Greg Schiano knows all about the rich history of Yankee Stadium. The Rutgers head coach threw out a ceremonial first pitch at the old stadium in 2007. He’d seen a game and toured the locker rooms.

This Saturday, he and his players will become a part of that history when Rutgers takes on Army at the new Yankee Stadium.

‘Well, we’re excited about it. I’ve been in the stadium. I’ve been in the locker rooms and things, so I can envision,’ Schiano said during the Big East coaches’ teleconference Monday. ‘But when you turn it into a football venue, it’s different. So I’m anxious to see it.’

Schiano will get to see the football version of Yankee Stadium from the sidelines on Saturday as he leads Rutgers (6-3, 3-2 Big East) against Army (3-6) in the third college football game to be played there. The Scarlet Knights are preparing for the game like any other week, but Schiano said the players share his excitement to make the 48-mile trip from Piscataway, N.J., to the Bronx for the game. Army head coach Rich Ellerson and his players already experienced the thrill last year when the Black Knights played Notre Dame in the first-ever college football game at the new venue, but they look forward to returning to do it again this weekend.

College football has a long history at the old Yankee Stadium that includes both Rutgers and Army. The Scarlet Knights went 1-7-1 in their series with New York University at the stadium from 1926-48. Army is a bigger part of the college football tradition at the venue, playing there 38 times from 1925-69, with 22 of those games against Notre Dame in a matchup of the era’s powerhouse teams.

That rivalry’s place at Yankee Stadium was renewed last November. Army lost to the Fighting Irish 27-3, but it was still a memorable night for the Black Knights.

Senior linebacker Steven Erzinger said though it was the new stadium, he could still feel all the history from the legendary Yankees teams of the past. Erzinger enjoyed seeing all the banners celebrating the Yankees World Series championships, and he said it was exciting to think about all the great athletes who played on the same field over the years.

‘It’s a neat experience and something, if you’re not ready for it, it’ll kind of shell shock you,’ Erzinger said. ‘But if you can just appreciate the moment and shake it off and be ready for the game.’

To get any jitters out, Erzinger said, the team went to the stadium the day before its game just to take in the sights. He remembers it being a beautiful sunny day and said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was there with his kids, took pictures with players.

Erzinger said the walk-through helped relax the tension that built up going into the game.

Still, Ellerson, Army’s head coach, said even he was unprepared for the atmosphere once the crowd filtered in and the lights turned on. The structure of the baseball stadium with the gradual slope of the stands created an interesting dynamic for the game.

Ellerson said it was hard to tell where the stands ended and the sideline began. It felt like the fans were right on top of the sideline.

‘You turn around and look at your team, and you’re looking at 30,000 people and (the players are) all staring right back at you, ‘Coach, like what do you want us to do?” Ellerson said during his weekly teleconference Tuesday. ‘So really it’s a unique environment.’

Though the atmosphere is so different, Ellerson said once his players took the field, it was like any other football stadium and the focus shifted to the game.

Schiano wants his team focused on the game this Saturday. The head coach said he doesn’t want his team to get caught up in the different surroundings. To accomplish that, he is maintaining the same routine he has had all season.

For Schiano, though, the trip to Yankee Stadium does go beyond the game. It takes him back to his childhood in Wyckoff, N.J., where he first got an understanding for the Yankees’ tradition of excellence.

‘I grew up in a neighborhood not too far from Yankee Stadium and just love everything that it represents,’ Schiano said during the teleconference. ‘Some of the greatest moments in sports have been in the old Yankee Stadium and now the new Yankee Stadium, so it’s exciting.’

The anticipation is also high for his players and the Rutgers fan base, which only has to make a short drive to get to the game.

That proximity to the Bronx combined with Schiano’s personal connection to the stadium should make for a memorable experience and atmosphere for Rutgers on Saturday.

‘Yankee Stadium is exciting for our guys,’ Schiano said. ‘I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to go and play in a great venue against a team that we really respect in a city that is really part of what we call the state of Rutgers.’

West Virginia drops to fourth place in the Big East

Coming into the season, West Virginia was the heavy favorite to win the Big East championship. After jumping out to a 5-1 start with its only loss coming to No. 1 Louisiana State, WVU appeared ready to cruise through a weak conference and earn a Bowl Championship Series bid. But the Mountaineers have been shocked by Syracuse and Louisville since then, and they currently sit in a tie for fourth place in the conference with Connecticut and Pittsburgh.

The Mountaineers’ slide can be attributed to poor play on defense, a unit that lost seven starters from last season. Though Geno Smith and the offense have done their part by putting up 38.2 points per game, the defense has given up 44.7 points per game in its three losses.

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on November 8, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu