By Tyler Barto
Twitter: @Tyler_Barto
tbarto@trentonian.com

PISCATAWAY — At 3:23 p.m. on Saturday, Ralph Friedgen quietly stepped out of an elevator leading him from the coaches' box, exiting through an opening from the chain-link fence at High Point Solutions Stadium.

Rutgers had beaten Howard, 38-25, during which he might have timed perfectly a play call his offense needed most.

Facing a third-and-5 on Rutgers' third drive, trailing, 7-3, Friedgen called for a shotgun set with one back and one tight end. Paul James surveyed Howard's alignment, sensing an edge blitz from the right side where he lined up.

"It was definitely the perfect play call," James said. "They had a saw blitz coming off the edge, so the 'backer came to blitz and it was the receiver (Leonte Carroo) one-on-one with the corner, and once I got past that there was nobody there. The safety was playing the middle of the field."

The result? A 69-yard touchdown on a swing-out screen for James — his first career receiving score — in which he went untouched. It sprung to life an offense that scored touchdowns on three of its next four drives.

More notes from Friedgen's second outing

-Fullback Michael Burton has overtaken redshirt freshman Matt Flanagan as Rutgers' second tight end of choice. Burton saw extensive time in two-tight end sets, while Flanagan didn't see the field until the fourth quarter.

-Andrew Turzilli rotated in with John Tsimis on certain drives. Turzilli and Carlton Agudosi, making his first appearance, caught their first passes of the season.

Offense notes from Week 1 against Washington State

-Friedgen debuted a shotgun look with tight end Tyler Kroft flexed out, a role Kroft used in stretches in high school. It was also the first time Friedgen used a shotgun look with two backs.

Rutgers' unofficial formation count:

-12 formation (with Burton at tight end): 22 plays
-I-formation: eight plays
-trips with base personnel: eight plays
-11 personnel (one back, one tight end): seven plays
-11 in shotgun: six plays
-shotgun with Kroft flexed out: three plays
-12 formation (with two traditional tight ends): two plays
-shotgun with base personnel: one play
-20 in shotgun (two backs, no tight end): one play

Rutgers' unofficial snap chart for skill-position players:

Player	Kroft	Carroo	Burton	Tsimis	James	Turzilli	Peoples	Grant	Agudosi	Flanagan
Snaps	43	41	36	30	24	23	21	20	16	12

Player	Martin	Bergen	Hicks	Scarff
Snaps	7	5	5	1

And last, Rutgers' unofficial target numbers in the passing game:

Player	Carroo	Grant	Tsimis	James	Turzilli	Agudosi	Burton	Flanagan	Kroft	Peoples
Targets	5	4	3	2	2	1	1	1	1	1