Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs chugs beer on stage at football tailgate party before it gets shut down (VIDEO)

Three days after Rutgers Athletic Director Pat Hobbs chugged a beer on stage before a pumped up parking lot crowd prior to the Scarlet Knights football home game against New Mexico, the Big 10 school has decided to suspend the student tailgate festivities for the rest of the season after only two games because things have gotten so out of hand.

Last Saturday's game drew about 500-800 students but ballooned to nearly 3,000 after word spread about the school-sponsored event.

A video shows Hobbs with a microphone addressing the crowd at the event when somebody offers him a drink.

“No I can’t drink that right now,” Hobbs said as the crowd continued to egg him on until he eventually downed the brewski.

“Hold on,” Hobbs said as he cracked open the can. “I am of age. If they card me I’m okay. Go R-U.”

Rutgers University police chief, Kenneth Cop (that's his name), said citations were issued to a total of four people during the course of the tailgate.

That's when Hobbs apparently arrived and took the stage to try and calm the crowd before succumbing to student peer pressure.

"I regret that any action on my part can be interpreted as promoting the use of alcohol,'' Hobbs said. "That was certainly not my intention.''

Hobbs apologized for his behavior, claiming in a statement that he was just trying to restore order to a tailgate party that was reportedly getting out of control.

“My first concern is always for the safety and well-being of our students,'' Hobbs said. "Anyone who was at the (student tailgate) Saturday knows that I was acting to ensure that.''

Rutgers returns 2nd-half kickoff for TD, students miss chance at $100,000 (VIDEO)

Rutgers was going to give out $100,000 to 100 lucky students — $1,000 to each randomly picked kid — if the team took the season's opening kickoff back for a touchdown.

Speedy junior return man Janarion Grant did take one to the house during the Scarlet Knights' 63-13 victory against Norfolk State on Saturday... but in the second half.

100 @RFootball students would have won $1K apiece if Rutgers returned the opening kick. So, of course, this happened. http://t.co/oK9qMSXVR1

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 5, 2015

It's too bad for the students, but that free law lesson might come in handy. Namely, read the fine print.

It's not 1,000 clams, but a 63-13 victory will probably do.

Five Rutgers football players arrested in alleged campus assault and home invasion: Report

Just two days before Rutgers opens its 2015 Big Ten season, a handful of players found a way to bring more problems to the university's already scandalized football program.

Five current Rutgers football players, including the cornerback at the center of a university-led academic investigation into head coach Kyle Flood, were arrested Thursday for assaulting a group of individuals in April, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office and the New Brunswick Police Department announced. Another player, defensive back Andre Boggs, was charged in two separate robberies. 

All five players have been suspended by the team.

The statement said one of the victims of the attack was a 19-year-old Rutgers student who had his jaw broken in the unprovoked attack.

The players charged are Nadir Barnwell, 20, Ruhann Peele, 22 (both of Piscataway); Razohnn Gross, 20, of Franklin Park, Delon Stephenson, 22 of Sayreville, and Boggs, according to NJ.com.

Daryl Stephenson, 23, Delon's brother and a former student at Rutgers, remains at large, according to the statement.

Barnwell’s name was already in the center of a controversy at Rutgers. The school is investigating if Flood illegally contacted a professor about Barnwell’s academic standing. According to two school officials, the cornerback was ruled academically ineligible in the spring.

Thursday morning at practice, Flood said he expects to coach Saturday’s opener against Norfolk State. That same practice was attended by AD Julie Hermann and several police officers.

Hermann issued a statement saying the players had been suspended.

"The students involved are currently suspended from our program,'' Hermann said. "We continue to monitor the situation. We will have no further comment as this is a pending legal matter.''

According to the press release, the probe began following a home invasion on April 26, where three masked men forced their way into the home and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and marijuana from five students at gunpoint.

Police eventually arrested Tejay Johnson, of Egg Harbor Township, and they later linked him to a home invasion that occurred on April 27 and one on May 5 in a dorm room on the Livingston campus.

Police say Johnson and the five football players surrounded a group of at least four other individuals, including a Rutgers student, and assaulted them during an incident on Delafield Street on April 25.

The six were charged Thursday with aggravated assault, riot, and conspiracy to commit a riot.

In May, cornerback Darian Dailey was arrested for armed robbery in Florida.

Rutgers giving $100,000 to 100 fans in attendance if team returns 1st kickoff for TD

Rutgers is doing everything it can to have students fill High Point Solutions Stadium for the Scarlet Knights’ opener against Norfolk State on Sept. 5. So much so, the school is willing to pay $100,000 to 100 randomly chosen students if RU takes its first kick return of the season into the end zone.

That's $1,000 to each lucky student after they divvy it up.

The Knights' kick returner, Janarion Grant, is always a threat to take it in but it's still a long shot. He returned a kick for a touchdown in 2013, and averaged over 25 yards per return last season.

But, on that first kickoff, you can bet the Junior player will hear more cheers from the entire student section — well, at least 100 of them — than he's ever heard before.

If Rutgers returns 1st kickoff vs. Norfolk State for TD, 100 random students sitting in student section will each receive $1,000 each

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) August 27, 2015

No word on a do-over if the Norfolk kicker boots it out of the end-zone for a touchback.

And you thought sports gambling was dead in New Jersey.

Ray Rice issues statement apologizing for domestic abuse incident

With the one-year anniversary of Ray Rice’s punch-out of Janay Palmer (now Janay Rice) in an elevator approaching, the former Baltimore Ravens and Rutgers running back issued a statement Friday morning to the Baltimore Sun, apologizing for the domestic abuse incident which was captured on video.

Rice, who slugged Palmer in an Atlantic City casino on Feb. 15, apologized to the city of Baltimore, the Ravens and children who saw him as a role model. The disgraced — and jobless — running back also called his time in Baltimore "by far the best" in his family's lives.

At the time of the assault, Palmer was his fiancee. She later became his wife who has defended her husband against media criticism.

Addressed to the city of Baltimore, here's the full statement Rice released, according to the Baltimore Sun:

Dear Baltimore,

This is not a farewell or goodbye. The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you've shown my family and I throughout my football career. We'll always be grateful for the love we've received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl. To all the kids who looked up to me, I'm truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it's helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare. There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by raising awareness of this issue. Thank you, Baltimore Ravens, for all you have done for my family and I. I'm very grateful to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh, and everyone at 1 Winning Drive. I love you all very much, and I'll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens.

Thank you.

-- Ray Rice

The 28-year-old Rice hasn't had any opportunities to rejoin an NFL team despite being free to sign since the latter weeks of last season.

Call Rice's shame the Valentines Day gift that keeps giving or — more precisely — the one that will keep coming back.

Eric LeGrand compares moment he was paralyzed to Beyonce's MTV VMAs performance: Report

Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand continues to show how mentally tough it is to handle the paralysis he suffered in a game back in 2010 — but that doesn't mean a little sense of humor can't help.

During the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, LeGrand watched a Beyonce performance that left social media buzzing. And the former defensive star joined the fun:

Beyoncé got everyone like this when she performs Drunk in Love pic.twitter.com/9Zbck535Jd
— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) August 25, 2014

That photo accompanying the tweet was the hit which paralyzed LeGrand on a kickoff against Army in October of 2010. Some Twitter users were actually shocked and even offended by the tweet, while others took it in stride.

How about this @emesola chick getting all offended over @EricLeGrand52's joke about himself? @BarstoolBigCat pic.twitter.com/VihQsxZNm1
— Brian Elliott (@_BrianElliott) August 25, 2014

Nearly an hour later, LeGrand clarified himself by tweeting this:

With my last tweet you guys can see that I have a sense of humor with my injury gotta enjoy life and laugh I know that cracked me up lol
— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) August 25, 2014

Keep 'em laughing Eric.

[NJ.com]

Rutgers football team parties after practice at 'Club Ice' (VIDEO)

What happens when you mix New Jersey football with Jersey Shore culture?  House music and action in the tubs, yo — ice tubs that is.

On Wednesday night with music blaring, smoke machines spraying and strobe lights flashing, the Rutgers football team transformed an area of their training grounds into "Club Ice."

And the dress code allowed cleats and pads.

Even Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood was chillin' with the team.

Check out @KyleFloodRU in the ice tubs! #clubice #chopnation pic.twitter.com/zOdO8BzZT7
— Phil Galiano (@Coach_Galiano) August 7, 2014

The team — in the midst of six straight days of practice to open camp, and the first double-session of the summer — are getting ready for their first season in the Big Ten. And what better way to get ready for those chilly Midwestern stadiums than to wheel those ice baths into the parking lot and cut loose.

That's how the Garden State rolls.

[NJ.com]

Ex-LSU QB Hayden Rettig transferring to Rutgers: Report

Everyone knows playing football in the Big Ten has its recruiting benefits and, before its first year in the powerhouse conference, Rutgers is quickly finding it to their liking.

With an already pretty impressive recruiting class, the Scarlet Knights haven't stop loading up on talent for their inaugural season — and down the road.

On Thursday, after former LSU quarterback Hayden Rettig decided to trade his  SEC pedigree for life with the Big Ten's new East Coast addition, things are looking up in Piscataway for a few more years.

Rettig announced at the start of June that he was leaving LSU after a single season, and confirmed in a text message to nola.com Thursday night that he will transfer to Rutgers . A redshirt freshman, he will sit out a transfer season in 2014 and have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2015.

The 6-3, 205-pound pro-style quarterback signed to LSU out of Cathedral high school (Los Angeles, Ca.) in 2013. He was a consensus four-star prospect by all of the major recruiting networks and played in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

"Great place, great people, great education, going after a Big 10 championship," Rettig wrote in his text. His decision was first reported by FoxSports.

Three-year Rutgers starter Gary Nova projects to be under center for the Scarlet Knights again in 2014, with Rettig potentially battling junior Mike Bimonte and redshirt freshman Chris Laviano for the starting job in 2015.

Rutgers QB charged after bar fight; victim may not survive: Report

Rutgers quarterback Philip Nelson — a transfer from Minnesota — who spent the weekend cooling his heels in a jail cell was finally released after making bail.

Nelson, who left the police station with a towel covering his head, is charged with one count of first degree assault and one count of third-degree assault in connection with a bar fight that left 24-year-old Isaac Kolstad in critical condition.

The 20-year-old appeared in Blue Earth County (Minn.) court Monday wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, with his hands cuffed and his ankles chained. First-degree assault carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

That's if his victim survives.

While Nelson was in court Monday, Kolstad was in the Mayo Clinic in Mankato, Minn. struggling to stay alive.

According to the complaint filed Monday afternoon, a neurosurgeon with the hospital said Kolstad was suffering from “a severe head injury and a severe pulmonary injury,” and he’s not sure if the victim will survive.

Kolstad has a wife and a child with another on the way.

See 9 pics of Isaac Kolstad, who is fighting for his life: http://t.co/JzGmJdwzou #22strong #prayforisaac pic.twitter.com/Y1dv5y6M47
— EveryJoe (@everyjoedotcom) May 12, 2014

A police sergeant who viewed surveillance video described Kolstad — who played at Minnesota State — as striking Nelson in the back, then moving away and being pursued and struck by an unidentified man, who fled the scene.

Witnesses described Nelson as being upset over attention being paid to his girlfriend. 

“Nelson pushes past others, approaches I.K. [Kolstad] and delivers at least one kick to the left side of I.K.’s head. Sergeant Knutson noted the video clearly shows that I.K. was defenseless as Nelson delivers the kick or kicks to the head,’’ the complaint reads. Witnesses said words had been exchanged between Nelson and Kolstad, with video showing Kolstad hitting Nelson on the back, causing him to fall into another person.

Witnesses said the two had a “heated exchange.” The statement of probable cause said witnesses notified police Kolstad was lying on the ground near Blue Bricks bar. Nelson was arrested at 2 a.m. but his lawyer, Jim Fleming, said he “was not an aggressor in this situation” and added he wasn’t sure who caused Kolstad’s injuries.

Nelson participated in spring practice at Rutgers and would have to sit out next season — the Scarlet Knights’ first in the Big Ten — as a transfer, and would have had two more years of eligibility. But all that seems up in the air now.

Rutgers officials had no comment.

