Rutgers’ early-2000s freshman spark with legit volume-back grit
In the 2002 season, Markis Facyson flashed as a true freshman for Rutgers, including a 129-yard game against Army that stood out as a program milestone for a freshman runner[3][6]. He looked like a compact, tough, workhorse-style back who could handle real volume, with 32 carries in that breakout game and a team-leading 42 rushing yards in another early outing[4][13]. The big differentiator here is feel and competitiveness: Rutgers trusted him early, and that usually means more than empty highlights[15].
