Rutgers runs wild

HOUSTON – Rutgers’ most memorable season ended with another milestone victory.

Ray Rice rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown and Tim Brown caught two TD passes, and the 16th-ranked Scarlet Knights won a bowl game for the first time Thursday night, beating Kansas State 37-10 in the Texas Bowl.

Linebacker Quintero Frierson returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage of the second half and Rutgers (11-2) cruised from there, earning an 11th victory for the second time in the school’s mostly forgettable 137 seasons.

“To win the first bowl game after 137 years of playing, to say we’re excited would be an understatement,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said.

Rice was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after topping 100 yards for the 10th time this season and the 15th time in 25 career games. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound sophomore eclipsed 150 yards for the fifth time this season.

The Scarlet Knights were playing in a bowl for the second consecutive season, another first for the school. From now on, Rice said anything less than a bowl appearance for the program will be a failed season.

“We’ve tasted it, tasted the water and it’s a great feeling,” Rice said.

The Scarlet Knights’ seventh-ranked defense manhandled Kansas State’s offense, holding the Wildcats to 162 total yards and six first downs. Freshman quarterback Josh Freeman finished 10 for 21 for 129 yards with two interceptions.

Kansas State (7-6) mustered only 85 yards after Frierson’s return of Freeman’s first interception put Rutgers up 24-10 only 33 seconds into the third quarter.

“The way they played defense tonight, you like to watch that,” Schiano said. “They took it to heart.”

The Wildcats’ only touchdown came on Yamon Figurs’ 76-yard punt return with 9:37 left in the second quarter.

The Scarlet Knights dropped two of their last three games after a 9-0 start and their 41-39 triple-overtime loss to West Virginia cost them the Big East’s automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

The players admitted that making the Texas Bowl was a letdown after they came so close to one of the big-money bowls. But once the disappointment wore off, the Knights said they rallied around the chance to earn the school’s first bowl victory after going 1-11 just four seasons ago.

They looked like the more motivated team from the start, jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first 12 minutes.

Brown caught a pass from Mike Teel down the line of scrimmage and weaved 25 yards to the end zone for the game’s first score.

Rice had a 24-yard run on Rutgers’ next possession and Teel found Brown deep down the sideline for a 14-0 lead. Brown, a freshman, had only four catches and one TD reception coming into the game.

Rutgers outscored its opponents 103-28 in the first quarter this season.

Rice, the nation’s fourth-leading rusher, had 74 yards rushing at halftime to move into third place on the school’s career list.

Kansas State was playing in a bowl for the 12th time in 14 seasons.