Massachusetts at Rutgers

Intro

This is Missed It. Massachusetts at Rutgers, Thursday, September 3, 85 and clear at SHI Stadium, with the Minutemen. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

First Blood, Then Answers

We open at SHI Stadium, 85 degrees and clear. Rutgers takes the ball first and grinds out a 13-play drive. Lonergan finds Duff short right, four yards, and it's a touchdown. 0 to 7. They're celebrating early. But we answer. Eight plays. Watson III drops back, fires short right to Faulkner, caught at the six, and he takes it 21 yards to the house. 7 to 7. The crowd is back in it. Rutgers punts. We take over and go to work. Fourteen plays. Adkins grinds two yards up the middle for a first down. Then, with the clock ticking in the second quarter, Watson III finds Faulkner again, two yards, touchdown. 14 to 7. We've got the lead.

The Turnover Tide

Rutgers tries to answer. Five plays in, Lonergan drops back, and Johnson is in his face. The sack, the fumble, and Johnson recovers it himself at the RU36. We take over. Two plays later, Watson III goes deep left. Griffin Jr. catches it at the goal line, 31 yards, touchdown. 21 to 7. The place is rocking. Rutgers punts again. We drive, eight plays, and Morris hits a 30-yard field goal. 24 to 7. They punt again. We kneel out the half. Then we open the third quarter with a 14-play drive that eats clock, and Morris drills a 52-yarder. 27 to 7. That's a statement.

The Stand

Rutgers comes out desperate. Thirteen plays. They get down to our 12. Lonergan tries to run it in, but DePaepe and Bournes meet him. No gain. Turnover on downs. We hold. Our offense stalls, we punt, and Rutgers gets a return that sets them up. But then, with the quarter winding down, Lonergan throws. Reed steps in front of it. Interception at our 15. He returns it a yard. We take over.

Closing It Out

We punt, pinning them at the one. Two plays later, Lonergan throws again. Harmon picks it off at the RU12, returns it to the seven. We're in business. Six plays. Morris hits another field goal, this one from 31. 30 to 7. Rutgers finally breaks one. Lonergan goes deep left to Duff, 78 yards, touchdown. 30 to 14. They're not done. We go three-and-out and punt. But Rutgers fumbles the momentum. Lonergan throws his third interception. Harmon again, this time at the RU28, returns it to the 22. Two plays later, Kimmons IV takes it up the middle, 17 yards, touchdown. 37 to 14. That's the dagger. Rutgers adds a late score, Surace to Duff from six yards out. 37 to 21. But we run out the clock. Faulkner grinds three yards for a first down, and that's the ballgame. Final: Massachusetts 37, Rutgers 21.

By the Numbers

The Minutemen by the numbers. Final score, Massachusetts 37, Rutgers 21. 397 yards of offense to their 349, 197 through the air and 200 on the ground. 21 first downs. 4 of 11 on third down. 0 turnovers for us, 4 for them. We held the ball for just over 36 minutes.

Outro

That was Massachusetts at Rutgers, from the Minutemen side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.

Intro

This is Missed It. Massachusetts at Rutgers, Thursday, September 3, 85 and clear at SHI Stadium, with the Scarlet Knights. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

First Blood at SHI Stadium

It's 85 and clear at SHI Stadium, and we are rolling. We take the ball first and we march. Thirteen plays. Lonergan finds Duff on the short right, caught at the goal line, four yards, touchdown. Pizzaro's kick is good. We're up 7 to 0, and this place is rocking. But Massachusetts answers. Eight plays. Watson III hits Faulkner, 21 yards to the house. It's 7 to 7. We punt. They get the ball back, and they don't stop. Fourteen plays. Watson III finds Faulkner again, two yards, touchdown. Just like that, it's 14 to 7, and the air goes out of the building.

The Turn

We need an answer. We get the ball back, and it goes wrong fast. Lonergan is sacked, the ball comes out, and Massachusetts recovers at our 36. Two plays later, Watson III goes deep left to Griffin Jr., 31 yards, touchdown. 21 to 7. We punt. They kick a field goal from 30. 24 to 7. We punt again. They kneel it out to end the half, then they get the ball to start the third. Fourteen plays, and Morris hits a 52-yard field goal. 27 to 7. We're in a hole, and it's getting deeper.

The Fight

We get the ball back and we start to move. Thirteen plays. Lonergan scrambles for two, first down. We're knocking on the door at the 12. Third and short. He keeps it again, zero yards. Fourth down. He keeps it again, zero yards. Turnover on downs. The drive dies at the 12, and it feels like the game might be dying with it. They punt, we get a big return, but a holding penalty wipes it out. We're driving again. Raymond picks up five, first down. Then Lonergan drops back, and he's picked off. Reed returns it a yard. Another chance, gone.

The Surge

They punt. We get the ball at our own one. Two plays later, Lonergan is picked off again. Harmon returns it to the seven. They kick a field goal. 30 to 7. Then, a spark. Lonergan goes deep left to Duff. Caught at the 45. Seventy-eight yards. Touchdown. Pizzaro's kick is good. 30 to 14. We're alive. They punt. We get the ball back. One play. Lonergan, intercepted again. Harmon again, this time to the 22. Two plays later, Kimmons IV rushes middle for 17 yards. Touchdown. 37 to 14. We don't quit. Surace comes in. He finds Carter for eight, first down. Then he hits Duff short right, six yards, touchdown. 37 to 21. We get the ball back one more time, but they pick up a first down and run out the clock. Final: Massachusetts 37, Rutgers 21.

By the Numbers

The Scarlet Knights by the numbers. Final score, Rutgers 21, Massachusetts 37. 349 yards of offense to their 397, 319 through the air and 30 on the ground. 18 first downs. 3 of 11 on third down. 4 turnovers for us, 0 for them. We held the ball for just under 24 minutes.

Outro

That was Massachusetts at Rutgers, from the Scarlet Knights side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.