In case you missed it Friday, here is the link to our Q&A with Rutgers legend Phil Sellers, who wil be honored at the RAC today: Phil The Thrill takes a walk down memory lane

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano on why his team lost to Syracuse: "We didn't coach very well and ... we didn't play like a team that was ready to play a Big East football game.'' (Photo by Jason Towlen/MyCentralJersey.com)

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Rutgers center Ryan Blaszczyk, No. 61, reacts on the bench during the final minutes of Rutgers' 31-13 loss to Syracuse (Jason Towlen/MyCentralJersey.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Tom Savage looked shellshocked as he prepared for an interview, wiping a piece of fuzz from his face in a downtrodden Rutgers locker room following Syracuse's 31-13 shocker Saturday evening.

In a frustrated tone that illustrated his mood, Savage gave his version of the bloodbath that took place inside the Carrier Dome.

""I don't think we were focused enough,'' said Savage, who was sacked nine times by Syracuse's defense. ""We came off a great performance and we should've put it behind us. We just didn't perform the way we should've.''

All the good the Scarlet Knights had done in digging themselves out of a 0-2 start in Big East play went for naught in an upset of unfathomable proportions.

Rutgers has dropped lopsided games before, but you'd have to go back to the setback at Cincinnati in 2006 to come up with one as inexplicable as this against an injury-riddled Syracuse team that came in winless in Big East play.

""We didn't coach very well and we didn't play like a team that was ready to play a Big East football game,'' Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. ""This is what happens when you do that. We have to move on, and we have to learn from this.''

So much for that top-25 ranking Rutgers had earned following its 31-0 blanking of South Florida 10 days ago.

And forget about the prospects of the Gator Bowl, the Big East's second-best postseason game that's now wide-open following Notre Dame's loss to UConn Saturday.

At 7-3 overall and 2-3 in Big East play, the Scarlet Knights remain bowl-eligible, but this loss in Central New York might just send them farther north to Toronto come Jan. 2.

""My hat's off to Syracuse,'' said Schiano, who squandered a chance to raise his career record (now 53-54) over the .500 mark for the first time since the third game in his tenure in 2001. ""Those guys played well. They coached extremely well. I thought their plan was excellent. They played extremely hard and they played with emotion. We didn't play very well, and they did.''

While Schiano had no answers for why his offensive line yielded nine sacks, Rutgers center Ryan Blaszczyk said, ""I don't think we were as prepared as we should've been and Syracuse played lights out today.''

Kevin Haslam called the unit's performance ""frustrating.''

""We weren't really in the moment,'' Rutgers' right tackle said. ""I guess we could've focused a little better this week. Syracuse played a great game, both offensively and defensively, and we were just not in the moment.''

In the past two meetings, Syracuse built 14-0 leads only to squander them in lopsided defeats.

Despite losing eight starters to injury or defections in the past month, the Orange came out baffling the Scarlet Knights by rotating quarterbacks Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib, running old-school option plays, and basically using everything but the Statue of Liberty play from their playbook.

Touchdown runs by Antwon Bailey and Delone Carter put the Orange up 14-0 12 minutes into the game, and Syracuse wasn't about to waste this two-touchdown lead.

Not with Paulus (13-for-16, 142 yards) and Nassib completing 17 of 22 passes for 211 yards, and not with three tailbacks rushing for 65 yards or more (led by Bailey's 77).

""They just outplayed us,'' Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty said.

The end result saw the Orange outgain the Scarlet Knights, 424-130, in total yards from scrimmage while scoring five more points than their previous three games combined.

""There's some things that we haven't seen that they did, which was a good job by them,'' Schiano said. ""There's a lot of reasons why things happen, but more than anything we didn't coach or play well.''

Schiano acknowledged that his team will need to shore up its mistakes in short order, with a post-Thanksgiving Day game at Louisville looming.

""One thing I know is our kids weren't ready to play, obviously, by the way they came out and that's on me,'' Schiano said. ""Because you can't go out there and play that way. But to their credit they kept fighting to the very finish. But it wasn't good enough today, so we have to move on.''

And just like that, it's all gone.

