After a 26-year drought, the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers are going bowling. 2005 Insight Bowl tickets will provide you with a glimpse of this Cinderella story, when Rutgers meets the host Arizona State Sun Devils at 8:30 p.m. EST, on Dec. 27 at Tempe, Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium. This will be the last year the Insight Bowl, originally known as the Copper Bowl, is held at in Tempe. In 2006, the game shifts to Phoenix’s Chase Field. The Scarlet Knights last participated in post-season action in the 1978 Garden State Bowl, where they met, ironically, Arizona State. This year’s Rutgers squad earned their Insight.com Bowl tickets the hard way. Three of the Scarlet Knights’ four losses came against bowl-bound teams. The other defeat was a heart-breaking 33-30 loss at Illinois in the season opener. Led by standout freshman tail back Ray Rice, Rutgers averaged more than 27 points a game. Rice capped off his debut season with 195-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 44-9 victory over Cincinnati. While Rutgers overachieved, head coach Dirk Koetter’s Sun Devils did not live up to their pre-season billing. A season-ending injury suffered by quarterback Sam Keller had a lot to do with Arizona State’s struggles. With Keller at the helm, the Sun Devils grabbed a 21-3 half-time lead against the vaunted USC Trojans. But, in typical Trojan fashion, Matt Leinart would lead USC on a furious comeback to thwart ASU’s upset plans. Back-up quarterback Rudy Carpenter stepped up nicely after Keller was lost, completing an impressive 68 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards and 13 touchdowns. In a crucial win against Washington, Carpenter, a redshirt freshman, threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns. Carpenter’s favorite target is wide out Derek Hagan. The senior has eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of the last three years and holds numerous Pac 10 records. Also keep an eye out for freshman back Keegan Herring, who set an ASU freshman record with 784 rushing yards. The 2005 Insight Bowl has all the signs of a real nailbiter. Both teams have been involved in several tight games. Arizona State’s last three games were decided by a total of 16 points. One of the Scarlet Knights’ biggest wins was a two-point victory at Connecticut. If you’re looking for big-time drama, a feel-good underdog story and a Pac 10 power struggling for respect, Insight Bowl tickets are a good choice.