Rutgers Rocks North Carolina In Quick Lane Bowl
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Football Texture/iStockphoto(DETROIT, Mi.) — The Rutgers Scarlet Knights first season in the Big Ten has been a bit of a roller coaster.
Friday, the state university of New Jersey’s football team capped its 2014 season with a 40-21 thumping of the North Carolina Tarheels.
The Scarlet Knights ran all over the Tar Heels as Josh Hicks led the charge with 202 yards on 19 carries, including a 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Robert Martin also took advantage of a porous North Carolina defense as he carried the ball 19 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
“This is a childhood dream come true,” Hicks said. “It is just now hitting me what happened out there. Our O-line was just so good today — they were opening lanes, and all I had to do was hit them.”
Hicks took home the MVP trophy for the Quick Lane Bowl.
Quarterback Gary Nova showed some of the same struggles that have plagued him all season, but did not turn the ball over. He finished the day completing 9 of 20 passes for 184 yards and tossed a pair of touchdowns.
“I saw the predictions before the season, so I knew what the public perception of our team was, especially going into the Big Ten,” Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. “But I have always believed that this was going to be a competitive team that was going to play in the postseason, and we proved that all year.”
Rutgers finishes the season 8-5, fourth in the Big Ten east and earned a signature win over the Michigan Wolverines.
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