c8cd6d39a34a762772416a1d4352d6fe.jpg

SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Sanu aids in Ravens defeat

By Ed Birch, Special Writer
It was a good week for some South Brunswick High School football alumni as the NFL and college teams started off their respective seasons.
SBHS alumnus Mohammed Sanu played a big part in insuring the visiting Cincinnati Bengals maintained the lead in a 23-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M and T Stadium in front of a huge sellout crowd of over 70,000 screaming fans on Sunday.
With a little under six minutes remaining in the contest, after Steve Smith scored on a record setting 80-yard reception from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, star wide receiver A.J. Green came through with a circus catch to put the Bengals back in the lead 21-16.
With the momentum switching over to the Bengals, after five straight Mike Nugent field goals, quarterback Andy Dalton capped the 80-yard scoring drive with a successful two-point conversion pass to Sanu.
The catch put the Bengals in a 23-16 lead as the Ravens drove down and eventually used their remaining timeouts to end the game.
Sanu ended the game with four receptions for a total of 36 yards and was the target of five Dalton passes.The longest reception was an 11-yard pass reception.
Sanu’s two-point conversion silenced the very loud sea of the purple-shirted crowd that came out to root for their hometown Ravens.
"The Bengals will be a very exciting team this year and will be displaying a fast paced offense," said Sanu, the 2007 star quarterback of the Vikings and, later, star wide receiver for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Sanu had also scored in an opening drive in an exhibition game against the New York Jets.
"Andy (Dalton) just threw a beautiful pass and hit me in the perfect spot down the middle as I crossed the goal line," said a smiling Sanu while being interviewed in the Hilton hotel lobby in Baltimore the night before Sunday’s game. "This year our team in just surprisingly good. I urge all football fans to watch Bengals football this year, as we will be very competitive throughout the year. "A.J. Green is virtually a speedy exciting receiver who no defender can keep up with in the league."
Sanu reminded everyone to go out and watch this year’s South Brunswick team.
"The team will be very strong with running back Dante Strickland who I hear has already committed to Syracuse," he said.
In addition to Sanu, on Saturday afternoon, defensive back T.J. Taylor, the former red-shirted freshman playing for Rutgers made his college debut against Howard University.Taylor was credited with two tackles in the 38-25 victory for the Scarlet Knights. Bryan Stonkus also made his offensive line debut in the same contest.
On Friday evening, at the College of New Jersey in Ewing Township, the Ursinus College Bears (of Pennsylvania) defeated the hometown team by a score of 47-7.Former Vikings quarterback Dylan Olsson dressed for his first collegiate contest but did not see any action for the visiting Bears.