Norfolk State Spartans vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Match Player Stats On Sep 05, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 5, 2015

Leonte Carroo didn't waste any time making an impact after sitting out the first half serving a team suspension.

Carroo caught three touchdown passes in the third quarter of Rutgers' 63-13 victory over FCS opponent Norfolk State in a season opener for both teams on Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

Carroo was one of five Rutgers players suspended for the first half but quickly made up for lost time with touchdown catches of 55, 56 and 18 yards as the Scarlet Knights ran out to a huge lead after falling behind 7-0 early and leading just 21-13 at halftime.

For the third consecutive year, Carroo's first catch of the year -- the 55-yarder -- resulted in a touchdown.

About 10 minutes before the game, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood announced the dismissals of five players from the team following their arrests earlier this week.

Dismissed by the school were four defensive backs -- sophomore Dre Boggs, junior Nadir Barnwell, junior Ruhann Peele and junior Delon Stephenson -- and sophomore fullback Razohnn Gross. Barnwell, Boggs and Stephenson were slated to be starters.

Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano, a redshirt sophomore also suspended for the first half, entered at the start of the third quarter and threw all three touchdown passes to Carroo. Laviano completed all four of his passes in the game for 138 yards and the three touchdowns.

Hayden Rettig, an LSU transfer who battled Laviano in the preseason for the quarterback job, started the game and was 9 of 11 for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Josh Hicks rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries for Rutgers.

Quarterback Greg Hankerson gave Norfolk State a 7-0 lead just 1:37 into the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeAndre Sangster, but the Spartans were limited to one more score the rest of the way.

The Spartans managed only 10 first downs and minus-3 yards rushing against the Rutgers defense.

Hankerson completed 18 of 28 passes for 199 yards. Sangster had six receptions for 101 yards and the touchdown.