Every last bit of equity Rutgers amassed over the past two months by winning six times in seven games and whipping No. 24 South Florida 31-0 was pretty much wiped out in the Carrier Dome.

All the respect they built in the weeks after getting pummeled by Cincinnati in the opener dissipated on Saturday. Last week's appearance in the Top 25 now looks like little more than a cruel tease.

Most of all, the cache of a lucrative bowl appearance, maybe even the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day, a possibility only if the Scarlet Knights got to 10-2, is now history.

And it was all there for the taking, especially with Notre Dame losing to Connecticut in overtime. Fittingly, as the Huskies were finishing off the Fighting Irish, the Orange's Averin Collier was breaking a long fourth-quarter TD run to put this one away.

Now it's on to Toronto to play Temple, or some scenario like that.

What a waste.

Sure, the Scarlet Knights can still finish 9-3, or 8-4. That's not bad. But until this 31-13 debacle against a Big East bottom-feeder, so much more was possible. The bar had been raised with their play over the last two months. They were poised to get every last drop out of this campaign, when you consider they simply weren't as good as Cincinnati or Pittsburgh.

Under coach Greg Schiano, these are the games they simply don't lose late in the season.

This is when they're building strength and beating up on teams like this. From that perspective, what transpired was definitely unsettling.

Quarterback Tom Savage absorbed a beating that was nothing short of a human rights violation, as the Orange took full advantage of the true freshman by throwing a host of different blitzes that he nor his offensive line had ever seen before.

Rutgers should have been ready for anything with so much on the line.

Defensively, they had no clue what to do when the Orange came out and started running the triple option, stealing off with 21 quick points before the Scarlet Knights got their bearings.

Again preparation -- and they had nine days to get ready for this one -- is of the utmost importance with so much to play for.

""We didn't coach very well, we didn't play very well,'' said Schiano. ""This is what happens when you do that in this league.''

To make it all worse, as if that's possible, wideout Tim Brown has an ankle injury. And now they have to go to Louisville to face a team that just beat Syracuse, with a short Thanksgiving week to prepare.

Yikes.

It's difficult to quantify how damaging this loss was.

It hurts in the recruiting wars, with Syracuse trying hard to get back into the picture in the New York/New Jersey area after falling off the map over the past decade. It will hurt the Big East in the bowl picture and cut down on national exposure for the Scarlet Knights.

There were a few fleeting moments where it appeared Rutgers might be able to sneak back into this one. To turn a devastating loss into a victory that would have ranked among the season's most important, given how badly they'd played.

They were nothing short of phenomenal on special teams, blocking a pair of kicks and getting a few big returns.

""That shows you how out of whack we were,'' Schiano added.

There was something missing from the outset. Perhaps they overlooked a seemingly weaker, injury-plagued opponent. They might have been flush with the success of being ranked nationally for the first time since 2007. They were clearly not prepared for what they would see on the field.

So a decade after a winless Rutgers put a crimp in Syracuse's bowl opportunities, the Orange returned the favor. And just like that, the possibilities for this season have been greatly diminished.

One play after Syracuse tried to surprise Rutgers with an onside kick, the Scarlet Knights' offense made the Orange pay for the gamble. Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu took a reverse handoff, rolled right and lofted a perfectly-thrown pass to fellow wideout Tim Brown. The play resulted in a 38-yard touchdown, and helped trim Rutgers' second-quarter deficit to 21-10.

WORST PLAY

Rutgers' first-half woes were epitomized on its final play, when San San Te missed his 46-yard field goal attempt wide left. Not only did the miss squander a chance for Rutgers to get within 11 points at intermission, the play was a costly one for Te, who was hit by Orange defender Phillip Thomas on the follow through. No penalty was called for the incidental contact, but Te had to be helped off the field with an apparent leg injury.

TURNING POINT

Rutgers failed to seize the momentum after both of its scores, and paid a dear price as Syracuse kept padding its first-half lead. Following Mohamed Sanu's 38-yard TD strike to Tim Brown, Syracuse marched 47 yards in nine plays and upped its lead to 24-10 with a 44-yard field goal by Ryan Lichtenstein.

