PISCATAWAY -- Bobby Petrino was on the losing end of one of the most famous football games in Rutgers history, but he isn't harboring a decade-long grudge.

In fact, Rutgers might have Petrino to thank for its starting quarterback if Kyle Bolin emerges as the winner of a much-anticipated three-horse race during training camp.

Stuck behind 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson at Louisville, Bolin opted for a post-spring practice graduate transfer for his final year of eligibility.

As Bolin shopped around, Petrino, now in his second stint as Louisville's coach, apparently spoke highly of first-year Rutgers offensive coordinator Jerry Kill.

"I think the most important thing about that is Coach Petrino is a tremendous quarterback coach," Kill told NJ Advance Media. "Coach Petrino probably had as much to say (as anyone) when he was looking at schools. I know (Bolin) said that Coach Petrino told him, 'You need to go get with that guy.' I respected that."

Ironically, Petrino, who lost the November 2006 battle of unbeatens that put Rutgers football on the national map, was rumored to be a candidate at Rutgers if then-athletics director Julie Hermann fired then-coach Kyle Flood after the 2013 season.

Of course, no move was made, and Flood and Hermann were both fired after the 2015 season.

Enter second-year coach Chris Ash, who wasn't in the market for a graduate transfer quarterback until backup Zach Allen tore his ACL during practice on the heels of third-stringer Tylin Oden's dismissal.

It left returning starter Giovanni Rescigno and walk-on Troy Anthony as the only true passers on the roster.

"It's a deal where we had such a need because of our injury," Kill said. "We're sitting in a room with one (scholarship) quarterback. It's no secret that I'm out recruiting my (butt) off. We had to have somebody else in the room."

Kill told NJ Advance Media that he plans to pick a starting quarterback and commit to his choice rather than arbitrarily flip-flop in-game just to keep others sharp and maybe keep a defense guessing.

Bolin and highly touted incoming recruit Johnathan Lewis both were part of the first wave of summer session enrollees at Rutgers over Memorial Day weekend. They will be playing catch-up against Rescigno, a rising redshirt junior who has had five months of work with Kill.

"Gio had a really good spring," Kill said. "I was pleased with him."

But Kill shares Ash's belief that a rising tide lifts all boats.

So Bolin was added much like Miami graduate transfer Gus Edwards was added to the running back room or Allen was added as a rare two-year graduate transfer from TCU last season.

"I think it's no different than a couple other kids we picked up," Kill said without naming any names. "It adds depth, competition, all that stuff, to give us a chance to better a team."

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.