November 29, 2012

Bobby Deren and Howie Lindsey

The scene is set for yet another Rutgers vs Louisville classic. With so much on the line tonight in Piscataway, who has the edge? We asked our resident experts!

Bobby Deren scarletnation.com		Howie Lindsey cardinalsports.com
The Rutgers offense has struggled to find a rhythm in its past three games and had to rely on its defense to lead the way to victory. Jawan Jamison getting healthy will be key in moving the RU offense as will Teddy Bridgewater's status be key for Louisville. Injuries aside, the Cardinals have owned the more consistent offense all season and despite injuries at the running back and quarterback position, they still have the edge over Rutgers in this one. But how Jamison and Bridgewater fare tonight will have an impact on their respective teams.	Which team has the more potent offense?	I would have said Louisville by a long shot prior to Saturday's pitiful 23-20 triple overtime loss to Connecticut. Louisville's offense was incredibly anemic. Still, the Cardinals lead the Big East in scoring offense at 32.0 points per game, more than 9 points more per game than Rutgers.
Gary Nova. When Nova has played poorly, Rutgers has suffered. But the Scarlet Knights do not need a 400-yard passing performance from Nova in order to win. Rutgers simply needs him to manage the game and make a few plays here and there. Nova must also shy away from throwing interceptions. In the second half of the season, Nova has thrown 11 picks and the result has been a 3-2 record for Rutgers. Prior to that, Nova led Rutgers to a 6-0 record, throwing only two interceptions. How Nova manages the game will be paramount to Rutgers' success on the offensive side of the football.	Who is the Offensive 'X Factor,' and why?	Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the best quarterback in the league. Pitt's Tino Sunseri might be more steady in recent games and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib might have more yards per game, but Bridgewater's passing efficiency leads the league. He has thrown for 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions, seven fewer than Rutgers' Gary Nova. He's also the X-factor because X-rays showed that he broke his left wrist Saturday. He'll be playing exclusively from the shotgun Thursday night.
Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights own the 14th ranked defense in the nation and also rank 14th in turnover margin. Rutgers thrives on creating turnovers and has a conference-high 15 interceptions this season. Louisville has shown a bit more inconsistency on defense, particularly against the run. Rutgers has fared well against the run and with a limited rushing attack for Louisville, yards on the ground could be tough to come by for the Cardinals tonight.	Which team has the better defense?	Rutgers gets the edge in total defense 317.4 to 345.5 and has allowed just 16 touchdowns this season. That is incredibly impressive. Louisville's defense has been nothing short of a mess during some games this season. The Cardinals haven't got enough pressure on quarterbacks and they've allowed 159.9 rushing yards per game, good for second to last in the league.
Rutgers' defensive line. The RU linebackers will likely turn in another solid game and corner/safety blitzes will bring pressure from the secondary. But the front four will need to get a push in order to make things more difficult for a hampered Bridgewater. If the defensive line can get consistent pressure it could open up a lot of things for the RU defense. Senior defensive tackle Scott Vallone is playing at a high level, averaging better than seven tackles in his last three games. However, Vallone will need some help from his young defensive tackles and veteran defensive ends.	Who is the defensive 'X Factor,' and why?	Defensive end Lorenzo Maudin returned from injury last week and should be full healthy this week. Mauldin was Louisville's most-effective pass-rusher prior to getting hurt, and he will be a key to getting pressure on Nova. Mauldin is a freak athlete with amazing speed, but any kind of double team or even a chip can eat into his effectiveness.
Rutgers. The team once again leads the nation in blocked kicks so every punt could be an adventure for the Cardinals. RU punter Justin Doerner has struggled all season although walk-on kicker Nick Borgese seems to be gaining more confidence as the season goes on. RU junior Jeremy Deering is a threat and if he can get his hands on some kickoffs, he could be a dangerous weapon. Louisville's lackluster special teams could find itself playing a key role in the outcome as Rutgers has used special teams as a weapon all year to help manufacture points.	Who has the edge on special teams?	Louisville's special teams - outside of field goal kicking - have been atrocious. The Cardinals are ranked in the 100-120 range in three special teams categories. If Rutgers is worse than that? No way. Louisville's punt game has been meh, and the punt returns have been non-existant. Kickoff returns haven't been much to write home about either.
Bridgewater came up with a big drive at the end of last week's game to take UConn into overtime. Nova moved the ball downfield against Arkansas in a hurry but that was seven games ago. As of late, Nova has struggled while Bridgewater has solidified his place as the Big East's top quarterback. Rutgers has a host of downfield threats but covering a lot of green in a hurry depends a lot on the quarterback. Bridgewater and the Cardinals have the edge in this one.	If the game comes down to a final drive, which team drives the length of the field?	Louisville will drive the length of the field on Rutgers. The Cardinals have big play threats in DeVante Parker, Andrell Smith and Damian Copeland and Bridgewater has the ability to string together completions. Plus, Louisville will have more chances to drive the length of the field because their kick return game is so bad.
Teddy Bridgewater is hurting, Charlie Strong could be on his way out of Louisville and the ACC hooplah has also served as a distraction for the Cardinals on a short week. Everything is setting up for a Rutgers victory in front of what is expected to be a raucous, sold-out home crowd. However, the Scarlet Knights still have to go out and execute. With a BCS bowl bid on the line, the Rutgers defense will lead the way for the Scarlet Knights to make history in Piscataway. Rutgers 17 Louisville 13.	Which team will win?	This is going to be an extremely tough game for Louisville. The Cardinals are legitimately an underdog, and they haven't played well in three weeks. Still, the Cardinals should be able to score 20 or more points which means it should be a tight game. Here's hoping it comes down to a Louisville field goal. On Louisville's first attempt, they miss, but a Rutgers defender jumps offsides. On Louisville's second attempt, they hit it. Louisville wins 24-21.