THUMBS UP

Joe Lefeged got his hands on two kicks, blocking a punt out of the end zone for a second-quarter safety and blocking a field goal early in the fourth quarter. ... Middle linebacker Ryan D'Imperio posted a game-high 14 tackles for Rutgers. ... Of Doug Houge's seven tackles, 6 1/2 were for losses, including 3 1/2 sacks. Syracuse's linebacker should be a shoo-in for the Big East Defensive Player of the Week award.

THUMBS DOWN

Rutgers' offensive line had its worst performance of the season, yielding nine sacks, although some may have been the result of quarterback Tom Savage clinging to the ball too long. ... In addition to completing only seven of 17 pass attempts, Tom Savage matched his interception total for the season. Both picks were hauled in by Syracuse safety Mike Holmes.

BY THE NUMBERS

0: Chances Rutgers has of being ranked this week.

9: Number of sacks by Syracuse's defense.

18: Career touchdown receptions for Tim Brown, a new school record.

24: Number of sacks Rutgers' allowed this season heading into Saturday's contest, which ranked 96th nationally among 120 FBS schools.

96: Rutgers' ranking among 120 FBS schools in sacks allowed before Saturday.

424: Total yards of offense for Syracuse, compared to just 130 for Rutgers.

36,759: Attendance inside the Carrier Dome on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Rutgers will have a short turnaround, traveling to play Louisville this Friday for a post-Thanksgiving Day affair at Papa John's Stadium. The Cardinals are 4-7 overall and 1-5 in Big East play after dropping a 34-22 decision at South Florida on Saturday.

We're 20 minutes away from kickoff and the Carrier Dome has about 7,000 fans in it. I'd say about 2,000 are from Rutgers, which also has the Tim Smith-directed pep band performing from the corner section near the end zone tunnel where the Scarlet Knights enter the field.

Rutgers freshman WR Mark Harrison was "dinged'' during practice this week, according to a school official, and didn't make the trip up to Syracuse. Julian Hayes is expected to benefit the most from Harrison's absence.

Eric LeGrand gets the pre-game honor of carrying the ax onto the field. The sophomore from Colonia backs up Charlie Noonan at nose tackle and leads Rutgers in special-teams tackles.

Syracuse won the toss and opted to receive first. The Orange will head right to left on your computer screen.

Even with about 25,000 fans in it at kickoff, this place is very loud.

10:00: Syracuse takes its opening possession 76 yards in eight plays and scores on a 14-yard end-around by Antwon Bailey. Things couldn't haven't started much worse for Rutgers' defense, which committed two offsides penalties and looked totally confused against a Syracuse offense that rotated QBs Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib. The Orange ran two old-school option plays, executed a reverse, and threw only once in eight plays. 

Before you get too worked up by the 7-0 deficit, remember Syracuse opened with 14-0 leads the past two years only to get blown out each time.

8:54: Ok, maybe it's time to get worked up. After Devin McCourty took the kickoff down to the Syracuse 41, Rutgers went 3-and-out on offense, concluding their first possession with an interception by Tom Savage. Savage's over-the-middle pass was picked off in diving fashion by Syracuse saftey Mike Holmes.

2:48: Simply amazing. For the third year in a row, Syracuse has a 14-0 lead on Rutgers. We'll see if the Scarlet Knights can dig out of their hole this time, but know this: The Orange look really good today. They just marched 83 yards in 11 plays, capped by Delone Carter's 5-yard score.

Syracuse's kicker did just boot the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, meaning Rutgers will start with good field position at its own 40.

--- End of 1st quarter ---

Syracuse couldn't have looked much better. Rutgers couldn't have looked much worse. The Carrier Dome, despite being only about two-thirds full, is rocking.

14:30: Rutgers takes six plays and punts, as Tom Savage gets sacked by linebacker Doug Houge (for the second time in three plays) on 3rd-and-12.

Teddy Dellaganna's punt is downed at the 3 by Duron Harmon, and Syracuse will now have to march 97 yards if it is to pad its 14-0 lead.

Some quick stats to note:

Syracuse owns a 149-13 advantage in total yards, with 99 coming on the ground. The Orange held the ball for more than 11 minutes of the first quarter.

