PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- If Rutgers is going to have any chance in its Big Ten Conference opener against Iowa, it cant afford another bad start.The Scarlet Knights fell behind Washington 24-0, trailed Howard by two touchdowns and New Mexico by 21 points -- all in the first quarter.Rutgers (2-1) was able to overcome the deficits in the last two games, but it wont be so easy if Iowa (2-1) comes ready to play on Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium after its loss to North Dakota State, the winner of the last five FCS national titles.Weve got to start games better. Rutgers coach Chris Ash said. There is no magic formula for that. Were not going to go out and do any extra stretches or jumping jacks or whatever to get ready for a game. We have a process that I think is one that will lead us to being successful.Halfback Robert Martin said the players realize the competition is going to pick up.Were about to get in to Big Ten play and were about to be playing some real good teams and we would rather start ahead than start behind, he said.Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said his team made too many mistakes in losing to a good team.Youve got to move on at some point, and in sports and football, that starts Monday morning, Ferentz said. Youve got to push through it and start your preparation for the next team because were all on the clock.IOWA UNRANKEDThe Hawkeyes were ranked No. 13 before the loss knocked them out of the rankings. Iowa got back into the Top 25 for the first time in five years last season and it was ranked as high as No. 3 last season after a 12-0 start. A loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game and loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl dropped the Hawkeyes to No 9 at the end the season.FAMILIAR FACESRutgers defensive coordinator Jay Niemann has two sons that play at Iowa, Ben and Nick.I love my sons, Niemann said. Id take a bullet for either one of them, but football -- when its time to go play they got to do their thing and I got to do mine. For 60 minutes well be foes but then after that well be family again.Rutgers offensive line coach AJ Blazek played for Ferentz at Iowa and started his coaching career there as a student and then graduate assistant coach.When he first showed first up as a recruit, he had an Arizona baseball cap on. I didnt think that was real smart. And Im pretty sure he had cowboy boots on, too, like we would never look at his shoes to figure out that hes really not 6-foot-4, one of those deals, Ferentz said. Youve got to give him credit for trying.OFFENSE LINE INJURIESThe Hawkeyes were without starting guard Sean Welsh and center James Daniels -- two of their best lineman against NDSU. Iowa was limited to 34 yards on 25 carries last weekend. Ferentz expects them back.MORE BIG TEN PLAYAs the teams enter their Big Ten schedules, they will be playing nine conference games for the first time in league history. With an East and West Division, each school plays all the teams in their division and three teams from the other.FIRST TIMES A CHARMThis is the first game between Rutgers and Iowa as the Scarlet Knights enter their third year in the Big Ten. Rutgers (East Division) is 0-4 against teams from the West Division, where Iowa plays. Cheap Football Jerseys Throwback China . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Clearance Football Jerseys Throwback . 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Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. ST. LOUIS -- Christian Friedrichs first start since the All-Star break was much like the last few, even with three additional days of rest.The San Diego Padres lefty didnt work deep into the game and lost his fourth consecutive outing in a 10-2 setback to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.My slider was probably my best pitch, but it was hit or miss, Friedrich said. If you dont establish the fastball, youre not going to have a good day.Friedrich (4-6) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had five walks, two more than hed totaled the previous three starts.Even the outs I was getting, I was falling behind the hitters, Friedrich said. Same old story. Having a feel for all four pitches would help out.Friedrich has allowed 15 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings during the losing streak.He didnt have his command from the first inning on, manager Andy Green said. It was a battle getting to the bullpen and getting him to the sixth.Matt Kemp homered for the Padres, coming off a sweep at home over the NL West-leading Giants. The Padres have homered in a franchise-record 16 consecutive games.But they also struck out 15 times, including all four at-bats for second-place hitter Wil Myers.I dont think anybody wants to go up and have flailing at-bats like we had to a certain extent today, Green said. But its just one game.Mike Leake had his second straight double-digit strikeouts game with no walks, joining Bob Gibson as the only Cardinals to accomplish the feat.Leake (7-7) struck out a season-best 11, one shy of his career high, and allowed one run and six hits in six innings. He fanned 10 over seven innings in a victory at Milwaukee on July 10.Gibson accomplished the feat in his final start of the 1968 regular-season and his first in 1969, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.ddddddddddddLeake has four career double-digit strikeouts games and is the first Cardinals pitcher with 10 or more in consecutive starts since Lance Lynn in 2012.Pinch hitter Matt Adams two-run double keyed a four-run sixth inning. Randal Grichuk and Jedd Gyorko connecting in consecutive at-bats in the seventh, and Stephen Piscotty homered into Big Mac Land in the third deck in left in the eighth. Adams is 9 for 21 with two homers and eight RBI as a pinch hitter.Rookie Aledmys Diaz added an RBI triple, and Stephen Piscotty had a run-scoring single in the sixth-inning rally that put St. Louis ahead 6-1. Diaz also singled and walked and has reached safely in a team-high 22 consecutive games.ROSENTHAL MOPUPCardinals manager Mike Matheny said former closer Trevor Rosenthal wont get any duty in high-leverage situations for the time being. Rosenthal retired the side in order in the ninth.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: OF Jon Jay (right wrist) expects to get his cast off in about two weeks, and then a rehab will follow.Cardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta (sore thumb) was not in the lineup. He was taken out in a double switch on Sunday. OF Matt Carpenter (oblique) and 1B/OF Brandon Moss (ankle) played light catch together.UP NEXTPadres: San Diego has won eight of the last 12 starts of Colin Rea (5-4). He had no decision his last time out, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings on July 6 at Arizona.Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (8-6) leads the majors with a .189 opponents batting average and has allowed just one extra-base hit to a right-handed hitter. ' ' '