Red dawn: Orange heads to New Jersey to take on Rutgers
Justin Pugh has only been around the Syracuse football program for two years, but he’s well briefed on its rivalry with Rutgers. It’s something the Holland, Pa., native Pugh is familiar with, having been recruited by both schools and now having friends on each side.
‘There’s that little rivalry,’ Pugh said. ‘There’s that bad blood between the two schools.’
Looking to rebound from last week’s home loss to Louisville and become bowl eligible, Syracuse heads south to Rutgers this weekend — a place SU players have recently described as ‘heated’ and ‘hostile.’ The Orange handily defeated Rutgers inside the Carrier Dome a year ago in a game that some players believe has only added fuel to the fire for this Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPNU).
And because of that, some see Syracuse-Rutgers as a battle for the rights to claim tri-state supremacy.
‘They see this as a big rivalry game,’ senior defensive tackle Andrew Lewis said. ‘It’s New Jersey vs. New York. … The hype behind this game, you feel it all week, you hear about it all week and you read it on the Internet all week.’
Lewis recalls last year’s game specifically because of the crowd, the nine sacks the SU defense collected and the 60-yard scamper by Averin Collier that iced the 31-13 win. It was the first time SU beat Rutgers since 2004.
The win helped rejuvenate the New York-New Jersey football rivalry that had sat dormant for years. Both teams have an agenda this year. Rutgers perhaps has revenge on its mind, and the Orange hopes to clinch bowl eligibility and avoid a pressure-filled final two games at home.
‘It’s coming down to the wire,’ sophomore quarterback Ryan Nassib said. ‘As the games get closer and closer to the end of the season, they get more and more important.’
Making the matchup even more intriguing is the former teammates who will be on each side of the ball. Middle linebacker and New Castle, Del., native Derrell Smith said he has two former high school teammates who will be dressed in Rutgers uniforms. Pugh, linebacker Doug Hogue and Nassib each know players on the other side as well.
With the rivalry, friends and acquaintances have become enemies. Former teammates are now on different sides of what the players believe is becoming a legitimate Big East rivalry.
‘Obviously we were disappointed we couldn’t get that seventh win in front of the home crowd,’ Pugh said. ‘But a lot of us are from this area and were recruited by Rutgers, and it’s definitely going to be exciting going down there.’
A year ago, Hogue had his breakout game after he moved to the defense as a converted running back. His 3.5 sacks earned him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week award as he dominated the Scarlet Knights.
Reeling from a home loss to Louisville, Hogue expects this Saturday to pose two concerns for the Orange: rebounding from the loss and doing it in a place he expects to be rocking.
‘We know Rutgers is going to come at us with everything they’ve got,’ Hogue said. ‘We just have to execute.’
For the Orange to prevail, it must shake off the poor offensive line play that plagued SU during last week’s loss to Louisville. Pugh is expecting a similar defensive scheme this weekend and said Rutgers’ experienced front four is among the best in the league.
Like last week, the margin of error is very small for the Orange. In what is expected to be a hostile environment Saturday, SU head coach Doug Marrone said the defense must create turnovers and the offense must capitalize on them. Something SU was unable to do against the Cardinals.
And the Orange must win the special teams battle. On the road, Marrone understands the importance of doing so. And with Syracuse now on the cusp of clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in six seasons, the Orange will be in store for a game with the feel of a street fight.
Pugh referred to it as a ‘heightened intensity,’ and Hogue noted that this will be a ‘big game’ for the Orange. This Saturday, Syracuse heads into unfriendly territory with one goal in mind: coming out with a victory and clinching bowl eligibility.
‘There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to get that seventh win,’ Hogue said. ‘There’s no doubt in my mind.’
