Rutgers tops Army at Yankee Stadium

It was a special occasion for Rutgers and Army, for all the right reasons. It wasn't flawless and it meant nothing in any standings, but it was exciting and a tad historic with a record for receiving. Most important was the setting: The game was at Yankee Stadium and far from the epic scandal at Penn State.

Just having a regular game would have been satisfying, given that all of college football has been shrouded by the allegations that brought down legendary coach Joe Paterno. Beyond that, Rutgers' 27-12 win Saturday went the extra mile, for starters, just by being in America's most famous ballpark.

"It was the coolest thing ever," said Jordan Thomas of Rutgers, who scooped up the ball after Wayne Warren blocked an Army punt and ran 32 yards for a touchdown that put the Scarlet Knights up 20-12 with 6:36 left. "I thought the Stadium was amazing. Just watching on TV and imagining it was something. Then being here was surreal."

Rutgers had not played a game in Yankee Stadium since 1948, so the team wasn't about to lose a taste for the atmosphere. Defensive tackle Scott Vallone of Central Islip, a former star at St. Anthony's on Long Island, had a better feel for it than most of his teammates. "I had been here a couple times. I was all the way up in leftfield for a Yankees-Red Sox game that went to the 15th inning," he said, standing in the locker room to which the Red Sox retreated after Alex Rodriguez' home run that August night in 2009. "We didn't get home until 4 in the morning because there were no trains.

"It's such a historic place, it's an honor to be here," he said.

Saturday afternoon, it was an honor to be anywhere but in the Penn State program that is reeling from massive sexual abuse allegations. That situation did affect Rutgers this week, given that coach Greg Schiano worked for six years under Paterno and has been mentioned as a possible successor. During the week, Schiano had said, "It hurts when someone you love hurts . . . The whole thing that's going on out there is sad."

But there was no time to dwell on that Saturday. Rutgers (7-3) continued gaining momentum in this non-conference game. Given that there is a logjam atop the Big East and that the Scarlet Knights play Cincinnati next week and that Cincinnati lost its quarterback Saturday, there is the chance that Rutgers could play in its first BCS bowl game.

"We just have to go out this week and prepare more than we ever have," said Mohamed Sanu, whose 13 receptions made him the Big East's single-season record holder (with 94). Schiano said, "I'm happy for him. He's such a great person."

Much of this game wasn't so great. Each side missed a point after touchdown. Rutgers' normally reliable kicker San San Te also yanked a 26-yarder. It didn't help that the new sod placed on what normally is the infield came loose in clumps. It really didn't help Army (3-7) that Stephen Fraser's apparent 51-yard run in the fourth quarter -- with Rutgers up 13-12 -- was reduced to a 10-yard gain on a tripping call. "I didn't see it," coach Rich Ellerson said when asked his opinion of the penalty.

Still, the 30,028 present (including Joe Girardi, who was on the sideline) did see a pretty good show. "This is a heartbreaker," said Army running back Malcolm Brown of Bay Shore. "They're a great team, obviously. Their record shows that they're a great team. But we feel we can beat them whenever we show up."

In the end, it felt like a big event, especially for Rutgers. "If the chips fall right," Vallone said, "this game could mean something for our rankings and things like that."