Syracuse moves only 4 yards in three plays and will have to punt from deep inside its end zone. Rutgers should get some good field position here.

12:46: So much for good field position. Joe Lefeged blocked Rob Long's punt out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety as Rutgers trims its deficit to 14-2.

The Scarlet Knights will get the ball following the safety.

12:41: Rutgers taking overat its own 33 with Tom Savage (2-for-4, 11 yards, 1 INT, 2 sacks) under center.

11:32: So much for seizing the momentum. Syracuse is taking over after another ominous 3-and-out for Rutgers in which Tom Savage was sacked for the third time by linebacker Doug Hogue and threw consecutive incompletions under pressure.

7:35: It's hard to fathom how a Rutgers defense that looked so dominant in its last game against USF can look so woeful today. The Scarlet Knights' defense looks so unprepared, with the latest Syracuse scoring drive spanning 63 yards in eight plays. Greg Paulus capped the march with a 1-yard TD pass to fullback Carl Cutler, giving the Orange a 21-2 advantage.

7:26: One play after Rutgers' Billy Anderson fielded Syracuse's surprise onsides kick, Mohamed Sanu rolled right off a reverse and lofted a perfectly-thrown 38-yard touchdown to Tim Brown.

Excellent play call, a nice catch and a great throw by a guy who played QB at South Brunswick High.

Tom Savage connects with TE Shamar Graves on the ensuing 2-point conversion, trimming Rutgers' deficit to 21-10.

Did Doug Marrone just spoil Syracuse's momentum with that onsides kick?

With that score, Tim Brown just set the Rutgers record for career TD receptions, surpassing Kenny Britt and Chris Brantley with 18.

3:11: Another drive, another score for Syracuse. The Orange march 47 yards in nine plays, with Ryan Lichtenstein drilling a 44-yard field goal to up the lead to 24-10.

--- End of second quarter ---

 Not sure where to begin with how bad the final drive was for Rutgers. Should we begin with the failure of Rutgers' offensive line to protect Tom Savage, who was sacked three times in as many plays after he drove the offense to the SU 14? How about the false start and delay-of-game penalties that helped make it 3rd-and-45? Or how about Tom Savage willing in his third down dart to Tim Brown for a 20-yard gain, setting up a field goal attempt as the clock ticked inside the final minute?

Or how about San San Te squandering the opportunity by missing a 46-yard attempt? Te injured his leg on the play, as his leg was hit by SU defender Phillip Thomas during his follow through (no penalty was called, nor should it have been in my opinion, although Greg Schiano flipped his lid that Te had to be helped off the field afterward).

The half really couldn't have ended in worse fashion for Rutgers, which wasted a valuable scoring opportunity and now trails 24-10.

The good news is Rutgers gets the ball first in the second half. The bad news is it could result in Tom Savage being sacked three more times.

Injury update: San San Te is not out here warming up for the second half. Kyle Sullivan, a freshman walk-on from Delaware, is practicing field goals.

14:38 (third quarter): Things really couldn't be going much worse for Rutgers. Its one thing to lose your kicker, but now Rutgers will likely have to go the rest of the game without its most explosive offensive player, Tim Brown, who appeared to injure his left leg while trying to block on the first play from scrimmage. The senior wideout had to be helped off the field, putting no weight on his leg in the process.

Rutgers' offense goes 3-and-out, as a Joe Martinek 5-yard run is followed by a pair of Tom Savage incompletions.

--- End of third quarter ---

There's a full quarter to play, but this game appears out of reach for Rutgers. Syracuse is headed for another score, already leading 24-10 after a scoreless third quarter. Even a field goal will make Rutgers need three scores to rally, which doesn't seem possible on a day when its only points have come from a WR-option pass and a blocked punt for a safety. Rutgers has been dominated in the trenches against a Syracuse team that has no business doing so.

Unless something drastically changes, we could be looking at the biggest upset in the Big East this season.

14:04 (fourth quarter): Is this the break Rutgers needs? Joe Lefeged just got his hand on another kick, blocking Ryan Lichtenstein's field goal attempt. After David Rowe recovered the loose ball, Rutgers' offense is setting up at the Syracuse 45.