Here's surveilance footage of the incident:

Rutgers QB Philip Nelson beat football player into 'critical condition' during fight: Report

A Rutgers University quarterback — who transferred from the University of Minnesota — was arrested on Sunday morning for allegedly assaulting a former Minnesota State-Mankato player who is now in critical condition. 

Philip Nelson was arrested "on suspicion of third-degree assault and underage consumption of alcohol" in Mankato, according to TwinCities.com.

The 20-year-old Nelson was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Isaac Kolstad, a 24-year-old married football player at Minnesota State-Mankato. He is the father of a 3-year-old daughter and Kolstad's wife is expecting the family's second child.

Kolstad is listed in critical condition at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

Kolstad's family posted on his CaringBridge.org page that he suffered permanent brain damage and was "fighting for his life."

Police found Kolstad at an intersection at around 2 a.m. on Sunday. Nelson was arrested shortly after and booked into the Blue Earth County Jail. He is expected to be arraigned early this week.

Nelson could face charges for third-degree assault, which is a felony in Minnesota. A third-degree assault indicates the perpetrator inflicted "substantial bodily harm." Nelson was also charged with underage consumption of alcohol.

"We are in the process of gathering information on the situation and reserve comment until the legal process is complete," Rutgers athletic department spokesman Jason Baum said in a statement.

Nelson transferred to Rutgers after starting 16 games in two seasons at Minnesota. He participated in spring practice, but is scheduled to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2015.

Nelson and Kolstad are both Mankato natives. Authorities are reportedly seeking another suspect in the assault.

Eric LeGrand 'upset' at Rutgers for rescinding commencement speech offer: Report

Add another link into the chain of embarrassing situations surrounding the Rutgers athletics department these days. And this might be the biggest public relations blunder of all.

Even with the stench of the Mike Rice scandal still in the air and in the wake of athletic director Julie Hermann telling a journalism class that it would be "great" if the state's biggest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, would close down, the New Jersey university has stubbed its toe once again.

Eric LeGrand, the former Rutgers football player whose perseverance after being paralyzed during a 2010 game and has become an inspiration to Rutgers and the entire country, said Monday he was given the chance to talk at the school’s May 18 commencement ceremony, only to have the offer rescinded, according to MyCentralJersey.com. 

Over the weekend, LeGrand believed he would be Rutgers’ commencement speaker —  after Condoleezza Rice bowed out (another fiasco) due to student backlash — and he was called Saturday by Gregory Jackson, chief of staff for Rutgers President Robert Barchi, asking that he speak at the ceremony. 

On Monday, reports say, LeGrand’s phone rang again, this time with Hermann on the line reversing their decision.

“[T]hey decided to go other ways for political reasons,” LeGrand tweeted. 

  

Now — after a weekend of being told to prepare a keynote speech — Le Grand officially is out, and he’s “very upset” about it.

LeGrand was not given a reason, and Monday the school announced former Gov. Thomas Kean would be the keynote speaker.

“I’m very upset about it,” he said. “I was all excited all weekend thinking about what I was going to say. It’s rough.”

Over the weekend, LeGrand envisioned giving a keynote speech to inspire legions of Scarlet Knights students and share his remarkable story — only to have it yanked away.

"I was just going to tell them my story, about the whole process," LeGrand said . "Starting in 2005, being recruited by Rutgers and what it meant to me to play here and go to school here. And then the way everybody supported me through my injury, I was just going to give inspirational words about how they should attack life.

“All the things I've learned so far. All the (graduates), they're my age so I was going to try to (say) words they could remember, words that would inspire them to do great things in life."

Too bad. Maybe Rutgers would have learned something about dignity.

UPDATE: Eric LeGrand will be speaking at the school's 2014 commencement after Rutgers changes its mind due to pressure from RU students and social media.

Ray Rice pleads not guilty on Atlantic City assault charge: Report

Ray Rice arrived Thursday morning to court holding wife Jenay Palmer's hand and pleaded not guilty to assaulting her earlier this year in an Atlantic City casino.

In February, the Baltimore Ravens running back was caught on security camera footage dragging his then-fiancee Palmer's body out of an elevator. They have since married despite the Super Bowl champion being charged with third-degree aggravated assault.

He was indicted the day before their wedding for knocking her unconscious and pulling her around like a rag doll.

