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Cincinnati looks to stay undefeated at stunned Rutgers

Oct 6, 2007 - 10:45 AM No. 20 Cincinnati (5-0) at No. 21 Rutgers (3-1) 8:00 pm EDT

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- In recent years, Rutgers has rebounded well from defeats. Greg Schiano certainly wishes his team weren't in that position this week.

Schiano's 21st-ranked Scarlet Knights look to bounce back from a surprising loss when they host unbeaten No. 20 Cincinnati on Saturday in an important early Big East Conference game.

Rutgers (3-1, 0-0 Big East), which is concluding a five-game homestand to begin the season, rolled through its first three games before being stunned by Maryland last week, 34-24.

Mike Teel threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and a key lost fumble for the Scarlet Knights, who looked rusty after a bye week following their 59-0 thrashing of Football Championship Subdivision squad Norfolk State.

Down 27-17, Rutgers pulled within three points on a one-yard TD run by Ray Rice with 4:41 to play, then stopped Maryland on a 4th-and-1 play at the Scarlet Knights 35 with 2:32 to go. But four plays later, Teel was sacked and lost the football at the Rutgers 14, and the Terrapins scored on the next play to ice the game.

Rutgers is 5-1 after losses since 2005, including 3-0 last year. This will be just the third time in 138 seasons of football that a ranked Scarlet Knights team will play a ranked opponent.

The only other team in the Big East yet to play a conference game, Cincinnati (5-0, 0-0) improved to 6-0 under coach Brian Kelly with a 52-23 triumph at San Diego State last Saturday.

Ben Mauk threw for 257 yards and a career-high four TDs with one interception for the Bearcats, who are off to their best start since beginning 8-0 in 1954.

Last year under Mark Dantonio, now Michigan State's coach, the Bearcats knocked off undefeated Rutgers, 30-11.