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He was booed by the Rutgers fans during his last home game. And in the immediate aftermath of that contest, a two-point victory over UConn on Oct. 18, two middle-aged male fans yelled at head coach Greg Schiano to replace the team's offensive coordinator.

But that was then, and this is now.

Rutgers (3-5, 2-2 Big East) has won two straight and is suddenly back in the running for a fourth consecutive bowl bid and a shot at the Big East crown. Entering Saturday's noon tilt with Syracuse (2-6, 1-3) at Rutgers Stadium (ESPNU), Teel is coming off a record-setting performance in which he tossed six touchdowns, five in the first half, in a 54-34 rout of then-No. 17 Pittsburgh on Oct. 25. He was named Big East and USA Today Player of the Week as a result.

The Scarlet Knights enjoyed a bye this past week, when Syracuse posted a 28-21 home victory over Louisville for its first Big East win of the season.

Teel said he didn't think the bye would interrupt his momentum from the Pitt game and added that the team possessed a renewed energy because of the recent wins. "It makes it that much easier when you go out and win games," Teel said Monday. "You can prepare and practice but if you don't win, it makes it hard. [We have] a sense of urgency. Guys realize it's going to take everything all week long to go out and practice well."

Asked if Rutgers fans owe him a standing ovation when he takes the field, the even-keeled Teel said they did not.

"If they do, they do," he said. "If they don't, they don't. I don't have any control over the way they're going to perceive us, the way they're going to acknowledge me. My job and our job is to continue to try to play better football. Obviously, I played well last week and I need to play well again this week."

The Scarlet Knights play three of their final four games at home. If they can run the table and get league wins over Syracuse and Louisville (5-3, 1-2) at home and South Florida (6-3, 1-3) on the road, they would finish 7-5 overall, 5-2 in the league. If they lose at South Florida and win the three home games, they would finish 6-6, 4-3 in the conference and still have a shot at a bowl.

"The bottom line is if you don't get it done this week, there's no point in worrying about next week," Teel said. "Every week there's another chance to go out and play and it's wide open week after week because the competition is so good."

Through the first seven games of the season, Teel struggled with his accuracy and had more than twice as many interceptions (seven) as touchdowns (three). In the waning moments of a 23-21 loss at Navy, Teel made headlines when he smacked teammate Glen Lee in the helmet during a moment of frustration.

Schiano even used redshirt junior Dom Natale to spell Teel for portions of the last two games.

"I think being a quarterback is tough," said senior linebacker Courtney Greene. "You've got to go through so much stuff. If the team's doing good, it's all about you. When we're doing bad, they blame it on you. And I think [Teel] does a great job just dealing with it and accepting his role on the team and being a good leader."

Aside from the support of his teammates, family and high school friends, Teel also received phone calls from former Giants quarterback Phil Simms and current Giants signal-caller, Eli Manning, the MVP of last year's Super Bowl.

Simms is a family friend whose son, Matt, played at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., Teel's alma mater.

"It's nice to be able to hear things, especially from guys like that," Teel said. "It's a quarterback thing. If you're not a quarterback, you don't really understand what it is to handle all the stuff that goes on with the position.

"There's a lot more that goes in to playing quarterback than just the on the field stuff. And that's why quarterbacks have such a respect for each other."

He added: "It's the same message in different words from different people. Whether they played in the NFL or they're coaching now, the message is the same. 'Keep with it, continue to work hard and eventually it's going to start to go your way.'"

And now Mike Teel has an opportunity to show Rutgers fans that things are going their way.

Extra points: The Big East announced that the Nov. 15 football game between Rutgers and South Florida will be the Big East Game of the Week with a noon kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The game will be televised on SNY. ... Syracuse senior running back Curtis Brinkley rushed for 166 yards on 33 carries against Louisville, marking his fifth straight 100-yard game. That set a Syracuse single-season record. He is one of two backs in the Big East to have six 100-yard games. ... Syracuse quarterback Cam Dantley is the son of Adrian Dantley, who played in the NBA from 1972-91 and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Sept. 6. He was ranked ninth on the NBA scoring list at the time of his retirement with 23,177 points. ... Syracuse sophomore wide receiver Da'Mon Merkerson, a Passaic, N.J. native, had three catches for 68 yards against Louisville, including a 38-yard touchdown reception. He is the son of Amod Merkerson, who played briefly with the Phoenix Cardinals and then spent multiple years in the AFL.