Sep 8, 2007, 2:57 GMT
Piscataway, NJ - Ray Rice scored three touchdowns and ran for 175 yards to lead the 15th-ranked Scarlet Knights over the Navy Midshipmen, 41-24, at Rutgers Stadium.
Rice, who scored one of his touchdowns receiving, became Rutgers' all-time leading rusher, surpassing Terrell Willis' previous record of 3,098 with a 19- yard run on the first possession of the game. He ended the contest with 3,273 career yards.
Mike Teel continued his strong start to the season, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-19 passing for Rutgers (2-0), which used a balanced attack to stay undefeated this season and improve their home win streak to nine games.
Kenny Britt added 99 yards and a touchdown receiving and Tiquan Underwood caught six passes for 104 yards for the Scarlet Knights, who have scored 79 points combined in their first two games.
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada finished 5-of-12 passing for 35 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for the Midshipmen (1-1), who failed to follow-up their season-opening 30-19 win over Temple with another victory. Kaheaku-Enhada did run for 35 yards and a score for Navy, which has dropped three straight to Rutgers.
Teel hooked up with Shamar Graves on a 12-yard TD pass 6 1/2 minutes into the game. The three-play drive was highlighted by a 30-yard pass play from Teel to Britt that brought the ball to the Navy 10.
Rutgers then cashed in on the first interception of Kaheaku-Enhada. Defensive end George Johnson came up with the pick at the Navy 20. From there, Rice carried the ball three times, capping it with a four-yard burst for a 14-0 lead with 4:58 left in the opening quarter.
The Midshipmen finally got on the board by ending their ensuing possession with a three-yard pass play from Kaheaku-Enhada to Reggie Campbell. The 11- play drive covered 57 yards and took nearly five minutes off the clock.
Jeremy Ito cap Rutgers' next possession with a 28-yard field goal to make it a 17-7 contest and then another interception of Kaheaku-Enhada led to seven more points by the Scarlet Knights.
This time, Ron Girault picked off Kaheaku-Enhada in the end zone, taking a potential seven points away from the Midshipmen. Eight plays later, Rice took a screen pass from Teel and went 22 yards for the score with just 34 seconds left in the half for a 24-7 cushion.
Kaheaku-Enhada ran in from two yards out to cap the first drive of the second half to draw the Midshipmen within 10 points.
Navy was on its way to getting seven more points on its next drive, but Kaheaku-Enhada was picked off for a third time, a second time in the end zone, and the Scarlet Knights again capitalized as Ito connected on a 20-yard field goal to end a 77-yard drive.
Navy's Matthew Harmon hit a 34-yard field goal with 3:59 elapsed in the fourth quarter to again make it a 10-point game.
However, Rutgers put the game away when Britt hauled in a 53-yard TD pass and Rice ran in from two yards out.
Jarod Bryant capped the game's scoring with a four-yard run for Navy.
Game Notes
Attendance was 43,514, the third largest crowd in Rutgers history and fourth straight sellout...Rice has run for 359 yards and scored five rushing TDs this season. He has six TDs overall.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
Your Talkback on this Story