2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

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, senior defensive captain and two time national defensive player of the week defensive tackle Ramel Meekins, 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.

2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
Texas Bowl champion
Texas Bowl, W 37–10 vs. Kansas State
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 12
Record11–2 (5–2 Big East)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorCraig Ver Steeg (4th season)
Co-offensive coordinatorJohn McNulty (1st as OC, 3rd overall season)
Defensive coordinatorGreg Schiano (2nd season)
Home stadiumRutgers Stadium
(Capacity: 41,500)
2006 Big East Conference football standings
ConfOverall
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  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

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
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 23:30 pmat North Carolina*
ABCW 21–1650,000
September 912:00 pmIllinois*
ESPN2W 33–041,036
September 163:30 pmOhio*dagger
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
MSGW 24–741,102
September 232:00 pmHoward*No. 23
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
MSGW 56–735,558
September 298:00 pmat South FloridaNo. 23
ESPN2W 22–2032,493
October 141:30 pmat Navy*No. 24
CSTVW 34–036,918
October 215:45 pmat PittsburghNo. 19
ESPN2W 20–1049,620
October 298:00 pmConnecticutNo. 16
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
ESPNW 24–1343,620
November 97:45 pmNo. 3 LouisvilleNo. 15
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
ESPNW 28–2544,111
November 187:45 pmat CincinnatiNo. 7
ESPN2L 11–3027,804
November 2512:00 pmSyracuseNo. 15
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
ESPNUW 38–743,791
December 27:45 pmat No. 15 West VirginiaNo. 13
ESPNL 39–41 3OT60,299
December 288:00 pmvs. Kansas State*No. 16
NFL NetworkW 37–1052,210
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings
See also: 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP————23242419161515715131612
CoachesRVRVRVRV23232419161514816131712
HarrisNot released232424191514137151316Not released
BCSNot released161412136141316Not released

References
  1. "Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Kansas State Wildcats - Recap - December 28, 2006". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
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