It wasn’t pretty for Rutgers but the result sure was. A strong second half saw Rutgers simply wear down Boston College on both sides of the ball for a 22-21 win.
It is a huge win for Rutgers, a program-defining win, as the third year of the rebuild under head coach Greg Schiano gets a statement win over a Power Five opponent. It is a win that will have ramifications for Rutgers in terms of recruiting and building momentum for the rebuild.
A 12-play, 96-yard drive put Rutgers up 22-21 with 2:43 left in the game, an Al-Shadee Salaam 23-yard run with some good downfield blocking putting the Big Ten program up. Redshirt sophomore Gavin Wimsatt was the quarterback for every play of what proved to be the game-winning drive.
All 96 yards on the drive came on runs.
Rutgers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) hosts Wagner next week for their home opener. Boston College (0-1, 0-0 ACC) scored on their opening drive and was up until Rutgers took the lead late in the fourth quarter.
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Defensively, Rutgers bent a lot but didn’t break, bringing a lot of pressure on Boston College’s outstanding quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The future NFL quarterback, one of the best in the ACC, threw two interceptions and took several big hits in the second half. One hit, from Rutgers defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton, knocked Jurkovec out of the game.
The win at Boston College represents a second straight win over an ACC opponent in as many seasons. Last year, Rutgers beat Syracuse 17-7.
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