Rutgers football plummets after UCLA loss as season hangs in balance

PISCATAWAY – The energy and excitement of that dramatic primetime victory over Washington that boosted Rutgers' record to 4-0 seems like a lifetime ago.

With the last three weekends brutal and Rutgers right at a crossroads, the season quickly faltered after the Scarlet Knights failed to build on early-season momentum that included a win at Virginia Tech.

The latest slap in the face came from new Big Ten rival UCLA, which traveled cross-country with a 1-5 record and left with a 35-32 victory. This follows the 42-7 loss to Wisconsin on the same field a week earlier and the loss to Nebraska the week before that.

It all falls apart pretty quickly as injuries mount, confidence plummets and the patience of the SHI Stadium faithful wears thin.

Now facing a talented USC team in their next test on the West Coast, the Scarlet Knights suddenly find themselves in a fight for their postseason lives. Instead of predicting which bowl game they might end up heading to, it's about where the two wins that give you bowl eligibility come from.

This was a missed opportunity as a sellout was announced in the stands on a fine afternoon. But the crowd booed as the Scarlet Knights left the field trailing 21-10 at halftime.

The inability to build on the momentum at the start of the season has been eye-opening. The performance bore little resemblance to some of those efforts in September. The November schedule, once loaded with games Rutgers thought it could win, now looks like a 50-50 game collection, if at all.

After escaping 21-19 in the third quarter, UCLA immediately scored two touchdowns on an injury-riddled defense to take a 35-19 lead with 12:13 to play. At this point, the mass exodus through the hallways and out of the student section began.

The problem is that many of the issues remain the same, including poor tackling and inconsistency on offense. Now UCLA has earned its first-ever Big Ten victory, and Rutgers is looking for answers to get out of its downward spiral.

The Rutgers players fought back and got within 35-25 with 10:35 to play. And got the ball back after a missed 54-yard field goal with 6:27 left. But Athan Kaliakmanis was blocked by Bryan Addison, which seemed to all but kill Rutgers' last best chance to get back in the game.

The defense got the ball back with 3:34 left on a strip sack by Kyonte Hamilton, which led to a touchdown by Kyle Monangai. But there was only 1:45 left to play and there were no timeouts as UCLA was able to run out the clock after an onside kick.

There were moments that had the potential to propel Rutgers forward in this moment. Like Ian Strong's one-handed, flying catch of a deep ball from 42 yards on a third-and-13 on their first drive that set up a game-winning TD. But UCLA had a 21-10 halftime lead.

As the program looks to advance in every way, from climbing the Big Ten rankings to depositing zero dollars into its coffers, this was a bitter loss. Following a terrible loss. And now you have to wonder whether the Scarlet Knights will be able to get out of this unexpected nosedive.

Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has covered athletics in the state and Jersey Shore for more than 35 years. Contact him at: @SteveEdelsonAPP; sedelson@gannettnj.com.

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