11:41: San San Te showed no ill effects from his leg injury, capping a 5-play, 54-yard scoring drive by drilling a 24-yard field goal to trim Syracuse's lead to 24-13.

Tim Brown, who was injured early in the third quarter, also returned on the drive, dropping a TD pass in the end zone.  

Not sure what a field goal does there for Rutgers, but regardless the defense needs to step up with a 3-and-out on this Syracuse possession.

8:23: Devin McCourty appeared to partially block Rob Long's punt, and Rutgers' offense is taking over at its own 43. Rutgers needs to score on this drive.

7:22: Rutgers goes 3-and-out, as Mohamed Sanu drops a Tom Savage pass that would've resulted in a first down. Syracuse taking over at its own 17, but needless to say, the Scarlet Knights need to step up on defense.

5:45: Rutgers' defense does just that, forcing a 3-and-out and the offense is now taking over at its own 38.

4:44: Game, set, upset complete.

Tom Savage's pass bounces off the out-stretched hands of Mohamed Sanu and into the arms of Syracuse safety Mike Holmes, who snagged his second interception of the day.

On the ensuing ply, backup tailback Averin Collier races 60 yards for a back-breaking touchdown, putting the Orange ahead 31-13.

2:48: This about epitomizes the evening for Rutgers. Tom Savage got sacked on three straight plays, as Rutgers dropped 35 yards and needed to punt out of its own end zone.

After starting at Rutgers' 28, Syracuse shows mercy, opting not to score and settling for a 31-13 lead over the stunned Scarlet Knights. 

Syracuse wins, 31-13. We'll be here with plenty more analysis and quotes from the locker room after this bloodbath inside the Carrier Dome.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Joe Martinek ranks among Big East rushers with 81.0 yards per game. (MyCentralJersey.com file photo)

‹--- Has Rutgers finally rediscovered its running game after Joe Martinek chalked up 128 yards and a score vs. USF? Perhaps, but Martinek and Co. figure to have their hands full against a Syracuse defense that's yielding only 99.2 rushing yards per game (second in the Big East to Rutgers). ""I look at their defense and their rush defense is one of the best in the country,'' Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. ""If you can't throw the ball effectively to loosen them up a little bit you are going to have a hard day running it. We need to be able to run it when we want to. No one has been able to do it. We have to really find ways schematically and then give our guys a chance.''

‹--- A lot has been made about how Tom Savage keeps looking back to the sideline before the snap, but not only does it not allow the defense to rotate personnel, it's a way for Rutgers' quarterback to relay in the right play call from the coaching staff. It also helps in games like these, when the noise level inside the Carrier Dome could be a distraction. ""I do think we're better prepared to handle (noise),'' Schiano said.

Syracuse will be riding the legs of Delone Carter, a senior tailback who ranks fourth in the Big East at 85.2 rushing yards per game. (AP photo)

‹--- To say Syracuse comes into this game undermanned is an understatement. The Orange have lost six starters to injury, suspension or defection the past three weeks, including its top two defensive players, middle linebacker Derrell Smith and defensive tackle Arthur Jones (both out for the season). Still, Schiano noted: ""They have had guys step up. That is one of the beautiful things about football. There is always opportunities. One guy's misfortune is another guy's opportunity.''

KEY MATCHUP

Syracuse RB Delone Carter vs. Rutgers rush defense:

Syracuse's best chance to win may be to ride the legs of its senior tailback, who has eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in three of the last four games. Fresh off a 129-yard effort at Louisville, Carter will have his hands full against a Rutgers defense that ranks first in the Big East in fewest rushing yards allowed (98.2 ypg.). ""I think the reason why he's getting more yardage now is the offensive line is doing a better job than they were at the beginning of the year,'' Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said. Greg Schiano agreed. ""He's a good back,'' the Rutgers coach said. ""We knew that. I remember when he was coming out of high school. I mean, really a good back. I think the offensive line is blocking better each week. I see an improvement. And they've been able to keep that group relatively healthy.''

