2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
| {{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]] | |
|---|---|
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 12 |
| AP | No. 12 |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Louisville $ | 6 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 West Virginia | 5 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Rutgers | 5 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Florida | 4 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 4 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 2 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connecticut | 1 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | 1 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights campaign was considered by many to be the breakout season for the Rutgers football team. Led by Draddy Trophy winning senior fullback Brian Leonard, sophomore quarterback Mike Teel, sophomore halfback Ray Rice, sophomore wide receiver Tiquan Underwood, junior defensive tackle Eric Foster, and junior kicker Jeremy Ito, Rutgers finished the season ranked 12th in the Associated Press and Coaches polls, won eleven of thirteen games, and recorded the first bowl game win in school history.
The team started off the season going undefeated through nine games, including a dramatic win over then-3rd ranked Louisville, which was highlighted by kicker Jeremy Ito's last minute field goal to seal the win. After they were defeated by both West Virginia and Cincinnati, they received an invitation to play Kansas State in the inaugural Texas Bowl. Rutgers defeated Kansas State 37-10 for the first bowl game win in school history. Halfback Ray Rice was named the game's MVP and ran for 170 yards and one touchdown in twenty-four carries.[1] Due to his tremendous 2006 season, in which he ran for 1,794 yards and scored twenty touchdowns, Rice won Big East Player of the Year honors. He also finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award.
Schedule
September 23:30 PMat North Carolina*
ABCW 21–16 50,000 September 912:00 PMIllinois*
ESPN2W 33–0 41,036
September 163:30 PMOhio*
MSGW 24–7 41,102 September 232:00 PMHoward*No. 23/23
MSGW 56–7 35,558 September 298:00 PMat South FloridaNo. 23/23
ESPN2W 22–20 32,493 October 141:30 PMat Navy*No. 24/25
CSTVW 34–0 36,918 October 215:45 PMat PittNo. 15/19
ESPN2W 20–10 49,620 October 298:00 PMConnecticutNo. 15/16
ESPNW 24–13 43,620 November 97:45 PMNo. 3/4 LouisvilleNo. 15/16
ESPNW 28–25 44,111 November 187:45 PMat CincinnatiNo. 7/8
ESPN2L 11–30 27,804 November 2512:00 PMSyracuseNo. 15/16
ESPNUW 38–7 43,791 December 27:45 PMat No. 15/15 West VirginiaNo. 13/13
ESPNL 39–41 3OT60,299 December 288:00 PMvs. Kansas State*No. 16/17
NFL NetworkW 37–10 52,210
References
- ^ "Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Kansas State Wildcats - Recap - December 28, 2006". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2010.