This was an exciting, back and forth game that had lots of offense and very little defense on either side. The teams combined for more than 1100 total yards of offense. Arizona State rode the wave of redshirt freshman QB Rudy Carpenter, who came in for an injured Sam Keller mid-season. He took quite a beating from the Rutgers defense, but showed a great deal of moxie and kept getting up. Rutgers QB Ryan Hart, who was benched mid-season despite playing well, led the Scarlet Knights to an impressive showing and nearly pulled it out at the end. Neither defense acquitted itself well, although a few players on both sides did all they could to inspire their respective teams. In the end, Rutgers seemed to wear out in the fourth quarter and settled for a few field goals instead of touchdowns and that was the difference.
RUTGERS:
QB Ryan Hart (SR) - Ryan Hart started the game on fire. He was comfortable in the pocket, anticipating the rush while keeping his focus downfield. He made some very nifty throws and showed good accuracy on nearly all of them. He had good mechanics, stepping into his throws and exhibiting a quick release when the rush was descending upon him. He had good pocket presence and was able to step up or roll out to make plays. Towards the end of the second half, Hart started pressing a bit and made some poor decisions (one pass was intercepted and another was thrown to a receiver who was covered by four defenders). All in all, Hart played well enough to earn a win in most instances -- just not this one. (POSITIVE)
RB Raymell Rice (FR) - The true freshman will be one of the most exciting backs in the country for the next couple years. Rice is a patient runner who allows his blocks to happen in front of him and then shows the quick burst to exploit even the smallest of openings. Rice is powerfully built and runs with a low center of gravity. He has excellent speed and power and always seems to be falling forward for extra yards. He also showed decent effort on a couple blitz pick-ups, unusual for a collegiate runner (let alone a freshman). He had 108 yards on 20 carries (putting him over 1000 for the season while sharing the backfield) and also added a nice 26-yard gain on a short outlet pass. He did have one fumble, although it was more a result of an outstanding defensive hit than poor ball control on Rice's part. (VERY POSITIVE)
RB/FB Brian Leonard (JR) - Leonard had another great all-purpose effort. He had 46 yards on 10 carries with a TD and added 98 yards on 6 receptions with another TD. Leonard is a special back who can do everything. He is a big, punishing runner who combines great balance with excellent field vision. He is able to set up his blocks and find holes where it appears there are none. He is an effective lead blocker (although he'd have to add a lot more bulk to be a pure fullback in the NFL) who uses nice technique when engaging the defender. Leonard has outstanding hands and is a serious threat on screens and passes in the flat. Leonard would likely be a first-day selection if he declared this season, however he could return for another go-round and improve his stock even more. The only negative in his game is that he doesn't get used enough. (VERY POSITIVE)
TE Clark Harris (JR) - Harris is an outstanding receiving tight end. He finds holes in zone defenses and is able to create mismatches against linebackers and defensive backs. Harris has good hands and catches the ball away from his body. He has decent speed for a man his size and is adding bulk to become a more effective blocker, where he still gets outmuscled in one-on-one situations. Harris could add another 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and come back as one of the top TE prospects in the nation in 2006. Harris also is the long-snapper for field goals and extra points, an added bonus. (POSITIVE)
WR Tres Moses (SR) - Moses was Rutgers' go-to guy through the air, gathering 7 receptions for 113 yards and a late TD (which provided some small solace to Rutgers fans as it allowed Rutgers to cover the spread). Moses is sneaky quick without blazing speed. He is not a physical receiver and can be overmatched by larger defensive backs. In the first half, Moses had a chance for a TD reception, but was unable to shield the defender from the ball and it was batted away. A few plays earlier, Moses was the intended target on a fade route in the endzone, but he was unable to pick up the ball in the air and ran right past it -- had he seen it, he would have been able to stop and make the catch before the defender could adjust. Moses is a team leader and should get some consideration as either a late draft pick or a free agent signing following the draft. If he runs a good 40 in workouts, he'll improve his stock. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
RG John Glass (SR) - Glass is the best player on the Rutgers line. He has great size and has decent feet. Interestingly, Glass does not protect the QB's blind side and the team rarely runs behind him, preferring to hit in behind the left side of the line. Glass does pull on some running plays and shows adequate athletic ability. Generally, though, he stays home and provides holes for a cutback. On pass protection, Glass is very solid. He has a strong anchor and uses his hands well. He is able to lock up defenders and keep them out of the play. He's a possible late round draft pick at this point. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
DE Ryan Neill (SR) - Neill was relentless throughout the night. He was consistently double-teamed and was still able to get some pressure on the QB, even though he was unable (as was the team) to register a sack. Neill was in on six tackles and was an active run stopper, using stunts to get inside and then taking advantage of a battered offensive line later in the game. Neill also forced a fumble in the second half. Neill has good speed from the edge and uses a variety of moves to get around the blocker. Neill does rush too wide at times, allowing the runner to easily avoid him by cutting inside. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