KEY NUMBER

18.0: Percentage opposing offenses have converted on third downs the past three games against a Rutgers defense that ranks first in the Big East in that statistic at 31.7 percent overall.

RUTGERS WILL WIN IF ...

If Tom Savage continues what he's been doing -- throwing the ball effectively and keeping the turnovers to the minimum, that is -- Rutgers should have no problem in this one. After all, Syracuse's weakness (the Orange are a Big East-worst minus-7 in turnover margin) is Rutgers' greatest strength (the Knights are an NCAA-best plus-21). Rutgers' defense should get its hands on some takeaways, but the Savage-engineered offense can't give it right back.

SYRACUSE WILL WIN IF ...

Lost in Rutgers' lopsided victories the past two years is the fact that the Orange have jumped out to 14-0 leads in both contests. Not only do the Orange need to jump out fast in this one, they need to hold onto a lead should they be fortunate enough to get one.

PREDICTION

This figures to be a big test for Syracuse, which would like nothing more than to re-establish the Metropolitan recruiting base it lost to Rutgers in recent years. The Orange appeared to be making strides under first-year coach Doug Marrone, winning three of their first seven games. But that was before a rash of injuries depleted an already-thin roster. Rutgers, which has outscored Syracuse 142-47 in winning the last four meetings, will justify its Top 25 ranking. Rutgers 31, Syracuse 17.

1. Hats off to sophomore forward Gregory Echenique, who tallied 16 points and 14 rebounds, had two critical blocks inside the final two minutes and made the game-winning layup at the buzzer. He showed what a dominant presence he can be, and it was telling that Fred Hill drew up the final play for him with 1.9 seconds left.

2. Throw out the horrendous free-throw shooting (16-of-35, including 8-of-24 in the second half) as an aberration---for now. Worry about it if you see it again. We did see a lot of front iron in the final 10 minutes, though---a tell-tale sign that guys were tired. That should never happen with a 10-man rotation.

3. Fred Hill constantly talks about efficiency, but his star player was anything but efficient. Mike Rosario shot 5-of-13 and was taking shots way out of the flow of the offense. He also had two turnovers, zero assists and dribbled into trouble on the final possession before Hill bailed him out with a timeout. Worrisome.

4. Good showing by the RU student section, which livened up the crowd of 4,442, even if they did boo all the missed free-throws in the final five minutes.

Echenique, on the final play: “I had a play in mind, but I thought I was going to get closer to the basket and shoot a hook with my right hand facing the baseline. But the (defender) pushed me out and JB threw it quick. I really didn't have time to figure out what was going on, so I figured go with my left hand, which I trust even through I'm not a lefty.'”

Hill, on calling for final play for Gregory: “I hope he understands how much confidence we have in him by going to him at the end of the game.”

Hill on the free-throw shooting: “Everything about this game is contagious, and when you start missing them, it's contagious. Hopefully it's an aberration and we forget about it.”

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint: “We had (three) guys fouled out, we shot 26 percent from the field and we lost the game with 1.9 seconds left. I mean, what do you say?”

Lee McDonald's 25-yard field goal was the game-winner in Rutgers' 24-21 overtime victory over Syracuse on Nov. 13, 1999. (Photo by Mark R. Sullivan/MyCentralJersey.com)

On a crisp autumn afternoon 10 years ago this week, Rutgers defeated Syracuse in perhaps the most improbable upset of the 1999 college football season.

The Scarlet Knights entered the game winless at 0-9 and carried an 11-game losing streak dating from the year before, while the Orange were already bowl-eligible at 6-3. Even recent history favored Syracuse, which outscored Rutgers 162-17 in the previous three seasons.

Bill Clinton may have been in the White House, but Rutgers hadn't beaten Syracuse since the Reagan administration, carrying 12-game losing streak into the Nov. 13, 1999 affair.

That all changed when Rutgers, despite a rash of injuries that included star quarterback Mike McMahon, outplayed a Syracuse team that had been favored by 34 points by Vegas odds makers.

