Rutgers 49, South Florida 16

1234T
RUTG (5-5)021141449
USF (6-4)0106016

Final

12:00 PM ET, November 15, 2008
Raymond James Stadium
TAMPA, FL

Rutgers on four-game win streak with rout over USF

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Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2025
Total Yards421404
Passing294328
Rushing12776
Penalties5-5010-100
3rd Down Conversions10-146-12
4th Down Conversions0-01-1
Turnovers26
Possession32:4827:12
Air/Ground Leaders
Rutgers Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Teel18/2929432
Young1/1000
South Florida Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Grothe28/4329213
Gregory3/53600
Rutgers Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Martinek2198226
Young636018
South Florida Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Grothe1350023
Williams41215
Rutgers Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Britt8173193
Underwood449020
South Florida Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Hester10110022
Williams559020
Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTERRUTGUSF
TD13:25Mike Teel 3 Yd Run (San San Te Kick) 70
FG10:15Maikon Bonani 22 Yd 73
TD05:21Jason McCourty 30 Yd Interception Return (San San Te Kick) 143
TD02:59Benjamin Williams 5 Yd Run (Maikon Bonani Kick) 1410
TD00:26Jack Corcoran 2 Yd Pass From Mike Teel (San San Te Kick) 2110
THIRD QUARTERRUTGUSF
TD09:44Joe Martinek 1 Yd Run (San San Te Kick) 2810
TD06:53Taurus Johnson 10 Yd Pass From Matt Grothe (Two-Point Conversion Failed) 2816
TD00:26Shamar Graves 28 Yd Pass From Mike Teel (San San Te Kick) 3516
FOURTH QUARTERRUTGUSF
TD12:57Kenny Britt 93 Yd Pass From Mike Teel (San San Te Kick) 4216
TD03:32Joe Martinek 2 Yd Run (San San Te Kick) 4916
Photo Wire
FILE -- This is a Nov. 15, 2008, file photo showing Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano screaming at referee Thomas...
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mike Teel threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns to help surging Rutgers rout South Florida 49-16 on Saturday for the Scarlet Knights' fourth consecutive victory.

Kenny Britt had his fourth straight 100-yard game receiving, scoring on a 93-yard pass play early in the fourth quarter. Rutgers (5-5, 4-2 Big East) also forced six turnovers to hand USF (6-4, 1-4) its fourth loss in five games.

Britt finished with eight receptions for 173 yards. It was his sixth 100-yard performance of the season, 12th overall -- moving him into third place on the career conference list for 100-yard games behind Larry Fitzgerald (14) and Antonio Bryant (13).

Jason McCourty returned one of his two interceptions 30 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and the Scarlet Knights recovered three fumbles -- all in Rutgers territory -- to frustrate Matt Grothe and the rest of USF's offense.

Grothe, one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, completed 28 of 43 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for a team-best 50 yards on 13 carries, but hurt his team with three interceptions.

The Scarlet Knights beat the Bulls for the third straight season. Rutgers won 22-20 in Tampa two years ago when South Florida had a failed two-point conversion in the closing seconds, and took another close one in 2007, prevailing 30-27 at home when USF was ranked second in the country.

Rutgers' four-game winning streak is the longest in the Big East and has revived a season that looked bleak when the Scarlet Knights stumbled to a 1-5 start. One of the biggest differences has been turnovers: Rutgers has forced 13 in its five victories compared to none in its five losses.

It's been much the same story for South Florida, which has not only dropped out of the Top 25 but also plummeted to near the bottom of the Big East after a 5-0 start in which Grothe did a nice job of protecting the football.

The junior was intercepted three times in USF's first seven games. He's thrown eight in the past three games, including two within a span of three passes in the second quarter Saturday.

McCourty returned the second interception 30 yards for a score that put Rutgers up 14-3. Grothe countered by leading an eight-play, 67-yard drive that Benjamin Williams finished with a 5-yard TD run, however that was as close at USF would come to making it a game.

Teel directed TD drives on four of Rutgers' next five possessions to build a 42-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. All of his TD passes came during that stretch -- a 2-yarder to Jack Corcoran, 28-yarder to Shamar Graves, and the one that Britt turned into the longest reception of his career.

The Rutgers receiver caught the ball at his 40, where he bounced off lunging defender Jerome Murphy and continued up the right side of the field to the end zone. Joe Martinek added a 2-yard TD run in the closing minutes, finishing with 98 yards rushing on 21 carries.

Teel completed 18 of 29 passes and was intercepted twice.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Friday, November 14th
22 Cincinnati 28 Final
Louisville 20
Saturday, November 15th
Rutgers 49 Final
South Florida 16
Connecticut 39 Final
Syracuse 14