Howard Smith – USA TODAY Sports
The offense of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights left a lot to be desired during the 2012 season. They ranked No. 88 in passing offense, No. 106 in rushing offense and No. 98 in scoring as they limped to a 9-4 finish to the year, losing their final three games and scoring no more than 17 points in any of their final four contests. Many questioned whether Gary Nova should get another opportunity as the starting quarterback in 2013, but head coach Kyle Flood never wavered in his support for his quarterback. Nova, to his credit, has responded with strong showing in the spring and looks ready to lead the team next fall.
Nova struggled at times during his sophomore season, but also had flashes of the excellent playmaking ability that won him the job in the first place. He finished 2012 with 2,695 yards passing while completing 57 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns, but was prone to turnovers, throwing 16 interceptions. He struggled mightily during the team’s three-game slide to close out 2012, which opened the door for backup Chas Dodd to make a run at the quarterback job this spring, though Flood publicly never wavered in his support for Nova.
That support has helped Nova get through spring a little big lighter but a lot more confident as he heads into his junior season. He put that confidence on display during the spring game, completing 11-of-16 passes for 222 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. New offensive coordinator Ron Prince has had nothing but glowing praise from his time working with Nova this spring. The two have worked closely during the spring session so that Nova can have as much of the offense mastered as possible heading into fall camp.
There will be hiccups down the road, but with the confidence of his coaches and teammates, Gary Nova is ready to lead Rutgers in 2013. Can he take them to a Big East title?
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