PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -Jourdan Brooks ran for three touchdowns and embattled quarterback Mike Teel led Rutgers’ anemic offense to a big first half in a 38-0 victory over Morgan State on Saturday that ended Greg Schiano’s worst start since taking over as the Scarlet Knights’ coach in 2001.
Brooks scored on runs of 1, 5 and 3 yards, Mason Robinson had a 4-yard TD run and Teel threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown as Rutgers (3-1) scored all its points in the first half.
The Scarlet Knights’ defense also came up big against the Football Championship Subdivision school. After giving up 91 points and not producing a turnover against Fresno State, North Carolina and Navy, the unit forced two fumbles and intercepted two passes that led to 17 points. Special teams also set up a touchdown when Jamaal Westermann blocked a punt and returned it 20 yards to the Morgan State 15.
Morgan State (2-2) was limited to 109 yards in seeing its two-game winning streak snapped.
State last season. The Scarlet Knights have posted a 3-0 record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools over the past three years, outscoring them 153-7.
It marked the first time Morgan State was shut out on the road since 1998, a 55-0 loss to Hampton.
The win ended a turbulent week for Rutgers, and particularly Teel. He threw a punch at teammate Glen Lee after throwing a late interception in a 23-21 loss to Navy last Saturday.
Schiano did not discipline his senior quarterback, but minutes before the kickoff he suspended leading receiver Kenny Britt and highly regarded starting left tackle Anthony Davis for an undisclosed violation of team policy.
It didn’t make a difference as Rutgers, which had scored 40 points in its first three games, scored on its first three possessions against a helpless opponent.
The Scarlet Knights took the opening kickoff and went 66 yards in nine plays, taking the lead on Brooks’ 1-yard touchdown run. Teel hit all three of his passes on the drive, including consecutive strikes of 21 yards to Tiquan Underwood and 12 to Brown.
Teel scrambled 20 yards for a first down on a third-down play from his own 4 and found Dennis Campbell for gains of 15 and 36 to set up Robinson’s first career touchdown on the next possession.
24 yards on the first play and Brooks scored on the next play.
Brooks, whose parents, Andrea and Maurice, attended Morgan State, with Maurice playing linebacker in the late 1970s, added his 3-yard touchdown run after Westerman’s blocked punt.
Safety Courtney Greene set up Teel’s touchdown pass with an interception and return to the Bears 24 late in the second quarter. Teel finished 11 of 18 for 188 and an interception.
Linebacker Damaso Munoz’s interception in the final minute of the half led to a 19-yard field goal by San San Te.
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