Rutgers at Temple: Scarlet Knights visit Owls

Perhaps now is the time to stop acting surprised that the Rutgers football team simply continues to win games.

Fresh off last Saturday's 23-15 victory over Syracuse, the 17/19 Scarlet Knights (3-0, 6-0) entered the BCS standings at 15 this past week, setting the squad up perfectly for this weekend's Big East matchup against regional rival Temple.

Now, of course, it's simply up to Rutgers to continue their success on all sides of the ball and, finally, silence the surprised voices that seem to follow them whenever they continue to play football games.

"Another exciting week for us," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said in his weekly press conference on Monday. "I think when you have opportunities to play these regional games, it is always fun. I think a lot of the players know each other."

Led by reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Week, Khaseem Greene, the Scarlet Knights are hoping to get a defensive jump against the Owls (2-0, 3-2), who racked up 334 total offensive yards in last week's 17-14 victory over Connecticut.

Greene, who recorded a game-high 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception against Syracuse, has been the anchor of a Scarlet Knights defense that is ranked third nationally in points scored against.

"Certainly the position he's in on our defense, a lot of things get funneled his way and we are counting on him to make those plays," Flood said of his defensive stand-out. "That's why he's there."

On the offensive flip-side, the Scarlet Knights know that all their success is propelled straight through the arm of Gary Nova and the feet of Jawan Jamison, who have led Rutgers to almost 2000 total yards in just six weeks on the field.

Going into Saturday's matchup against Temple, Rutgers hopes both Nova and Jamison can continue to carry the heavy loads they've been given so far this season, in particular the sophomore running back, who has been averaging over 26 carries per game.

"You know, I think this is the first time in his career that he is doing this," Flood said. "I think he's in excellent shape. I feel good about where Jawan is now."

Coming out of the Syracuse game, the Scarlet Knights aren't facing any brand-new injuries, but the status of kicker Kyle Federico still remains the same after the freshman sustained a hip injury approximately two weeks ago.

According to Flood, as of early this week, the Scarlet Knights were looking to sophomore Nick Borgese, who stepped in for Federico in last week's victory. The injury to Federico is still day-to-day and his participation in the Temple game will likely be a late decision.

Saturday's matchup marks the 35th time Rutgers and Temple meet on the gridiron, including their most recent meeting in 2004, which the Scarlet Knights won 16-6.

A victory this year would give Rutgers a 7-0 record for just the third time since 1976 and just the fifth time in the program's history. The Scarlet Knights would also be 4-0 in the Big East for just the second time in school history.