The Quote of the Day (and more) about today's Homecoming Game against Texas Southern

“We're going to go out there and play every game just like it's the national championship. We're going to treat it all the same. We're not going to look down at any team. You see it this year when you're watching the games, everyone's beating everyone so you gotta go out there and be focused.”

-- Ryan D'Imperio, Number 44

The Beat Visitor dot com Quote of the Day from Rutgers' middle linebacker comes from an article in yesterday's Houston Chronicle entitled "Rutgers will go for 600th win vs. Texas Southern". Six hundred wins is not an insignificant milestone just because it may come against a school that has shown that it is playing at a lower level than the current Scarlet Knights. In the Scarlet Knights' all-time record, a win against CCNY or Stevens in the 'eighties (1880's that is) counts the same as an exciting win against #3 Louisville or #2 USF in the 'naughties. And 600-591-42 will look much better than 599-591-42.

As an extra preview of today's visit to Rutgers Stadium by Texas Southern University, here's a YouTube preview of "The Best Dance Squad Ever":
Speaking of exciting live shows, I was personally glad to have started my homecoming weekend on Thursday night at Giants Stadium watching Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play for three hours and play (in sequence) one of the biggest LPs to hit the record stores of George Street during my years On The Banks, Born to Run (no offense to little Jovi and his weekly appearances on the endzone Ginormotron, but Bruce and the Boys reminded me how much Bon Jovi sucks). I hope I have than much energy when I'm sixty (I wish I had that much energy when I was twenty).
Finally, when did the redesign of ScarletKnights.com take place?? I've been busy at work and I don't think I checked it this week. It's a much cleaner, more modern, interface and I assume everything that was there is still there. I'm just having a little trouble finding what I need this morning. Check it out.

Just the links ma'am. Just the links.

I'm normally not a big fan of link lists, but today the news affecting Rutgers football just seems to be coming too fast.
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Greg Schiano is more than hinting here at Scarlet Scuttlebutt there may be three (or more) quarterbacks seeing action on September 7:

“D.C., Tom and Jabu are all working (for the No. 2 position),” Schiano said. “Where we go is going to be determined a great deal by the two scrimmages. So we’re mixing up. Again, if you had idea where, you’d have a 1, you’d have a 2 and that would be it. But we’re going to make sure we utilize all their strengths and see if we can’t put together a plan that moves the ball and puts it in the end zone.”

I say you put Jabu in only for the long passes. I certainly expect some serious trickeration in the opening game along the lines of the Tiquan Underwood QB appearances against Pitt in 2005.
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We also like this story from the Star-Ledger's website about Jim Dumont's progress this summer and his strong family links to Rutgers and the Scarlet Knights.

"This is where I've always wanted to come, this is where I've always wanted to play," Dumont said. "Playing, it's such an honor to be here."

We love the fact that he can sing, "My father sent me to old Rutgers, and resolved that I should be a man . . ." with real feeling and meaning after every game.
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We don't like this story appearing here in the West Point area Times Herald-Record about Rutgers and Army playing the first college game at the new Meadowlands Stadium. Their source is very specific about the date (September 25, 2010) and the fact that Rutgers would be the home team (though we already knew that, because Army will be the home team at Yankees Stadium in 2011). We made our feelings plain yesterday about college teams playing in anodyne new pro parks, so we won't belabor the point here (but though it would be much better to play football in R House on the Raritan and Michie on the Hudson, at least both the Black Knights and the Scarlet Knights are giving up one home game).
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In other not-so-good-news, this short story on ESPN.com tonight outlines how the Big East will be trading future appearances in the Gator and Sun Bowls for a bowl in Orlando, Florida named after a clothing store that you've probably seen in a mall near you. This poses a dilemma for the style guide of Beat Visitor dot com. We're under no obligation to mention brand names just because the owners of those brands have paid a fee to bowl organizers, and we try to avoid doing so if at all possible. So we can use Sugar, Rose, Orange, and Fiesta without mentioning the names of a large insurance company, bank, quick delivery service, and a salty faux-Mex snack food. We can say Pizza Bowl and Muffler Bowl and you know that we mean the bowls in Birmingham and Charlotte. But what should our shorthand name for the bowl in Orlando be? For now we'll just call it Orlando Bowl, or maybe Chumps.
You must read Bleed Scarlet's take on the Big East Bowl Fiasco in a little post entitled "Burn Providence to the Ground."
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And finally, in the tradition of saving the worst news for last. Ryan D'Imperio (leg) and Blair Bines (ankle) both suffered injuries in Tuesday's scrimmage.

“We’re getting some tests,” Schiano said of D’Imperio, a Bednarik Trophy candidate who Tuesday was named tri-captain. “I’m very concerned.”

The entire Rutgers family is wishing speedy recoveries to both Ryan and Blair.