The not guilty plea came despite prosecutors offering Rice a plea deal that would not involve him serving jail time, reported the Baltimore Sun.

First time offenders in New Jersey are also permitted to enter a diversionary program that would allow him to avoid further court appearances and keep his record clean, the former Rutgers star's legal team said.

Rice spent hours filling out the paperwork to enter the program despite not yet being given the green light by prosecutors, said the Sun. Their approval is needed to go that route.

He was offered probation an court mandated anger management in his plea deal, and prosecutors did not signal to the paper whether they would allow him to take part in the diversionary program.

"There are guidelines which suggest a crime of violence may be rejected if the prosecutors doesn't consent to the application," an official said, adding that the offer already made is "consistent with other plea offers in similar cases."

Rice's attorney's plan to appeal if he is not allowed into the program. 

The Ravens also released a statement backing their player, which read: "We know there is more to Ray Rice than this one incident."

Team owner Steve Bisciotti added that Rice, who in 2012 signed a five-year $35 million contract with the Ravens, will continue to have a future in Baltimore.

Eric LeGrand's new ride is a customized, Rutgers-themed minivan (PHOTOS)

Everyone knows Eric LeGrand is a busy guy — whether he's traveling to various appearances or commuting to rehabilitation, the former football star is constantly on the road.

But LeGrand, the former Rutgers defensive tackle who was paralyzed from the neck down making a tackle in a 2010 game, needs a wheelchair accessible minivan to get around — and wanted one with style.

That's where Will Castro, the owner of Unique New Jersey, a company that has appeared on Speed TV and has customized vehicles for an extensive list of athletes and entertainers, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and rapper 50 Cent, comes in.

LeGrand learned of Castro last year and began following him on social media. After buying a Chrysler Town & Country minivan equipped with a wheelchair lift and ramp in October, LeGrand reached out to Castro for a little upgrade, writes nj.com.

He described what he wanted and Castro and his team took it from there. The result is a matte black exterior with custom rims featuring LeGrand's No. 52 in the center. Castro gutted the interior to increase space for LeGrand's wheelchair and added a state-of-the-art entertainment system, including LED "Rutgers Red" lights and the logo of LeGrand's foundation on the headrests.

"He needs to do appearances, he has to go to therapy, so we wanted to make sure that it was very comfortable for him," Castro said. "I threw a little touch in there with his foundation logo because he does a lot of events and I tied in all the Rutgers colors. We enjoyed working with Eric on the project and we're looking forward to doing some more with the vehicle."

LeGrand has always been a car enthusiast but he had never customized one before.

"I got my first car the year I got hurt," LeGrand said. "I had one I got one day and it got totaled within two hours of getting it. Then I waited two months and I got one in April. I got it in April but I got hurt in October, so I drove it for that amount of time. My mom still actually drives my Nissan Altima."

And LeGrand enjoys the reaction the tricked-out "soccer mom" van gets on the road.

"It's funny because very rarely do you see people in a hooked-up minivan," LeGrand said. "The best is when we stop at a stoplight and people are looking at you like, 'What?!' That's the funniest. But I definitely enjoy it. They did a great job with it. I always wanted my own ride hooked up and now I have this one."

Irish RB George Atkinson III suspended for Pinstripe Bowl after texting during a team meal: Report

Notre Dame will be without second-leading rusher George Atkinson III for Saturday's  Pinstripe Bowl matchup with Rutgers at Yankee Stadium, according to sbnation.com.

The school announced that Atkinson's suspension was due to a violation of team rules. The junior running back offered a more detailed explanation in a tweet, which he has since deleted.

Collegespun.com took a screen shot of Atkinson's Twitter page this morning that said, "For those of you who are wondering I was suspended from today's game for texting friends and family during team meal, as I did all season."

Atkinson had 93 carries for 555 yards and three touchdowns this season. His 6.0 yards per carry average led the Irish. Notre Dame has rotated its backs throughout the season, led by Cam McDaniel (135 carries for 625 yards and three TDs). Freshman Tarean Folston emerged late in the season and enters the Pinstripe Bowl with 71 carries for 397 yards and two touchdowns.

