In a season of constant upsets, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights pulled off another (mild) one on Thursday night in Piscataway. QB Matt Grothe of the USF Bulls was sacked 7 times, and harrassed all night. USF's stud O-lineman, ROT Walt Walker, went out with a knee injury, and WR Amarri Jackson had one catch all night against a fired up Knights' defense. HB Ray Rice re-inserted his name into the Heisman discusssion with a huge night rushing--including running the clock out to preserve the win.

SCOUTING SUMMARY:

Rutgers:

K Jeremy Ito, 43, 5'10.5", 192, 2008: Ito was involved in a little bit of everything tonight. He kicks, punts, throws passes on fake punts, makes field goals. He was just so involved. He had FGs of 25, 40 and 51 yards, a completed pass, pooch punted effectively, but had a FG blocked. He is becoming more consistent with his FGs and has a good distance FG leg, but strangely does not kick as deep on his KOs as you would expect given his FG range. GRADE: Positive

S Ron Girault: DNP. Injury.

HB Ray Rice, 27, 5'8.5", 197, 2008: Ran like a demon, picking up where he left off vs. Syracues last week (after a couple of quiet weeks.) Showed better speed to the outside (especially early on) then I had been expecting, and really ran downhill all day. Had an amazing stiff arm on USF's star DE George Selvie during which he literally pushed the 6'4", 242 pound defender to the ground. I am still not sure he can ever be a feature back in the NFL, but he will make a roster and find ways to contribute. Ran over CB's twice. Grade: Poisitive

LOT Pedro Sosa, 77, 6'4.2", 300, 2008: Sets up quickly in pass pro with a nice wide base. Shows good athleticism while mirroring. Does not bury people in the run game like you would like to see from a top prospect, but gets the job done. Grade: Neutral

ROT Jeremy Zuttah, 71, 6'4", 290, 2008: A real tactician who gets into his man quickly, and also gets out onto the second level in a hurry. Does not people with power but with positioning and hands. Not big enough for OT at the next level, and not powerful enough (yet, anyway) to move inside. Grade: Neutral

LOG Mike Fladell, 72, 6'7.3", 325, 2008: Every time I watch this dude, I come away more impressed than the time before. He steers people where he wants them to go, and locks them up. Powerful. Holds well (re: slealthily). Just absorbs the bull rush and is not moved by it. Dumps rushers if they aren't paying attention to him. Swallows people up. He cleared amazing inside lanes all night for RR. This guy will be a 10-year star in the league. Grade: Very positive

DE/DT Eric Foster, 56, 6'1.6", 265, 2008: Not Eric's best game. He was really the focus of the C and OG both all night, and got buried a lot. Did not have the bulk to stand up on inside running plays, though USF did not gash the Knights up the middle by any means. On running plays he was the sacrificial lamb. When it was obvious Grothe had to throw, he was able to get out with some moves and makes some plays. I had him in on 4 tackles and a sack. He is a man without a position at the next level, and I really think he needs to be looked at in a creative way, because the guy is definitely a football player par excellence. (LB? FB?) Grade: Neutral


South Florida:

CB Trae Williams, 21, 5'10", 185, 2008: I really looked hard to see what all the hype was about, and sometimes I saw flashes, but nothing to make me thing he could be a first-day pick. Had one PD, and was in on a few tackles, but does not appear to have world class speed or great technique. Looks like another camp guy to me. Grade: neutral

CB Mike Jenkins, 4, 5'11.5", 200, 2009: Some are saying this junior CB could be a first round pick if he declares. I don't see that, but I do see solid mid-round skills. Had two PD's when challenged, and then they stopped challenging his side. Shows good coverage ability, smarts, and good enough wheels. Tough. Grade: slightly positive

WR Amarri Jackson, 18, 6'4.2", 202, 2008: Has the tall-receiver's disease. Hands are not consistent. Amazing athlete, but so-so football player. Long strider who rounds his cuts. Will really struggle to get open at the next level because he must get stronger and smarter as a football player. Had only one catch all night, and had a catch which could have given USF a chance to win it called back when he pushed off. Dropped two very catchable balls. Someone will draft him for his triangle numbers, but it wouldn't be this cat. Grade: negative

LB Ben Moffitt, 59, 6'1.3", 245, 2008: Amazing performance by an amazing competitor. Moffitt (in this observer's humble opinion) IS South Florida football, and the reason they were in this one all night. He had 4 TFLs in the first hald alone, and was everywhere and in on every thing. Also had a huge late FR. Moffitt is extremely instinctive. Football fast and football smart. A leader. Needs to be a mid-round pick, but (unfairly) it will all depend on those Combine numbers. Ben had one of the best performances I have seen from a college LB this year. Grade: very positive