Thanks to a 12-play, 96-yard scoring drive engineered by freshman Chad Schwenk, the Scarlet Knights tied the score at 21-21 with two minutes remaining in regulation. The game would go to overtime, and after Syracuse's kicker missed a go-ahead field goal attempt on the first series, the stage was set for some pandemonium in Piscataway before a scant crowd of 17,919.

Jeremy Ito may have kicked the most important field goal in recent Rutgers history, but Lee McDonald's 25-yarder to beat Syracuse is the most improbable.

""I remember how much the team had struggled throughout the year just in terms of getting a lot of injuries and not having the ball bounce our way for a lot of different reasons,'' McDonald said this week. ""And I just remember the joy that came from winning that game. Not only from the players, but everybody -- the coaches, our equipment managers, administrators and certainly the whole fan base was kind of overjoyed. For me to have an opportunity to be a part of that was just a once in a lifetime experience.

""I mean, how many guys in the last game of their college career get carried off the field?''

McDonald, who now serves as guidance supervisor at Manalapan High, insists there's a lesson to be learned from that game. An avid supporter of the Rutgers football team, McDonald looks at the storyline of Saturday's game against Syracuse and notes how the roles are reversed.

No. 25 Rutgers (7-2, 2-2 Big East) enters action seeking to improve its bowl standing, while Syracuse (3-7 0-5) is still searching for its first conference victory.

And, yes, even recent history favors Rutgers, which has outscored Syracuse 142-47 in winning the past four meetings.

""There's no question that there's a lesson to be learned from that ('99 game), in that on any given day anybody can beat anybody,'' McDonald said. ""I don't care if you're 0 and whatever or you're the Florida Gators. You're talking Division I college football, everybody's got athletes and the way football is everybody has to show up.

""So it's great that Rutgers is back in the Top 25, and they're starting to get some attention from that, but it means absolutely nothing once you put your shoulder pads on. Rutgers is only as good as their next game, so if they go up there and lay an egg, all this stuff to date really comes crashing down. It's funny, because they're in the opposite scenario of where we were.''

SYRACUSE DOWNFALL

McDonald jokes about it all the time. Whether it's Giants All-Pro center Shaun O'Hara or any of his other former teammates, McDonald says Rutgers' 24-21 upset ""was almost like the beginning of the end for Syracuse.''

""That was kind of like the start of their downfall,'' McDonald said from his Manalapan High office earlier this week. ""They were still a solid program at that time. It is amazing to see how much things have turned. Really, Greg came in and we all know what's happened since.''

McDonald is referring to Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, whom he has assisted in various kicking camps and in a mentoring capacity through the years.

McDonald, who runs a Central Jersey-based kicking academy called Special Teams Solutions, has worked with Rutgers kicker San San Te and Teddy Dellaganna.

""These kickers have a tight bond and he works with all the guys really,'' Schiano said. ""He helps us out in our summer camp. So it's a very good relationship.''

McDonald, however, also confessed something he hopes doesn't come back to haunt him. Among his clientele is Syracuse kicker Ryan Lichtenstein, a freshman who is 11-for-13 in field goal attempts this fall.

""The ironic thing is I've worked with both Rutgers' and Syracuse's kickers,'' McDonald said. ""They've come to my camps and I've personally trained their (Syracuse's) guys. I always joke around that I'll be in trouble once one of the kids that I train beats Rutgers.''

""YOU NEVER KNOW''

The likelihood of an injury-riddled Syracuse team outplaying Rutgers today, much less Lichtenstein having the opportunity to win it, rests somewhere between slim to nil.

Then again, McDonald says, ""I tell the kids that I train, you never know what can happen.

You can only control so much, and you have to be ready for an opportunity. Opportunity came my way that day and I took advantage of it.''

It came his way due in part to then-Rutgers coach Terry Shea's suspension of Steven Barone who had been disciplined for violating a team policy.

""For me it was kind of like being in the right place and the right time,'' said McDonald, who hadn't attempted a field goal that season before being called upon in overtime.

""Obviously I had to do my part, but that was minimal compared to the rest of my teammates having a great game and carrying out their assignments,'' he added. ""It was just a great game, the whole experience was phenomenal. Especially given the fact that the previous few years, it was pretty ugly.