A surprising punishment for such a minor infraction especially since Rutgers brings the nation's fourth-best run defense into the game.

Rutgers accepts bid to play Notre Dame in Pinstripe Bowl

Rutgers accepted a bid to play Notre Dame in the Pinstripe Bowl, coach Kyle Flood announced after the Scarlet Knights' impressive 31-6 win against South Florida on Saturday.

Rutgers improved to 6-6 with the home win, earning a bowl bid for the eighth time in nine seasons. It was the Scarlet Knights most satisfying game in a long time after struggling to to earn that bowl-eligible sixth win. Rutgers had lost five of their last six games before finally breaking through with a win against the Bulls on Saturday.

“Probably the most complete game we played all year,” Flood said.

Notre Dame already accepted a bid to play in the Pinstripe Bowl, held in Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28, Saturday morning. The Fighting Irish are a replacement team for the Big 12 after the league was unable to fill it's spot with a seventh bowl eligible team.

Kyle Flood and Julie Hermann got the official invitation for @RFootball to play Notre Dame in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl!
— Jason Baum (@JasonBaumRU) December 8, 2013

The Pinstripe Bowl has the No. 4 pick from the American, a selection that is leftover from its previous agreement with the Big East. Inviting Notre Dame and Rutgers makes sense when you consider that the game will feature ACC and Big Ten teams moving forward, as the Fighting Irish will have access to the ACC's bowl ties as a partial member and the Scarlet Knights will be members of the Big Ten in 2013.

For Rutgers, it's another trip up I-95 and over the George Washington Bridge to the Bronx for the second time in three years.

Why Kenny Britt won't drive expensive cars his home state of New Jersey anymore

Former Rutgers and current Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt spoke to USA TODAY for a feature on racial profiling of NFL players. It's suffice to say, it sounds like the Bayonne native doesn't heart the Garden State anymore.

Britt said "it's safe to say" racial profiling happens. "Because people are human, and it is not just policemen," he told the newspaper.  "You can't just say it's cops. But they make their own judgments, and some of them use their power. ... It definitely makes you leery about where you go and who is watching for you."

The receiver then added that, because an African-American male in a high-end vehicle can lead to profiling, "I don't bring ... my (expensive) cars to New Jersey anymore."

Britt has been arrested or faced charges in four traffic stops since 2010 — two for license issues, one drunken-driving case and one case of eluding police. He paid fines in two of those cases, was acquitted of the DUI charge and saw one license case get dismissed. Two of those incidents were in his homestate of New Jersey, where the state police were embroiled in a scandal in the 1990s that resulted in authorities agreeing to a consent decree that expressly barred racial profiling in traffic stops. The decree was dissolved in 2009.

Britt also said in a separate post he records the police during traffic stops with his cell phone and has been let go because of his actions.

Back in July, The Tennessean's John Glennon noticed Britt didn't spend much of his offseason in New Jersey and asked him about it and Britt piled it on:

"It was just to get away from everything and try something new in the offseason. Just to get out there and get some fresh air because the New Jersey air is horrible, especially around my area. It stinks around there. My wife says it all the time because she's from south Jersey and the air is a little cleaner there."

Sorry Kenny. That's just the Jets out in the Meadowlands.

SMU's Garrett Gilbert pulls off crazy two-point play to extend game against Rutgers (VIDEO)

The state of Texas already has one Johnny Manziel but Rutgers might make a good case for putting Garrett Gilbert into the same category.

Gilbert, the Texas University transfer and current SMU quarterback, did his best Johnny Football impression by going left, then right, left again before going all the way right to throw the ball the entire width of the field for a two-point conversion to even the score during a wild game on Saturday.

The ridiculous conversion tied it up at 35, which allowed for a triple OT to take place, with Rutgers ultimately coming back and winning it 55-52.

Still, the play deserves consideration as a play of the day. SMU coach June Jones called Gilbert's scramble, "all him."

Eric LeGrand doesn't believe that Jadeveon Clowney's hit is 'illegal'

After word spread Monday that Jadeveon Clowney's tackle versus Michigan last season would have been ruled illegal under the new college football rules in place for 2013, and Clowney would probably have been ejected from the game, one man who knows about hard hits came to the defense of the South Carolina star's helmet-popping play.

