PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With a four-game test of Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin looming on the horizon, Rutgers' game against non-Power 5 doormat Tulane on Saturday (noon, ESPNews) looks like the proverbial trap game, the quintessential underdog that could bite them in the rear.
Even if Rutgers coach Kyle Flood insists he doesn't believe in trap games, he is determined to make sure his Scarlet Knights (3-1) don't stumble all the same.
"Whether you want to consider it fortunate or unfortunate, I was here in 2010 when Tulane came up here and whooped us in our own stadium,'' Flood said. "The opportunity to be 1‑-0 [Saturday] in our home stadium in a major college game, that's enough of a challenge for me. We have a really well-coached team … coming in here. It's going to take all our focus and energy to be 1‑-0 on Saturday.''
Rutgers has exceeded expectations — a win Saturday would match the four-victory total that Las Vegas oddsmakers had predicted for them — and is not surprisingly a double-digit favorite.
Tulane (1-3) has struggled mightily, losing all three games it has played against FBS foes by a combined 123-65 score.
Still, the Scarlet Knights have lost two of their three home games against Tulane, including that 17-14 defeat in 2010 that saw Rutgers QB Tom Savage get injured and Homecoming get spoiled.
"I don't know that it'll be a talking point. … This is a different team, a different coaching staff. I was here, but the coaching staff wasn't. This group of players on defense is completely different — none of them were a part of that game,'' Flood said. "[But] to me I don't know that you have to go back that far to really see every week teams that don't come to play in major college football get beat.''
If Rutgers gets beat, it may well be because of turnovers. Gary Nova has thrown six interceptions — five against Penn State — and Tulane is eighth in the country with six picks. Tulane QB Tanner Lee is a strong-armed redshirt freshman, while RBs Sherman Badie and Lazedrick Thompson are dangerous.
The Green Wave have some pedigree as well. Sophomore linebacker Nico Marley is the grandson of reggae icon Bob Marley and son of ex-Miami LB Rohan Marley, and backup QB Nick Montana is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana. Still, the pedigree of RU's upcoming foes implies it can ill afford to lose Saturday.
Starting with next weekend's game against the visiting Wolverines, the games against Michigan, at Ohio State, at Nebraska and finally Wisconsin represent the meat of Rutgers' first-ever Big Ten schedule. Reaching six victories in their debut season — and becoming bowl eligible — would be a huge accomplishment, and that likely will require avoiding an upset Saturday.
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