DT Richard Clebert, 76, 6'1", 312, 2008: Lunchpail game again from Richard. He does nothing to wow you, but also nothing to hurt you. Ties up two people and lets others flow to the ball. If you try to single team him, he collapses the pocket. Climbs through trash to make tackles at the LOS. Good motor, stamina, body. Looks like a solid 2nd-day DT, and a rotational contributor at the next level to me. Grade: positive

OT Walt Walker, 75, 6'4", 335, 2008: Was having a nice day before being injured (knee--and it looked BAD) in the third quarter. I will be amazed if we see him back this year. He is more of a ROT candidate or running-game OG to me, but he has the bulk and the nasties to eke out a roster spot if he fully recovers. Grade: neutral

Other notes: Freshman safety, #26 Lefeged played for Ron Girault and had an amazing debut. I can't imagine them putting this kid back on the bench for Girault who has not ever shown me very much anyway. #90 Jamaal Westerman played better than Eric Foster tonight. One of the few times I have seen that happen. It seems like the Knights always have a maid-in-waiting to their star DT, and this year it's Westerman. Grothe is an enigma to me still. Does too much with his feet. Seems like he throws best on the run. A bit Flutie-esque... Good thing we have two more year's to evaluate him as a potential backup NFL QB.

Hey Steve... do you think Fladell has the ability to play outside at the next level? I asked Kyle Flood (RU O-Line coach) and Joe Susan (RU TE coach) the same question last spring. Neither one hesitated when they said yes.

Also, how is Anthony Davis looking? Does he look like a true freshman?

I definitely think this guy could play anywhere but center. I'd use him wherever I had a weak link, if I drafted him. (I probably wouldn't put him in the category of an elite LOT prospect , though.)

Where do you think Moffit will get drafted, I like him in the 2-3 range.

5th-6th...he just isn't the workout freak, or BIG LB most are looking for these days.

He reminds me a lot of a guy like Zach Thomas, someone who just gets it doen.

Mentally there are similarities, but Moffitt is not nearly as quick as Thomas but is much bigger. I have a reasonably good sized mancrush on him, but I don't think he has upside of the Thomas level.

Ray Rice just seems a quicker back than Hart, when I compare the 2 I think Rice will be better at the next level. Could Sosa and Zuttah both be OGs in the NFL? Westerman looked great, do you know his triangle numbers? Grothe reminds me of Stefon LeFors, not special as Flutie in terms of quickness or arm. I know Selvie's is just a sophomore, but what do you think of him?
BEFORE I FORGET- ITO 4 HEISMAN!

Fladdell at LT in the pros? Yikes, no way. But yeah, anyone who really watched him falls in love with the guy.

And IDK who USF's C was but when I tuned in late 3rd-4th quarter, he was knocking heads.

Yea, he is definitely a power back for a guy his size. Not sure how Rice will do trying to power his way through the line at the next level, and he hasn't been used enough in the passing game really to determine whether he can be a 3rd-down back. Should be interesting to see where he goes and how they decide to use him.

I think both Sosa and Zuttah have a shot to move inside and be successful, yes. But Fladell is a man among boys (well--maybe teenagers), even among that fine group of RU linemen.

I am not sold on Grothe yet. I don't see any of the Flutie magic--passing wise, and he doesn't appear to have anything close to LeFors's 4.6 forty time as a runner. Looks like a solid college QB who will have to hope for a practice squad spot to me, at this point in time.

Selvie is good, but not a first-round kind of good. If he continues to develop I would say he'd be a first-day bubble guy eventually.

Westerman is listed at 6'3", 252, but he looks a tad shorter. He is going to have to really bulk up, but he can be a 3-4 end if he can get to 275-280. He looks quick. I am not certain, but I would say maybe 4.80-4.85.

The Grothe/LeFors comparison had less to do with speed, Grothe is likely in the 4.78 range, than with style and pro potential, Selvie could climb if he puts up Boss Bailey type workout #s, are Fladdell's feet good enough to play LT? and Westerman is supposed to have gone as low as 4.73 in the 40.

that was one heck of a game,it felt so good rushing that feild.

Do you think that Tiquan Underwood could make a move into draft contention next year ?

Oh, I think he will definitely be in contention.

One of the biggest reasons that RU has made such strides recently (even with less-heralded players) is the work of their strength and conditioning coach, Jay Butler. He's one of the best in the country. Every year at their pro day, I'm just amazed at what great athletes the RU players are and how well they do in the weightroom. The great facility they have at the Hale Center doesn't go to waste.