""The year before, even though we finished 5-6, we went up there and lost 70-6 or something crazy like that. For that to happen, it was just unheard of for us to win that game.''

As for the game-winning field goal, which came off a snap from O'Hara and was held by Mike Jones, McDonald said his only thought was to ""get the kick off.''

""I just got the ball as high and as straight as possible,'' he said. ""I didn't try to kill it. The biggest thing was getting the ball up as quickly as possible, because obviously they were bringing the house.

""Like any kicker will tell you, you want to be in that position in the fourth quarter or in overtime when you have that opportunity to nail down the win for your team.''

          That’s what Rutgers is doing Sunday, when Phil “The Thrill” Sellers will be recognized during the Scarlet Knights’ game against Vermont. Sellers’ exalted place in program lore is unimpeachable: He remains the all-time leader in points (2,399) and rebounds (1,115) and was a first-team All-American in 1975-76, leading Rutgers to an undefeated regular season and its only Final Four.

          The East Orange resident, who turns 56 today, will be accompanied by his wife Patricia and his daughter Kendra. His son Phil is playing basketball in Germany.

          Among his former teammates expected to be on hand Sunday are Eddie Jordan, Mike Dabney, Hollis Copeland, Abdel Anderson, Bruce Scherer, Steve Hefele, John Kelly, Mark Conlin, Mike Palko, Stan Nance and Joe Boylan.

          They will be introduced during the 12-minute timeout of the first half, and afterward head coach Fred Hill will host a reception for them at the new visitors’ center.

We caught up with Sellers earlier today for a Q&A:

Q. How much are you looking forward to coming back on Sunday?

A. It will be exciting. I understand a lot of my teammates are going to show up. It’ll be nice to see those guys because I haven’t seen some of them in quite a while.

Q. Looking back at your playing days, what stands out most?

A. You know what, after so many years I didn’t realize the following we had. We had the whole state of New Jersey. Some years after I finished school I kind of realized when I would run into people how excited they were just to watch us play. I guess it was the style we were playing.

Q. For those of us who didn’t see you play, can you tell us how a 6-5 forward dominated the paint?

A. That comes from my background. I’m originally from the city. That park mentality, playing in the playgrounds, I always had that quickness to the ball. I guess I had an eye for where the ball was going to go. With that ability, and the fact that I had a pretty quick jump, for a guy my size I was able to outsmart some of the bigger guys and beat them to the ball.”

Q. Do you ever wonder how the 1975-76 team would fare in today’s college game?

A. It’s interesting you say that, because sometimes I kind of would want to see how we would fare. I don’t know. I think we would be able to hold our own. We weren’t a very physical team but we were fast and we were pretty smart.

Q. Last year Mike Rosario broke your freshman scoring record. What advice would you have for him on how to build on that and achieve the kind of things you went on to achieve?

A. I would tell him to really get into the program. That’s what I did. I made it my business to help recruit guys to come to Rutgers, to help me in what I was trying to accomplish. If I had a chance to speak to Rosario, I would say “Listen man, the fact that you’re from New Jersey and they produce a lot of good athletes, if coach Fred Hill is interested in a guy, take time out of your schedule and get into the recruiting.” Each year we got another piece to the puzzle, so by the time I was a senior it fit together so well.

Q. Considering the great shape that you guys left the program in, are you surprised Rutgers hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1991?

A. Very much surprised, but it’s difficult. There is so much competition in recruiting nowadays. It is very hard to be able to grab some of these key players because a lot of them go out of state and some other universities have a lot more to offer. Rutgers, with their facilities, has to get to a point where they have more to offer in terms of recruiting. Some of these universities have good programs, great facilities and coaches like (Rick) Pitino at Louisville and (Jim) Calhoun at Connecticut. I give Fred Hill a lot of credit to just be able to compete with that kind of competition. It’s not easy.

Q. Can you still light it up?

A. We were talking about that when I met up with some of the guys the other day at the Barn. We can’t run up and down the court like we used to, but there’s some things you never forget how to do. It's like riding a bicycle. You may not ride as fast but you still know how to ride. I can still shoot it. The running, that’s the hard part.