Eric LeGrand, the former Rutgers football player who is still paralyzed after breaking his neck during a game in 2010, believes that Clowney’s hit was perfectly legal. If anyone could be a spokesperson for more football safety rules, it's LeGrand. So if he is arguing that Clowney’s hit should be considered fair play, then maybe the ACC's Coordinator of Officials Doug Rhoads should see his point of view.

The courageous LeGrand tweeted his brutally honest thoughts on the new rules Tuesday.

There's no way #clowneyhit is illegal. Take it from a guy who broke his neck
— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) July 23, 2013

James Gandolfini (1961-2013): Helped raise the profile of Rutgers football

Hollywood might have lost one of its most recognizable leading-men with the stunning and sudden death of James Gandolfini on Wednesday but, at the same time,  Rutgers University lost the celebrity face of its football team with the loss of "The Sopranos" star.

Whether you were from the state of New Jersey or not, you felt like you knew the actor — whose Tony Soprano mafia-boss character had a big appetite for food, life and violence — but it was his gentler real life persona who had a soft spot for his alma mater's one-time struggling football program.

Back in 2001, when the HBO hit The Sopranos was at its height with Gandolfini — an '83 Rutgers alum — the former nightclub bouncer appeared in a Rutgers football commercial with the then Scarlet Knights' head coach Greg Schiano.

The memorable spot was called "The Fan" and went like this:

“This season is gonna be great! Everybody’s talking about it! It’s a program the whole family can get behind,” Gandolfini says while sitting at a table with four other men, including Schiano.

A fan then comes up and asks for an autograph. Gandolini puts his hand out, but the fan gives the pen and paper to Schiano.

“I can’t take you anywhere,” Gandolfini says.

Then in 2002, Gandolfini shot another Rutgers football commercial. This time, Gandolfini tells his friends (real life buddies) they’ll have great tickets to Rutgers games.

“Close, real close,” Gandolfini says of the seats.

The three friends are then shown on the field, but are holding the Scarlet Knight and horse mascots costumes. One of the friends then sarcastically says, “Close, real close.”

The rise of Rutgers football in the mid-90's coincided with the popularity of "The Sopranos" and both helped put New Jersey, Rutgers and Bada-Bing on the pop culture radar screen.

When Rutgers made it to the Insight Bowl in 2005 – which was their  first bowl game in nearly 30 years – they made Gandolfini an honorary captain.

The death of the 51-year-old Gandolfini hit Rutgers and some of its former players hard.

The other well-known face of Rutgers football, former star tackle Eric LeGrand — who was paralyzed from the neck down in a 2010 game against Army — tweeted his (and everyone's) sentiments via Twitter.

RIP James Gandolfini. Crazy
— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) June 19, 2013

He was a true Jersey guy who done good.

Rutgers will let 22 kids affected by Hurricane Sandy play in final minutes of spring football game

Rutgers football is putting a new twist on giving back to their young fans in surrounding communities affected by Hurricane Sandy in a effort to raise funds as well as spirits.

Twenty-two children from sixth through eighth grade will have the opportunity to play the final five minutes of the team's Scarlet-White spring football game on April 27 in High Points Solutions Stadium, according to the Rutgers football website.

 It will not be an exhibition-style finish, either. According to the school, the last five minutes — with the children playing flag football — will have an impact on the final score.

Rutgers is asking kids who were affected by Hurricane Sandy to submit a short essay or photos through the Rutgers Football Facebook page. The 22 children selected to participate will get to spend the entire second half on the sideline of their respective team before hitting the field for the final five minutes.

RED ALERT: 22 kids who were impacted by Sandy will play in the final 5 minutes of the Scarlet-White game. bit.ly/17sV0HV
— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) April 11, 2013

Rutgers Athletics, with the help of Scarlet Fever in downtown New Brunswick, has raised more than $140,000 through the sale of merchandise to benefit the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund since last fall. The Rutgers team will also wear jerseys for the spring game with 90 names of towns across New Jersey that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. They will also wear special helmets with the "R Strong" logo on the sides.

It sounds like a win-win-win situation for the N.J. state university, the kids and all of the towns still picking up the pieces from the devastating storm.