DE Val Barnaby (SR) - He passes the eyeball test with more size than his linemate Neill, but he doesn't have the quickness, technique, or drive that Neill possesses. Despite the fact that all the attention was on Neill, Barnaby was only able to manage one solo and one assisted tackle all night. He did have a crushing hit on the ASU QB, but it was after the ball had been released. Barnaby is a hot/cold player, who was rather cold in the desert southwest last night. (VERY NEGATIVE)
SS Courtney Greene (FR) - Greene is the team's leading tackler for the season and led all players with 12 against ASU. He also forced a fumble, broke up a couple passes, and had a TFL. Greene is already one of the best SS prospects in the country after only one season. He is always around the ball, whether it is in the air downfield or at the line of scrimmage. He's a solid cover guy with good speed and ball awareness. He's a good run stopper who shoots gaps, sheds blocks, and wraps up. He's a guy to watch for the future. (POSITIVE)
PK Jeremy Ito (SO) - Quietly improving each season. He had a terrific bowl game, hitting all four of his FG attempts including a career long 52-yarder (with leg to spare) and a 48-yarder. The "Judge" has a powerful leg and drove the kicks straight without any slice or hook. He could be a nice prospect in a couple years, although I'd like to see him kick off too (which he currently does not do). (POSITIVE)
ARIZONA STATE
QB Rudy Carpenter (FR) - Carpenter's play will prompt some interesting discussion about who should be the QB next fall. Sam Keller played well before getting injured and Carpenter didn't miss a beat and maybe played even better overall than Keller. Last night he was great. He kept getting hit, especially in the second half when most of his offensive line was either on the bench or limping throught the plays on the field. He bought as much time as possible with deeper drops and took the hits after he delivered the ball. He showed some great courage and was an inspiration to the team through his actions and words. He was accurate and saw that he could exploit the Rutgers defense with the deep ball during his film study. He convinced the coaching staff to allow him to take a 7-step drop (rather than the 5-step drop he had been using all season) and make some deep throws. He knew where his receivers would be and he got the ball to them almost every time. Even if Keller reclaims the job in the fall, Carpenter has a bright future in this wide-open offense. (VERY POSITIVE)
WR Derek Hagan (SR) - Hagan was about as solid as you could get. He used his size and leaping ability to take advantage of the smaller Rutgers corners. He showed great concentration on the ball, ran very precise routes, and had strong hands to make catches in traffic. He only mishandled one ball - one that wasn't thrown perfectly - and nearly made the juggling catch before the Rutgers SS laid a hit on him. He's a muscular player and uses his body well to shield the ball from the defenders. I firmly believe that Hagan deserves the #1 WR position in the upcoming draft. He's got the total package at WR and will be an outstanding pro. (VERY POSITIVE)
WR Matt Miller (SR) - Tall, lanky guy who has good leaping ability and great hands. He's able to stretch the field (23+ yards per catch on the season) and did so last night by racking up 135 yards (and 2 TDs) on only 5 receptions. He outran the coverage on a couple occasions and went up and over it another time. He's a bit too slim, but if he can add some bulk to his frame, he'll be great value for some team in the late stages of the draft. I know he didn't catch many balls this season, but he made the most of his opportunities and probably deserves a write-up. I'll defer, of course, to my colleagues who may be more familiar with him. (VERY POSITIVE)
TE Zach Miller (SO) - Makes the tough catch in traffic. Gets open in the endzone. Has great hands and is an effective blocker (helped double Ryan Neill much of the night). He'll be one of the best in a couple years. (POSITIVE)
H-Back Lee Burghgraef (SR) - Had a very quiet game and did not touch the ball. Was used primarily as a blocker to catch linebackers shooting gaps and also helped on the edge. Needs to be more involved in the offense to catch the eyes of the scouts. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)
OG/C - Grayling Love (SR) - DNP due to injury.
RT Andrew Carnahan (JR) - Played the game injured. He really gutted it out and was an inspiration to the makeshift line he was part of. Has great size, although it was difficult to judge his true effectiveness when he could barely walk. When Carnahan was really hurting in the second half, Rutgers lined Neill up over him to take advantage of Neill's speed and Carnahan's lack of mobility. Neill was able to get past him with regularity, but couldn't get to the QB in time. I'd love to see Carnahan play healthy next fall as a senior. (POSITIVE for effort, NO GRADE for ability)
MLB Dale Robinson (SR) - I hope this game was not indicative of the type of player Robinson really is. He did not play in the second half at all due to an undisclosed injury. My guess is that it was an internal injury -- maybe lack of heart. Robinson was horrendous in the first half. He showed no aggression at all. He gave up on a play that allowed Brian Leonard to score, assuming somebody else would take care of stopping the ball-carrier. Another time he was lollygagging in pursuit when the play ran away from him, then couldn't do anything when the play continued because he was out of position. I sincerely hope that he was legitimately injured, because his play was shameful. (VERY NEGATIVE)
OLB Jamar Williams (SR) - I was very impressed with Williams. He was active and aways around the ball. He was able to get into the backfield to make a tackle and force a fumble with a picture perfect tackle. Williams was aggressive and the clear leader on the defense, working to get the rest of the unit to wake up and play with a little more fire. Williams has nice size and good speed and should be a good candidate for the next level. (VERY POSITIVE)