This was the sport that had a lot potential to dictate the course of Rutgers soccer’s season.
Not {that a} win would ship the Scarlet Knights flying by the remainder of the schedule, or {that a} loss would ship a dagger in Rutgers’ marketing campaign.
It’s far too early for both of these issues to occur.
However a win at Virginia Tech? To maneuver to 3-0 for the season?
That’s important.
Rutgers handed the check.
The Scarlet Knights, taking part in their first Energy 4 opponent of the younger season and dealing with by far their largest check to this point, beat the Hokies 26-23 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg after Jai Patel kicked a 24-yard subject aim with two minutes left and Robert Longerbeam made a game-sealing interception to kill Virginia Tech’s last drive.
Little or no about this sport was straightforward for Rutgers.
Although for some time it was.
Greg Schiano’s group held a cushty 16-point lead – a bonus that might’ve been wider had the Scarlet Knights been in a position to capitalize on some key alternatives and hadn’t missed a 36-yard subject aim early within the sport.
Then the Hokies scored consecutive fourth-quarter touchdowns – changing the two-point try every time – to tie the sport and ship Rutgers followers’ nervousness into overdrive.
“You be taught a lesson,” Schiano informed reporters after the sport. “You go actually get after any person after which it flips like that. It’s totally, very arduous. Particularly of their stadium to have the ability to pull it again and win the sport. That is what we did.”
Then got here Patel’s subject aim and Longerbeam’s decide.
Then got here the Rutgers win and each Scarlet Knight fan might breathe simply.
After which everybody can take a look at the standings and see a Rutgers group that has finished precisely what it’s wanted to do by three video games.
The Scarlet Knights simply beat two overmatched opponents at dwelling in Howard and Akron.
Then they went on the highway as underdogs and received at Virginia Tech – nonetheless shut it’d’ve been – for the primary time in program historical past.
And that arrange what might be one of the best dwelling surroundings Rutgers soccer has seen in additional than a decade when it hosts Washington on Friday at SHI Stadium.
Prime time. Beneath the lights. Nationwide tv.
And maybe most significantly, a beatable opponent within the Huskies.
Whereas Washington went to the nationwide championship sport final season and misplaced to Michigan, it’s a really totally different group this yr. It has a brand new coach in Livingston, New Jersey native Jedd Fisch after Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. It has a brand new quarterback after Michel Penix Jr. departed for the NFL − although Mississippi State switch Will Rogers is not any slouch, to say the least. It additionally has a protection that is led by the son of Invoice Belichick − former Rutgers long-snapper and lacrosse participant Steve Belichick.
The Huskies rolled previous struggling Northwestern Saturday evening to maneuver to 3-1.
Regardless, Rutgers is in a superb place, which might be strengthened much more with a win over Washington that might put the Scarlet Knights two wins away from bowl eligibility earlier than the calendar even flips to October.
Rutgers has probably the most manageable Massive Ten schedule it’s had since becoming a member of the convention a decade in the past, with loads of winnable video games remaining.
Certain, the Scarlet Knights barely received previous Virginia Tech.
However what issues is that they did.
“In some ways, this sport will assist us,” Schiano stated, “being by that have collectively.”
Three video games. Three victories.
To date for Rutgers’ season, so good.
Now the problem for the Scarlet Knights? Hold it going.