Scarlet Knights- Rutgers students who attend the Scarlet Knights’ football home opener can have an opportunity to win a share of $100,000. If RU returns its first kickoff for a touchdown in the Sept. 5 game versus Norfolk State, 100 students will win $1,000 each in a contest presented by Autoland of Springfield, N.J. The game is set to start at noon at High Point Solutions Stadium. Every Rutgers student who sits in the student section will automatically have a chance to win. Click here for complete contest rules. Click here for more information on student tickets. The last time the Scarlet Knights returned their first kickoff of a game for a touchdown was in the opener of the 2013 season at Fresno State when Janarion Grant (Trilby, Fla.) ran back 100 yards on his first collegiate touch. Okay, so a couple of things here. First of all, I can appreciate Rutgers potentially opening up the wallet in an attempt to get students even more excited for the beginning of football season than the already should be. Second of all, this means they have to receive the opening kick because having this happen after giving up points to a hapless Norfolk State team wouldn't be nearly as awesome as doing it on the first play of the season. Actually best case scenario for the university is that Norfolk State receives the ball at the beginning of the game, gets shutout for the entire first half, and Rutgers students are forced to stay for the second half kickoff of a game that will undoubtedly be out of hand at that point. With all that said, I am praying they don't return this kick for a touchdown. Why you ask? Well, because you always want your team to leave you wanting more. If we, as a fanbase, start the season becoming $100,000 richer then there is nowhere to go but down. We could have the best season in Rutgers history, miraculously luck into the Big Ten championship game, and students would already be looking forward to 2016. Already thinking ahead, hoping for a repeat performance of the time they used $100 unearned dollars to eat something other mass produced cafeteria food or drink something other than bargain basement vodka. Plus, as Rutgers fans we should know by now that we can only have so many good things happen to us in one season. Just look at the offseason. The shit was going fucking swimmingly until an email scandal involving our head coach came out of the woodwork, and minutes later a potential starting quarterback and our star wide receiver got benched for a half. That wasn't foul play on the part of Kyle Flood, Chris Laviano, or Leonte Carroo. That was divine intervention telling us to temper our expectations. Sure, it's easy for me to root for the kick returner to get tackled at the 20 when I am no longer a student and can't benefit financially off a touchdown. However, if you have the best interest of Rutgers football in mind you should be rooting for an anticlimactic finish as well. This program doesn't get Cinderella seasons, so I would rather not waste a glass slipper on a meaningless kick return against an FCS opponent. Give me a 99 yard return where he gets shoestring tackled by the kicker at the one yard line. We can save the touchdown for the 2nd play. That's the kind of disappointment I need to give me the impression that there are much better things ahead for this year's Scarlet Knights. P.S. Hey Janarion Grant, no pressure bro. Might want to watch these highlights next Friday night...
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