defense showed up for the most part Saturday evening.

After discussing his previous experience against dual-threat quarterbacks during the week leading up to the Nebraska game, senior middle linebacker Kaiwan Lewis put together a highlight reel for professional scouts.

“Last year (at South Carolina) we saw Treon Harris, he was pretty good running the ball as well as passing it,” the graduate transfer said. “Kenny Hill, at Texas A&M, he could run and pass even though he threw for a lot more than he ran. Guys like that.”

Lewis called on that experience, setting a new career-high with 13 tackles and nine solos in the 31-14 defeat. But his performance and that of other individuals on the defense was somewhat lost in the shuffle of the fourth straight loss for Rutgers.

“Kaiwan had 13 tackles. That's good. That's really good,” Flood said. “It's important. He's in the middle of our defense for a reason. For him to be productive, that's a good sign.”

Wilkins got his first collegiate interception to give the Knights hope down the stretch, snuffing out a screen pass, while showing the poise to finish the play. The Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) product has flashed signs of phenomenal play at and beyond the line of scrimmage this fall, tallying four tackles for loss and half a sack to go with his interception.

“Our biggest thing is getting better each week,” Wilkins said. “I’m still a young player and I think I’ve been getting better each week.”

But in the end, Rutgers finished the game 0-1.

“We've got players that want to compete. And when we show up next week up at West Point (against Army), we'll be ready to do that,” Flood said. “If you've got competitors in your locker room, it's a week-to-week season. And they'll go out and compete. I have no doubt about it.”

***

Following Laviano’s third interception with under a minute to play in the game, football ceased to matter on the field.

During Nebraska safety Nate Gerry’s interception return, Knights’ center Derrick Nelson and left guard Dorian Miller collided while trying to make the tackle, sending both crumbling to the turf.

The game was delayed for several minutes as Nelson was attended to by Rutgers trainers and medical staff before being carted off the field.

It was a frightening, but familiar scene for the area’s football fans, less than one month after the five-year anniversary of the paralyzing hit that ended Eric LeGrand’s career.

Fortunately, Nelson gave the thumbs up as the cart rolled down the sidelines and toward the entrance to the player’s tunnel.

“I think everybody saw that at the end of the game there,” Flood said. “Before (Nelson) left the field, he had full movement in his hands and his feet and his extremities. But all the initial signs were positive. Any injury of that type needs to be handled with the greatest of caution.”

The positivity continued Sunday when the team released a statement updating the condition of the Knights’ junior center.

“Derrick (Nelson) was released from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital on Saturday night and walked out of the hospital under his own power,” the statement read.

Flood followed up in his weekly teleconference Sunday, saying he didn’t think there was “any question” that Nelson’s football career would continue.

“It’ll continue this year,” Flood said Sunday. “When that’ll be? I don’t know that just yet.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @KevinPXavier and @Targumsports on Twitter.